Airsoft guns are cool toys to have around if you love taking part in shooting games regularly. Most people hire guns when they need them, but if you’re an enthusiast, you’d surely love to have a few at home. Unfortunately, they can cost up to $500 (without counting pellets), making it hard to own more than a couple—unless you know how to make yours at home.
Here’s how to make a homemade airsoft gun:
- Gather the materials you need.
- Construct the gun base.
- Build the gun’s BB loader.
- Create the gun rear.
- Construct the trigger.
- Create the gun’s middle part.
- Build the pressure piston.
- Construct the pressure chamber.
- Connect the barrel and test the gun.
The rest of the article will expand in each of the steps above. You’ll see what you need to do for each one, so you can create as many BB guns at home as possible.
1. Gather the Materials You Need
The materials you’ll need for a homemade airsoft gun are easy to find items including:
- Plastic bottles
- Glue gun
- Rubber bands
- An A4 sheet
- Airsoft pellets
- 12 small syringes and one big one
- Plastic pipe
- Scissors
- Cardboard
2. Construct the Gun Base
To construct the gun base, you’ll need to:
- Cut the cardboard in the shape of the gun design you’re going for.
- Stick parts together using glue.
You can download gun cutouts if you don’t want to draw some on your own. Constructing the gun base is the most important part of the process so take your time to get it right.
3. Build the Gun’s BB Loader
To build the gun’s BB loader, here’s what you should do:
- Take your plastic bottle and puncture two holes along the middle of the bottle. You can puncture manually with any sharp metal or use a hot gun for a quicker and stress-free job. The holes need to be equal-sized, with one above the other.
- Get one syringe and remove the pressure rod.
- Cut the front part of the syringe at around 1cm (0.4 in) from the front part.
- Cut the syringe again at above 1cm (0.4 in) and then detach the backside.
- Create a hole at the tip of the front part and plug in the exterior part on top of it using glue.
- Insert a pipe of equal size through the syringe and keep it aside.
- Cut another syringe laterally.
- Put a separate one of similar shape on the other side and glue it tightly.
- Insert a pipe on the elevated part of the syringe and connect everything with glue.
- Insert a pipe of equal size in the hole and ensure it’s airtight.
- Put the flat surface of the syringe inside the front hole of the bottle you designed earlier. Glue it properly to make sure it won’t shake while in position.
- Put the whole setup created here into the upper part of the gun design.
4. Create the Gun Rear
To create the gun rear, here’s the process to follow:
- Get another syringe and remove the back part and the tip.
- Cut two holes into it about 1.5 inches (4 cm) above the front part of the injection.
- Cut two bits of the injection material laterally and insert them over the two holes you’ve created on the injection.
- Cut a hole in the plastic bottle cap and connect it to the end of the part you’ve just created in the step above. Apply glue to keep it in place.
- Place the bottle cap over the spray bottle and cover the open extremes with two equal-sized pipes.
- Ensure the pipes are inserted tightly enough to prevent air leakage. Use glue at the joints where necessary.
- Place this set up at the lower portion of the gun cutout.
5. Construct the Trigger
To construct the trigger, you should do the following:
- Get a new syringe and take out its pressure piston. Insert an extra rubber cap over the existing one on the piston and pour in a small amount of glue.
- Insert a slim stick inside the pistol rod. Add one more longer-sized stick below it, and then glue everything tightly. Apply some glue on one side of the piston and place a stick on its side. The goal is to ensure adequate support for the piston.
- Remove the tip from the part of the syringe where the piston came from. Enlarge the hole around the tip and then make an extra hole on the side of the syringe. Cut a piece of syringe material laterally, place it above the hole, and glue it tightly. Insert another laterally cut syringe piece on the tip of the syringe and glue everything.
- Insert the piston into the syringe and connect a rubber band to the two sides of the syringe holder.
- Put the entire setup you’ve created at this stage inside the bottom section of the gun.
- Make sure one pipe coming from the gun posterior goes into the trigger’s bottom hole. The pipe coming from the loader bottle’s rear end should go into the upper section of the trigger.
6. Create the Gun’s Middle Part
Here’s how to create the gun’s middle part:
- Get the middle part of a syringe. Create two holes in front of it opposite each other and one other hole just below any of the two.
- Insert two equal cut plastic pieces into the two holes and a lateral cut piece in the single hole. Create a hole on the bottle cap, and insert it in the setup you’ve just created. Ensure the cap fits over the bottle as tightly as possible.
- Place the setup in your gun’s middle section. The upper pipe in the rear part should connect to the upper section of the gun. Ensure the middle part is tightly glued to the gun.
7. Build the Pressure Piston
To build your airsoft gun’s pressure piston, you should do the following:
- Remove the sprayer from the spray bottle. Take out the upper section, the trigger, and the lower section. Remove the valve inside.
- Take a big syringe. Cut a hole into its midsection. Glue the valve removed above over this hole properly. Cut down the tip of the valve, and then get a similar valve for the top of the syringe.
