I'm not certain this one wasn't "poorly built." I'm also told he was going for the "long bomb," if you know what I mean.

I built one while in the Air Force and instead of potatoes I used a piece of high density foam wrapped in duct tape. It kind of looked like a big tater tot. I would lube the barrel with G.I. spray lubricant and used Aqua Net for the propellant. We would shoot them across the steam plant where I worked at the vinyl welding screens. The boss wanted to know where all the holes came from. I got rid of the gun, I had used a push button barbeque ignitor and it shocked your hand everytime you fired it. Fun but dangerous.

Steel cannons take a few shots to warm up. The first few will just pop a little or fizzle some. Once the barrel gets warmed up, look out, you have 12ga. shotgun blasts! Whatever you use for propellant, read the contents. Any hairspray that contains water, and most do, will not be good. You want one with no water. The main ingredients are butane, propane, alcohol, and so on. I can't remember the brand I used to use, but it was the best! A little starter fluid will help excite things a bit, too. Couple all of that with an M80 in the chamber and you're gonna' make some real noise! I haven't fired mine in several years because I live in the city limits now. Someday I'm gonna' take it up in the hills and launch some spuds.

I'll take some pics in a day or two when this rain lets up so I can get some decent images for you guys.

This is fairly entertaining stuff, but I gotta say, wulybgr, I think the "common sense" boat already sailed on this thread.

How about a good cow tipping story? New thread or different forum?

"The Pile"

i heard that caulk tubes also work very well because they can be improvised, especially when shooting at a hard surface

As far as blowing ones hand off, I can imagine a few scenarios that could cause that. However, it doesn't happen if you are careful and moderately intelligent in your build. Schedule 40 ABS is much better than PVC. When PVC breaks, it shatters, but ABS bends. In any case, pnuematic spud guns are the only real ones that have a chance of bursting on you, because they have a sustained pressure while combustion guns are a fraction of a second, and the pressure will take the path of least resistance, always through the potato and out.

Yes spud guns are legal in Washington, I know because a neighbor called the police on my friend and I a few years ago, but when he got there he just want us to let him shoot it

One more thing, check this out...

This thing shoots 10 foot 2x4s at 100 MPH!!


If you want to see more like this, go here.

This website inspired my spud gun frenzy, and we actually based our diaphragm valve designs off of his Supah Valve. Cool stuff!

I'm gunna mount that baby to my bow for the SRC, next year.

FlyingFish..... You need to go fishing more. You have time to build cannons and your yard looks nice...

Haha, actually thats not me. Just an example of this guys crazy website, which gave me ideas for mine.

We tried to shoot a dead squirrel out of one in college over a trailer park. While my buddy was aiming it we were throwing potatoes at him and he ended up firing that thing 100 yards right into a ladies front door. We saw blood and hair and didn't look back to see if she came out.

Beer / Spud Guns / and idiots for friends - Let the good times rol.

Yes spud guns are legal in Washington, I know because a neighbor called the police on my friend and I a few years ago, but when he got there he just want us to let him shoot it


Sounds like you got a really cool cop, I had a neighbor, who turned me in when a buddy and i built one. We were just shooting them over and open feild. When I happened to see a cop pull in my drive way. I had my buddy hide the gun and I went and meat the cop. After about 30 minutes of dening everything he told us the "spud guns are considered "pipe bombs" and the only reason we weren't going to jail was because he couldn't find the gun and didn't see us with it.

In addition to that police officer, my neighbor is a deputy Sheriff and he looked into it for us. It depends on the intent of the user. Unless you are firing at a living thing or someone else's property, they are considered a piece of recreational equipment, in the same sort of class as a model rocket. I think that cop was just trying to scare you with the pipe bomb thing, because we looked into it pretty heavily and never saw that precedent.

This is what the Feds have to say about them...

"We have previously examined that certain muzzle loading devices known as "potato guns." These potato guns are constructed from PVC plastic tubing. They use hair spray or a similar aerosol substance for a propellant, and have some type of spark ignitor. We have determined that these devices, as described, are not firearms provided that they are used solely for launching potatoes for recreational purposes. However, any such devices which are used as weapons or used to launch other forms of projectiles may be firearms and destructive devices as defined. "

And I can find no statute in Washington state law that bears one way or another on the issue, so my understanding was that outside of any city limits, don't shoot people, animals or property, and you are fine.

Well that could be true"we were only 16 at the time" never pushed the issue farther.
Guess i'll have to bring it out of retirement then.

My propellant of choice is rite aid sport deodorent it is not as sticky as hair spray. I also put a little vasoline on the threads of the breach to keep it working smoothly.

Your going to have to explain this to Amy one day.

WANT TO SHOOT A BOWLING BALL??? forget it it is a bad idea.

Speaking of bowling balls... I've always thought that it'd be awesome to create a real life sized trebuchet (catapult) like they used in used on castles in medieval times.

You mean something like this...



It throws pianos...



Wow.