The Hotness

I know it has been about a month since I last updated. I took a little break from the PR but still did some important work. With the summer heat upon us here in SoCal, I paid dearly for that slow month while working in the garage yesterday. First, a photo of my progress:
And, here's a list of what I've done since the last post:

• Install the stock with hardware/spring mechanism so that it can be adjusted
• Cut down the SPAS-12 grip (Still requires shell ejection notch and mounting hole)
  
• Fine adjustments to the shrouds to allow a tight fit with all components installed
• Trimmed trigger guard of M870 to fit ammo magazine area like the 'Hero' PR
• Completed all cuts in the SPAS-12 cage
• Cut out the LED counter window
  

Above: a closeup of the shell ejection port, Remington trigger area, and LED counter window. Below: a rear view showing the small spring loaded release nut to allow stock adjustment. I should have the LED counter hooked up with the batteries mounted soon. It will read '95' when switched on. I'm receiving some crucial parts from DATA over at The Aliens Legacy to connect the SPAS-12 grip to the racking arms of the M870. That should complete my build mechanically. I should be receiving my 'Hero' 8-stripe sling with hardware soone as well. Are we excited yet?

The Grenade Launcher

I had a major victory a few days ago. I was able to fit the Maruzen M870 into the SPAS-12 hand guard. Here's what it looks like:

I found that the width of the inside of the SPAS hand guard was too narrow to fit the M870 inside it without either distorting the hand guard (from it bowing outward) or cutting a shallow channel into the left side of the M870 receiver so that the pump groove of the SPAS cage can slide across it without distortion.
From these pics, you can see that I still need to cut the shell ejection port hole on the right hand side of the SPAS hand guard. I've marked it's location and shape in white colored pencil. On the left side, the slot for the racking arms to be connected to the pump grip is needed. The trigger guard of the M870 also requires some trimming to be accurate to the 'hero' Pulse Rifle.

I can't wait to get the whole Grenade Launcher behind me. I'm going to start working on the hardware to connect the racking arms to the pump grip so that I can cycle shells through the M870. It's probably the most complicated part of the build. Luckily, it's also probably the most rewarding part too. Collecting all the parts was the biggest challenge in my opinion.

The M870 Fiasco.

I wanted to post a picture of my Maruzen M870 airsoft shotgun, and a brief explanation of what I went through to get one. But first, a picture:
So this particular airsoft shotgun is not manufactured anymore. It is a pretty high end shotgun with realistic action. As it is a very good replica of the Remington model 870, I figured this was the perfect choice for the guts of my grenade launcher. All I had to do was find one. After weeks of searching locally and online, I found a seller and sent funds in exchange for a used M870. I went through nearly 4 more weeks of hell trying to get the seller to ship the item to me from the east coast. Lies were told, excuses made, and in the end I had to demand a full refund and continue my search. It was awful.
The day I received my refund, I managed to find another one. It is practically new with all the packaging, instructions, etc. I told this seller of my previous hassle and he took our transaction very seriously. I received my M870 2 days after payment. Here it is in all its glory. Now I'm going to start taking it apart and chopping in down to size so that it can fit inside the SPAS-12 hand guard. It will never look like this again. I think it's worth it.

Shrouded in mystery

Yesterday I started drilling holes in the SPAS-12 hand guard for the Grenade Launcher front block. I quickly realized that I needed a few new drill bits as mine weren't sharp enough. You don't want bits walking on you when trying to drill something as rare as a SPAS-12 hand guard! With the holes drilled, it was time to take the Dremel to the opening so that the block would fit in. That was really easy.

I also measured and drilled 2 holes in the base of the barrel vent to mount it firmly to the top of the SPAS hand guard. The first hole is at the front and lines up with the threaded hole in the top of the front block. The other hole is near the middle of the 10 vent holes. A hex screw secured by a nut inside the hand guard completes the mounting.

Once I had these parts aligned and properly attached to one another, I felt like trimming the shroud to fit would be in order. I didn't want to do this until the metal parts were. Trimming the shrouds went quickly. Granted, there is still some minor trimming left to improve areas like in front of the Grenade Launcher trigger guard and also the magazine well is a bit too tight. Overall, the amazing castings and pre-assembly from Matt (Matsucorp) are the reason my work is easy.

That's it for now. I'm focusing on cutting the shell ejection and loading ports in the SPAS-12 hand guard next. But before that, I have to get the grip chopped down to size. That should be fairly straight forward...I hope!

Putting it together

Ok, so things moved a little faster today than I expected. I received my Matsucorp parts: resin shroud assembly, 10-hole Hero barrel vent, metal stock, and Pulse Rifle grip. Below is a shot of these parts quickly assembled for a test fit.

And here's a classic profile shot of my Pulse Rifle's internal components. Note that the alignment of the hand guard and barrel vent are not perfect due to loose fitting.

I really need to cut down the SPAS-12 grip so that the hand guard doesn't look so bare in future photos.
Next time I'll have the shrouds installed. That's going to be a really fun set of photos to take. Stay tuned...

We've got movement...

This is just a small update. I received the machined Grenade Launcher front block from Phil S. and it is a beauty. Now that I have it, I can start to do some of the cutting on the SPAS-12 hand guard. I know where all the cuts need to be made, but I felt it was wiser to wait until I could test fit the alignment of parts relating to the cuts. I'm still waiting for my Maruzen M870 to arrive so that I can finish the Grenade Launcher assembly.

I also took the opportunity to black out the airsoft adaptor parts from Tom over at M41A.com. You can see that pretty clearly in these photos. I just noticed that my PR has been chosen for 'Pulse Rifle of the Month' over at M41a.com. What an honor! I'm just starting on my build, so I'll try not to let you down.
Some tracking numbers were given to me this week for some pretty important parts. I'm guessing I'll have some real progress in the next week or so. For now though, I'll keep taking small steps in preparation for the big leaps to come.

Take that James Cameron!

I'm building a replica of the M41A Pulse Rifle as seen in the 1986 film Aliens. This is one of the most iconic sci-fi weapons I can think of and that might be because it was designed by James Cameron himself. As a collector of replica weaponry from films, I've wanted a Pulse Rifle for some time. For my replica, I've chosen to source the various parts from different makers who I respect very much for both their knowledge of the weapon and their craftsmanship. Here's the first photo showing very early stages of the build:

Here's a list detailing the various parts required and the maker/source I have chosen:

Thompson M1A1 (Airsoft): Cybergun

Remington 870 (Airsoft): Maruzen M870 BV

SPAS-12 hand guard and slide action sleeve: OEM Franchi parts

Airsoft Adapter: M41A.com

Metal barrel vent and stock: Matsucorp

Shroud kit: Matsucorp

Replacement grip: Matsucorp

Metal grenade launcher front block: Phil S.

Short magazine: Tokyo Marui

8-stripe sling: mnoble2

I'll post more as the parts arrive.