Junk recycler caught with DIY gun

Police detained a scrap metal collector after he was found in possession of a homemade pistol cobbled together from scavenged parts in Zunyi, Guizhou province, local media reported on Friday.

The suspect, surnamed Chen, was charged with the illegal manufacturing of firearms, police said on Thursday.

Officers responding to a report about an altercation between Chen and another man at the Haier Dadao in Honghuagang district of Zunyi discovered the firearm on Tuesday.

They said Chen had an L-shaped contraption made from iron and copper wires wrapped in rubberized cloth.

Although crude in appearance, police explained the weapon was able to shoot through a thin sheet of aluminum from 10 meters.

Chen, a trash recycler, told officers he made the handgun one year ago to scare off competing recyclers. However, he claimed to have never used the gun for that purpose.

Chen, a firearms enthusiast, explained he learned to make the gun from TV programs and books.