Improvised firearm

Improvised firearms (sometimes called zip guns, pipe guns, or slam guns) are firearms manufactured by an entity other than a registered firearms manufacturer or a gunsmith. Improvised firearms are typically constructed by adapting existing materials to the purpose. They range in quality, from crude weapons that are as much a danger to the user as the target, to high-quality arms produced by cottage industries using salvaged and repurposed materials. Improvised firearms may be used as tools by criminals and insurgents and are sometimes associated with such groups. Other uses include self-defense in lawless areas and hunting game in poor rural areas.