OK. I get it! Firearms are few and far between in the UK. But last night I was laying in bed, and I remembered what my buddies and I did as kids. We DID have something that we made ourselves and would kill a pigeon or a rabbit from a reasonable distance. Better yet, we didn't have to pay for the ammunition (as long as we were near a creek). So I did a search and here's what I came up with:
Quote:http://www.ehow.com/how_2034480_make-sling-shot.html
How to Make a Sling Shot
By an eHow Contributor
The human plight for survival has always tested the ingenuity of man. In the desire to survive, human beings devised tools for hunting, including the slingshot. While it may no longer be necessary to use one, you may be interested in learning how to make a slingshot yourself, either for fun or just to scare innocent animals who have carelessly wandered into your backyard. (Or to kill the "innocent animals" for food when the SHTF... JP)
Things You'll Need:
Y-shaped wood
Leather
Rubber bands
Instructions
1. Gather your materials. To make a sling shot you'll need a Y-shaped piece of wood that was cut, not broken, from a tree; a thick rubber band; smaller rubber bands for fastening; a piece of leather you can cut up; cording; sticky tape and a knife.
2. Prepare your forked stick. Peel any and all bark off the forked, Y-shaped stick by scraping it with the knife, then trim it so it is smooth and even.
3. Let the wood dry in a cool, dry place. You will then want to wrap the handle so it's easier to hold by wrapping it with cord.
4. Tape one end of the cord to the stick, wrap it tightly around the handle and then glue the other end to the stick to make sure the cord doesn't slide.
5. Make the firing assembly. Half the rubber band equally, or cut open 2 smaller ones so you have 2 equal strips between 15 and 20 cm long. Cut a 4 by 5 cm square out of the leather, and make a slit on each of the 2 shorter sides parallel to the edges.
6. Band it all together by slipping the rubber band pieces one through each slit you just made and folding it over, away from the square so it touches the rest of the rubber band. Make sure they are equal and wrap the overlapping pieces together with smaller rubber bands.
7. Attach the firing assembly to the forked stick. Lash the end of each rubber band to the top of the equally-shaped forks with additional small, strong rubber bands.
8. Break in the firing mechanism. Pull the rubber bands firmly but gently until they are soft and springy, and thus ready to be used in the slingshot.
Now I'm going to make a few suggestions:
1. Don't worry about rubber bands - use rubber strips cut from an old tire inner-tube. You should be able to get an entire tube (probably with a large hole) for free.
2. Don't use rocks for ammunition - use steel ball-bearings. You should be able to get these at little cost from an auto junk yard.
3. If you can, purchase some seasoned hardwood like oak, and make your "forked stick" in the shape of a "U" on top of an "I" rather than a forked stick "Y" with a jig-saw. Add a slot on each arm of the "U" for the rubber strip from the inner-tube. Varnish your wood, then wrap the handle with cord.
4. For the "deluxe model", drill a hole at the bottom of the handle and attach a leather or cord lanyard to go around your wrist.
5. Set up some tin cans in your back yard and practice, practice, practice!
There's no reason why every member of your family can't have a sling shot.
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