MG08/15 box magazine

As part of the MG08/15 build, my customer asked for a box magazine for use in fixed positions, as I am waiting to pick up the components of the gun itself from the laser cutters I though I may as well get started on this!

I started by getting an MG42 ammunition box from Ebay, although the MG08/15 used wooden ammunition crates in the Great War, in the context this gun is going to be used (WWII airsoft) this is perfectly correct. Many of these guns used in the second world war were adapted to take the chain belts of the MG34/42 instead of the cloth belts they were originally used with, so my next search was for some ammunition belt length and some inert rounds!

Having found some belt and enough rounds for the snail drum magazine, I set to work building the magazine. I am using the internals of an M249 magazine to automatically feed the BBs into the feed tube. I am mounting this unit into a plywood box that will be able to be pushed down to switch the motor on and off. BBs can be poured in the top of the hop to top up once ammunition has run down.

The beauty of this unit is that there is still plenty of space in the ammunition can for spare BBs, tools or any miscellaneous bits that the user would find handy.

This is of course not finished yet, more pictures to follow as progress is made! As ever, if this has given you an idea for you own project do let us know! You can email us at: enquiries.vintageairsoft@gmail.com.

The Vacuum former project

Hello all!

I’m going to do a post on the vacuum former I have been building for the LAW project. In the longer run I’m not entirely sure what this will be used for as very few gun projects of mine have much (if any) plastic in at all. However it seemed like the sort of thing that I should have just in case. I suppose in the longer run I could use this to make custom holsters, battery cages or who knows what (If you have any projects in mind drop us a line!)

If you are unfamiliar with what a vacuum former actually is, it allows you to form simple three-dimensional shapes in plastic sheeting. There are two basic stages:

1. Heat the plastic sheet (I shall be using an IR heater unit) until slightly floppy

2. Place sheet on top of forming table (flat surface full of holes) and mould. A vacuum is created under the table and the higher pressure in the room pushes the plastic sheet hard against the mould and table.

 

This is going to be used to make the trigger mechanism housing on the LAW.

As you can see, this surface is covered in small holes where the air is extracted, I used a piece of MDF pegboard for this:

In future models I would also add bracing struts under this board as it does seem to flex a little when the air is extracted!

The air is extracted through a tube in the side, although it isn’t greatly pretty it provides a very satisfactory seal. This is attached to a vacuum cleaner to provide the suction.

 

I ran a test to see if the suction worked on a bit of plastic bin bag, I shot a short video of it sucking the air out which I think looks rather cool!

I will also be doing a post on the heater unit once that is finished.

As ever, if this post has inspired you let me know! You can contact me as ever via email at enquiries.vintageairsoft@gmail.com.