Table of Contents
What is the best propellant for a potato gun?
The most effective experimental propellant was defined as the one which accelerated the potato to the highest muzzle velocity. The experimental propellant acetylene performed the best on average (138.1 m/s), followed by methanol (48.2 m/s), butane (34.6 m/s), ethanol (33.3 m/s), and propane (27.9 m/s), respectively.
How much power does a potato cannon have?
Pneumatic spud guns are generally more powerful than combustion spud guns. A typical combustion gun generates average chamber pressures of about 30 psi (210 kPa) with peaks of around 70–100 psi (500–700 kPa), while the average pneumatic gun can operate at pressures in the vicinity of 100 psi (700 kPa).
How much damage can a potato cannon do?
Even your standard potato cannon (usually fueled with hairspray, says MIT’s Technology Review) can be deadly. Recent research found that if you take a potato to the head you have way more than a “50% risk of skull fracture.” Even taking a body shot could do some serious damage and has a good chance of killing you.
Is it illegal to build a potato gun?
In the eyes of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, spud guns are not illegal.
How far can you launch a potato?
Made out of a few simple PVC fittings and lengths of pipe, potato cannons can launch spuds up to 300 yards.
How far does a potato cannon shoot?
Potato guns are capable of firing projectiles 500 yards, or even farther.
Can you use butane for a potato gun?
Both propane and butane give off 105 kcal/mol of oxygen, so they should perform equivalently in a spud gun.
How much propane does a potato gun use?
When making a traditional potato or spud gun, the propellant used, some sort of aerosol spray, is pretty forgiving when it comes to consistent ignition. While we didn’t do any experiments ourselves, generally 5% propane to 95% air is the best ratio for generating a bang.
Can a potato gun explode?
We’re just making something.” But some potato gun accidents have been brutal. A Kentucky man severely hurt his leg and arm while shooting a potato gun in late 2011. A 21-year-old Ohio man was killed and two other men were injured in a 2004 potato gun explosion.
Are potato cannons illegal in California?
According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Lt. Dennis McKiver, potato guns are legal under federal law. Under state law, potato guns that use combustion (instead of compressed air) to launch the projectile are “firearms,” and one with a bore of over 0.5 inches is a destructive device.
Are potato cannons illegal in Texas?
spud gun is legally a firearm in Texas.
Are potato cannons illegal in NY?
* Spud guns are illegal to possess by persons under the age of 16 in New York. * In Glendale, Arizona and Phoenix, Arizona combustion spud guns are not considered firearms.
Why are potato cannons illegal?
A spud gun may be interpreted as an imitation firearm, and therefore it would be illegal to have it in possession in a public place. The spud gun would most likely be considered a dangerous weapon, and therefore if an offense is committed with it, a possession of a dangerous weapon charge could be issued.
How much is it to make a potato gun?
Sometims it is also called a potato gun. Making this cannon takes about an hour and $30.
Are potato guns illegal in the United States?
A: Potato-style guns like you are referring to are legal under federal law. Pneumatic potato guns that use compressed air are legal as long as they are not used like a weapon (e.g. shot at a person, etc.), so this line-launching device would be legal under state and federal laws.
What is the best length for a barrel for a potato gun?
36 inches combustion chamber length: 14 inches barrel length: 36 inches barrel diameter: 2 inches muzzel velocity: 80 mph (estimated) range: 100 yards max.
Who invented the potato cannon?
It was invented in 1926 by a scientist named Waldo Semon. At the time, Semon was a young research scientist working for the BF Goodrich Company in Akron, Ohio.
How do spud guns work?
A spud gun is a small toy gun used to fire a fragment of potato. Squeezing the grip causes a small build-up of air pressure inside the toy which propels the projectile. The devices are usually short-range and low-powered.
What makes a potato gun fire?
Anatomy of a Spud Gun: Combustive When firing a spud gun, the user first pushes a potato past the barrel knife and all the way down the barrel. Once in place, the potato acts as a seal at the end of the fuel chamber. The spark ignites the fuel, causing an explosion.
What can you shoot out of a potato cannon?
Golf balls, sabot projectiles, ball bearings, shot, fireworks, firecrackers, incendiaries, frozen produce, rocket propelled projectiles, the possibilities are endless!.
How does a propane cannon work?
A typical cannon is powered by a five-gallon propane tank and emits blasts at 20-minute intervals. It will fire unattended for extended periods, and the noise covers approximately five acres.
