Now, this book is not really a laymen's guide to building a submachine gun, but as I said, it does not require a lot. If you have some good experience with tools, you will have no problems. Geez, if you had Shop in high school, you probably won't struggle much. Me? Nah, the ATF can breathe one more sigh of relief. I'd probably drill holes in my fingers before I got anywhere near the lower receiver! Don't get me wrong, anyone can do this but I suggest you have someone with a decent amount of workshop experience around if you're not familiar with the tools or materials. I opened the book, looked at the tools and on a few, I just went "huh?" Coming from a family of carpenters, I suspect they would be ashamed. Meh, maybe they would just be ashamed to know I had the book. It's a moot point though.

So if you have some experience with building things, specifically out of steel tubes, you can probably build this. If you know what a countersink tool is... ehhh... you're ahead of me. The bottom line is that if you think you can build the thing, you probably can (for display only and with the proper licenses, of course).

Oh, and thankfully there IS a picture of the finished product and it DOES look pretty cool, if you ask me.


Excellent, but not complete...   October 18, 2002
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I gave this book 4 stars because it is not complete in certain parts. Fortunately I bought the Do-It-Yourself Submachine Gun Book from Gerard Metral from a Shop here in Brasil (Actually I bought those books, because a civilian war is iminent here in Rio de Janeiro, and Brasil now have laws prohibiting the selling of Weapons).

Well, the Expedient Homemade Firearms is complete with the aquisition of Do-It-Yourself Submachine Gun book, because this book covers important steps that the Expedient Homemade Firearms doesn't cover, like the Parkerization Process, Handgrip manufature and some most technical details.

If you wanna make your weapon, buy both books, focus on building the weapon explained in the Expedient Homemade Firearms, and add to it the important details described on Do-It-Yourself book.


All the facts   October 3, 2002
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Very informative book. All the stuff you need is in there for academic study. It would have been nice to see sources in which to purchase the metal. There are a lot online for bulk supply, but I could only find one - "onlinemetals.com" - that offers small quantities instead. Well, good book, and you don't need a machine shop. If you're reading these reviews, buy the book.


Good Book   February 10, 2002
If built, I doubt this gun would last 1000 rounds, due to the soft materials used, but at least that's 1000 rounds more than most others (too complicated to make) would.


Excellent firearms cookbook   November 21, 2001
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

There are too many good things to say about this book. It is clearly written and easy to understand, complete with templates, diagrams and photos taken during the various stages of the guns development.The author also elaborates on how the gun works and how the different components work together. While it is homemade, its just as durable as its factory-made counterparts.
The end result is an attractive all steel submachine gun.the author also explains some details some as test firing,maintenance,and finishing. This is definitly a must-buy for those interested in the subject.