Book Review: LEGO Heavy Weapons: Build Working Working Replicas of Four of the World’s Most Impressive Guns by Jack Streat

I have to admit to an initial bit of trepidation in regards to No Starch Press’ LEGO guns series. The first one I came across had the irresistible title of Badass LEGO Guns, and the book turned out to be exactly what it was advertised to be. I even wound up building one of the guns (which shoot LEGO bricks by the way), with my son. So when I heard about the new, provocatively titled LEGO Heavy Weapons: Build Working Replicas of Four of the World’s Most Impressive Guns by Jack Streat, I just had to have it.

The four guns in question here are the Desert Eagle pistol, plus three rifles; the Jungle Carbine, AKS-74U, and SPAS 12. All three of the rifles actually shoot LEGO bricks, and it looks like they could do some damage. They may not be lethal, but I imagine getting shot by one would most likely be a fairly painful experience. The warning on the back says that the models are not suitable for children under 12, which is sensible enough. But the most pertinent warning states “Be particularly careful when handling these models in public, because they can be mistaken for real guns.”

This last little piece of advice is the one to take to heart. For those of us who grew up making various, simple models out of LEGOs, the idea of building a realistic looking gun out of the bricks may seem a bit implausible. But with Mr. Streat’s detailed instructions, these guns really do look like the real deal, and one would be well advised to be to heed his warning.

LEGO Heavy Weapons is an incredibly detailed 356-page book. The author has taken great pains to lay out everything one would need to build these guns. In doing so, he has made it possible for even for the most novice LEGO enthusiast to succeed. Each section begins with a “Design History” chapter, in which he explains the overall “big picture” of just exactly how he came up with the various LEGO configurations used for each component of the weapons. To simplify the building process, he has broken down each gun into “modules,” such as the trigger, pistol grip, magazine, stock, and all the rest.

Article Author: Greg Barbrick

Greg Barbrick is a Seattle native who was first published in 1988, in his hometown music magazine, The Rocket. Since then his work has appeared in print and online for numerous sources. He Googles himself so often that his mother told him it would make him go blind.
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