Playing with a paper gun that actually shoots bullets is a fun activity on a rainy afternoon, and you can do it indoors. You can make an origami gun or a trigger gun that shoots paper bullets. With a little patience and some form of folding, you can make your own shooting range.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Making a Pipe Shaped Paper Gun
Step 1. Gather the ingredients
Before you start making paper guns, you'll need several types of materials. To get started, gather the following materials:
- several sheets of quarto paper (21 x 29 cm), in any color/pattern
- masking tape
- scissors
- ruler
- whiteboard marker
- glue gun
- rubber bracelet
Step 2. Roll the first sheet of paper into a pipe shape, from the bottom corner and all the way to the top edge
To get started, select a sheet of paper. Roll the paper into a thin pipe shape. Slowly roll the paper into a cylindrical shape, leaving a space/hole in the middle. The result should look like the middle cardboard of a roll of toilet paper. This is your basic “print”, which will be used to roll the other sheets of paper to make this paper gun.
The diameter of this roll should be approximately the same as the diameter of a pencil. If you're having trouble rolling it, just use a pencil or pen to help create the right size and shape
Step 3. Roll the second piece of paper around the first
To make a gun, roll the first pipe on a second piece of paper, which results in a larger pipe that is used for later shooting. To make this second pipe, roll a second piece of paper over the first pipe you just made. Once the second paper is completely curled, gently remove the first tube from the second. You now have a second pipe, which is slightly larger than the first. Like the first pipe, the second pipe should also be shaped like the middle cardboard of a roll of toilet paper.
Step 4. Seal the coils on each pipe
After rolling the pipe shape, you need to seal the ends with tape. Apply tape to each end of the pipe. Then, trim off the excess paper at the ends with scissors until everything is neat and even, without the excess paper edges getting stuck on the sides of the pipe.
Step 5. Make a roll of pipes that are exactly the same size, then cut them to the following lengths
Make a third pipe with the same coil as the first pipe you made. Use scissors, a ruler, and a marker to cut it to the required length.
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barrel part:
two pipes, each 15 cm long.
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handle part:
seven pipes, each 5 cm long.
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trigger part:
one pipe, with a length of 8 cm.
Step 6. Make the handle section by gluing the seven 5 cm long rolls at a slightly angled angle
Stack all seven pipes, then tilt the corners slightly by pushing the bottom of the stack to the right diagonally. This results in a shape resembling a real pistol grip. Glue them together with hot glue, positioning each pipe on top of the other, so that the combination forms a long, slender gun grip.
You can also glue them straight, then cut one end at a diagonal cutting line, creating a beveled corner. Cut off the excess edges at this beveled angle with scissors, to smooth out the edges
Step 7. Glue an 8cm long pipe on the top side of the pistol grip, so that the excess 3cm long hangs over the right end
The excess length of the pipe should be next to the end of the beveled corner of the handle. This means, if you hold this gun to shoot, the remaining 3cm of length will be pointing at you. This is the pipe that will be the trigger part of the gun.
Step 8. Glue the two 15 cm long pipes together, then glue this section to the top side of the gun
This is the barrel of your gun, so it should be pointed at someone else, not at you. Align the back of the barrel with the center point of the gun grip, then glue it with hot glue.
Step 9. Roll the paper into two more thin tubes
This time, you don't have to mess with the hole in the middle. Just roll a piece of paper (preferably with a different color/pattern) into a slightly thinner pipe shape than the previous pipes. The two new pipes must be able to fit in and out of the previous pipes. To make a thinner pipe, roll the paper without the help of a pencil or pen. You should also cut the corners of the triangle 10-13 cm from the length of the paper as you roll it, to prevent the roll from getting thicker in the center of the pipe.
Step 10. Bend this thin tube in a U shape so that it can fit inside the trigger tube of the gun and the top of the pistol grip
Trim the excess length so that there is only a little over 0.5 cm of pipe length on the back of the trigger sleeve, and absolutely no excess length of pipe on the back of the pistol grip. The bend in the letter U is on the barrel. This is the trigger part of your gun, which when you pull it, this little bit of excess will pop the back of the casing.
Make sure that this thin tube can be slipped back and forth easily. Remember that this is the trigger part of your gun
Step 11. Optional:
Make a trigger cover with another thin pipe. Bend this new thin pipe into an S shape, flattening the curved parts if needed. Tuck one end into the tube at the top second position on the gun grip (directly under the trigger), so the S curve becomes a small flap for the trigger. Glue the excess length of the pipe with hot glue to the bottom of the barrel and trim off the excess ends of the paper to smooth out the edges.
Step 12. Smooth the thin tube with your fingers, then use it to "close" the back of the gun grip
This pipe should be flattened into a long, thin flat shape. Then, secure this flattened pipe with the pistol grip, curling it around the front and bottom of the trigger cover (if applicable). The goal is to close any open gaps in the pipes in the pistol grip, but the most important thing is to close the gap just to the right behind the trigger.
- DO NOT close the trigger sleeve. This part needs to stay open, to load the bullet and fire the gun.
- In the end, you'll be creating a sort of "edge" for the bottom of the gun. Therefore, using different colored/patterned paper will produce a more attractive appearance.
