Resources for firearms design and engineering?

[pullin]

Hey folks. Could anyone recommend some good resources, books or anything else, for learning firearms design and engineering? As technical as possible would be great.
I'm seeing lots of parts kits drying up, and there's always the banning of specific makes/models, so I'd like to do some designs from the ground up, maybe even some "open" designs.

An example of one great technical page I came across:

http://www.hkpro.com/technical.htm

Of course, it would probably behoove me to learn some of the more top level stuff too, like why rotating bolts are used over roller locking, etc. Any advice would be great.

Thanks!

[Josh]

short of taking some engineering classes try homegunsmith.com

Also reading in depth manuals such as the kuhnhausen manuals help a great deal. Firearm history books help with why a designer went with one design over another.

Up untill the recent remodel my college had a pretty good selection of books on the subject. Barrel design and production, advanced internal and external ballistics, along with design history of select firearms.

Had i known they were going to throw out a majority of those books i would have gone dumpster diving to get them.

[NSR500]

Do you just have the skills to design, or are you a competent machinist/fabricator as well?

[nat]

I bought some books on amazon that have been pretty interesting.

I keep a special gunsmithing notebook where I take notes and sketch out ideas.

[GuyW]

so I'd like to do some designs from the ground up, maybe even some "open" designs.

Sorry, unless you can prove you are a commercial venture, construction of an a unique design gun is construction of an illegal zip gun in CA!

.

[m24armorer]

If you really want to hurt yourself with overload......

All 5 volumes of Chinn's The Machine Gun.

A treasure of info for full and semi design.

[pullin]

I already have a BS in mechanical engineering, so I'd got all the math, analysis, and CAD to make it happen. And I have access to a machine shop... no welder though.

Chinn's series looks very interesting! I'll have to try and local an electronic copy, since buying the 4 volumes might be cost prohibitive.


As for the "zip guns" ... yeah, I should have thought of that. I'll have to be careful. I'm not trying to do this for subversive or illegal means! Just out of interest.

[m24armorer]

There are 5 volumes.....

[pullin]

5?
http://i8.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/3a/43/730f_1.JPG led me astray. I guess there were multiple editions of the set.

[mocos]

TRY HOOKING UP WITH TODD AT BLACKSTARARMS.COM.. HE IS PROBABLY A VERY GOOD RESOURCE