I Found My Next Summer Project - M10 Pump-Action Slingshot Rifle

Jörg Sprave is my second favorite Maker, next to Adam Savage... alsoUPDATE: IT'S HERE http://youtu.be/xdSv8vLR3NsMost of you can probably guess that I really appreciate well crafted machines, be it a car, or a electronic gadget, or even a gun. Pushing boundaries is a beautiful thing. But since I can't afford a BMW M3 to hoon on a track, I'm already in a decent place with my computer, and guns are too expensive a hobby to get into for a newbie enthusiast like me, I figured I'd settle for something a little different.Let me start by saying this though: I deeply appreciate and enjoy the physical and mental skill that goes into archery. I've played with a few lighter "toy" bows (30lb or under draw, no sights, no aids), and it's definitely something I wish I was better at. It's like bowling, your fate is purely a function of your own physical control, and I love that.But it's the same reason I love the sport of shooting. Sure, you're removing a few variables, but steady hands and a sharp eye are still essential. And just the craftsmanship and quality that goes into each weapon is a marvel. The mechanical innovations in recoil compensation, ergonomics, designs like bullpups, techniques like bump firing, the precision balancing of springs and other lower receiver mechanisms to ensure a smooth pull... Guns should be every engineer's wet dream. Not for what they do, but for the exacting tolerances and machining that go into them.Combine that lust for performance with my enjoyment of archery, Nerf, and paint-balling, and my project to recreate Jörg's pump-action shooter shouldn't come as a surprise at all. Initially, I was going to try and make the ultimate Nerf sniper rifle, using an elastic-powered kinetic air ram to achieve higher instantaneous pressure in the chamber (basically making a crossbow bolt/piston to compress air behind a nerf dart only after achieving maximum velocity). But the mechanism for making making a repeating mechanism to shoot darts from a magazine was too difficult to conceptualize.The M10 (named for the hex nut size it shoots) is a grown up version of my Nerf dreams with just enough danger to make it fun. Plus, the ammunition is dirt cheap. Jörg released blueprints and a tutorial on his forum, which I will be following to craft this ingenious shooter.Expect updates on this project late May/early June. Let the hunt begin.......... and may the odds be ever in your favor.Full video for those who haven't seen it: