How to Make an Airsoft Gun From a Water Gun

Airsoft guns are becoming very popular with people who typically use paintball guns or other air-propelled projectile weapons for war games. This is because airsoft guns typically fire small rubber projectiles, rather than hard paintballs or metallic rounds like BBs. Being hit by such a projectile is much less painful, meaning that people are more inclined to play without fear of injury. Most decent airsoft guns are expensive, thanks to the manufacturers' attempts to make them look as realistic as possible. If realism is not important, you'll be happy to know that making your own airsoft gun is both cheap and easy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Drinking straws
• Airsoft BBs
• Hot glue gun
• PVC electrical tape
• Scissors

1. Inspect your (hand-pump-powered) water gun of choice. There should be a small nipple at the very front of the barrel; almost any model of Super Soaker will have one. Fit a drinking straw (6mm in diameter) over the barrel so it's snug and run a bead of hot glue around the exterior to affix it. The bead must go around entirely, ensuring that it's air-tight.

2. Use your scissors to cut a small hole at the very base of the straw, facing upward. Cut an arch into the very end of a second straw. If you set the cut end down on a table, you should be able to roll an airsoft BB through the arch and out the other side without it catching.

3. Cut the cut end of the second straw into the hole of the first straw, ensuring that the arches line up with the interior to allow clear and unimpeded passage.

4. Wrap the base of the barrel and straw with tape, as well as the junction between the two straws, to ensure that no air can escape, except at the very end of the straw. The straw pointing upward is essentially a gravity-fed hopper. You can fill it with airsoft BBs. Since each BB is roughly 6mm in diameter, only one will sit in the barrel at a time. Once you've got the reservoir pumped full of air, each time you pull the trigger of the water gun, it should fire a single airsoft BB.

Tips & Warnings

• Whenever you are using airsoft guns, wear eye protection and avoid pointing the gun at any living thing, be it man or animal.

Resources

• Video instructions