Toy Flintlock Pistol

I wanted to make a classic flintlock pistol out of cardboard one day, and was disappointed when it didn't work. I hopped onto tinkercad, and decided to try to make one that I could 3d print, for a little more durability and consistency. This is the first iteration, which I was suprised to see work at all. There are a few changes that could be made, but overall it works very well. In addition to the model files, you will need some superglue, at least three rubber bands (the more you use, the more powerful it will be, but they can break if you use too many) and four small screws. I just used M3x8 screws, but shorter ones would work better. 

For printing, I would print the main pistol components (both plates and barrel) with a low infill, and the mechanism parts (everything else) with a higher one (I used 70%, but going higher wouldn't hurt). I also attached a file that has all the mechanism parts in one place, if you don't want to print all the parts separately and don't mind them all being the same color. Would recommend large brim for the thinner parts, especially if you have a powder coated textured print sheet. I used supports on the trigger guard on both plates, but that was it.

For construction: I have added pictures of most of the steps, but in case you need a little extra help - 

1. Place a screw inside the small hole on the outside of the hammer. The hole may be too small, in which case a small utility knife may be helpful to widen it.
2. Do the same with the three small holes on the end of the barrel. There are two on the backside, and one on the front.
3. Slide the axle part of the hammer through the left hole of the back plate (from the back). Slide the washer on from the front side. Use a dot of superglue in the hole in the lever, and secure it firmly to the hammer's axle (above the washer). Make sure the point of the lever faces the same direction as the hook at the top of the hammer (see attached pictures). 
4. Put the trigger in the right hole of the back plate, and make sure the point of the actual trigger is pointing left. Using a little superglue, glue the trigger shaft into the hole in the trigger. 
5. Slide a rubber band through the loop on the right side of the trigger, wrap both sides around the right rubber band column, and hook them around the bottom rubber band column (in the bottom of the handle in the back plate).
6. Glue the barrel into the back plate. This part can be a little bit tricky, because you don't want to get glue on anything else, and sometimes the end of the barrel that is inside the back plate can get a little pinched. Make sure that the barrel is in the right orientation! The sight at the end of the barrel should be pointed up, and the wider slit on the right side should be facing the trigger (so that the lever can spin through it).
7. Place the front plate over the back plate, making sure to line up the columns and trigger/lever shafts. It should just click into place. Don't glue it, in case you need to access the mechanism inside.
8. Slide the launcher down the barrel, making sure that the hole is closer to the back plate than the end of the barrel (the hole is closer to one side than the other), and line up with the slits in the sides. Slide a rubber band (I found that two made the launch much stronger) through the hole in the launcher, and out the other side. I found using a small allen key to push it through made the process easier. Loop the sides of the rubber band around the screws at the very end of the barrel (one on either side).
9. Lastly, take a rubber band, double it up, and loop one end over the remaining screw on the back of the barrel. Take the other end, stretch it over the hammer (one part going around while the other goes between it and the back plate), making sure to keep it just above the screw in the hammer. Now, loop the rubber band back toward the barrel, around the screw and leaving it to rest on the small ledge at the bottom of the hammer. 
10. Now you're ready to shoot! Keep a finger on the trigger (not too pressed in), pull the hammer back slightly until you hear it engage behind the trigger, use a pencil to push the launcher all the way back in the barrel (you should be able to hear when it gets caught behind the lever), and drop your ammo down the barrel. Pull the trigger to fire!

Please leave a comment if you are having trouble, and I'll do my best to help you out! Hope you enjoy! Don't be afraid to upload a remix, make, or comment, and let me know what you think! Happy printing :)