Criminal elements in some Corporate Area and St. Catherine communities are operating successful money-making businesses by selling and renting home-made guns.

The making of these guns is nothing new but THE STAR recently learnt that several 'gun makers' have been making the deadly weapons on demand for sale or rent to thugs.

For as little as $3,000 and as much as $8,000, one can have a gun built in less than two hours. If however there is a wish not to own one of these illegal weapons, one can be rented for at least $2,000 per day or night.

Criminals from communities in eastern and western Kingston, and in parts of St. Catherine were found to be engaging in this unlawful activity.

Unlike professionally made arms, these home-made guns, as the name suggests, are made in homes, yards or just about anywhere the makers live. The makers of these dangerous and illegal tools to whom THE STAR spoke all admitted to taking part in the activity.

According to the men, they make at least $20,000 and up to $50,000 per month from sales and rentals of their illegal firearms, depending on the demand. They say that they indulge in this endeavour to simply support themselves.

Do a ting

"Plain an straight, mi do dis fi tek care a myself. Mi nah work an mi nuh have nobody a mine mi so before mi go out a port mek dem tun mi inna duppy mi jus stay inna my place an do a ting, everybody affi live, yu kno how it go," Brisco, from west Kingston, told THE STAR. "Plus, a nuh every man can get a real machine, dem probably nuh get dem ratings deh or dem cyaa afford it, but dem still waa go mash a works, a deh suh my skills drop in."

Reds, who is from east Kingston, explained the demand for his weapons. "More time man an man waa go pan a likkle move, probably fi go eat a small food from a taxi bway or maybe jus fi frighten a likkle man, an dem nuh too waa rise up none a di real machine dem, suh a man jus gimme a link fi one a my ting dem..so it all depends pon di move weh dem a go pan," Reds explained.

THE STAR learnt that the home-made guns are predominantly of two types. There are single-shot handguns also called 'one pop' and shotguns. Both types fire real ammunition or some other projectile such as nails.

Reds, who displayed two of his products, explained how he goes about making 'one pop'. He said that a piece of board, two thick springs (similar to bed springs), one small door hinge, a piece of iron and one small nail are the components needed to build a 'one pop'.

"Get a piece a board, shape it out like a real gun, get two thick springs, like a bed spring or something close to that. Get a small two-hole hinges, get a piece of iron weh di shot can fly through, strap it down, nail on di hinges to the back weh di hamma woulda deh. Get a likkle nail inna di hinges, hitch on di two spring dem to di side, and a it dat," Reds explained.

With the ease of making the weapons one maker, Pablofrom St. Catherine said: "A simple ting eno, if mi have di parts dem already, inna bout a hour or so mi can have yu ting ready an waiting. Suh yu find seh mi can mek all three to four machine inna one day."

While the home-made guns can be just as lethal as the well constructed weapons, there are dangerous risks of "sticking" and back-firing that can occur.

"You done know seh we nuh have nuh factory fi use, a lone hand we use suh things naw go perfect, so more time jus like a real gun, dem ting ya might stick or even back-fire pon yuh," Brisco said.

One individual who has purchased a one pop said that it had 'sticked' and back-fired on more than one occassion. Nevertheless, he claims the firearm was a good investment as he has managed to pull of a few sucessful robberies with it.

"Yu naw go run inna nuh big shoot out wid it cause it can stick pan yu an all back-fire. Mi kno cause it happen to me, but trust me a good ting fi have cause it can do damage jus like a real machine an it nuh as expensive as dem, so if anyting yu can always run lef it or dash it way an yu head nuh hurt yu," the man said.

According to police officers from the areas where the men operate, while the individual statistics for the seizure of home-made guns is not kept, they know that it is nothing new. An officer attached to the Organised Crime Unit, said that while they know that home-made guns are in most inner-city communities, they are not aware of the new trend of selling and renting them.

"... Selling and renting is a whole new kettle of fish, criminals from time to time have become very creative so while they're haven't been any formal reports, such a situation can definitely occur," the officer told THE STAR.

Names changed on request.