DIY syringe-powered airsoft rifle is powerful enough to shatter glass

By Kelly Hodgkins December 24, 2015

Pumpaction Syringe Airsoft Rifle TUTORIAL

DIYer Patrick Priebe of Selfmade and Laser Gadgets has a new creation that uses a standard syringe as the backbone for a homemade pump action Airsoft gun. The gun is made using a spare piece of wood that is sanded into a grip and stock, scrap aluminum that serves as the frame and firing mechanism of the gun, and an extra BB gun barrel to guide the BB pellets.

Priebe’s ingenious design uses the explosive power of air pressure from within the syringe to fire the BB ammunition. The syringe is mounted on the top of the gun with the tip fitted into the end of a barrel. The gun is loaded using a sliding piece of spring-tensioned aluminum that pulls the syringe open and provides the gun with pump-action reloading.

As the pump is being pulled back into place, a lightweight magnet is used to drop the metal BBs into place, and a simple trigger lock mechanism is used to hold the syringe open at its maximum setting until the gun is ready to be fired. When the trigger is released, tension springs force the syringe to close. The air pressure within the syringe is released into the barrel and the BBs fly out the barrel with impressive force.

Priebe tests his gun using an impromptu firing range set up in the backyard of his residence. The gun packs some punch, embedding metal BBs into the flesh an apple and breaking glass drinking bottles. Priebe even adds a red laser sight to improve the precision firing of the gun. Priebe walks you through the building and firing of the hobby weapon in a 10-minute tutorial he posted to his Selfmade DIY Youtube channel. Priebe plans to release a more detailed building video for his advanced DIY LaserGadgets channel, while a follow-up Selfmade video will scale down the complexity of the gun and provide details on how to build a simplified version.

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Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…

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