YouTuber GunCraft101 melts brass shell casings, casts them in a mold, and then machines them into an AR-10 lower receiver. This is a feel good Earth friendly recycling project that everyone can love.
‘I start out making a wooden pattern to make a greensand mold, then I melt 1425 brass casings of various sizes to make a 13+ pound blank. Then the machining begins! After many hours of precision machining, I’m left with…well, watch the video and you’ll see.
I was incorrect when I stated that many of the primers are aluminum. I knew they were silver and non-magnetic so I ASS-umed aluminum. I’ve since learned that older primers were copper, occasionally nickel plated for corrosion resistance. Most of the newer primers are brass, and again, the silver colored ones are nickel plated.”
FAQ’s: –
This took around 60 hours total build time.
The brass was significantly harder to machine than the aluminum can lower, so each cut took longer.
I don’t expect any problems with it holding up over time.
They make these out of plastic and they work fine. The lower receiver doesn’t take that much stress in use with an AR platform.
My mill is a Grizzly 0755: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Heavy… –
I may etch it or mark it in some manner in the future, but I want to experiment on scrap first. – No, it’s not for sale.
No, I don’t plan to sell 80% lowers. It’s simply too much work to get to the 80% point. Nobody would like the price!
It is legal to make a gun for personal use. It would be illegal if I made it with the intent to sell. In some states I would be required to serialize it, but not in my state.
This is not teaching children or terrorists how to make firearms. This part can be printed out of plastic on a 3D printer that you buy from amazon for $500, while this is probably the hardest method possible to acquire a lower receiver.
The only reason to build a gun with this method is because you enjoy the process of metal working. If you just want a gun there are FAR easier and cheaper ways to do it.
Channel: http://www.youtube.com/c/FarmCraft101
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FarmCraft101
Tip Jar: https://www.paypal.me/FarmCraft101