Christopher Mace

Some of you out there reading articles on building firearms are thinking “This is all well and good, but I don’t have a machine shop in my garage.” If that’s the case, I had you in mind when I decided on this build.

The Romanian PSL is a rather unique rifle. Beyond just being a piece of Cold War history, they’re still in widespread usage today. If you like the idea of a “long-range” AK and building it yourself, take a look at building a PSL.

Prior to this project, I lacked any real experience in leatherworking. So I’m fairly confident when I say that this project is well within the skill set of almost anyone. So, if you’re looking for an inexpensive, weekend, firearm project, take a look at the holster kits from Tandy Leather.

Once you have completed assembling and test firing your first homebuild, you’re often left with a little bit of a dilemma. With a lot of builds, you’re left with the whole firearm with exposed bare steel or at least bare in places.

The Phantom Jig really makes it possible for the “garage builder” or “kitchen table gunsmith” to build a 1911. You need a drill press, a sturdy vise, and some elbow grease.

If you’re new to building or gunsmithing, this project will get you some good experience fitting and polishing parts. So I’d say finishing the 1851 revolver kit isn’t a bad way to spend a weekend.

There aren’t many events where you can get an idea for a build (or builds), find & purchase all of your parts to complete it, and get the specialized tools you need for the job, all in one day.

Building an AK is a very fun and satisfying experience. It is often the only way to obtain an example of a particular model. I encountered a lot of interesting variants of Kalashnikov in my time overseas. I have really enjoyed cloning different models that I encountered.

Original production M1 receivers are getting expensive and hard to find. Commercial M1 receivers can sometimes be found, but they’re not exactly growing on trees either. And not every commercial M1 receiver has been made to spec. So what’s a builder to do? Enter the drill rifle.