I Thought of Posting this to either the "Guns Guns Guns" Thread, or to the "Linethrowing" Thread, but in being Too Independent of the Specific Topics there, I've Decided to do so here.

It concerns Homemade, or Commercially Acquired, -Tubes by which you can Fire Potatos or Other Common Projectiles.

These would be Great, in any kind of Urban, Self Defense, Teotwawki, or Bug Out Emergency Survival Situation! They can Really Pound Out Potatos and the Like!

You can Use Commonly Available Materials such as PVC Pipe, -for Such.

Such is Well Addressed in a Book, -"Backyard Ballistics", -Readily Available Enuff in the Larger and Better Bookstores. It would be in the Guns / Sporting / Hunting / Outdoors Section. Which Itself is Usually Quite Near the Survival and Outdoors Section. (Itself within Sports). If you Don't Readily See it, -You can Ask and Order it.

I've also Seen a News Report about These. ( I Don't Remember whether it was More Local or More National)

Many of you may be Already Familiar with These. But for the Benefit of those who Havn't Yet Heard of Such!, or Havn't Yet Heard of the Book!,.....! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ScottRezaLogan[/email]

I kindasorta expected someone to mention "spud guns" in the line throwing thing also. Two things to remember about spud guns, if you use spray starter fluid to power them: Too much spray can, and will, blow them up, and using igjited starter spray to power them makes them, by definition, a firearm. You just became an unlicensed firearm manufacturer, and created a firearm with a bore much larger than is legal (.50 cal/10 gauge is the max allowed), probable with no serial number. Expect the ATF to be knocking on your door as soon as someone complains about the spud thru their window. And if you are caught with it in your vehicle, expect the ATF to take, and keep, the vehicle.

Much fun as spud guns are, they are NOT a good idea...

So where does that leave the pumpkin guns? Those are a ... slightly larger bore...

I believe that as long as you use compessed air , springs or a counter weight to "launch" your pumkins, you'd be O.K. At least on the TV show I saw no one bothered anyone at the "Pumkin Chunkin" Contest. I gotta say that some of the connons were impressive.

Disclaimers; I Am Not A Lawyer (IANAL), any legal knowledge I may have is certainly at least second hand and possibly out of date, I have no vested interest in the subject, and the law is sometimes finally determined by judges who are often appointed for life and may well be senile and/or asleep when compelled to decide whether to ruin someone's life over some obscure legal point..

Nonetheless, with all respect, and not trying to be the least contentious, I'm not at all sure that this advice is entirely correct.

Please consider that innumerable companies and individuals are routinely manufacturing and selling muzzle-loading "firearms". They are often well over .50 caliber, often bear no resemblance to any historical piece, are usually not serial numbered, and are readily available without an FFL. They certainly use combustion to propel a projectile. The federal law defining "firearm" in this case seems to have something to do with "fixed ammunition". I doubt if a potato would qualify. Reenactors often procure and use cannon with bores measuring in inches, and I haven't heard that they needed to be serial numbered or registered.

You might also consider that, at least as of a few years ago, there were groups of people (presumably with adequate machining skills) who contended strongly that the laws permitted them (I was about to type, "they had the right", but that's another issue, really) to manufacture any firearm *for their own use* that it was otherwise legal for them to own, without serial numbers, registration, or FFL, and they were exercising that right, without legally "becoming" firearms manufacturers. The last I heard no persons with badges had apparently taken exception to that idea.

People, sometimes people with badges, tend to make assumptions about the law based on what they think is reasonable, but that just doesn't work, no matter which side of the issue you're on. I don't know much about "spud guns", but I doubt that the appropriate federal agencies would be much interested unless one is otherwise involved in a crime in some way.

As for property confiscations, a little investigation will show that there are thousands a week now without convictions... being "innocent" is no longer any protection there... but that's really an unrelated issue.

Given the Points as you Mention, -I Agree a "Firearmed" Spud / Potato Gun is Not a Good Idea!

But in a True Emergency Teotwawki Situation, and the Like, -Where there just Effectively or Actually may Not *be* Federal Law!, -Then the Use of Such for Proper Survival and Self Defense / Other's Defense, of Purposes, -May be a Thing to Properly Consider. I Meant it in Only Such an Extenuateing Situation and Way.

It might be Nice if some Firearms, Etc. Laws were Lighter and Looser! But Many are Not. And that's What we Have to Live With and Abide By.

