Hello again, fellow DIY'ers. Today, I'll be showing you how to mod a Buzz Bee Toys Mech Tommy 20 to look like an Armsel Striker, a 12 gauge assault shotgun. I bought this little toy gun at a thrift store for $4 cause I thought it would be fun to mod, and I noticed that it had a faint resemblance to the striker shotgun. So, I made this tutorial to show how you can make it look almost "exactly" like the striker with some adjustments, and still preserve full functionality of the gun itself. (And actually make it more powerful too). So, let's get started.

Step 1: Take Everything Apart

This is a "nerf" Instructable... So of course you know what comes first, take EVERYTHING apart piece by piece. The reason for doing this is twofold... First, you gain acces to the internal workings of the gun, and second, you can fully survey and understand how everything goes together. Note: If you're not really confident about your memory, it's always a good idea to take pictures of the gun as you disassemble it. That way, if you have an "Oh ****! Where'd that piece go?!!" moment, you can just look back at your pictures for a reference.

Step 2: Reconfigure the Gun

For this mod, I decided to saw off the stock, since I want the outline of the Striker shotgun. While I was at it, I also decided to boost the power of it, by re-wiring the gun to use a 9 volt battery instead of the 3 AA's it originally used. Since each AA has 1.5 volts, by using a 9 volt, we are essentially doubling the power supply, and the power output. (Add a bigger battery, get a bigger bang). So, saw off the stock right in front of the battery pack on both sides of the gun, then strip the red and black wires that run to the battery terminal.(There will also be a resistor, so just throw that away) Next, get a 9v connector, (I got mine from an old alarm clock) and strip those wires too.

Step 3: Solder Time

Next, we need to solder those wires together. Now, if you're a first timer to soldering, don't worry, cause I'll be showing you every step of the process, and it's really not that hard, once you get the hang of it... First, the red wires, and hold the one from the 9v connector straight, while looping the wire from the gun around it a few times. Then press them together, heat up your soldering iron, and press the iron to the wire, while holding solder between the wires and the iron. Once it heats up, that solder will melt, and fuse the wires together. It's that easy. Do this for the black wire too, then cover the exposed wire with electrical tape. Congratulations!, you just hacked your power supply!

Step 4: Add a Barrel

Just like the title says, make and add a long barrel to the gun, to make it look more like the striker. I made mine out of 40mm wide PVC, at about 15 inches long. Then I just got glued it to the frame.

Step 5: "Get a Grip"

Next, make a foregrip for the barrel. I just made a simple, lightweight grip from cardboard, by first making a box, then filling that box with folded cardboard to make it stronger. Then I got-glued it to the barrel.

Step 6: Check What's in "Stock"

Next, I decided to make the characteristic folding stock of the striker. First, I made two cardboard stock struts from pieces I folded in half. Then, I made the butt plate from a piece of carefully cut and folded cardboard, with identical plates glued to the sides. Next, I made a cardboard brace for the stock to pivot on. I then poked holes through the pieces where I wanted them to pivot, and used kitchen skewers to make axles for them. Then, I just glued the brace to the top of the gun, and taped it down.

Step 7: Make the Drum and Secure the Battery

To preserve functionality, yet make the drum mag look better, I just glued some poster board around the sides, leaving the front open, so I can still load it. There was a gap between the two sides of poster board in the end, so I just filled it with another piece. For the battery, I just taped some electrical tape around it, so it doesn't fall out of the gun, but can still be swapped out when needed.

Step 8: Painting the Gun

First, I painted the gun with 2 coats of flat black. This gave it a nice look, but I wanted a much more realistic paint scheme, so I dry-brushed the gun with some silver paint, in order to give it a realistic "worn" look. Then, I gave the whole thing some clear coat to preserve the finish and durability. Note: I live out in the backwoods, and I don't usually take my props off the yard, but I wrap a piece of orange paper around the barrel when I do. If you live in a populated area though, I recommend you paint the tip of the barrel orange.

Step 9: The Final Result

So here it is, the complete mod. A fully functional Mech Tommy 20, made to look like the Armsel Striker 12 gauge. Well, I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial, and I appreciate any comments or questions you have. Thanks for viewing, and as always, good luck!