This guy has some pretty serious machining and reverse engineering skills. He even made many of his own tools too. He has made not just a P228 but Beretta 92, 1911-A1, AR-15 parts, STI, etc.


https://www.cncguns.com/projects/sigp228frame.html

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BB61,

Wow!

Neat stuff to ponder.

To me it is interesting to appreciate the complexity of the machine - in this case either a rifle or pistol. All of the different machining steps to make one part, then make multiple, different parts, then make them work together - then function as designed.

Then study how inventors did it differently to get around each others patents.

I make a stick shuttle for weaving. One piece of wood. Probably made one or two hundred so far. To produce a product with ONE part takes several machines, a number of fixtures and then sanding and finishing. That is for a simple stick shuttle.

The Krag-Jorgensen rifle has 99 parts. Probably none of which could be done on one machine (they each needed several steps on several machines). Then the government might say “We need 100,000 rifles by next year” (actually the number was higher).

How many parts? How many machines? How many people to operate the machines? How long to “Tool up” before you produce serial #1? What is an allowable part reject rate?

Simultaneously we need to produce and test prototypes so we have a working, reliable and safe product.

That was for the Krag-Jorgensen. Apply the same idea to a car - THOUSANDS of parts. Model variations, colors, etc. Then produce a NEW (different) one for next year.

A friend of mine worked for Chrysler in their R&D division, specifically on engines. Their time frame was 5-6 years. This year (2024) they should be putting final touches on engines to go in the 2030 cars. Not starting designs, FINISHING operating engines so they could begin gearing up for production.

So someone building a firearm from scratch? While he may have copied an original, it is a prototype. One of a kind. All errors made, discarded, replaced. It is an incredible feat. An accomplishment and person to be highly respected.

OK, I’ll get down off my soap box now…..

there is a guy that sometimes has a table at the NGS that has made a few revolvers and pistols, as well as some rifles,
all from scratch



picked up an estate from a old dude (sadly dementia did him in) that had a small shop outside his back door, as in he made a mud room and decided to make a work room,
he had a small Craftsman table top lathe, and used it to make a SAA, (also used a few files etc, not everything could be done on a lathe) out of aluminum,

there are folks with serious skill out there

Yeah, that is awesome!

When I was converting a few pistols to .38 Super, there were quite a few adaptations with trial and error (mostly error).

Getting everything made the way it will work the way you wanted it to is quite the task.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:

I make a stick shuttle for weaving. One piece of wood. Probably made one or two hundred so far. To produce a product with ONE part takes several machines, a number of fixtures and then sanding and finishing. That is for a simple stick shuttle.

Probably deserves a thread of its own, but I'd really like to read / see more about this.

Thats incredible