Skip to content

Unfinished Gun Receivers and Blueprints

(A7) Does the GCA prohibit anyone from making a handgun, shotgun or rifle?

With certain exceptions a firearm may be made by a nonlicensee provided it is not for sale and the maker is not prohibited from possessing firearms. However, a person is prohibited from making a semiautomatic assault weapon or assembling a nonsporting semiautomatic rifle or nonsporting shotgun from imported parts. In addition, the making of an NFA firearm requires a tax payment and approval by ATF. An application to make a machinegun will not be approved unless documentation is submitted showing that the firearm is being made for a federal or state agency. [18 U. S. C. 922( o), (r), (v), and 923, 27 CFR 178.39, 178.40, 178.41 and 179.105]

Source: ATF Online Firearms FAQ

Sources for Unfinished Gun Receivers and Blueprints

Southern Tradings Blueprints and Receivers

Up to 80% finished gun receivers

The Tannery Shop

Up to 80% finished gun receivers

OSI Gunsmithing Tools

Jigs for finishing 80% gun receivers

Scratchbuilt AR15 lower receiver

Tabletop Machining home workshop project

AR-15 lower receiver blueprints

CAD (Computer Aided Design) drawings of the AR-15 lower receiver, in PDF format

Books on Gun Manufacturing

Home Workshop Prototype Firearms : How To Design, Build, And Sell Your Own Small Arms (Home Workshop Guns for Defense and Resistance)
Home Workshop Prototype Firearms : How To Design, Build, And Sell Your Own Small Arms (Home Workshop Guns for Defense and Resistance)

Master gun maker Bill Holmes shares what will and won’t work in designing and building rifles and shotguns from raw materials. Includes the fine points of creating everything from actions to sights, as well as tips on tools, materials, assembly, finishing and more.

Do-It-Yourself Submachine Gun : It's Homemade, 9mm, Lightweight, Durable-And It'll Never Be On Any Import Ban Lists!
Do-It-Yourself Submachine Gun : It’s Homemade, 9mm, Lightweight, Durable-And It’ll Never Be On Any Import Ban Lists!

Build your own 9mm, blowback, selective-fire submachine gun that’s as powerful as an Uzi or HK MP5 but has fewer parts and is more durable. Simply follow the step-by-step instructions and machinist’s drawings in this book.

Expedient Homemade Firearms: The 9mm Submachine Gun
Expedient Homemade Firearms: The 9mm Submachine Gun

The author provides clear, step-by-step instructions for and expedient 9mm submachine gun. It is easily constructed from readily available materials, primarily steel tubing; it does not require a lathe and milling machine and it can be built by just about anyone in about a week.

.50-Caliber Rifle Construction Manual: With Easy-to-Follow Full-Scale Drawings
.50-Caliber Rifle Construction Manual: With Easy-to-Follow Full-Scale Drawings

This is the book that do-it-yourselfers anxious to try building their own .50-caliber rifles have been demanding since the best-selling Home Workshop .50-Caliber Sniper Rifle videotape first came out. In this companion book, Bill Holmes uses easy-to-follow foldout drawings and precise dimensions to take you step-by-step through the process of designing and constructing your very own .50-caliber rifle easily and inexpensively. Find out this master gun maker’s professional secrets to fashioning the receiver, barrel and accessories, bolt, trigger assembly, buttstock, scope mount, bipod and muzzle brake using commonly acquired materials. Once you have made all the component parts, Bill then instructs you in the right way to assemble and test-fire your new home workshop firearm. With Bill Holmes as your guide, construction is a snap. Warning: It is your responsibility to make sure that you have complied with all local, state and federal laws with regard to the manufacture of any firearm.

Submachine Gun : Home Workshop Guns for Defense and Resistance
Submachine Gun : Home Workshop Guns for Defense and Resistance

Now the average person can easily make a submachine gun with minimal tools, equipment and material. This nontechnical book walks you through building the receiver, breech block, barrel, trigger assembly, stock, pistol grip, sights and magazine, as well as heat treating and finishing. Must reading for anyone who is concerned about our increasingly restrictive government.

The .22 Machine Pistol (Home Workshop Guns For Defense & Resistance)
The .22 Machine Pistol (Home Workshop Guns For Defense & Resistance)

Detailed illustrations, clear photos, and thorough text show you how to make a sharp, reliable .22 machine pistol from scratch. Covers everything from choosing the right tools and materials to building the gun’s major components to final finishing and bluing.

Home Workshop Guns for Defense & Resistance, Vol. V
Home Workshop Guns for Defense & Resistance, Vol. V

The latest volume in this popular and timely series offers detailed instructions, complete with photos and machinist’s drawings, for making a pistol-caliber AR-15/M16 entirely from raw materials, as either a rifle or pistol, open or closed bolt and in semi or full auto.

Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles
Master Gunmaker’s Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles

If you are looking to build a bolt-action rifle, buy this book first! It will teach you step-by-step how to make a rifle from scratch in a small, inexpensive shop. The simple instructions and drawings guide you through selecting materials; manufacturing the bolt, trigger, safety and sights; chambering the barrel; finishing the stock; and everything else you need to know.