How To Make A Powerful Pneumatic Gun/Cannon

DISCLAIMER

Firstly I would like to make it clear that if u do attempt to make one of these cannons, you will be doing so at your own risk. By using the information on this page u are agreeing that I will not be responsible for your actions, I will not be held responsible for any damages or bodily harm of

any kind if you choose to use the information contained on this page. If you are crazy enough to build one of these things and blow yourself up or kill your neighbors dog IT'S NOT MY FAULT. I strongly suggest you research this subject extensively before building one of these things since they can cause grievous bodily harm if they are not built and handled properly. Hell, one of these things could kill you even if you do build and handle it properly! Also I would like to make it clear that you will be making a sort of gun which is a firearm. This gun has the capability of firing objects/projectiles from all the 100 fps to 900+ fps and with muzzle energies that sometimes match the energy of a small handgun so I cannon express the dangers of using it on living objects. The Bottom line is that this gun CAN KILL!! Therefore handle it like a firearm and don t fool around! You should be knowing that you shall be dealing with high pressure air which is also dangerous if it explodes. Therefore all parts used in the construction of this gun should be pressure rated! And never push the pressure past the pressure rating of the lowest rated part!

Theory

All Pneumatic/Air Cannons Use the same principle used in real firearms in which a high pressure gas expands rapidly and propels a projectile at fast speeds! The only difference is that real firearms use pressures about 22000 Psi-50000Psi while as we shall be using an average of 1 to 1.25 MPa or 145-200 psi range since all our design will be made of Sch 80 PVC Plastic! You can also make one out of metallic parts which can achieve high pressures of 500 + psi! So basicly to fire an air gun the gun reservoir is filled with air using a pump/compressor. Once the desired pressure is attained, the main valve is opened which allows the compressed air in the chamber to expand rapidly in the barrel and propels anything in the barrel out at high speeds!

Safety

Now that you know how the gun works, I shall give u some general guidelines to make this gun absolutely safe to use! It is important to remember that these 'spud guns' are not toys and demand the same cautions and responsibilities as traditional firearms. Adult supervision during construction and operation is the number one safety requirement in responsibly owning any type of spud gun. If you are under 18, get a smart adult to help you. The second critical safety requirement is education. Using substandard materials or improper construction can result in serious injury or death. There now exists a wealth of information on the internet concerning spud gun construction. It is your responsibility educate yourself before building or operating any type launcher. Presented here are a few tips to get you started in the right direction. Pipe selection: Only use schedule 40 or 80 PVC pipe that is labeled as pressure rated. Pressure ratings are stamped along the length of select pipe. You need at least one, if not all three of these markings. If it's not there, don't use it. NSF-pw - 'pw' means rated for water pressure. Most fittings carry this mark only. ASTM 01785 - This designates a pressure rating. Avoid pipes labeled ASTM 02241. xxx PSI - For example, 330 PSI designates the pressure rating. A few types of plastic pipe to avoid are any and all ABS or styrene pipe. Avoid the markings: 'cellular core' or ASTM 02241. DWV is a designation shared by many types of pipe and should be ignored.

Building Material And Design Ok, now that you have become familiar with all the dangers involved and the theory behind the working of the pneumatic gun, its time we move on to the design. But before that I would like to tell you that you can design your own gun using the parts you want but this cannon has been optimized to match the performance of a very good air rifle. Hence the following configuration:

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Building Material: Scheduled 80 PVC Pressure Rated Chamber Volume: 50 cubic Inch ; Chamber Diameter: 2 Inches; Chamber Length: 16 Inches; Barrel Diameter: 1 Inch; Barrel Length: 39 Inches Barrel: Smooth Bore; Trigger Valve: Ball Valve Spring Action(Can be replaced by high performing piston valve or sprinkler valve) Loading Style: Muzzle Loader Launcher Config: Under Barrel Config; Compressed Gas: Air; Fill Method: Air Compressor/Pump using a regulator via a high pressure Schrader valve; Valve Seat: 1.25 Inch; Valve Opening Time: < 25 miliseconds Manually and <15 milliseconds via spring action; Working Pressure: 200 PSI Maximum Pressure: 250 PSI Recommended Pressure: 160 PSI Ammo Used: 4 gram Marbles Average Velocity Using 4 Gram Marbles At 250 PSI: 1041 fps with muzzle energy of 183 ft/lb