Cottage Industry for Arms, how does it work?

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Big Yehudah
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Cottage Industry for Arms, how does it work?

#1

Post by Big Yehudah » 24 Jul 2014, 16:29

How exactly can a cottage industry, (house hold production) successfully make small arms? China produced working copies of LMGs, Rifles, SMGS, Grenades and ammunition. No doubt much of this was from cottage industries. But How is this accomplished? What does a household need to produce these things and in a combat worthy quality?

OpanaPointer
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Re: Cottage Industry for Arms, how does it work?

#2

Post by OpanaPointer » 24 Jul 2014, 16:48

Big Yehudah wrote:How exactly can a cottage industry, (house hold production) successfully make small arms? China produced working copies of LMGs, Rifles, SMGS, Grenades and ammunition. No doubt much of this was from cottage industries. But How is this accomplished? What does a household need to produce these things and in a combat worthy quality?
First, "cottage" can mean "non-industrial size" buildings. During the 1948 war the Israelis made Uzis in garage workshops.

Second, the most common use of cottage workers I know is in assembly. Teach ten year olds to assemble rifles and handguns and you've expanded your labor force.

Third, anything that does need complex machinery can be done in a cottage-type workplace. One Japanese gentleman told me his only job was filing certain rifle parts smooth. He said he did thousands of these.
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StefanSiverud
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Re: Cottage Industry for Arms, how does it work?

#3

Post by StefanSiverud » 24 Jul 2014, 23:56

You'd be surprised to know how little machinery you need to make working firearms. Skill, time and some very basic hand tools (and some specialized tools that can be made with the basic hand tools) is all you really need, but a forge, machine lathe and pillar drill will speed up and simplify the process significantly and give a far better result.

See for instance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfu0lV_KomM
OpanaPointer wrote:First, "cottage" can mean "non-industrial size" buildings. During the 1948 war the Israelis made Uzis in garage workshops.
I believe you are referring to Sten guns, which require significantly less skill and especially machinery to manufacture and were designed to be made largely in bicycle repair shops and similar. The first Uzi prototype was not finished until 1950.

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Re: Cottage Industry for Arms, how does it work?

#4

Post by OpanaPointer » 25 Jul 2014, 00:51

StefanSiverud wrote:
OpanaPointer wrote:First, "cottage" can mean "non-industrial size" buildings. During the 1948 war the Israelis made Uzis in garage workshops.
I believe you are referring to Sten guns, which require significantly less skill and especially machinery to manufacture and were designed to be made largely in bicycle repair shops and similar. The first Uzi prototype was not finished until 1950.
Works for me. But the Uzi was designed to be "low tech compatible" too, correct?
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StefanSiverud
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Re: Cottage Industry for Arms, how does it work?

#5

Post by StefanSiverud » 26 Jul 2014, 01:18

OpanaPointer wrote:
StefanSiverud wrote:
OpanaPointer wrote:First, "cottage" can mean "non-industrial size" buildings. During the 1948 war the Israelis made Uzis in garage workshops.
I believe you are referring to Sten guns, which require significantly less skill and especially machinery to manufacture and were designed to be made largely in bicycle repair shops and similar. The first Uzi prototype was not finished until 1950.
Works for me. But the Uzi was designed to be "low tech compatible" too, correct?
To be honest, I haven't got a clue. Post-war weapons are out of my interest sphere, even if some things stick.

steverodgers801
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Re: Cottage Industry for Arms, how does it work?

#6

Post by steverodgers801 » 26 Jul 2014, 18:31

Japan dispersed a lot of its small scale industry into small buildings and homes

OpanaPointer
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Re: Cottage Industry for Arms, how does it work?

#7

Post by OpanaPointer » 27 Jul 2014, 13:36

steverodgers801 wrote:Japan dispersed a lot of its small scale industry into small buildings and homes
And made their population targets.
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Tomg44
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Re: Cottage Industry for Arms, how does it work?

#8

Post by Tomg44 » 25 Nov 2014, 01:29

The British Experience.

By 1943 some 20 000 “Outworkers” were carrying out War Work in private houses, garden sheds, furniture showrooms etc., throughout the country.- about half in the London area. They were mostly women who could not work full-time work in factories, but who could do part-time work if it was close to home. They were considered to be a valuable resource, and industry was encourage to use it.

The Imperial War Museum photo collections have some material relating the this.
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/searc ... =10&page=1
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/searc ... %20packard
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/searc ... 20UK%2C%20
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/ ... 1060006067

Have a look at this!
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/listi ... -205006159

Regards,
TomG

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