DIY airsoft cap-gun

This will show you how to make a cheap airsoft gun out of a cap gun. This is not to be relied on in an actual airsoft battle. It's just a fun project to try.
Please Rate!!
7-31-09: Today I found that 12hippos posted the same project as me, but about 6 months earlier. Please note that I did not copy him, as I did not know the instructable existed. If you really want to see heres the link. http://www.instructables.com/id/SUPER_Cheap_Airsoft_Pistol/

Step 1: Get your supplies

You will need a cap gun revolver. I got this one at Albertsons for 2 bucks
You also need caps. I got a pack of 24 cap rings for a buck at Albertsons
You need airsoft bb's (of course). You can get these at wal-mart or any sporting goods store.

Comments

[tyeo098]

This is a firearm.


"any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of any explosive;"
-18 USC 921

The projectile that is expelled is the .12g plastic BB, the explosive is the cap.

Its not illegal (unless you love in NY or Cali, or IL w/o a foid card) but you need to be over 18 to even possess it.

All firearm rules apply to this.

In some states, the construction of this w/o a gunsmithing license is a felony, and ill land you in jail for more than 5 years, and remove your right to vote, own a firearm, etc.

[chocowubbles]

Wow, thanks for the information. I'll be sure to put a warning up.

[Air_Assassin]

how many fps does it have

[PaulFrank]

Mine shot @ 250 fps

[Air_Assassin]

That's good

[MichelMoermans]

Frames per second? This is real life my good man ;D Unless you are getting lag while walking down the street I think the fps is really good :p Nah but I think you got your gaming words mixed up ;p

[supermack123]

dude omg its Feet Per Second no Frames duh

[Air_Assassin]

No it means feet per second man :)

[fn06afranci]

feet per second, its what bb guns are measured in

[MichelMoermans]

:p I'm sorry, as a European I was not familiar with your system of measurements ;)

[mechaninja]

I'm pretty sure FPS is metric.

[LiquidLightning]

Facepalm. FEET per second. Feet are most definately not metric. Metric is meters.

[mechaninja]

oh wow lol im a stupid person feet are american standard! lolwut i should know that

[chocowubbles]

Well I dont have a chronometer, so I cant measure, but its not a lot

[vince andrew]

how fast can the bb's shoot.by how many feet per sec

[PaulFrank]

250 fps

[~Aeronous~]

hey, I just notiiced but its not an airsoft gun, its powered by gunpowder.

[PaulFrank]

you think

[Hitman227]

It would most likely be considered an airsoft gun becuse now they have newer
hybrid cap powerd airsoft guns with shells. ( what I mean is cap goes in the
back of the shell and the bb in the front.)

[chocowubbles]

Well, gunpowder still fires by using gas generated by a small explosion, so in a way, it is. But you are correct in that it is not a true airsoft gun.

[Hitman227]

It depands on the standerds for a 'true airsoft gun'.

[sharlston]

it also not gunpowder its the stff they use on matchheads

[Hitman227]

I agree its not pure gun powder. You wiil notice when you hit a stryke anywere
match with a hammer on a flat surface it will explode.

[zimmemic25]

it is an airsoft gun. because it uses air pressure to fire the BBs. the fact that the air pressure is generated by an explosion doesn't say it's no air pressure. there are airsoft guns powered by methane too, thats also pressure by explosion.

[LiquidLightning]

Not methane, propane. And they just use the pressure of the gas, they do not combust it.

[aseaheru]

co2 as well

[darman12]

Do you put the BBs closer to the caps or the end of the cylinder?

[darman12]

I assume closer to the caps but i'm just making sure...great instructable by the way!

[DouglasG1]

I don't know about you, but i like this gun. Try the same with other cap guns.

[Dr Qui]

I can remember a commercial version of this being available in the UK for all of about 2 months back around 1982-4, they where a Chinese import that fired small hard rubber bullets powered by caps.

I took less than 6 weeks before before more than one idiot lost an eye and they got banned completely, there was even a nationwide news alert not to buy the toy and the police seized any remaining stock from shops and market traders.

[highvoltageguy]

This would be classified as a real revolver because it uses explosives to fire so be careful. OK

[jbend]

How far dose it go

[Timatobut]

Pretty good. It is technically a real "gun", and can get you arrested. It just fires custom projectiles.

[sswartz2]

arent there plastic things that sit behind the cap? inbox me the answer please. :)

[ilpug]

Dammit, i am driven to make a better version of one of these. like one that could be used in an airsoft game with actual tactical applicability.

[MrMadmonkey4]

(removed by author or community request)

[ilpug]

I would have to see that chrono'd to believe it.

[2hot2hack]

can you use ordinary metal BBs ornot? cos in australia we cant get airsoft.

[sanagol]

it wont fit in the revolver because a metal bb is 4,5 mm and a plastic is 6mm

[2hot2hack]

so wat if i find a metal bb thats 6mm not 4.5??

[MacGyver1124]

You can try to order them online

[chocowubbles]

Sorry, metal bb's don't fit snugly so the most of the force goes around and they just fall out.

[bbot2000729]

I SOOOO wish i had brought more cash than for fireworks at my street fair a few weeks ago. I saw this EXACT cap gun, and the guy selling didn't feel like bartering any fireworks for it.

[joehudy]

i tryed this but my revolver dedint have the holes like yours i tryed it any wase and failed any advice

[prop master]

i think this is in genius good work i cant wait to make mine hey and you could just use it like a daringer for last resort i mean come on this cost u 3 bucks it shoots beter than some of the 17 doler ones
ive seen.

