SpudFiles

I bought a potato gun for $3.99 over the weekend.....


This is the potato gun in it's package next to a medium sized spud for comparison.


The whole unit.


This is an image of the potato I was using to obtain the slugs from (which is the same spud from the first pic).


Damage shots. At about 15 feet, those little slugs make a nice little wet spot on the cardboard.

How it works: It is a spring air type launcher. When the handle is squeezed, it pulls back on the barrel/front receiver. The black part has a plunger on it that compresses air in the chamber just behind the barrel. Although it doesn't have any power (as it shouldn't), it makes a nice little pop - similar to a cork gun. All that is needed to load it is to stick the tip of the barrel into the spud and pull out a slug. The rate of fire is one shot about every 3 to 4 seconds.

Ah, a happier time when products could be described as SWELL!

Although I don't see how it could be "hours of fun" and "completely harmless" at the same time if most kids' criteria apply hehe

You can make a more harmful version with a syringe (1mL is best as it allows you to reach a higher pressure) of the removable needle type, with the needle blocked off by sticking it into a candle or bar of soap...

In terms of "vintage", this one seems a bit more authentic...

You've just reminded me of a silly advert they ran in the UK some years back where two kids are playing, one of whom has one of these little things. He takes a shot at the other kid, misses, but the pellet blows a huge chunk out of the wall.

Finishes up with with the line "Our food is more than you'd expect". Forget what the hell it was advertising, but it was funny.

It is "swell" to play with, but I wouldn't say it's completely harmless. You see, I was allowing my 4 year old son to use it (yes, he's growing up right ). He got the loading and operating down, but as he went to shoot it, his mother said something. He turns and fires, striking her in the eye at about a four foot range. Lucky for her, she had on her glasses. There was a nice little wet spot on the lens and she goes into "woman mode" so we had to stop playing with it.

Ragnarok wrote:Finishes up with with the line "Our food is more than you'd expect". Forget what the hell it was advertising, but it was funny.

Potatoes?

she goes into "woman mode" so we had to stop playing with it.

Meh, so glad I'm not tied down by that anymore! But props for encouraging boyish activites

jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:

Ragnarok wrote:Forget what the hell it was advertising, but it was funny.

Potatoes?

I don't think so. I have this idea it was advertising a food section in a newspaper, but I'm far from certain.

Spring-load and make it diesel!