Homemade Airguns for Beginners

You might find it hard to believe, but you can build your own airgun entirely from materials purchased from your local hardware store. Here is one I built:

Many people are skeptical when they ask me about my homemade airguns. Some of the concerns I hear are lack of accuracy and power. Compared to firearms, they lack power, but compared to your average store bought airgun, they are extremely powerful. In fact, they stack up pretty nicely with airguns that cost upwards of $500. Especially when you consider the materials I used for this one ran around $50. Here's a video that showcases the performance and versatility of this airgun:

Before your start your own project, you'll want to have some commonly available tools on hand. I have found the following tools to be indespensible:

* Two pairs of vice grips
* Pipe wrench or large pipe wrench
* Propane torch and lighter
* Hacksaw and miter box
* Wire brushes
* Drill press, a hand drill works too
* An assortment of drill bits
* A 1/8" npt tap

You should have many of those tools on hand already, the ones you dont are fairly cheap, with the exception of the drill press. You can purchase a small drill press with a vice for under $100 at most hardware stores, or make do with a hand drill.

In addition to tools, you'll want to have the following consumable supplies on hand:

* Pipe thread tape
* Machine Oil
* Silver Solder
* Propane cylinders
* Epoxy
* Mineral spirits or other solvent
* Sand paper

Now that you have all of your tools and supplies, what parts do you need to build your airgun? Please keep in mind that the following list is only a list of suggestions. Experiment with different sizes of pipe, valves, etc - you'll be amazed at the performance of your homemade airgun!

Purpose	Material Used
Barrel	1/2" to 3/4" diameter rigid copper pipe
Transfer Port	1/2" to 3/4" diameter T-fitting
Barrel Plug	1/2" to 3/4" diameter copper pipe to same sized thread fitting
Gas Valve	1/2" to 3/4" diameter ball valve
Air Reservoir	3/4" or larger NPT steel pipe nipple in various lengths
Filling Port	Schrader Valve
Misc Parts	1/2" to 3/4" NPT couplers, plugs, and reducers
Pump	Portable mini air compressor

Cant find what you need locally? Here's some search boxes that can help you out:

Now you have the tools, supplies, and parts needed to build your own airgun. The airgun we will construct here is designed to load through a simple breech, and is capable of firing shot, .50 cal lead balls, homemade darts, and modified arrows. This makes it a very useful airgun for self defense and hunting alike. Click here to see one way to build your own airgun.