The Zig Zag revolver is a 3D-printed .38-caliber pepperbox type revolver made public in May 2014.[1][2] It was created using a $500 plastic 3D-printer, however the name of the printer was not revealed by the creator.[2]
| Zig Zag | |
|---|---|
| Type | Revolver |
| Place of origin |  Japan |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Yoshitomo Imura |
| Designed | 2014 |
| Specifications | |
| Cartridge | .38 Special |
| Action | Single-action revolver |
| Feed system | 6-round cylinder |
| Sights | None |
History
editIt was created by Yoshitomo Imura, who hails from Kawasaki.[2] He was arrested in May 2014 after he had posted a video online of himself firing a 3D-printed Zig Zag revolver.[1] It is the first known 3D-printed gun design from Japan.[2]
After Imura's arrest, a gun called the Imura Revolver was designed and printed by FOSSCAD members and was named in honor of Yoshitomo Imura.[3]
Design
editIt holds a capacity of 6 bullets and can fire .38 caliber bullets.[4] The grip of the weapon is based on the Mauser C96 and the fact that the weapon fires from the bottom barrel is based on the Mateba Autorevolver.[5]
Name
editThe creator decided to call it the Zig Zag, after its ratcheted barrel modeled on the Mauser Zig-Zag.[4]
Assembly
editAccording to the Wired Magazine "Imura assembles the handgun from plastic 3-D printed pieces, a few metal pins, screws and rubber bands, then test fires it with blanks".[4]
Operating cycle
editTo fire, the operator loads the rounds into the barrel, and re-attaches the barrel to the rest of the weapon. Once reattached, the operator pulls back the slide where the firing pin is attached, pulls the trigger, which releases the slide into the round, firing the weapon.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b 5 Different 3D Printed Gun Models Have Been Fired Since May, 2013 – Here They Are, 3D Print, September 10, 2014. (Archived 2014-09-11 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ a b c d Japanese Man Arrested For Printing His Own Revolvers, Tech Crunch, May 8, 2014. (Archived 2014-09-09 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ A New 3D Printable Gun, The ‘Imura Revolver’ is Being Designed, September 22, 2014. (Archived 2014-09-28 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ a b c 3D printed guns a year on: from prototype to serious weapons, Wired, 16 May 2014. (Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ a b Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: 3D Printed Guns First in the world 3D Zig Zag Revolver Made in Japan. YouTube.