How Do I Make a Real M45D

[Gunner]

I would like to make a Real M45D shotgun not just a pepakura prop but a fully functioning shotgun. I know that I can go out and buy parts and stuff, the real question is how do I make the overall shape and details. I'm also foreseeing a problem,I'd like to make it a 12 gauge instead of 8 but I'm not sure if its possible or if ill just have to modify the overall size of the gun to do so.
All help is fully appreciated.

 

[SuprWeenieHutJr]

The simplest way to do it would be buy a shotgun and modify it to look one. The problem with that is the heat of the barrel melting anything you added onto it unless it was made of metal. Honestly I don't see much of a way to do it without extensive metalwork.

 

[captaincaliflour]

Yea you can make guns out of PVC and the like, but a real firearm takes metalworking. Unless you have a multi port injection molder too working in plastic is just a bad idea.

With that in mind you're also going to likely need to do some sand casting, either dry or wet, which will be really expensive on your own. I would suggest checking out Tech Shop or seeing if there are any sort of membership accessibly foundries or forges in your area. You'll also need to know how to work a mill or a lathe. It would be theoretically slightly cheaper to make it all from scratch, but you'll have a more reliable and functional end result if you start with a real firearm and modify from there.

 

[mwmanus]

Well if you're having to ask this question, then you obviously don't have any, or much, experience in building real firearms. That being said, if thats what you intend to do, build one from scratch/parts, then I would honestly have to say that that is a really bad idea, a REALLY bad idea. First of all, like these other guys have said, it would take tons of metal work, and on top of that, if you don't have experience, then the end result could be pretty bad. Though this is only true if you intend to actually fire real ammunition from the gun, which could be very dangerous if don't make the gun correctly, it could backfire or just plain explode in your hands. Although if you just plan to make it function accurately but never try to fire ammunition from it, then go for it

Though if I were you, I wouldn't go the building from scratch route, I would do what both of these guys have said to do and just buy a shotgun that looks as close to what you're making as possible and add details to make it look more like it, but I wouldn't go as far as actually modifying the parts on the gun that actually function unless you know what you're doing or you're replacing them with parts that actually fit the gun

Whatever you do decide to do, maybe do some research before you build a gun or before you go modifying too much on a real gun

 

[Gunner]

I have no intention of making it out of pvc, I intend to use real mechanical parts as in kits I can buy, when I talked about shaped and details I should've said the housing, pistol grip and stock, I've been looking at fiberglass and carbon fiber and I've seen some gun manufacturers that make barrels and stocks out of carbon fiber. but as for the housing I just cant find any information on the load bearing properties of fiberglass and carbon fiber. Or how they made the barrel but I can settle for a steel barrel if I can't get the knowledge.

@ mwmanus I do want to do it the right way, that Is after all why I'm asking around.

I looked at the trivia for the m45d and found that they based it off of the Ithaca M37 Shotgun, so I either buy a complete gun or a kit with all the parts for making it.
And apply the housing which is the real problem and so on.

 

[peterthethinker]

just a thought ....... shapeways can print in metal . Ive not checked there ToS on * real* weapons but If they allow it . And the cost is not out of this planet then it might be a way to make lets say the pump lever from real metal not plastic and it can mate on a real firearm.
Think of a metal body kit ...

 

[Jacgren]

Carbon fiber and fiberglass are NOT used to make barrels of real firearms, hand guards maybe but not the barrel. Buy a somewhat accurate looking shotgun and then make a body kit for it with proper metals. You can do things like make a new pump and heat shield/barrel shroud. The stock I think would be easiest because it doesn't directly affect the firearm's ability to function properly. Find yourself a real long piece of picatinny rail to bolt onto the heat shield and receiver and then get some sights that look similar to the in game ones. I would recommend not messing with the receiver or barrel, as those are the two most important parts.

 

[Gunner]

http://www.christensenarms.com/products/carbon-barrel/christensen-arms-carbon-barrel/
That's what I was referencing for carbon fiber barrel, now they could just be saying that they added a layer of carbon on to the steel barrel. It could be all be bull****.
Now I've read that carbon fiber and fiberglass have extreme heat tolerances in the hundreds and slightly above. Need to look up more on resins, read some stuff that while the fiberglass/carbon fiber may be resistant the high end resins wont be good enough, of course some of what I read is from a technical source saying that it will and the other is people saying they work with it and saying that it wont I hate contradictory information.
So is there any reason that I can't make the heat shield and shroud out of hardened carbon fiber/fiberglass?

 

[RobTC]

Personally I'd find a local sheet metal/fabrication shop (the little ones, you get a handful of them clustered around railroad industrial areas) and work with them to build your own "kit". Some of them laser cut, all of them plasma cut, they should do up to at least 1/2" steel which is way more than you need. They'll weld (really nicely, not beginner splatter welds) wherever necessary, and they might get a kick out of a fun little project like this that slots between their "real" production gigs and give you a cheaper time.

They also have the metalworking experience (and quite possibly the firearms experience, especially further south ) to guide you in the process, like where you need stainless, where you can get away with standard steel types, if you can use aluminum to lower the weight anywhere, what needs bluing, etc. Some of them'll probably also have glassing and moulding knowledge from general industry experience.

As mechanically simple as a shotgun is, if you aren't sure 100% what you're doing going in, I wouldn't try to go it alone. I also wouldn't try to make a CF/GRP project your first one either. Go with metal, then recreate later in exotics. Carbon's horrible to work with and has a bunch of conditions on its use (like its conductivity, for example).

