Kitless Bullet Click Pen - 30-06 w/Buckeye

[JD Combs Sr]

For your critique here is a Pen made not from a kit. Although I did used some components from a kit. I modified and used the the click mechanism and finial/clip assembly from a SlimLine Pro. Other components were purchased separately and modified as necessary.

Specs:

Lower Barrel:
30-06 Cartridge with 155.5 Grain match grade FMJ bullet.
Sanded to 1800 then polished to a high gloss with Brasso
2-3 Coats of CA applied to prevent tarnish
Parker Style Gel Writer Ink Cartridge.

Upper Barrel:
Buckeye Natural Burl with Gun Metal Clip and Finial
10 Coats of CA and Polished with plastic/acrylic polish then waxed

It's not quite as obvious in the photos but the natural buckeye almost looks like a type of camouflage.



This shows some of the inner components that were modified.


Does any one know where I could find a nut similar to the one I cut off of the 8mm tranny?? I salvaged the tranny part, not sure what I can use it for but something will probably turn up.

 

[maxman400]

I like it A LOT, Nicely Done. What size drill bit did you use for the nib.

 

[JD Combs Sr]

I like it A LOT, Nicely Done. What size drill bit did you use for the nib.

I used a #37 (0.104"). The pen point measured at 0.99". That gave me a reasonable clearance without being sloppy or too tight. This sketch will give you a good idea of fitted dimensions although I made some undocumented changes on the fly. For example the bullet is shorter then stated and the click mechanism dim. are different so therefore the threaded portion of the upper barrel is also different.

Thanks for looking.

 

[PaulDoug]

Turned out very nice and well thought out. I envy your ability to plan things out so thoroughly. I'm a just-start-something-and -see-how-it-turns-out person and often it doesn't turn out.

Personally on cartridge pens I prefer twist just because I think the click button looks out of place sitting on top. Other than that, that is a WOW pen.

 

[JD Combs Sr]

Turned out very nice and well thought out. I envy your ability to plan things out so thoroughly. I'm a just-start-something-and -see-how-it-turns-out person and often it doesn't turn out.

Personally on cartridge pens I prefer twist just because I think the click button looks out of place sitting on top. Other than that, that is a WOW pen.

I had already done a few bullet twist pens and seen many others. They are fairly simple and much easier but I had not seen anyone do a click version. Given the problems a lot of folks seem to have with getting even the standard click pens to work properly I took it as a personal challenge to make a click bullet pen that worked. There was a little of the "see-how-it-turns-out" even in this "planned" version. That's the reason one shouldn't try to build one using the exact dimensions I show above.