The Offical Spudgun Thread

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BlazinXtreme
I often thought about pop cans...err soda cans for all you outside of Michigan. Or even soup cans, they would be almost like huge slugs. And yes I would shoot it with in the saftey of a open field.
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They call it "pop" (mostly) in Canada and "sodapop" really fast in Texas and stuff. It's funny the way they say it.
 
This summer my friends and I are going to work with our physics teacher to calculate the optimal barrel size, blast chamber size, amount of fuel, and other such things for a potato gun. If we get tired of doing that, we're just going to have a huge blast chamber with a tiny barrel. That way the total force of the projectile coming out of the barrel will be several times greater than if we had no blast chamber.
 
PS
They call it "pop" (mostly) in Canada and "sodapop" really fast in Texas and stuff. It's funny the way they say it.
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We just call it by the drink name down south, or just coke for general statements. Anyways I would second the notion to use PVC primer and cement for the piping. My dad and I built a duck house for our pond and we used PVC pipe to help it float. Just put the primer on, let it dry, then put on the glue and immediately put the pipe in. Once in place use some duct tape and wrap it around both pipes at the area where they were joined together. Shouldn't have any problems then.
 
I thought he was referring to a pneumatic spud gun. Nitrogen would be perfect for that.

Hydrogen would burn hella fast, but you'd need to drain the gun of water afterwards :lol:
 
For some reason I thought nitrogen was explosive, I should really pay attention in chemistry. Hydrogen would be nuts! But you could also get some pryodext and use it like a flint lock rifle

Another question I have is: Could you rifle the barrel or would that just be pointless? Yes I do have a way to do it since a guy in our car club works at an engine shop and there is the huge F'n lathe.
 
If your projectile fitted snuggly (spuds probably won't) it woudl be great at stabilizing tennis balls etc.

[EDIT] Rifling is when you corkscrew the inside of teh abrrel, this causes the projectile to spin and stabilize.
 
Rifle is as adding a spril to the barrel, it would add distance and accuracey.
 
BlazinXtreme
Here is a question, can you shoot other things the patatoes? I know a buddy of mine tried to make a watermelon gun at one time and it didn't work out really well.
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Watermelon....lol
I have shot a ton of crap out of mine....
fruits& veggies and also rags that are stuffed in there all compressed shoot pretty good, soak em in some gas first lol..... J/K
Anything that you can fit in the barrel snug will fire...
 
BlazinXtreme
Rifle is as adding a spril to the barrel, it would add distance and accuracey.
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Do you mean adding an inside groove to the barrel? To get it to spiral?
 
Ya it's called rifling the barrel, if you look down the barrel of a real gun (make sure its unloaded and clear camber before) you will see what I'm talking about.
 
Oh yah, I know what you're talking about, I just didn't know the name of it. What's the ratio of the thread though? If the thread/"spril" is too tight it will slow down the potatoe/tennis ball won't it?
 
It would take a lot of testing and trial and error to get it right, but if you did it woudl be amazing!
 
How would rifling a barrel affect a potato though? I could understand doing it for tennis balls, but a potato isn't perfectly round. It has and odd shape to it, so I guess you would have to pick the right specimens for shooting I guess.
 
Ya but I'm precise when it comes to something, I always want to make it the best it can be. Maybe over spring break I'll try it out, that is if it warms up in this god for saken state!
 
Well this has gone far past the common spud!

Tins, cans and tennis balls would be perfect. Or say you could cut a potato to size it would be good. But then again if it was a potato teh rifling would probably just shred it. A tennis ball would be perfect.
 
Or, maybe you could cut the potato into a sphere and then put scotch tape around it to semi protect it from being cut. That might work, and you would still be able to see the potato. Although I'm not sure if scotch tape will stick to potatoes.
 
Or get a patatoe bigger then the barrle and cram it. It might work.
 
BlazinXtreme
Or get a patatoe bigger then the barrle and cram it. It might work.
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i made the edge of the barrel kinda serrated like a knife, I only use potatoes that are larger than the barrel, it cuts them nice :)
The usually hold together fine.......
This is kinda making me wanna build a new one.. lol
 
BlazinXtreme
Another question I have is: Could you rifle the barrel or would that just be pointless? Yes I do have a way to do it since a guy in our car club works at an engine shop and there is the huge F'n lathe.
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Rifling is extremly effective in increasing accuracy and muzzle velocity. Over at www.spudtech.com they sell already rifled barrels.
ExigeExcel
Tins, cans and tennis balls would be perfect. Or say you could cut a potato to size it would be good. But then again if it was a potato teh rifling would probably just shred it. A tennis ball would be perfect.
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Actually, tennis balls in a rifled barrel are worse than potatos in a refiled barrel. Since they're already spherical, they don't really experience any major effects. A potato, however, will spin on a common axis of revolution, wich increases accuracy. They're oddly shaped, so anything that causes uniformity is a good thing.
BlazinXtreme
Or get a patatoe bigger then the barrle and cram it. It might work.
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That's the best way. And gets the best seal around the potato.
GTrackd02
Watermelon....lol
I have shot a ton of crap out of mine....
fruits& veggies and also rags that are stuffed in there all compressed shoot pretty good, soak em in some gas first lol..... J/K
Anything that you can fit in the barrel snug will fire...
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I shot a barbie head once.
BlazinXtreme
For some reason I thought nitrogen was explosive, I should really pay attention in chemistry. Hydrogen would be nuts! But you could also get some pryodext and use it like a flint lock rifle
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That's a good idea, if you want to be impaled with large shards of Poly Vynil Chloride.

I feel like Brian with all these quotes... :ouch:
 
Event Horizon
I feel like Brian with all these quotes... :ouch:
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:lol:


Questions:

1. Is it a combustion launcher or a pneumatic launcher?
2. If it is combustion, what kind of fuel do you intend to use? What kind of ignition source? Which fuel/ignition source would be ideal, if they differ from the materials you intend to use?
3. If it is pneumatic, will you be using a pressure gauge?
4. Of the two types of launchers, which is usually more powerful?
5. I'm aware that in New York, if you are under 16, it is illegal to own a pneumatic spud gun. Are there similar age restrictions/rules in your area?
6. How much does a project like this usually cost?
 

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