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could a Pneumatic spud gun work under water

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:47 am
by bradisfun
so soon i will be going on a 2 week long kayak trip and was wonder if i could bring my spud gun, and wetheir it would matter if it got wet or fell in the water

it doesn't have any mettal just pvc
and i would bring a bike pump

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:15 am
by i-will
pvc is built for water (it's plastic). it shouldn't be a problem at all.

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 4:35 am
by Crna Legija
if your in salt water is might mess around with piston
not sure what type of cannon you use. if you use piston valve bring some lube and you should be fine

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 5:27 am
by bradisfun
well it's a sprinkler valve
and thanks for the answers

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:14 am
by Crna Legija
they are made for water but not salt water so it could be a problem.
you could look up on the net on your specific brand and model and see what they say about it

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:10 am
by psycix
Yes, you can use a spudgun underwater.
Getting the gun wet isn't much of an issue, but actually firing while underwater has a few danger hazards.

CAUTION
Recoil might be extremely high if used underwater.
This could cause injury due to the kick, or crack the fittings.


The gun will kick back much harder then normally. Ever fired a barrel full of water?
In some cases, recoil causes a cannon to break, as it puts stress on the joints. If your cannon is over-under, make sure to have a barrel support.

Don't hurt yourself, be careful.

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 8:41 am
by POLAND_SPUD
I've got to agree with psycix... if you think it might get wet and you ask if that's won't be a problem then the answer is 'no it won't be a problem'

but firing a spudgun underwater can be dangerous... recoil is one thing but the sudden pressure spike in a medium that is not compressible might be dangerous or at least very unpleasant ....
I am sure you know that poachers have been using dynamite for fishing, right?

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:03 am
by Hubb
If you do manage to submerge the whole unit with the intention of firing it underwater, please take an underwater camera to make a video.

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:42 am
by Heimo
this youtube video might be of interest

[youtube][/youtube]

notice what happens to the shotgun.

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:52 am
by Brian the brain
Thank god for the Dutch subtitles..
I have great difficulty understanding English.. :D


You might want to charge up the reservoir enough for the piston to seal.
Just above atm.

This will ensure your gun will float...

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:15 am
by kenbo0422
The only other thing you may want to consider is that there is a type of spear gun that uses a charge rather than elastic bands to shoot the spear. If you were to try firing a dart or arrow underwater, the longer shape is much better in the water than any short projectile.

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:45 am
by john bunsenburner
[youtube][/youtube]

russian underwater darts FTW!

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:29 am
by MRR
So we all know that a barrel filled with water produces a kick like a mule.
But what if the barrel is sealed with something like duct tape before entering the water so that the barrel isn't full of water when you shoot?

The air in front of the projectile will be compressed which takes less energy to overcome than forcing the water out of the barrel.

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:20 pm
by kenbo0422
Use a dart or arrow and fill the barrel with it instead of water or air....

:idea:

Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:50 pm
by cannon monkey
this is just me being stupid but could i sit on my chamber and fire under water do you guys think it would push me or just end up me with broken bone or badly hurt

if you guys think it will work i bring under water camera