Building a Semi-Auto Pistol at Home Paperback – October 28, 2025

The author, better known on YouTube as “Garage Guy .30-06”, has designed and built dozens of elegant homemade firearms in his garage. This book chronicles his journey building a semi-automatic 9mm pistol. Using a metal lathe and a benchtop end mill, he created this unique dystopian pistol from raw steel, a barrel blank, and a few commercial parts. The simple blowback design, its components, and the homemade magazines are thoroughly illustrated through drawings and photographs. Also included is information on the tools, techniques, and mathematics that support the construction of this semi-automatic 9mm pistol. This book is both entertaining and informative for any firearms enthusiast, hobbyist, or shooter.This book is the story, or memoir, of the author’s experience building this pistol. It includes a dedicated chapter on how to calculate the appropriate bolt mass and evaluate the failure stress of the barrel. There is a chapter that covers the detailed component dimensions of the pistol and magazine. A separate chapter describes the methods, materials, and tricks used to build this pistol, while another focuses on testing and finishing the pistol. This book also shares several lessons learned and outlines potential improvements to this design. Read more