>>Interestingly, the Gatling gun isn't technically an automatic weapon
>>according to the rules laid down by the BATFE.
>
>Yes, I knew someone was going to point that out. It's true, a Gatling
>gun isn't a machine gun by the official definition of the term. It
>is, however, a machine gun. If you follow.

I do actually follow, it was just a reasonable segue into the "which means I can make one!" topic.

>I actually have a complete set of diagrams for a .22-caliber rimfire
>six-barrel Gatling. I doubt I'll ever get around to building one -
>the only machine shop I have access to Isn't Really For That, and
>there's the question of acquiring the materials and whatnot - but
>there's always the possibility. I know my boss is intrigued by the
>notion.

I wonder if I actually first heard about this from you, then. I recall having a discussion with SOMEONE about this on...livejournal? several years ago, and tracking down plans for one chambered in 5.56 (which are sitting on a hard drive somewhere). But that just seems excessive for "I wanna go down to a range and turn this crank so everyone can smile". Do you remember where you got those .22 plans?

>Similarly, I'd rather like to own an AK-47, even though if one could
>ever make a case for a machine being evil it would have to
>be that one - partly because I'm a student of the era that
>produced it, partly because of its fascinating and extemely checkered
>history (it's the only firearm I can think of that appears on a
>national flag), and partly because it's such a perfect piece of design

Guatamala has a rifle of some sort on it. (There is, of course, a relevant wiki page: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Gallery_of_flags_with_weapons#Cannon_or_Gun)

>for the imperfect manufacturing environment where it was produced.
>Its crudity is its sophistication. That's a hell of a good
>engineering trick.

"AK-47: You might have trouble hitting the side of a barn from inside, but by God when you pull the trigger it goes bang." Also, I'm pretty sure that you could build one in a cave with a box of scraps, even without being tony stark.

--
-Pasha
"Don't change the subject"
"Too slow, already did."