"Fun" automatic home defense

TXAZ · July 9, 2013, 10:38 PM

I wasn't surprised when I read the article that someone published the engineering package to build your own automatic "Vulcan" gun for home protection. There are a lot of these completed projects on the web that are done on a shoestring. Next thing someone will swap the Nerf gun for a paintball gun or Taser.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Nerf...-Gun/?ALLSTEPS

This is not a remote control, it is a people recognizing fire control system with Nerf gun attached.
Has anyone built anything like this?

Nickel Plated · July 9, 2013, 10:51 PM

Yep, been done a while ago with airsoft guns.

The airsoft version used AEG's (Automatic Electric Gun) where the firing circuitry was simply wired directly to the gun's circuitry to make it fire. but i figure it wouldn't be hard to just rig up a servo that pulls a trigger on a mechanical gun when the fire command is given.

Would be interesting though, if you set up a completely automated turret like this with a semi-automatic gun, and just made a servo or some sort of wheel mechanism that repeatedly presses the trigger while it sees a target, does that count as an MG? Since it's automatically firing the gun.

Edit; Pretty cool that he made it not fire at anyone wearing a shirt with a certain logo. So it can detect friend from foe.

TXAZ · July 9, 2013, 11:22 PM

Hey Nickel,
Would your local PD get upset in your neighborhood if you had one?

Tejicano · July 10, 2013, 04:03 AM

Years ago I saw a video on-line which showed 6 (IIRC) AK mechanisms linked together to spin around a central axle and moved by a crank. The magazines projected outward and the barrels were parallel with the central axle.

As I understand it this mechanism is legal as each firearm only fires one single bullet when the trigger passes by a cam which depresses the bullet and fires the rifle.

I saw it fitted with 30 round magazines but I suppose it would run with 75 round drums as well.

Skans · July 10, 2013, 10:45 AM

There would be all kinds of legal problems doing this with a real gun. First, it could be a machine gun, because the electronic device can likely be made to repeatedly press the trigger (or firing mechanism) with one press of an electronic trigger. (think electric drill/cam hooked up to the trigger of a semi-auto rifle. This has been done, and one press of the drill trigger caused the gun to fire repeatedly, thus a machine gun.)

Also, it would be a modern version of a "spring gun". Spring guns are basically loaded and cocked shotguns mounted somewhere with a spring or string tied to the trigger and a door, where the shotgun will fire when a door is opened. Usually at the person trying to enter the door. These were determined to be illegal most everywhere a long time ago.

Brian Pfleuger · July 10, 2013, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nickel Plated

Would be interesting though, if you set up a completely automated turret like this with a semi-automatic gun, and just made a servo or some sort of wheel mechanism that repeatedly presses the trigger while it sees a target, does that count as an MG? Since it's automatically firing the gun.

Yes, it would be an illegal machine gun. Any firearms which discharges more than one round by a single action of the user is a machine gun. The ATF doesn't care how "Rube Goldberg" you make it. If you can press one button or trigger or kick one bowling ball down a ramp and the gun fires more than one round, you have a machine gun.

In fact, I'd be willing to bet that being in possession of such a device that was design for airsoft guns but could be "readily converted" to hold/use a real gun and possessing a real gun at the same time/place would put one in "Constructive Possession" of an illegal machine gun.

Other devices, like crank fire mechanisms, are legal under federal law because the require continuous input from the user. Mounting a drill on a crank fire device would make it illegal again, though, since pulling the drill trigger is a single action by the user.

Nickel Plated · July 13, 2013, 07:30 PM

But here, the user does nothing. The gun targets and fires on it's own. There is no user.

Though I guess flipping the power switch on would count as a trigger and any shots the thing decides to fire afterwards are gonna count as automatic fire.

alex0535 · July 13, 2013, 08:06 PM

Some of this kind of stuff was actually done in my state.

Webcam and internet controlled shotguns, probably used to hunt hogs from the comfort of a living room. Very illegal, the setup was hauled away before the DHS was able to get there to investigate.

http://gawker.com/5735034/webcam+con...-georgia-woods

July 9, 2013, 10:38 PM	#1
TXAZ Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Location: McMurdo Sound Texas Posts: 4,322	"Fun" automatic home defense I wasn't surprised when I read the article that someone published the engineering package to build your own automatic "Vulcan" gun for home protection. There are a lot of these completed projects on the web that are done on a shoestring. Next thing someone will swap the Nerf gun for a paintball gun or Taser. http://www.instructables.com/id/Nerf...-Gun/?ALLSTEPS This is not a remote control, it is a people recognizing fire control system with Nerf gun attached. Has anyone built anything like this? __________________ Cave illos in guns et backhoes

July 9, 2013, 11:22 PM	#3
TXAZ Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Location: McMurdo Sound Texas Posts: 4,322	Hey Nickel, Would your local PD get upset in your neighborhood if you had one? __________________ Cave illos in guns et backhoes

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July 9, 2013, 10:51 PM	#2
Nickel Plated Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2010 Location: Brooklyn, NYC Posts: 610	Yep, been done a while ago with airsoft guns. The airsoft version used AEG's (Automatic Electric Gun) where the firing circuitry was simply wired directly to the gun's circuitry to make it fire. but i figure it wouldn't be hard to just rig up a servo that pulls a trigger on a mechanical gun when the fire command is given. Would be interesting though, if you set up a completely automated turret like this with a semi-automatic gun, and just made a servo or some sort of wheel mechanism that repeatedly presses the trigger while it sees a target, does that count as an MG? Since it's automatically firing the gun. Edit; Pretty cool that he made it not fire at anyone wearing a shirt with a certain logo. So it can detect friend from foe.

July 10, 2013, 04:03 AM	#4
Tejicano Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2013 Posts: 168	Years ago I saw a video on-line which showed 6 (IIRC) AK mechanisms linked together to spin around a central axle and moved by a crank. The magazines projected outward and the barrels were parallel with the central axle. As I understand it this mechanism is legal as each firearm only fires one single bullet when the trigger passes by a cam which depresses the bullet and fires the rifle. I saw it fitted with 30 round magazines but I suppose it would run with 75 round drums as well.

July 10, 2013, 10:45 AM	#5
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	There would be all kinds of legal problems doing this with a real gun. First, it could be a machine gun, because the electronic device can likely be made to repeatedly press the trigger (or firing mechanism) with one press of an electronic trigger. (think electric drill/cam hooked up to the trigger of a semi-auto rifle. This has been done, and one press of the drill trigger caused the gun to fire repeatedly, thus a machine gun.) Also, it would be a modern version of a "spring gun". Spring guns are basically loaded and cocked shotguns mounted somewhere with a spring or string tied to the trigger and a door, where the shotgun will fire when a door is opened. Usually at the person trying to enter the door. These were determined to be illegal most everywhere a long time ago.

July 13, 2013, 07:30 PM	#7
Nickel Plated Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2010 Location: Brooklyn, NYC Posts: 610	But here, the user does nothing. The gun targets and fires on it's own. There is no user. Though I guess flipping the power switch on would count as a trigger and any shots the thing decides to fire afterwards are gonna count as automatic fire.

July 13, 2013, 08:06 PM	#8
alex0535 Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2012 Location: Georgia Posts: 908	Some of this kind of stuff was actually done in my state. Webcam and internet controlled shotguns, probably used to hunt hogs from the comfort of a living room. Very illegal, the setup was hauled away before the DHS was able to get there to investigate. http://gawker.com/5735034/webcam+con...-georgia-woods