- Connect the middle part lower front pipe to the pressure piston’s front end. Properly glue the piston in your gun’s upper part.
8. Construct the Pressure Chamber
Creating the pressure chamber is straightforward. Here’s what you should do:
- Get four bottles and place them sequentially behind themselves. Glue them properly.
- Connect all the bottles using pipes. Modified parts from syringe pieces can work here. Glue everything properly. You need to ensure all corners are airtight to avoid pressure build-up inside.
- Place the setup inside the gun’s bottom part. The lower-end pipe in the middle part of your gun should link up to the central pipe holding the bottles.
9. Connect the Barrel and Test the Gun
To connect the barrel:
- Get an A4 size sheet, roll it, and put it inside the cardboard roll.
- Connect the loader bottle’s front pipe to the barrel’s posterior.
- Hold the barrel in place tightly with glue. At this stage, your gun is ready to go.
- Load some pellets into the loader bottle. The choice of pellets is up to you, but lightweight, biodegradable options are good for your gun and the environment. A homemade airsoft gun like this one isn’t durable enough to handle heavier BBs or pellets.
- With the pellets loaded, ramp up the pressure from the pressure pistol, and you can shoot.
Here’s a video for this tutorial from the Blackfish channel on YouTube:
It will help you if you need a visual aid to create your airsoft gun at home.
Tips To Keep in Mind
- Keep all your pipes glued to prevent air leaks. Leaks can negatively affect internal pressure.
- Ensure all parts are tightly connected to make your gun as durable as possible.
- Only use pipes that don’t have any leaks and those that do not have any blockages.
How To Convert a Spring Airsoft Gun to Automatic at Home
Spring airsoft guns featuring batteries are designed to cock the firing mechanism after every shot. If you have one of these, you can change the mechanism from a single-shot design to one that fires automatically, firing off pellets as many times as possible.
To do this, all you need to do is to disable the gun’s slide mechanism and force it to continually load and fire. You’ll need a screwdriver and a few minutes of your time for the process. Here’s what you should do:
- Pull out the gun’s projectile magazine. You can find the compartment inside the bottom handle.
- Point the gun to a safe object and fire to eliminate any projectiles still in the gun. You should also shake the airsoft gun barrel to dislodge all projectiles in it.
- Pinpoint the small gap in front of the hammer at the top of the airsoft gun. You can find the hammer in the back of the airsoft gun.
- Push in a flat-edge screwdriver into the gap and move it around to open up the gap.
- Once the gap is around an inch wide, remove the screwdriver.
- Reinsert the magazine.
- Aim the gun at a safe object and fire. The gun should work like most automatic guns.
Avoid squeezing the sides of your airsoft gun around the hammer. There’s the risk of the gap becoming less, returning the airsoft gun to a semi-automatic.
Should You Build a Homemade Airsoft Gun?
You can build a homemade airsoft gun if you have the time for such a DIY construction. You also need to have access to the materials needed to create the gun.
The process is straightforward, but it’s not very easy. If you’re not a DIY enthusiast, you may find that making one of these takes too long. You’ll be better off looking for a cheap, ready-made gun instead. If you’re experienced in such home constructions and have the time to spare, you can proceed with the construction.
Can You Use a Homemade Airsoft Gun in a Competition?
You can use a homemade airsoft gun in a competition, but only if everyone else has similar guns. You’ll be at a significant disadvantage if you’re competing against players with factory-produced guns.
The factory-produced guns are typically more robust, faster, and can shoot heavier BBs. Some battery-powered options can fire off 60+ pellets in less than 10 seconds.
Where To Buy Cheap Airsoft Guns
If you’ve decided that a homemade airsoft gun is too demanding for you, but you still want to save money on a few guns, you should consider exploring known sources of cheap airsoft guns.
Here’s what you should do:
Check for Airsoft Guns on Amazon and eBay
You can find cheap airsoft guns on Amazon and eBay. Look through both stores to find the right gun type or model you’re going for. It’s possible to find used guns under $20 in these stores, but you have to act fast as they sell out pretty quickly. Don’t forget to do your due diligence to avoid buying a dud.
Go to Commercial Airsoft Centers
Commercial airsoft businesses buy guns in bulk and also discard them in bulk. Check to see if they’ve got a few used pieces for sale. You may find old guns you can bring back to life with a little bit of remodeling. Depending on the state of the guns, you can get some for free. Make a note of airsoft businesses around your area and visit them.
Watch Out for Private Sales
People in the airsoft community are constantly upgrading their gear. Most of them can exchange old gear, but some will have these locked away in the basement. Ask in airsoft forums about possible sales and watch out for posts in that area.
If you choose to meet up with someone for a sale, apply all the necessary precautions, including meeting in a public space.
Final Thoughts
Making a homemade airsoft gun can be a rewarding experience if you have the time and energy required to create one. You get the satisfaction that comes with creating something and also save money on a new gun.
However, if you are in the market for a competitive gun, you’re better off buying or modifying factory-produced guns.