California man turned water gun into shotgun, police say

Uncle Corkscrew · #1 05-22-2012, 05:17 PM

California man turned water gun into shotgun, police say

FRESNO, Calif. – A California man was arrested after authorities discovered the "Super Soaker" water gun he was wearing around his neck had been turned into a working shotgun, Fox affiliate KMPH reports.

Fresno police approached 54-year-old Randy Smith when they noticed the water gun around his neck Saturday because they had been recently briefed on people turning toys into working weapons.

When they took the water gun apart, they found a real shotgun shell instead of water.

"He took the Super Soaker apart, was able to fashion a barrel to where he was able to make what's considered a zip gun, where you can fire one round through it. In this case it was a 20 gauge shotgun shell," Sergeant Mark Hudson of the Fresno police told KMPH.

Even more troubling, Bill Mayfield, who works at Gilmay Guns in Fresno tells KMPH it only costs about $30 worth of parts to transform a toy into a shotgun, and you don't have to be a gun expert to do it. He warns that doing so is definitely not a smart move.

"The firearms cartridge with the gun powder is an explosive. The device they're building has to be able to contain the pressure of that explosion," Mayfield told KMPH. "So they're just relying on, maybe this will hold up. Well, you could be putting a gun next to your head, or you could be putting a hand grenade next to your head."

Police say Smith faces multiple charges, including being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, a felon in possession of a firearm, manufacture of an illegal weapon and a misdemeanor warrant.