Obviously pre-built parts like the Picatinny rail can be bought as-is and bolted into pre-tapped holes, but I'm not sure how much of it (admittedly, I'm not an M45 expert) will be doable off-the-shelf.

/two cents

 

[FlyinPhil]

Ahhhh, I love threads like this.

First off, I am a firearms enthusiast. I have made custom rifle stocks from scratch (wood, though), and have experience working at a firearms store installing aftermarket parts on rifles/shotguns.

The first dilemma I see with your plans, is the thought of just tossing a bunch of parts together, and ending up with a halo-looking firearm. Sadly, that's not going to happen . While there is a large variety of aftermarket support for pretty much all shotguns on the market, nothing looks even remotely halo related.

Now for my next point of discouragement... the coolest, and probably most unique, aspect of the m45d is the fact that the barrel is underneath, and the magazine up top. Simply bolting on parts will definitely not achieve this, and there are no available weapons like that on the market. In theory, you could literally flip the action of a shotgun upside down (if you don't know what I'm referring to as the "action" , please stop reading) . Hold on a sec, now the trigger is on the top of the gun, and the shells are ejecting right into your left forearm. Better start with a left handed shotgun... that will solve our ejection issues, but add some more $$$ to the project. Lets address the trigger being on top now. The only way you can redesign this, is with a fully custom receiver, and a custom trigger group as well, not to mention custom housing around the barrel for the custom pump arm and guides to follow ... we are talking $$$$$$$ for all of the design time, machining time, and materials.

If you are still adamant about having a functional m45d lookalike, I would suggest reading a heck of a lot more about firearms modification (your original post suggests you have a basic grasp, but still more to learn), learning a fair amount about metalworking (specifically aluminum), and maybe toss in some computer design learning as well. With these skills, you will at least be able to manufacture your own "body kit" for an already functional firearm, and do so safely.

Edit. Just checked out the ithaca m37.... definitely not a good starting point for this sort of project. It appears to be a very hunting oriented weapon, with no tactical style models or support. A remington 870, or similar, will have far better support for tacticool attachments and parts.

 

[Gunner]

@ RobTC I live in a service industry area. The closest thing you are talking about is located in the military base where electric boat company/general dynamics builds all the militaries boats. I'm not going to be able to walk in and ask for their help. We've got a few gun stores around but as far as I've seen no one is offering custom services. Its a good suggestion though. All of which is why I'm fixated on the idea of making the housing and stock out of hardened fiberglass.

@ FlyinPhil you are right, I've got a basic grasp if any at all which is why I'm now going for an aesthetic modification of a Ithaca M37 if at all possible

 

[FlyinPhil]

@ RobTC I live in a service industry area. The closest thing you are talking about is located in the military base where electric boat company/general dynamics builds all the militaries boats. I'm not going to be able to walk in and ask for their help. We've got a few gun stores around but as far as I've seen no one is offering custom services. Its a good suggestion though. All of which is why I'm fixated on the idea of making the housing and stock out of hardened fiberglass.

@ FlyinPhil you are right, I've got a basic grasp if any at all which is why I'm now going for an aesthetic modification of a Ithaca M37 if at all possible

I'm not sure if you saw my edit to my post... I added it after a few minutes of research. I wouldn't use an ithaca m37, as there is very little aftermarket support for tactical parts. Look into a remington 870, mossberg 500, or similar. You'll actually be able to find rails, light attachments etc. For these shotguns. I still do not advise bolting on fiberglass parts.

Edit: hold on a sec, before I wish you the best of luck and all that nonsense. Did you even look into the ithaca m37? Or just see its name pop up online? Because it is very, very obviously a hunting based and oriented shotgun. Are you sure you have any grasp on firearms or their modification ? I apologize for being so blunt, but I don't want to be that guy who offers advise to someone who blows their arm off due to a malfunction in weapon.... and yes, that can happen.

 

[Gunner]

I know that I Don't know much if anything at all which is why I'm not going to do anything with anything unless I know and have gotten confirmation from some grandmaster guru that what I want to do will work. I understand the Ithaca is a hunting rifle I was going for that because of the same hole insert ammo eject shell slot I did look at it.
But I'll look into the Remington and Mossberg.

 

[Jacgren]

While it doesn't function too much like the M45, the Kel Tec KSG could be a good base gun since it looks futuristic already.

 

[FlyinPhil]

OK, that's a fair answer. If your only reasoning for the ithaca is the bottom ejection, I would still stray away from it. You aren't gaining a top feed from it, and you are drastically limiting yourself on tactical aftermarket support. Both the 870 and mossy 500 you load the same way as the ithaca, but the shell ejects from the side, as opposed to the bottom.

 

[Gunner]

Ok function and mechanics aside, is it correct that without access to someone who has the knowledge and tools I can't make/modify a shell for a shotgun to have it Look like a M45D shotgun, just the aesthetic of it nothing else. While still having the base shotgun working just fine

 

[FlyinPhil]

It would be possible to do such with a body kit, providing it is mounted safely and securely to the firearm, and there is no possibility of it moving or rattling free during operation.

The buttstock is a little more involved, as it mounts quite differently on halo shotguns compared to real steel. If you look at the m45 models, the buttstock mounts near the top of the receiver, with the receiver being quite a bit taller than real shotguns. Whereas on real shotguns, the buttstock mounts are generally on the lower side of the receiver.

So to make this portion of the firearm look aesthetically pleasing, there will be a decent amount of work to modify/make a buttstock. After all, if you are going to put this much work into a firearm, you don't want it to look like a Honda with a Ferrari body kit!