Which is better?

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Which type of spud gun is the best in your opinion?

Combustion spud guns
5
14%
Pneumatic spud guns
27
77%
Electromagnetic spud guns
3
9%
 
Total votes: 35
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DYI
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Mon May 26, 2008 4:00 pm

For spudguns, hybrid.

Why? Because they are exceedingly simple, rather noisy, easily capable of muzzle velocities up to Mach 3 or so, and would be far more practical for things such as target shooting or hunting if optimised in terms of ergonomics than today's high powered airguns. An airgun is either limited to the particle speed of air, or must carry a tank of other gas, which kills any notion of portability. Ambient pressure combustions just don't have the power to do anything. Hybrids can get a lot of shots out of a single tank of propane, and the only other thing needed is gaseous oxygen, which is rathere abundant in this atmosphere.

For anything else, electromagnetic, because it is the only option here that could ever make a practical (and improved) form of weaponry.
Last edited by DYI on Mon May 26, 2008 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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rp181
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Mon May 26, 2008 4:12 pm

pfft.... railguns can be ergonomic...only 2ft long and 2in wide.
Did i mention the large backpack with the caps, charging supply and a co2 tank?
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willarddaniels
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Mon May 26, 2008 4:26 pm

DYI wrote:For spudguns, hybrid.

Why? Because they are exceedingly simple, rather noisy, easily capable of muzzle velocities up to Mach 3 or so, and would be far more practical for things such as target shooting or hunting if optimised in terms of ergonomics than today's high powered airguns. And airgun is either limited to the particle speed of air, or must carry a tank of other gas, which kills any notion of portability. Ambient pressure combustions just don't have the power to do anything. Hybrids can get a lot of shots out of a single tank of propane, and the only other thing needed is gaseous oxygen, which is rathere abundant in this atmosphere.

For anything else, electromagnetic, because it is the only option here that could ever make a practical (and improved) form of weaponry.
Amen. I want it to be useful (for provident purposes) as well as a thrill to use.
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ammosmoke
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Mon May 26, 2008 4:37 pm

rp181 wrote:pfft.... railguns can be ergonomic...only 2ft long and 2in wide.
Did i mention the large backpack with the caps, charging supply and a co2 tank?
Well, you would have a backpack with 70lbs of gear anyways. (Provided you are in the U.S. Army.
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Mon May 26, 2008 6:16 pm

I guess pneumatics are winning... :D

In my opinion, I like electomagnetic - combustion. It isn't a spud gun that I use that type though. I make my Coilguns single stage, and I make a parallel circuit, one to the sparker, one electromagnetic.

But Spud guns - I like Pneumatic. It's real simple, but I don't like the cost of air compressors :roll: so I roll with shrader valves instead. :lol:

Although hybrids and electromagnetics have some pretty hard-core fans lol :roll:
Last edited by fishyfish777 on Tue May 27, 2008 4:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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n-strike
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Mon May 26, 2008 8:29 pm

Pneumatics because they just rule. No, seriously. All others suck. Sorry.
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rp181
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Mon May 26, 2008 9:11 pm

habe you tried anyothers? :wink:
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n-strike
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Tue May 27, 2008 12:49 am

Nope! :lol: :wink: I really think that pneumatic is t3h winzorz because you don't have to keep on buying fuel when you run out. All you need is compressed air.

By the way...it's my one month anniversary on this site...I know it's not much, but it's an accomplishment for me. =)
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DYI
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Tue May 27, 2008 3:59 pm

I really think that pneumatic is t3h winzorz because you don't have to keep on buying fuel when you run out
Do you have some ridiculously huge cannon you're not telling us about? Because even a tiny blowtorch sized propane cannister will last over 8000 shots on an average sized combustion cannon. So even if you have an average sized gun running at 16x... You'd still get over 500 shots from a single tank. I'd venture to say that in the entire time period I've been spudding (about 1.5 years now), I probably still haven't fired more than a thousand shots.
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Hotwired
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Tue May 27, 2008 5:00 pm

Pneumatics.

Extremely simple and reliable operation and usable at virtually any scale.

Easily beat combustions of the same size due to higher potential chamber pressures (and for that matter the same pneumatic could be used at lower chamber pressures too).

Hybrids have more potential power but also a lot more requisite fiddling per shot, plus they're not famed for being desirable to hold while firing.

Hobby electromagnetic cannons are pants in terms of power/cost and for that matter, size when you factor in the capacitor bank.

Other electric cannons like electrothermals are in the same ballpark, requiring a large cap bank and still less powerful/size/cost than a pneumatic.


So, I'm for the all-round pneumatic over the rest.


Mind you I'm still building a little electric cannon because who really cares less about how well things rank up as long as you get something out of it :wink:

If it can perforate a drinks can at a few metres I'll be happy enough considering how little I'm spending on it :)
taytayswims
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Tue May 27, 2008 5:04 pm

it depends on personal prefrence

i personally like pneumatic cannons more
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STHORNE
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Tue May 27, 2008 5:40 pm

I have always been an advanced combustion guy but am starting to love pneumatics too...

I haven't had any experience with hybrids but am in the process of making my first and never even got to/considered making an electromagnetic gun.

Based on results and amount of experience with that said type of gun, I would have to go with (advanced) Combustion Guns!
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n-strike
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Tue May 27, 2008 5:43 pm

DYI wrote:
I really think that pneumatic is t3h winzorz because you don't have to keep on buying fuel when you run out
Do you have some ridiculously huge cannon you're not telling us about? Because even a tiny blowtorch sized propane cannister will last over 8000 shots on an average sized combustion cannon. So even if you have an average sized gun running at 16x... You'd still get over 500 shots from a single tank. I'd venture to say that in the entire time period I've been spudding (about 1.5 years now), I probably still haven't fired more than a thousand shots.
Well I'm just saying you will run out eventually...
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rp181
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Tue May 27, 2008 7:16 pm

Hotwired:
About the cost for EM Guns, i emailed a company and recieved a 5500 Amp Surge, 200 amp constant,1.2kv SCR for free 8) . Alot of [big] companies actually donate if its school related or they have surplus(im doing a Science Fair project on lorentz force).

n-strike:
Well for pneumatic you have to pay for electricity for compressor, or manual labor (Labor is expensive :wink: ).
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Hotwired
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Tue May 27, 2008 9:02 pm

Er yeah...

One big company /= lots of big companies :P

What do they do anyway? Industrial electrical systems?
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