Weighting the DrillMaster iDrill Rifle

DrillMasterAsk DrillMaster, Commentary, Drill Teams, Instructional 5 Comments

Can the Drillmaster iDrill RifleTM be weighted?

Sure. But there is a limit. If you haven’t yet, read about how to make your own rifle here.

Over the past weekend I was talking with a relative of mine who is an engineer, he suggested Harbor Freight’s Wheel Weights. I thought this was a brilliant idea and started researching.

It’s still a great idea, but there is the problem if you want to fully weight your Drillmaster iDrill RifleTM: The stack of weights in the picture equals one pound. You’d have to purchase eight packs of these weights (over $80) and even though they have adhesive strips on the back, you would have to find a place to put all 96 pieces! Here are the concerns: 96 pieces takes up quite a bit of real estate on the outside of the rifle and would make it thicker. Boring into the rifle would work for a few weights here and there, but to space-out all 96 and try to achieve a good balance ratio, the structure of the rifle would become compromised and thus easier to break.

What does DrillMaster recommend?

If you want to add some weight, go get a package and play around with adding a pound or two. But I think that’s where you should stop. Adding any more weights would be detrimental to all of your hard work in creating the rifle.

Experiment with the rifle, add some weight or leave it like it is and then upload a video YouTube with you spinning your very own Drillmaster iDrill RifleTM!

By the way, are you ready? Here is the link to the rifle patterns.

Comments 5

  1. I have recently made a large number of these wooden Rifles so the Cadets in the Program may take them home, personalize them, but have a practice means. I am experimenting with the use of a Router :) A 2×8 is actually 1 1/2 ” thick, so if you route down wit5h a 1/4″ bit 3/4″ and inch into the long length of the rifle and fill with weighted steel rods, you can cover over with wood putty, then retape, and you have a full size replicated weight of the rifle. Im just experimenting with moving the rods and the positions to keep the center point of grvity on the wood rifle :) Just an idea

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      MSG Taylor,

      What an outstanding idea! Thanks for letting me know you’ve used the rifle patterns and the great (most likely better) idea on how to add weight! Outstanding!

      DrillMaster

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