Pyro Gun
For my negotiated project I decided to build a replica firearm that was capable of firing pyrotechnics. Through this I will attempt to explain the process I took to creating this prop, and how you could replicate it.
Firstly, I began by selecting a weapon to base it on. As my metalwork skills were not amazing, I decided to go for an older style model that used more wood in it's design (most WW1 style rifles).
From here I then searched for the dimensions online, which is very easy to find, and then I began sourcing my materials.
For the gun shot effect itself, I wanted something that looked the part as well as sounding it. I opted for Le Maitre gunflash-2 small sized.
See effect here >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLQfHMjdN4w
When making the body of the gun; I decided to use pine, more for cost rather than purpose. This was then stained darker at a later point. I marked out the shape and dimensions and then cut using a Jigsaw, and then sanded down to give the shape.
once I had the shape of the body, I need to place holes and grooves in to allow the electronic to be built in.
- A hole was made in the back for the Arming Key
- A hole in the side of the butt stock to conceal the battery.
- Two holes under where the bolt assembly would be placed; This was for the trigger system and arming LED.
- a hole all the way through the butt stock for cables to run.
- a groove the length of the barrels to allow for cables to run.
I decide to remove the top half of the stock entirely, and reattach with hinges and toggle clips. This was to allow for quick reloading of the pyrotechnics if ever needed.
For this reason as well, I used WAGO clips to connect my pyro. The reason for this is because they require no tools and they have a strong grip on the wires. Again, if this needed to be reloaded quickly offstage, these would help.
With all these now in place, It's just a case of adding the superficial things to the prop. Additional metalwork that doesn't aid the effect or further design choices.
A short video of the final product can be seen here >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVgu7Ox7ttE&t=14s