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Hybrid High Caliber Weapons (self.general)

submitted 2 months ago by sir_obitus to c/general

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I'm interested in helping research towards making higher-caliber weapons possible with fully DIY components. I'm still not that well versed in weapon design and I know many people here have more experience with converting components so the main thing I'd like to know is what limitations need to be overcome?

I have an idea for the ECM taper that may work but it's yet to be tested. The other complexity is the bolt carrier group and the locking mechanism but I think that can be made with guides. The other consideration is the gas system, a section could be attached to the gas port without welding with a clamp but then I'm not sure if direct impingement or a piston system is the way to go.

Any help is appreciated.

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[–] TheShittinator 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The big problem is mostly being able to manufacture locking geometry. ECM can do rifling, but it can't do -- say -- the barrel extension on an AR barrel. Cycling is whatever, we can figure that out, but we can't fire 5.56x45mm unless we can keep that breech closed.

There was one guy who did a flywheel-delayed blowback rifle a while back, but he ended up dropping the project. He tried to do a rack-and-pinion setup with the rack on the bolt and it would just violently shred the teeth after cycling. Personally, I think there's still potential there, but there are probably also much more novel approaches we haven't explored yet.

[–] sir_obitus 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I think a blowback can't really be done at higher calibers without too much internal stress for these calibers. I think right now making a DIY gas system isn't the priority, first is making a working bolt-action higher-caliber as it would still require a lot of development.

[–] TheShittinator 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Just boils down to figuring out locking geometry, yeah

[–] sir_obitus 1 points 2 months ago

Trying to think of a simpler mechanism than rotating bolt lugs. The lugs on a typical assembly could be made from a steel part with a rim on one side and filed down using a guide and then drilled through the middle for the firing pin. The main issue I think is the complexity of the bolt internals. It may be possible to FDM some of the internals that don't take the brunt of the stress (maybe in a CF polymer) though again it may just explode.

If not using direct impingement the bolt can be simpler however it would still take many drill guides. The extractor and the breech face lock itself seem difficult to make unless they are changed.

I suppose if a barrel with taper could be successfully made with ECM then the breech face could be as well with the same principles? Maybe with 6 wires just inserted into the end so that it creates the pieces to lock into. I definitely need to do lots of experimentation so see if all of these ideas are possible.