I have enough guns bought at arms length to keep my satisfied in terms of guns that don’t have my name attached to them on paper somewhere. As a result, I’ve never felt the need to pursue this 80% stuff. For my area of operations, it’s pretty easy to buy a used rifle or pistol without anyone keeping track of who bought what…garage sales, yard sales, spontaneous gun shows that develop in class, etc. However, I understand that in places with less enlightened attitudes (looking at you California, New York, and Illinois) this DIY process may be more useful.

The fine folks at Reason magazine had an article about the process of making your own Glock-type handgun from an 80% frame. And…it seems a pretty solid article.

In celebration of the First Amendment, let’s walk through how to make a weapon based on one of the most popular semi-automatic handguns in the world: the Glock 17, a full-size double-stack 9 mm pistol with a track record of reliability and simplicity. Recently, third-party companies began marketing “frame kits” that allow private individuals to make guns that look and operate like Glocks and are compatible with Glock parts. There’s a caveat, however: Their product includes excess plastic that, unless removed, prevents you from turning it into a functional weapon. By itself, the object they sell doesn’t count as a firearm in the eyes of the law. Instead, it is colloquially known as an “80 percent frame” or an “80 percent receiver.”

This will be the platform for our homemade gun.

To me, there is only one reason to even care about whether or not .gov knows whether you have a gun or not: it’s none of their business. Government being aware of what you own is a fundamental requirement for them to seize it. Seen it happen, man.

Although I have no real need for a DIY Glock when i have a dozen of the genuine article sitting in the safe, I’m tempted to get one for the best reason to own anything: because I can.