Making a Realistic M-16 Model Out of Paper

"WEAPONS - Why do you want to make weapon crafts?" This is a question that my parents constantly keep asking me and I invariably answer - "I love to make them, from my early childhood I have been fascinated with the Army and weaponry and the mechanism of guns."

I have made quite a few firearms during my time at home in the pandemic and one of them is a M-16 out of paper that shoots paper bullets. It's an interesting and complicated piece of craft that took me around 5 hours cumulatively to create.

So if you are into weapons too, go ahead and try to build a similar one!!

Supplies

Hot Glue Gun
Hot Glue Sticks
Normal Glue Stick
Scissors
Cutter
Tape
Ruler / Scale
Lots of A4 size white papers
Black and yellow colour paper (feel free to experiment with any combination of colours)
Cardboard
Pen / Pencil
Rubber bands

Step 1: Making the Body, Barrel and a Part of the Shooting Mechanism

Take an A4 size paper, roll it vertically and tape it.
Make 12 such rolls.
Take 2 black papers, stack them on top of each other horizontally, place one white roll at the bottom, roll the black papers again into a combined roll and finally tape it together.
Remove the white roll from the inside edge.
Now take 2 more black papers, keep them horizontally (similar to step 3) and place the 'new' black roll on the bottom and start rolling, then tape it.
Take out the black roll from inside and mark it at 5.5 cm from any sides
Then hot glue the distance from the mark and the edge of the role. Put the small roll inside the big roll till the mark.
Take 4 of the white rolls that you made earlier and mark all 4 at 17 cm. Then cut all 4 so the length can be 17cm.
Then tape 2 of the rolls together and make 2 of those.
Then Tape one of the 2 rolls that were taped together to the small side of the black roll. Do the same with the other one.
Now take one new black paper and mark it at 12 cm from any side. Then fold the side from the small length inside till the mark.
Then fold the same length inside and keep doing that till you are at the top and glue it.
Then take the rectangle that you just fold it and mark it at 17 cm and then cut it sot the total length is 17 cm.
Then place it horizontally and mark it at 2 cm from the right side and the left side.
Then hold both of the sides at the mark and fold it inside so you get a 3d rectangle.
Then fit it inside the black paper from the white side.
Then take it out till 6cm from the right.
Then at the black rectangle, mark it at 6 cm again from the right to the left.
Then remove the rectangle again.
Then from the 6 cm mark, again mark it at 5.5 cm.
Then draw a rectangle from the distance between 6 cm and 5.5 cm.
Then cut the rectangle out.
Now fit the rectangle again on the black roll of paper.
Then the black roll that you see between the 2 white rolls and make the same length of rectangle on the black roll of paper.
Now take the rectangle out and detach the white rolls from the big black roll and cut the rectangle that you drew on the black roll.
Then attach the white rolls again on the black roll.
Now you will have a rectangle on the black roll.
After that, take a new black paper and roll it from the bottom left and don't make it thick.
Now fold the right edge of the roll, in.
Then take a rubber band and put it in the fold you made and then glue the folds tip to the body of your paper roll.
Take that roll and put it through the black roll and take the rubber band to the edge of the white tips.
Now finally GLUE the rectangle on the big black roll.

You have the first part done - easy-peasy right!!!

Step 2: Making the Magazine

Take 1 roll that you made at the start and mark the roll at : 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm and 20 cm.
Cut the remaining part.
Now give a cut to the marks but DO NOT fully cut it.
Then fold it inside and make 2 more of those.
Now glue them together in a same angle.
Then take a new black paper and fold it in half and then cut it.
Now keep the half of the paper horizontally and make a roll and tape it. Do the same with the other half.
Now make both of them flat.
Now take the magazine you made with the three papers and cut the top of it flat.
Now take the flat rolls and glue them at the SIDES of the magazine. DO NOT glue it on the flat top.
After that take a new black paper put the magazine on top of it and draw the out line of the magazine.
Now cut the out line and paste it on the magazine. Do the same with the other side.
Now take a new white paper and fold it it in half, now fold the 2 sides to the half and do that again.
Now Tape the open side of the paper.
Mark it at 5 cm and then make 3 of them and cut it.
Now make the 3 five cm's flat and fold them in half and tape the open side.
Then use hot glue on the open side of the magazine and put the half 5 cm's inside. Do it to all 3.
Now take the body that you made at the last step and make a cut to it from the LONG SIDE of the barrel.
Now glue the tips of the magazine and fit it inside the cut you made.

You have now finished the magazine.

Step 3: Making the Pistol Grip

Now take to white rolls and cut them in half. Put one half away and take the three.
Refer to the picture for the next step.
Now make a cut at the opposite side of the body.
Then apply hot glue on the tips of the 3 rolls and fit all 3 of them side by side int he cut.
Now take a small piece of black paper and wrap the handle.

The grip is done...

Step 4: Making the Handguard and Applying Colour

Take the remaining white rolls and make more so you can have a total of eight rolls.
now take them and make a circle in the middle of them so it can fit on the barrel and tape all of the rolls together so it will remain a circle even if you take it out.
After that take a new black paper and keep it horizontally.
Now keep the handguard on the bottom of the paper and glue it.
Now roll the paper so your handguard is black.
Then apply some hot glue on the white top of the handguard and past it on a new black paper.
Now cut the outline so you have a covered top. Do the same with the other side.
Now take a pencil or pen and stab it on the hole of the handguard from the top and do the same with the other side.
Now apply some hot glue on the bodies barrel at the bottom and fit the handguard on the barrel.
Now take a yellow paper and put it horizontally.
Then mark it at : 3 cm, 6 cm, 9 cm, 12 cm, 15 cm and 18 cm.
Now draw a line till the top.
Then cut the strips.
Now take one strip and glue one edge on the tip of the strip and past it on the tip of the barrel.
Now take one strip and glue it on the handguard and space each of them at 1.5 cm.
Now take a small strip and cut it so it can be 8 cm.
Then paste it on the top of the Magazine.

A coloured gun is now ready - huuusshhhh!!

Step 5: Making the Receiver

Now take cardboard and cut it at the size given in the photo and make 2 of them.
Mark one side of the cardboard at 4.5 cm and the others side at 3 cm.
Cut the distance between the 2 sides.
Do the same with the other side of the cardboard and glue them together.
Now apply glue on one side of the cardboard and paste it on a new black paper.
Then cut the outline and do the same with the other side so you have coloured the main sides.
Now cut pieces of paper according to the cardboard's length.
Now you have a coloured receiver.
Now glue the bottom sides of the receiver to the body.

Ready with the receiver.

Step 6: Making the Stock

Now Take a new black paper and fold it in half HORIZONTALLY.
Then fold the top left and right part in.
After that leave a 3 cm gap and fold the top part downwards to have a flat tip.
Then fold it in half.
Now draw the outline on cardboard and cut 6 pieces.
Then leave a 3 cm gap and cut it.
Do the same with 4 of them
Now glue them together.
Take the uncut piece and glue it to the glued ones.
Do the same with the other side.
Now cut the paper you folded in half.
and glue it to the side of the Stock.
Do the same with the other half.
Now cut strips of black paper and glue it to the edges of the stock so no cardboard will be seen.
Now cut a yellow paper and cut it at 15 cm length and 1.5 cm width.
Make 2 of them and glue it to the bottom side of the stock.
Now glue the stock to the body.

Almost towards the finishing of the gun...