>>29202777
is the mass production or one offs?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfu0lV_KomM

>>29202788
Mass production
thanks for the embed
checked

you need a mill, lathe, and drillpress
they dont need to be computer controlled but it helps.
most small companies buy barrel blanks buying a machine just to make barrels and do rifling isnt worth it

enjoy more low tech gunsmithing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBEfQVgnIzY

>>29202806
Wow, I mean you can crank out simple guns with a lathe and some hand tools, but for mass production you need more serious stuff.

These days multi-axis CNC mills is extensively used, but in the past rows of machines were used.
Each machine did one operation, when each machine had done its thing you'd move every piece one step down the line assembly-line style.
Since most machines in the past were manually operated, the guns were then handfitted by gunsmiths so that everything would fit and function smoothly despite possible problems with tolerances.

Even modern CNC can't do everything.
The problem with CNC is that you need a way to very solidly mount the work piece, this means you can't do work on the attachment points, or the "bottom" of the piece where it's held down. So you either need to move the work piece in the machine, or you need multiple machines that only do parts of the work.

CNC mills also can't do all types of cuts.
Broaching is extensively used in firearms manufacturing, and that is often slow and complex.
It's also very difficult to do accurately on a large scale, which means there will be a lot of rejected parts.

Barrels are usually not very complicated, barrels are made on specialized machinery, then the blanks (long rifled cylinders) are machined into finished barrels, typically using CNC lathes. Chambers are then reamed to very precise specifications, this is often done with specialized machines.

When the parts are milled, cast, or turned, bead blasted to smooth out any burrs left after the machining, then sent off to heat treatment, then polishing, and then surface treatment.

Everything depends on what kind of guns you're building, some of these steps may not be necessary, some processes I've not listed here may be needed instead.

>>29202806
How mass produced? A couple thousand for sale? A couple million to arm a revolution?

>>29202867
I will be reading into the machinery you mentioned.

Is there one, or a minimum number of machines with which one could mass produce firearms? I have heard of what's called an MTM (Multitasking Machine). How efficient is it?

>>29202951
What parts can be made relatively quickly and simply, with low rate of errors?

To help guide the discussion, can you talk in terms of manufacturing AR-15s please?


Appreciate the responses

>>29202980
retail volume. I'd say in the thousands like you mentioned...

>>29202777
You don't just need machines, you need skilled laborers.

>>29202984
>What parts can be made relatively quickly and simply, with low rate of errors?
The AR-15 is quite complex to manufacture to original spec.
The uppers and lower receivers are both aluminum forgings that are then finish machined.
The bolt and carrier have an odd internal gas piston system that needs to seal tightly, and there is an extension on the barrel that needs to be precision machined and broached.

But if you had access to multi-axis CNC mills, and CNC lathes you could do the barrel (provided you had barrel blanks and didn't do the barrel extension in house).
You could make the upper and lower receivers provided you didn't need to forge the aluminum in house.
You could make most of the parts in the trigger assembly, and a few other things like the barrel nut, and the sights.

You need specialized tools for mass producing pretty much all other parts, unless you modify them for small scale production in which case they may not be interchangeable with the original spec-parts.

>>29203211

What equipment is needed to manufacture uppers and lowers only?

I understand that billet receivers can simply be 'carved' out whereas forged receivers must be, well, forged, which as I understand is a much more labor/time intensive process

Are my assumptions correct? Are billet receivers easier to produce with less machinery?

>>29202777
>>29202806
>CNC mills
>CNC lathes
>CNC injection molding
>CNC whatever else you need to make your design

Mass production is millions of dollars in investment

>>29205047
Well damn. Let me ask:

What's the minimum number of machines required to manufacture AR receivers alone?

What's the cost of these machines? Is there any way to calculate operating costs (electricity, materials, maintenance, etc)?

>>29205079

You could make a billet AR lower from aluminum stock with just a single good milling machine.

With a milling machine and a lathe, you could make MOST of the parts you need. Of course, you also need the "tools" or the bits that the machines use, and all the various blocks, clamps, etc used to hold the material while it's being machined.

Barrels are still tough.

>>29205079
one 5 axis mill with the proper fixtures should be able to make lowers

I'm sure someone has a video on finishing forgings online

Haas makes a 5 axis which is larger and has more travel than you'd need for $112,000

>>29205109
barrels are impossible without a rifling machine

>>29205079
>>29205117
oh and I forgot
one machine will be very slow
you wouldn't be able to make them in any mass production capacity

>>29205117
>>29205079
>>29204854
you're not going to recoup expenses by just making receivers or gun parts for that matter.

if anything you'd be put of business fairly quickly by 3 phase power costs, tooling costs, and the CAD/CAM license cost, maybe even the FFL 07 cost if you do receivers. (assuming you're running a one man operation in an actual shop with tons of contracts.)

If you don't know shit about G-code, CAM, or machining in general just leave it to the professionals until you get the quality education or hands on experience you need to get a foot in the industry.

As a consultant I've seen WAY too many people get in over their heads thinking they can make a quick profit, and then end up in bankruptcy pretty quickly.

>>29205202
>CAD license
>yarhar

>>29205242
yeah, it's BS but if you're running a shop and you have guys auditing you about something that's the first thing they look for.

Hey op. I'm in the same boat as you, but a little further ahead. Let me share what I've learned.

Go to fosscad.org. maybe fosscad.com. they have gigabytes worth cad files for lowers and such already.

As far as machinery, Google warfairy. He makes some lowers from abs plastic. You could also use pla and do lost-plastic casting to make forged parts. I think warfairy runs the fosscad website.

I've built myself a 3 axis CNC for about 200 burgers. With some dedication and research you can build one too, just hop on Google. Look up Marlin firmware for an arduino control board. It's open source firmware to control 3d printers, but it's very easily modified for cnc. There are kits online for 50 bucks. All you have to do is build a chassis. I made mine out of electrical conduit.

I'd be happy to answer any further questions. Reply in the thread or hit me up on my spam email at [email protected]

>>29205801
Whoa thank you. I'm still picking through your post but a lot of things make sense (plastic castings/molds, arduino implementation)

Emailing you from B********rd@gmail

>>29205249
>What is open source?

ITAR and 07FFL are what I'd worry about in an audit.

>>29205801
Do you mind if others email you with questions? I was thinking about doing this myself.