This pistol is a modified version of the Jakob's revolver from Borderlands 2. The cylinder is intended to be removable and to be secured via magnets. The removable cylinder is intended to be the means by which the weapon is upgraded to different types of projectiles such as incendiary, caustic, electromagnetic, etc.
Concept Development
The basic design was inspired by this pistol and is meant to be an amalgamation of the Colt 1860 Revolver, the Colt 1911, and a space gun!
The Master
The core of the master was made of 1/2" MDF with pieces of 1/16" and 1/8" styrene added to the sides for the details. 1/4" MDF was added to the sides of the handle to gain the proper thickness. The surface contouring on the handle was made using Apoxie Sculpt. The barrel was made from a 3/4" diameter dowel rod. The original plan was to use a piece of PVC pipe, however the outer diameter happened to be too big. The rounds pieces behind the cylinder were turned on the lathe and cut on the bandsaw. A length of 3/8" diameter dowel was inserted into the cylinder well to form a cavity in the mold. This will be explained below. Finally, the master went through the standard "prime, sand, repeat" cycle until the surface finish was satisfactorily smooth.
The Mold and Castings
A mold box was made from 3/8" plywood and assembled with a hot glue gun. The separation plane for the two mold halves was made with clay and the master inserted into the box. Registration keys were installed for alignment during casting. The cavity left by the 3/8" dowel in the cylinder well serves as a means to create a 3/8" diameter hole 3/8" deep on both sides of the cylinder well. These holes house magnets which are the mechanism that holds the cylinder in place. The cylinder in turn has 1/2" steel ball bearings in each end that snaps to the magnets and aligns the cylinder perfectly.
