Drill out gun barrels on Warhammer 40,000 minatures

With just a couple of simple tools and a few minutes you can take your Space Marine weaponry up a notch by drilling out the barrels. Read on to see how. I think it is worth the extra effort.

Drilled vs undrilled comparison #1

Drilled vs undrilled comparison #2

Tools

You only need a couple of tools. The links to Amazon.com are affiliate links which means that I will get a small referral fee (at no additional cost to you) if you buy something after following my link.

• A pin vise type drill. These are easy to find at a hobby or crafts store. You can get the one I have at Amazon: Army Painter Miniature and Model Drill
• (Optional) A pointy hobby knife or other pointy object. These are also easy to find (But you probably already have something that will work if you are assembling plastic miniatures). You can get the one I have at Amazon: X-ACTO Compression Basic Knife Set

Barrel drilling tools

Step By Step

1. (This step is optional but very helpful) Mark the center of the barrel. This mark should be deep enough to guide the tip of the drill to the center.
   

   Mark the center of the barrel

   

   Barrel center mark

2. Drill the barrel using a 1mm bit. Align the tip of the drill with the mark you made in step 1. Don’t push too hard or you might crack the plastic. Let the drill do the work. If you are drilling a rifle like the one shown, don’t drill too far down or you risk weakening the plastic and breaking off the whole tip. Depending on the size of the barrel, you can optionally move up to a larger drill size after making the 1mm hole. I left this one at 1mm.
   

   Drill the barrel

   

   Don’t drill too far

3. Drill the side holes/muzzle brake/supressor/whatever that’s supposed to be. Use the molded-in hole to guide the drill. Drill to the middle from each side rather than trying to drill all the way through from one side (just in case your drill doesn’t go in straight).
   

   Drill the muzzle brake/supressor/side holes

4. Clean it up and marvel at your handiwork.
   

   Marvel at your handiwork

Links to the stuff I used

The Amazon.com links are affiliate links which means I get a small referral fee (at no additional charge to you) if you buy something after following my link.

• Army Painter Miniature and Model Drill (Amazon) / Army Painter Hobby Tools (Manufacturer)
• X-ACTO Compression Basic Knife Set (Amazon) / X-ACTO Compression Basic Knife Set (Manufacturer)
• The guns are from Warhammer 40,000: Dark Imperium Boxed Set (Amazon) / Warhammer 40,000: Dark Imperium Boxed Set (Manufacturer)

Video

I also made a video if you prefer: