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How to Make Revolutionary Toy Guns

Weapons of the Revolutionary War continue to capture the interests of history buffs over two hundred years after it happened. The guns used during the American Revolution include the muzzleloading flintlock musket with an attached bayonet, the rifle and the pistol. The most common weapon was the large caliber, smooth bare flintlock musket. (See Resources Tactics and Weapons of the Revolutionary War) If you want a copy of a Revolutionary gun or musket for decoration, play or education, consider making your own replica. All it takes is a little ingenuity, a pattern and a lot of elbow grease!

Things You'll Need

Stain
Paint
Pencil
Jigsaw
Shellac
Sandpaper
Photocopier
Photo of gun
Cleaning cloth
Double-stick tape
Plank of wood 1-inch thick

Instructions

- 1
  Make a paper pattern. Find a quality picture of a Revolutionary toy gun (or a replica) and cut it out. Divide the picture into thirds or fourths and cut it into sections. Enlarge all four pieces to the highest enlargement possible on an 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet of paper; make all of the sections the same size. Tape the four pieces of paper together, aligning the gun parts; cut out the shape of the gun. Put more tape along the back of the pictures, along the seams.
- 2
  Lay a board flat on the table. The board should be at least one-inch thick and two inches longer than your pattern. For example, if your gun pattern is 12 -inches long, the board should be 14-inches long. Use double-stick tape around the edges of the pattern to adhere it snugly to the board. Trace around the pattern with a dark pencil. Remove the pattern.
- 3
  Cut around the outline with a jigsaw. Sand the rough edges from the wooden rifle. Wipe off the gun and sand it one more time. Wipe the residue off a second time.
- 4
  Stain or paint the gun to match the weapon in your original photograph. Be certain to paint a trigger in the proper place. Use silver or gray for "metal" elements of the gun. Coat your gun with shellac to make it shiny.

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