3.7 KiB
Printable Flare Pistol
Warning
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UNTESTED EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
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NEVER TRY TO FIRE AN ACTUAL 12 GAUGE SHOTSHELL - IT ~WILL~ EXPLODE IN YOUR HAND!
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PRINT AT YOUR OWN RISK!
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ASSEMBLE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
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FIRE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Description
This pistol was designed entirely in Google SketchUp and is chambered to fire a 26.5mm European signal flare (a 12 gauge barrel design is also included in the package). It is unknown whether it can handle the pressure of either round. However... there are subcaliber inserts on the market that will convert this pistol to fire low-pressure rounds such as .22 CB and Aguila Super Colibri. One such insert is a rifled steel model made by Kennesaw Cannon Co., which currently retails for $25-$30. Be advised that while using a rifled steel barrel may exempt your creation from registration as an "AOW" (smoothbore pistol), you will still have to contend with the Undetectable Firearms Act if you print this in polymer and subsequently convert it to something other than a flare launcher. One possible way to remedy this would be to epoxy aluminum foil all over the gun. This would cause it to show up on x-ray scans and trigger metal detectors. When in doubt, consult an attorney or write a letter of inquiry to the ATF.
If built as designed (to fire signal flares only), it should be exempt from these provisions. Even the common Orion flare pistol sold at boating supply stores is of polymer construction and features a smooth bore. Therefore I do not believe flare pistols are subject to these regulations.
It is a simple break-barrel design. It fires from the open bolt. The bolt doubles as the striker/firing pin. Elastic bands on both sides of the pistol serve as the striker spring, and this is also what holds the breech closed. There are attachment points on either side of the receiver for a trigger reset band.
The first (12 gauge only) version of the launcher featured a detached pistol grip with no ready means of attaching it. This version solves that problem by fusing the grip and frame into a single piece. I also added a tactical rail to the 26.5mm barrel for mounting a dot sight or other accessory. Barrels are interchangeable between the two models.
BE ADVISED THAT TRYING TO FIRE AN ACTUAL 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN ROUND FROM A POLYMER PISTOL WOULD CAUSE A HORRIFIC EXPLOSION AND COULD COST YOU YOUR LIFE! As stated previously, this pistol was designed to fire low-pressure flare rounds only, and there's no guarantee that it can even handle those.
Author Notes
The author of these files assumes no responsibility for the actions of anyone. Any sane person would take appropriate precautions when test firing such a device (e.g. mounting it in a vise behind sandbags and pulling the trigger with a long piece of string). If someone else tests it with ABS and says it's fine, don't print it in PLA and assume the same (or vice versa). There is nothing safe about this design, and even a minor variation in materials or printing method could cause a catastrophic failure.
I designed the barrel to be as strong as possible. It's 1.6" wide (twice the diameter of a 12 gauge flare round), so there's a thick ring of polymer surrounding the chamber on all sides. The barrel could be shortened if desired, but I would advise against making the chamber wall any thinner.
Areas with interlocking parts (e.g. the bolt/receiver interface and the trigger/sear) have been designed with slight gaps such that they will hopefully drop into place with little or no manual fitting. These dimensions may be altered once sufficient data is gathered from prototyping cycles.
All design files are hereby released into the Public Domain. Have fun.
~ Pietro