7 replies to this topic

[Carbon]

Nerfer909's Minimi topic got me thinking about going the other direction as far as size, and seeing just how small I could make a SNAP out of my usual parts. (It's also because my parts supplies are pretty low, and I don't have big pieces of anything right now). So, here's the SNAP-M.



Compared to a normal SNAP, it's pretty tiny.



I didn't bother with a handle, deciding that a "hand cannon" sort of firing method would work better for this gun's intended purpose (holdout type of thing). It ain't no primary.



The plunger is sort of a cross of my compact plunger head (which uses compression nuts) and the type of plunger that davidbowie used in his Snapper series of guns.



You hold down the trigger until it's cocked, then release. The middle washer is held in place by the nail. The back washer is the spring stop (compression nuts aren't strong enough to resist a spring). The lead washer is the seal backer.



I used a bit of FBR inside the 1st to 2nd washer to keep it centered.



Yes, it's a little heavy. I was just getting it built without much thought to weight. Couple that with the somewhat weak spring I had available, and the ranges aren't all that (~20-~30 feet). But it's worth working on some more.

Things to improve:

See if I could use the seal backer as the nail catch, so I could eliminate one washer and the spacer.
Get a heavier spring.

[SHADOW HUNTER ALPHA]

Good work as usual. It reminds me of what a spring-powered SSPB might look like. Try the Handyman springs at Home Depot. I don't remember the part number right now, but it is the size of an NF spring (DO NOT USE IT TO REPLACE THE NF SPRING, it blew the epoxied plunger tube and barrel out of the front of the gun...). You will know when you find it by the way it feels. You may need to nest brass for the cocking rod and reinforce the catch, but it might well be worth it.

Edited by SHADOW HUNTER ALPHA, 24 May 2007 - 10:12 PM.

[Shadow 92]

I like it. The trigger makes up half of the gun

Things to improve:
See if I could use the seal backer as the nail catch, so I could eliminate one washer and the spacer.
Get a heavier spring.

Shadow Hunter Alpha's right, Handyman springs are the best for small guns.

[Carbon]

Thanks. Yeah, everyone talks about the Home Depot springs, but I've never gone to pick some up...always kept going to True Value. I'll check those out. This was built out of spare parts...and I'm running low. I'd like to get this smaller...if I did, I'd probably use that to recreate the SNAP-S, which never worked that well.

[nerfer909]

Pretty cool, at least someone recognizez my minimi, and your snaps are verry well done.

[Prometheus]

Nice and compact, you could glue a bunch to the side of a bigger SNAP, and have it loaded and ready to go, as a last resort.

[jwasko]

Good job, and definitely worth the work to improve it a little. Is it annoying and/or difficult having to hold the trigger down to cock it?

Also, sorry for this slightly off-topic question, but I've been looking for those handyman springs (mentioned a few posts above) for forever. The only springs I can find at the Home Depot nearest me are extension springs, in the hardware aisle. I even asked a couple of employees, and they had no idea where compression springs might be.

So, any help in pointing me to the right section of Home Depot would be most appreciated.

[Carbon]

Good job, and definitely worth the work to improve it a little. Is it annoying and/or difficult having to hold the trigger down to cock it?

Really not bad at all. It's a switch from what I've built before, but I think the lack of handle makes it feel more natural: it's not like the other ones, so I have to hold down the trigger.