A 41-year-old man named Josef C. lived in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania with his parents.
At some point, Josef started dating the neighbor across the street named Stephanie R.
After dating for a short period, Stephanie broke off the relationship.
After the breakup, Josef became obsessed with Stephanie.
He sent her hundreds of unwanted text messages in the months that followed.
Stephanie saved many of the old texts on her phone.
According to police, Josef built a homemade gun using instructions off the internet.
Then, he molded a metal projectile to use as a bullet.
Using his homemade gun, he shot and killed Stephanie in the driveway of her home, leaving her four children without a mother.
Stephanie’s new boyfriend had recently moved in with her and found her lying in the driveway after being shot.
She was transported to the hospital where she died from her injuries. The cause of death was a gunshot wound.
Police investigators found online searches on Josef’s laptop related to making a gun.
They also found tools, supplies, and hand-drawn diagrams that they said were used to make the gun.
Investigators say he built the gun using pipes and high-pressure canisters and made a projectile from lead.
In addition, Josef made diagrams with distances measured between his parent’s home and Stephanie’s home.
The crazy thing is that the police never found a weapon.
But investigators said all the materials to build the weapon were found in the basement workshop of the home where Josef lived.
A detective was able to use the materials, and the instructions found online to build the gun.
In addition, police found metal projectiles, similar to the one used to kill Stephanie, at a family cabin belonging to Josef’s parents.
During his trial, Josef argued that he had an explanation for all the supplies found in the basement.
His defense attorneys said there were other suspects that police failed to investigate.
In the end, the jury found Josef guilty of murder.
Now, I’m glad this guy was found guilty…
But I would not trust any makeshift “firearm” designs you may find online.
But people have been making their own guns for a long time.
These homemade guns were often called “zip guns.”
What is a zip gun?:
A zip gun is a term used to describe a firearm that is put together quickly from easily found materials.
The guns are usually poorly made but simple to operate, often only firing one projectile.
The word “zip” is used because the guns are built quickly without safety regulations or safety concerns, sometimes they’re even zip tied together.
A famous example of a zip gun was the World War II Liberator (a single-shot .45 ACP).
Benefits of carrying a zip gun:
One of the reasons that people build zip guns is because they can be cheaply assembled.
For instance, you might use things like car brake line tubing, springs, and other basic materials to create a zip gun.
Another reason some people might be intrigued by a zip gun is because they are easily concealable.
Zip guns are usually small and can be taken apart to make them even less noticeable.
Lastly, zip guns like the Liberator can be considered as a last line of defense.
The Liberator used in World War II was designed to be given to resistance fighters.
Problems with zip guns:
First, zip guns tend to be small calibers, for example .22 LR.
This is because zip guns are so poorly made that the barrel often can’t handle any higher pressure than the .22 round.
Another issue with building a zip gun is the legality.
Some states have laws regarding homemade firearms.
I’m not a lawyer, so be sure to know and follow all federal, state, and local laws.
Contact an attorney if you’re not sure.
Also, since zip guns tend to be hastily made, they are unreliable and less accurate than a factory-manufactured gun.
The thing is, I’m all for learning how to build firearms such as an AR-15 or a Glock.
But a zip gun is a completely different animal.
I wouldn’t waste time on a gun that you put together fast without knowing whether it will work or if it will blow up in your hand.