[prop master]

ok i went and bought my gun but mines difernt its smallerand the cilender is more of an open shell but im going to try to make it work wish me luck

[skyfaller]

Mine doesn't work , sometimes a bb will fall out of the barrell, other ones get stuck, or fall into the spinning part. The spinning part's hole isn't alligned to the barrel . I don't know how to fix that, so please help.

[chocowubbles]

Well it sounds like a problem with the brand of cap gun your using. I would reccomend just getting a different one. Check out the barrel-cylinder alignment before purchasing. Also keep in mind that these aren't built to fire projectiles, so they lack features that would say, hold the projectile in. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful.

[skyfaller]

by it falling out, i meant that when i pull the trigger the bb doesnt fly out, but it rolls out.

[Lil Musky]

can you use metal bbs

[Hitman227]

Try 4.5mm .177 cal steel bbs. I have a bb gun so I have lots!

[chocowubbles]

I haven't tried, but I don't think they would work as well. I'll post another reply after I try it.

[zimmemic25]

you can use metal BBs, but they are much heavier, so they will not fly far.

[mayo291]

 I think that it would be cool it we made a costom round just for this

[mayo291]

 ya cuz i tried it and i failed miserably sorry any ideas it wont even leave the gun

[chocowubbles]

 I think I will look into making a custom round, sounds like a good idea. As for the problems you have, I don't really know what to tell you. Maybe try widening the barrel more, or making sure the cylinder lines up with the barrel properly

[Hitman227]

I wonder... what wold happen if you sawed off the barell, drilled the drum
thing out and put the bbs in there?

[bombmaker2]

I might try the concept but with a .22 starter pistol. That would probably be one of the most powerful airsoft guns ever!

[bobandthemonkey]

it didnt wor for me

[bobandthemonkey]

im going to make one of these, i have the exact same gun, but i dont have any bbs at the moment.

[nascar10]

do you need the caps to make it work in some way and what are they for??????????????????

[bobandthemonkey]

you need them because there is gun powder in them which creates pressure behind the BB pushing the BB forward ( if you dont agree, its close enough)

[chubby8]

it also works with air rifle pelets but they only shot a few meters.

[chubby8]

i made one, there not very reliable but can be quite powerfull and make a huge BANG!!!

[billbobby]

 will .9 mm BB's work?

[shank 890]

is it powerful??? because if its not i think its not worth making
=)

[chocowubbles]

 Its not too powerful as presented in this 'ible, but I didnt really make it to be. In an actual airsoft game its kind of a weapon of last resort. The biggest problem is the quality of the gun itself.

[Indeedly]

I 'am making one of these for my friend because his parents threw away is $30 airsoft gun so now he needs one to keep his brother out of his room so I am making this for him but he will need some more caps.

[Knex Guru]

Nice to have in those moments when you get caught reloading. One use a round though, really.

[lord voldamort]

if you push paper in where the bbs are, it will light

[aseaheru]

my cap guns= c r a p and missfire............. also more than $2

[Lil Musky]

kool thx

[Javin007]

How hard will this launch the BBs? My experience with plastic ring cap guns is limited. I'm curious as to how much gas they will produce.

[chocowubbles]

I managed to dent an aluminum can from about 15 feet. It packs a pretty good punch, and only hurts as much as a regular airsoft gun. The tricky part is aiming, because this thing is pretty inaccurate.

[~Aeronous~]

well is there any way to make it more accurate? o and what size are the bb's?

[airsoftman559]

normal 6mm

[chocowubbles]

Well, adding the pen tube is the only way to make it more accurate that I have tried. Also, I use 6mm bb's .12 grams. The biggest problem is that the gun itself is extremely low quality. Mine is starting to fall apart, and I've only fired about 50 bb's. The fact is, this is just a cool project to try with your old capguns, not a reliable weapon to go airsoft with.

[zimmemic25]

there would be another way for improving aiming: just add 2 BBs instead of 1, so you have something like a small shotgun. i didn't try, but i think it could work

[Scar16]

they just shoot off in different directions

[Javin007]

LOL! Still, pretty cool. Is it still as inaccurate with the pen casing inserted? I would think that would help with the accuracy somewhat.

[chocowubbles]

It does, but I have yet to develop an aiming system that goes beyond point-and-shoot.

[ilpug]

i have made these before. I was actually using mine in airsoft. I looked around and found a nicer cap gun for about six bucks. THen i want and got some 6mm brass tubing at the hardware store and put it in for the barrel. active accurate range is now about twenty feet. As far as realism goes, it fits pretty good for a revolver, except the eight shot cylinder. I would like to try and do this with paper caps. I am trying to make an airsoft gun that operates exactly like a real fire arm (cartridges, firing pin, explosive propellant, etc) but shoots airsoft bbs. its in the works.

[zimmemic25]

if this one goes 15ft, i would say its a very-short-range secondary/sidearm, so i think its ok if its not so accurate.

[mastermine]

kool beanz!!

[machomario1]

I tried everything you told me and it didn't work

[chocowubbles]

Could you elaborate please? I might be able to troubleshoot if you could give me some details. Did you widen the barrel enough? Are you using .12 gram bb's? Is the pen tube on straight?

[jakee117]

lol I am big into airsoft, but have always wondered about something like this ;) I have a soft spot for revolvers how is the range?

[chocowubbles]

I would say maybe 15-25 ft, but its very inaccurate so its pretty tough to measure range.

[blowfo]

it shoots good the odd times i made one like a year ago