Step 13. Take a spring from an unused pen, and attach it to the top pipe of the barrel
Remove the trigger of the gun, and install this spring in it, so that the spring is pressed against the edge of the pipe. This will allow the trigger to be pushed back automatically after you have fired the gun.
Step 14. Make the trigger and shooter mechanism with rubber bands
Fold a sheet of paper in half, until it becomes a long, thin flat shape. Roll this shape into a curved pipe. Seal this shape with a short piece of tape, then trim off the excess ends to smooth it out. The result will be shaped like the center of a roll of toilet paper. Then…
- Take a pair of scissors and cut the pipe open. Then, take a rubber band and insert it inside this pipe.
- Glue these pipes back together until they come together. Now you have a small, curved roll of paper with a rubber band wrapped around it. This is the trigger part of your gun.
Step 15. Slide the rubber band trigger into the bottom of the barrel
Cut the ends so that, with the rubber band end, they are as close to the back of the barrel as possible, not to the part of the pipe hanging out in front of the barrel.
Step 16. Hook the rubber band to the front of the gun barrel, so that it fits between the two pipes
Make sure that the back of the trigger is at the opening of the trigger sleeve. When you pull the trigger, the part of the tube that pops out will unhook the trigger, and eject the rubber band until the rubber band fires a bullet.
Step 17. Load and fire paper bullets with your gun
Now, your gun can fire bullets. Make small balls out of your paper. Insert this paper ball into the end of the gun opposite the grip and trigger, then hook the rubber band up. Pull the trigger to unhook the rubber band, so the trigger shoots up and fires a bullet. This paper ball will be ejected out of the gun barrel.
Method 2 of 2: Making a Gun out of Origami Paper
Step 1. Prepare two strips of paper, and fold each into a long, thin flat shape
To start making an origami gun, you will need two strips of paper. Take a large square of origami paper. Fold this paper in half and tear it into two smaller and wider rectangular halves. You will fold each of the smaller pieces of paper in the following process:
- Fold the rectangle in half, top and bottom, to form a smaller, thinner rectangle. Then, unfold the paper.
- Use the crease line in the center of the paper as a guide. The paper now has two even planes. Fold one of the planes inward, so the edge of the paper is flush with the fold line. The two ends of the paper should meet at the fold line of the paper.
- Now, fold the paper inward along the crease line. You should now have a thinner and longer flat area.
Step 2. Fold one of the flat sections to form a horseshoe
Take one of the flats and fold it in half from both ends. Then, open the fold again. The fold line in the middle of this flat plane separates two equal parts. Fold the corner of the right side at a 90-degree angle, then fold the other end at a 90-degree angle as well. This area of paper now looks like a small horseshoe of paper.
The width of the horizontal center must be twice the width of the long flat plane. Place the flat plane on the right side of the center line, then fold one of the horseshoe pieces to the right, until it meets this flat plane on the center line
Step 3. Fold the two halves of the horseshoe back in so that the diagonal corners are pointing inward
While keeping the crease line starting at the same point, reorient the corner of the horseshoe until it looks a bit like a checkered drop of water. You should be able to see a cute little triangle shape in the middle.
Step 4. Fold the triangle in half, then press them together to create a flat grip shape for your gun
The result will look like a small L, with long flat areas and slightly curved edges at the ends. You will also need to fold this long, thin flat plane in half.
Step 5. Twist the second flat against the first, pushing the ends into the pistol grip opening
This part may be a bit difficult, so do it slowly. Take the second flat plane and fold it in half from both ends. You need to slip this flat plane into the gun grip:
- Pull the gun grip to create some distance. The part that bends down should have two small openings. Insert each of the second flattened planes into each of these openings.
- Pull both ends of the second flat plane through the opening of the horseshoe shape. Keep pulling until the two piping planes form an angle that extends about 110 degrees. The two ends of the flat plane will form the barrel of the gun.
Step 6. Make the necessary adjustments until the gun has a trigger section, then seal the grip and barrel sections to keep the paper from moving
You can now see the outline of the shape of the entire gun. There should now be a small folded strip of paper hanging slightly below the barrel of the gun. Pull this part gently, until it hangs under the gun. You should now be able to bend the gun grip in and out like the trigger of a gun.
Step 7. With a craft knife, cut at a point approximately 1.25 cm above the gun grip
This is the part where you reload on this gun. This intersection point should be approximately 0.7 cm deep and 1.25 cm wide. Make sure that it is centered on the diagonal line of the gun trigger.
- You may need to cut twice, once across the barrel and once across the opening below. If you're cutting twice like this, try and smack this part a bit to get your gun's shape more snug against the little lever behind it, which you're used to seeing being pulled by shooters in the movies. This little extra lever will help hold the rubber band in position.
- Make sure that this cut is deep enough for you to attach the rubber band (which you will use as a bullet for this gun).
Step 8. Cut a bit on the barrel of the gun
This piece is small enough, only as big as it takes to hold the rubber band on the other side. You can then attach a rubber band between this cut point and the previous cut point. When you pull the trigger, you'll move this lever until it pops the rubber band, and thus fires the gun!
Step 9.
Tips
- For best results, make tight folds and roll the paper in an even shape.
- You can stack several plastic cups to form a cone to make shooting targets.
Warning
- Don't shoot a paper gun at other people.
- Don't make or shoot paper guns at school. If your school enforces a gun ban without exception, you may be expelled from school or suspended.
