Handle:
Start with a 1 1/4" coupler. Grind out the center ring, then cut 1/4 of the coupler away.
Cut your handle at a slight angle, making sure the top is flat (or concave to match the coupler section) and all sharp edges are nice and comfy. Tack on the handle. Make sure it's straight. Drill pilot holes (1/8" or a bit less), then add your screws.
Snap it on the PC, butt it up against the trigger, and wiggle it side-to-side. This creates a couple of marks where the screw heads need to go.
If you love the taste of PVC dust, feel free to dremel out a groove, but I just drill a couple of 7/16" holes, like so.
Now's a fine time to add your vent hole as well.
The handle should be butted against the back of the trigger, holding the trigger in place and preventing overtravel. Solvent weld the handle in place, making sure the entire internal surface of the coupler is coated with solvent weld.
Plunger Assembly:
Make your superlative plunger head. Mount on your plunger shaft, using 2 screws or a pin. Add your spring, drill out your ¾” endcap, and add your handle.
Lubricate with silicone grease, and nothing but silicone grease. Insert into the PC, make sure the endcap is flush with the end of the PC, and drill a hole all the way through the handle, PC, and endcap on each side. Screw it down. To disassemble, you need only to undo these screws. Add a barrel and shoot people.
Optional Stock: Cut a 6" piece of 3/4" PVC at an angle. Nest a 3/4" dowel inside it with e-tape. Add a buttplate (I just use a couple of fitings and a bit of 1/2" PVC). Dremel out a groove to fit the trigger's zip tie. Glue the whole assembly on. It should be offset toward you slightly to prevent cheek diddle (a righty's stock should be cocked 1/2" or so to the left).
Optional Rail: Cut a piece of 1/2" PVC to fit under the PC, in front of the trigger. Glue it on. Now, things can snap on and off your gun.
Maintenance: Re-lube infrequently. Pull the plunger and wipe it down occasionally, to remove any accumulated grime. I recommend priming by holding the foregrip in your non-dominant hand, and pulling back with your dominant hand. Use a long, tight barrel--I use 16” of cpvc, lubricated with silicone spray.
Inevitable Questions:
Q: Rork, why did you not use TantumBull's Pre-eminent plunger head?
A: I tried. It sealed less well, caught less reliably, and created more friction. It sure does look pretty, though.
Q: How good IS the seal on these things? Those washers sure are primitive.
A: Generally, if you make it properly, you can fire it with your hand pressed tightly over the output, and the plunger will stop.
Q: One more plunger head question: How well do those things last? Does the epoxy putty wear down?
A: Hell of a long time, and no, respectively. To put it in perspective, my current SNAPbow is the third gun to be wrapped around my FIRST superlative plunger head. Thousands and thousands of rounds later, it catches and seals perfectly.
Q: How solid is this thing? [insert quibble about part] looks wobbly/flimsy to me.
A: It's a rock. I've messed with +bows, including some pretty nice ones, and I can confidently say that durability-wise, this is far superior to those or any other nerf gun I've seen. The only parts that could possibly get knocked loose are in no way essential to the working of the gun, as well (no, I've never lost a stock or an accessory rail, including those held by hot glue alone). If you somehow suffer a trigger or plunger malfunction (those are the only moving parts), a spare can be installed in less than 2 minutes.
Q: Is it comfy?
A: Yes. Of course, you can make the handle any shape you want, or modify the simple design I use by sanding it down, and/or adding a shaped piece of wood to the back.
Q: Raaanges. Tell me about the raaaaanges.
A: An elegant sufficiency. With the right darts and barrels, it should easily pass the 100' mark with slugs.
Also, you can cover them with tape and shit.
Edited by rork, 01 October 2010 - 12:42 AM.
