Laser Pistol Dog/Cat Trainer

NOTE: This is a toy pistol. It does not violate site terms.

This project is a laser pointer in a pistol form-factor. It makes a nice "click" sound when the trigger is pulled. It fits in my pocket. It is printed in high-visibility PLA so it is easy to find. It runs on 3 AA batteries so they should last a really long time (battery life estimate attached).

It takes four 3D-printed parts. I printed them in high-vis yellow PLA. I printed with supports. All the parts fit on the bed of my Prusa I3 MK3S+, so they will fit most printers with 10" beds.

Assembly requires a bit of soldering. A schematic is attached but it is pretty brain-dead simple.

All of the electronic parts are available from Digikey. Three screws are required, they are off-the-shelf at Lowes. A bill-of-material is attached that contains browser links.

The pistol was designed using OnShape. Here is a link to the OnShape document. You can import it and tweak the design if you like. Please don't laugh when you see my design. I consider myself an intermediate OnShape user --- not an expert but not a novice either. OnShape has a ton of features I have never used.
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/2deb543049e0487a70c0155e/w/f7e95d3806f8cb4f328a7da5/e/2c758a767d7029356ada88e6

Yes, this project is overkill. Yes, you can buy a laser pointer at the dollar store for, well, $1. And, yes, this project cost about $10 not counting filament, so it is not economical. I got that, OK?

I have a new puppy. We bought several cheezy, dollar-store, laser pointers. They work but the momentary-contact buttons are gimpy. Half the time the laser is barely visible. Also they run on 3 tiny hearing-aid batteries that cannot be replaced. Also, the ergonomics are all wrong for teasing, I mean training, your dog or cat. Also, they are always getting lost because of their small size and dark color.

I thought about just building a pistol grip that would clamp onto a store-bought laser pointer. Naah, too easy.

I wanted a pistol laser in a high-visibility color, either orange, yellow, or red.

And I designed this over the Labor Day holiday, which is a 3-day weekend in the US. So this project gave me something to do besides yard work. I hate yard work.

So here we are. I hope you enjoy.

Chuck