Build a prop Pulse Rifle (from card)

Having completed the ray gun prop, I spoke to the model for the Android bodypaint series and we decided that a sexy Sci-Fi girl needed a REALLY BIG gun. So I set about building some kind of pulse rifle.

This has turned into a labour of love and took FAR longer to complete than I would have thought possible at the outset.

Construction is 90% card with a few plastic bits and some bits and bobs of detailing. The main structure is a series of boxes glued together, a load of car body filler and finished with strips of card and a cool paint job.

The card I have used is high density 'show card', and high density card will do, the main structure is 1.5mm thick card (about 1/16") with the surface panels made of cereal packets.

Step 1 Barrel housing

The rifle is made in sections. I know little or nothing about real guns so I made this design as a hybrid of a few actual prop guns (Aliens and Starship Troopers) plus some game prototype designs I found on the net.

I wanted the final gun to be about 1 metre or 3 feet long. I used that as the basis of the gun and just made up the design as I went along, sketching each section as I went.

The main barrel housing is simply a rectangular box. I cut the top, bottom, two sides and two ends allowing for the thickness of the card in my calculations. Since the gun needs to be reasonably robust I added two internal spacer pieces.

Comments

[Xase P]

Yet another confusing instructable. Can some explain to me what he means? I panic easily over small things. This looks great, but it's confusing.

[marshon]

Which part are you finding confusing? If you let me know maybe I can help.

[Xase P]

Na... It's okay, I don't want to waste your time

[Kasm279]

This looks a lot like the Pulse Rifle from Tremulous :D

[SpEcIeS8472]

Pulse Rifle and Tremulous ftw! :D

[Kasm279]

Eh, massdriver > prifle. You play Trem much? (I usually play 1.1 on AA)

[JerBear]

... or the pulse rifle from the alien movies?!

[ilpug]

or the assault rifle from that most entertaining yet terribly made computer game, Chrome Specforce.

[SHIFT!]

Now when you say 'card' do you mean like Cardstock?

[marshon]

I have no idea what it's known as in the States. The main card type used here is known as 'Mountboard' if that helps. It's supplied by Daler Rowney as a border matt for mounting watercolours.

[mastermine]

most excellent =)

[robot inc.]

This is the best.......

[Rob K]

The pulse rifle from the Aliens movie was a combination between a Thomson SMG and a SPAS 12 shotgun.

I do like the look of yours.

Have you seen this?
http://aliens.humlak.cz/aliens/aliens_papirove_modely/aliens-m41_gb.html

[hogey74]

"They mostly come out at night. Mostly".

[InstructablesMunkey]

Game over man! Game over!

[rix_101]

I lost the game...

[Smexy Dead]

"LET'S ROOOOOOOOOOOOCK!"

[zascecs]

Wow, nice design