Flintlock Pistol Prop with Functioning Action

Perfect for Renaissance Fairs, Halloween, or other costume events
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updated November 9, 2024

Description

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Materials selection:

  • Handle - I recommend a wood-filled PLA, but not the Bamboo powder ones. They're too light. I used a walnut filled PLA to get a darker finish, Amolen Walnut is a good choice. You might want a 0.6mm nozzle, but I got by with 0.4mm without any clogs. It's a risk… If you're looking for a warmer tone, OVV3D's Cherry PLA works. I really like their wood filaments. 
  • “Metal” components - any easy sanding material works here. Black is best. If you're not planning on sanding, I think a matte PLA might be best to hide the layer lines. 
  • For print settings, I recommend 3 walls and 10%(ish) infill. Wood PLA isn't great for layer adhesion, but there isn't a lot of stress in most areas. Just be careful prior to assembly. The ram-rod hole can have some overhang issues, but a file/sandpaper will clean that up pretty easily. The “metal” parts are all pretty sturdy, 

Printing orientation:

  • Printing the handle in 3 pieces is definitely ideal, but I've provided a single model for those with big printers. Supports are required, but not a huge pain to remove. Printing the rear of the handle in two pieces and gluing is hardly noticeable – the “grain” of the wood aligns, and you have two known-flat surfaces from the build plate. You also get a great grain effect from the layer lines as the layers fill in the butt of the handle. I would print the fore grip with the arch that holds the barrel facing down. The ram rod holder is a bit annoying to remove supports from, but you can manage.
  • I recommend printing the barrel in one piece if your printer can support it. I had a CRAZY angle on my printer for the barrel, but a single piece makes a big difference in how it looks.
  • Print the frizzen and hammer laying flat for better strength against snapping. Snagging these parts on clothing is a risk, so you want maximum strength on the bending axis.
  • The ram rod is a pain to print – long and skinny. DON'T print it vertically if at all possible. It WILL snap on you. I went flat across the build plate with supports the entire way.

Hardware:

  • You'll need 3x #4 brass wood screws (or equivalent) to attach the action plate and frizzen. I wish i could have sourced large head, slotted screws to up the realism a bit, but Phillips was easier to find.
  • If you want the action to actuate, you will need a main spring to move the hammer.  I glued mine, but you can go all in and have the pistol actually “work”

Assembly:

  • Super glue is your friend
  • I have modeled some 1.75mm holes in the parts to aid alignment and strength. You may need to drill out the holes for fitment. Simply press in a length of filament into one side, cut to a mm or so reveal, and snap the sides together with some CA glue.
  • For realism, you can source an actual flint and affix it to the hammer with leather and some glue. You can also fill the barrel and handle internals with lead/steel shot and some epoxy to hold it in place, but that's going WAY too far in my opinion. This is just a prop after all. 

Finishing:

  • If you print with wood PLA for the handle and grey/gunmetal PLA for the metal, you could easily get by without finishing. I went further, but it's completely optional.
  • I used an oil-based wood stain and a matte polyurethane top coat for the handle. Stains color the wood PLA just fine, but they often remain tacky for a long time. You can go heavy on the sanding and apply a gloss finish for a shiny lacquer effect, but that looked a bit too plasticy for me.
  • For the metal, I used ebony, pewter, and silver Rub-n-Buff to get the sheen right. It's an AMAZING finishing product, but pretty work-intensive. I hit it with a white dry brush on the metal to brighten it up just a bit. For coloring, I chose “iron” for all of my metals, but you can color some parts to look like brass or gold. The trigger guard would look sick in brass.
  • You can weather the brass screws with a mixture of salt and vinegar. Simply spray it on (not installed in the model, do it separately) and let the mixture dry. I used acrylic washes for mine, but a “natural” weathering gives a really nice patina. 
  • This pistol would be made of iron/steel, so rusting it up with some finishing paints and powders would be cool. Typhus Corrosion by Citadel with a sandy-red dry brush would give a good effect.

Operating:

  • Making this operational is TOUGH. You will have to do a lot of hand filing/sanding, oiling and test fits to get everything working. You'll also have to source a difficult to find spring for the internals. It's best to just glue most of it and have only the hammer and frizzen move, but dive in as deep as you want!
  • If you're after a non functioning action, I would still print the locking wheel and use it as a gluing surface for the trigger and hammer. No need to print the locking wheel stub.

Tags



Model origin

The author remixed this model.

3D Printable Flintlock Pistol
by Daniel Lilygreen (myminifactory.com)

Differences of the remix compared to the original

Added split handle and barrel with locating pins – useful for smaller printers.

License