An unofficial mini challenge?

[inonickname]

Well the mini side of the forums has ben a little...dead recently. So to liven things up, how about an unofficial mini challenge? Not a contest, just build to criteria and play for bragging rights (you could call it a contest I suppose).

In the spirit of actually getting enough entries to judge it I believe the criteria should be fairly loose. i.e. Pneumatics, hybrids, combustion allowed, "mini" is at discretion of builder and community(no, 4" is not mini even if you've built a 100" gun. common sense should be applied), any construction means, any budget.

Essentially anything within spudfiles rules, with the constraint that it's in miniature. You can go and say it's too broad, but in reality, if it isn't fairly open there won't be participants.

The gun can then be judged on a scale. Some things may be scaled up (eg. a 1x combustion achieving the same energy as a pneumatic (with the same projectile) could be scaled up in points.

Quality of build, cleanliness, execution:
Function (can be partially judged by cannon construction, common sense etc. if a video is not available:
Idea/innovation/thought/experimentation:
Special (eg. if a gun is a perfect scale model of another gun, ejecting cartridges, a built in ultra tiny nintendo, microwave oven, particle accelerator, dime sized minigun, full automation, self contained power source, integrated nuclear missile, waffle oven and so on.):

Anyone in? Any thoughts? et cetera..

[psycix]

Could be fun. But we still have the ghetto contest running.
Don't forget about that!

[DYI]

Sounds like fun, and the low budget possibilities and lack of restrictions mean that there could be quite a few entrants if this thread is kept alive (especially since it's winter in the northern hemisphere right now).

I'm in.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I'm probably in whether I like it or not, bound to come up with something tiny

[john bunsenburner]

I'm not the type to play with small things, but i do suggest you put a maximum size on it, or there might be a fuss later on if a gun is mini or not.

[kenbo0422]

I'm not the type to play with small things, but i do suggest you put a maximum size on it, or there might be a fuss later on if a gun is mini or not.

I would have to agree. Something like 'fits into an 8 x 8 x 16" volume with a caliber of no greater than .50... Well, you get the idea

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I'm not the type to play with small things

Showing off?


It's hard to define what is a "mini". When I first joined Spudtech, no one was really making small launchers so a 0.75" calibre 2 foot long spudgun considered to be relatively tiny. These days, you can literally make something the size of a cigarette so where does one draw the line?

'fits into an 8 x 8 x 16" volume with a caliber of no greater than .50'

That's quite generous, any handgun would qualify as a "mini"

[kenbo0422]

Yeah, but for a beginner, larger parts may be easier to work with than something the size of a BB. Some of us have big hands that make all that small stuff feel like we need to use magnifying glasses to see what we're doing (not to mention us old farts with 'well used' vision).

[john bunsenburner]

Yeah, but for a beginner, larger parts may be easier to work with

From my experience it takes more experienced ones to handle big parts properly more so than small ones.

Some of us have big hands that make all that small stuff feel like we need to use magnifying glasses to see what we're doing...

Damn, now thats what i call petit....

...not to mention us old farts with 'well used'...

Leave it at that perv!

[FighterAce]

You say mini.. is MP7 mini enough?

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

You say mini.. is MP7 mini enough?

Why don't you post your other projects in the showcase? Shame to have just the M4 there when you've made so many others

[FighterAce]

You say mini.. is MP7 mini enough?

Why don't you post your other projects in the showcase? Shame to have just the M4 there when you've made so many others

I will as soon as I fix em all
M4 - new stock, new triggersystem, air tank and valves
MP7 - new string, sear, spring and some woodwork - cracks
L96 - repainting, cracks (alot of them), and a new barrel ( the old one is bending) not to mention the leaking safety valve witch I cant replace without destroying the entire air tank.

Also I'm helping a friend with his C3A1... so I got quite alot of work on my hands. I tell ya, maintaining 3 guns at the same time is a real pain.

[psycix]

Suggestion:
Max. cal.: 10mm
Max length: 250 mm
Max dia (if coaxial): 30mm
It is allowed to exceed these criteria, they are just guidelines and not limits. However, this will be kept in mind when your mini is judged, as size is a point that will be looked at.

Do not build a launcher of exactly this size, smaller launchers earn bonus points. It is not about power, it is about being small, looking good and having a lot of power for its size.

Designs will be judged by:
-Quality of build
-Size (smaller is better)
-Aesthetics (Does it look good? optional: Does it look like an object, like a pen for example?)
-Power to size ratio. Power alone means nothing.
-Special stuff: Constructed in an unique way or out of special materials/objects. Innovative designs, special features.

You will need to combine all of these points. Having simply the smallest one, best looking one or most powerful one does not mean you win.

[Zeus]

What about ETGs and coil guns. I could make an ETG with a 2mm bore
and connect a huge cap bank to it. So does the cap bank count and if so how about the charger, or is that considered similar to a compresser?
I am all for a mini comp so if you need a vote, I'm all in.

[inonickname]

What about ETGs and coil guns. I could make an ETG with a 2mm bore
and connect a huge cap bank to it. So does the cap bank count and if so how about the charger, or is that considered similar to a compresser?
I am all for a mini comp so if you need a vote, I'm all in.

The cap bank for interests of fairness, should be included. It's your energy go between, no different to the chamber on a pneumatic gun. The charger shouldn't count. That's closer to a pump, can of propane or air compressor.

Max. cal.: 10mm
Max length: 250 mm
Max dia (if coaxial): 30mm

So roughly handgun size, with extra kudos for making it smaller. I'd be of the thinking that we don't compare a 2mm gun with a 10mm one, because that's a huge are difference.