A terrible big gun suggestion from someone who really doesn't know better.

So I've been following some threads for all of 5 minutes and the general vibe I get from big gun is that they can't make new guns and it's really starting to slow them down. From what I've seen it uses a extremely complicated breach loading hopper and it requires lots of custom machining.

Now I'm not in the hobby yet so take this with a massive grain of salt. What if we used magazines? 3d print shell casings with holes in the bottom and coat in Vaseline. Use a heat gun to seal your ball bearing in and now you can try and inject air right into this "shell". I'm a broke college student so I'll probably mess around with the idea when I have a life but I figured you guys would probably know if this could even have a shot in hell with working.

I imagine magazine where the shell gets pushed by a backplate with a air-pin that mates with its base (imagine how a sten gun works but with a air hose pin instead of a firing pin). Pushed in by either a servo, actuator or you name it.

 

um... we *do* use 3d printed cannons these days. There are several people right here on this forum who make them. It is much easier, manufacturing-wise, than using a lathe and mill. The problem is that not many people who enjoy Big Gun also have the skills, equipment, and time to design and 3d print the cannons. I have the skills and equipment but not the time. Plenty of other people have the equipment and time, but not the skills. This is further complicated by the wide variety of Big Gun cannons that different people need. Different magazine diameters, different number and spacing of barrels, different calibers, different accumulator/valve sizes and arrangements, etc. While some basic geometry can be copied from design to design, overall you're effectively starting from scratch each time. Then you get into the testing and design iteration process. Do you have any idea how many prototypes I produced before I made the current version of cannons in my Mikasa? That was just tweaking details on the standard cannon design, ie resin print vs FDM print, part orientation, dimensional tolerances, etc. Good Big Gun cannons are literally worth their weight in gold.

 

Agreed. Big Gun cannons are back. I’d say the next hurtle is how to get the cannons readily available without legal risk so people can start fighting again. I know of four valid Big Gun 3D printed cannon designs, but all of us are concerned about the legal risk.

 

I will jump in an agree also. Several people have been actively working on 3d printed cannons. Several people have promising systems they continue to improve.

Getting cannons in the hands of new people is the problem. As Justin said, the legal risks are concerning - especially when getting cannons into the hands of people you do not know. Another problem is this is a hobby and many people are unwilling to deal with the hassle of basically running a micro-business. In the past we have had people start making cannons for other people to have them quickly burn out and stop participating altogether. It is annoying to have people pestering you for something you started doing on the side for fun.

 

Build bb guns. Super reliable and simple to build. Get rid of all the headaches. Just an observation.

 

Big Gun cannons aren’t only about the caliber, the rotation and depression are also a big aspect.

Fast gun BB cannons need coiled mags to rotate, which isn’t easy to do. I’ve never seen a FG design with adjustable depression.

Without at least cannon rotate, then the ships cannot fight like the original warships did, which is the whole point of Big Gun. (With an exception for safety constraints, like firing above horizontal.)

 

There have been rotating and elevating cannons. They just arent worth the effort for most.

 

I have had elevated on my ships before as of at least 6 others that I know of.

 

Oooh! Interesting. Can you share photos?
- As I said, I have never seen a fast gun with that sort of kit.

Also - for all of the rotates (not pivots) you’ve seen, aren’t they all coil based designs?

 

No. Literally made up a rotate cannon the other day that uses a standard mag.

 

It was years ago. Easier to turn the boats. No pictures. It was 30 years ago

 

Pretty sure Brian K had elevates on his Vanguard?

 

For the legal question, things like the odsee (spelled wrong for a reason) if you don't know Google the liberator pistol and continue down the rabbit hole. Why not post the cannon to something like that and let the builder find it there? That way you aren't giving them gun files directly?