I'm a Middle of the Roader on Gun Control and Other Gun Issues, I'd say. It's Not a Central Issue of which I Revolve About, and I'm Certainly Less Than Fully Knowledgeable, on Much of this All Round Issue.

However, to say just One Thing, -I Do Feel that the More Crime Ridden or Otherwise Unstable or Teotwawki Things Generally may Become!, the More the Citizenry is Gonna Need and Want it's Basic Firearm Protection!

I've Always Liked a Pro-Gun Saying!, -"When Guns are Outlawed, -Only Outlaws will Have Guns!" And the Commercial which Shows the Crook at Home!, -Laughing!, -as he Watches the TV Commercial Politician Pledgeing "To Break the Back of Crime!", *Via* Gun Control!

Please!, -Don't Just Forget these Two Golden Gems!, in the Event that Anyone Has! Bring Them Back! They're Great Debateing Points or Feathers in our Cap! I Hate it When a Good Track or Thing is just Somehow Turned Off Of!

But Otherwise, as you Say, -They, Spud Guns, are Out of Consideration Due to Present Law. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]OldBaldGuy[/email]

Scott, buddy, you need to breathe in and out, slowly ... life as we know it will still be here tomorrow. <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Since we are only talking theory here, I theoretically believe I saw one of these in action – up close and personal - in college. I believe – theoretical again - these were called tennis ball cannons. Guess why. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Details may be sketchy at my age, but I believe Old Milwaukee cans were involved in the manufacture of said test tube. The propellant was regular liquid lighter fluid. The kind you use for a Zippo. A small squirt was added to the firing chamber, the tube was aggitated to vaporize the fluid, a tennis ball was dropped into the tube and flame applied to the touchhole. I have heard the tennis ball would clear a three-story building. Again, theoretically..

No ATF were seen during the testing of this device.

Theoretically, have a nice day. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Seriously, I Beleive there is a Good Bit of that Possibility Too! Of TEOT Like Things *Not* Happening, or Not Fully Happening, or Not Happening for perhaps Quite a While!

But I Do Got to be concerned on some Reasonable Enuff Possibilities, that Some Level of Such May Come About.

I Get your Drift, Though! <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> [color:"black"] [/color] [email]Maggot[/email]

BlueFlame

one of my friends has an impressive speciman that consists of:

1 x PVC Tubing
1 x PVC cap with fasioned latch
lots of x (I think) deoderant or lighter fluid
1 x old Piezo electric lighter disposible thing (not too sure what it is actually called)
10 x old stolen tennis (he lives next to a tennis club!)

You can picture the assembled gun. maybe i should ask him for another demonstration. What it lacks in accuracy it makes up in noise, and the cool-factor is extremely high!

BlueFlame--

Re: Tennis ball guns/lighter fluid

They worked well with the old "Coke" cans, too--they kind with a crimped on top & bottom, not the stamped aluminum type of today.

(As Massad Ayoob says: "How do I know this? Trust me, I know this..") <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Hey, is that where your name came from?
David

i may or may not have had experiance with these types of items. i do not recall senator. but if i had, i would think that i would have been seriously frustrated at trying to get the proper fuel/air ratio. though i can neither confirm nor deny it, i may have heard that ether is the propellent of choice.

Back in the good old days when tennis balls came in pressurized metal cans, it was said they made good firearm silencers.

You supposedly could solder a clamp to the bottom of the can.

Drill out the clamp in the correct diameter for the barrel it would be mounted to.

Drill a hole througn the clamp through the bottom of the can.

Reinsert the tennis balls into the can.

Attach the plastic cover to the top of the can with duct tape in a manner that would hold the cap in place during firing.

After firing several rounds (The number of shots being dependent on the size of the cartridges.), you took the cover off, rotated the balls, reattached the cover and fired some more.

Mind you, this is all hearsay and I would never dream of showing any balls about this to the ATF.

You gotta love the American English language!

Bountyhunter

He seemed to just spray some stuff inside, close the tube and then click away until it fired <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />...

That's why the Old Mil cans worked. They were stronger than other beer cans and had the rolled edge top and bottom.

Again. This is heresay. I think. <img src="images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

My name? I picked it up from the land speed racer. I have a 10th Anniversary Miata (dark blue) that I ran a few SCCA Solo races.

Look for "Blue Flame" in the history here:

Land speed records