3 replies to this topic

[Buffdaddy]

Airguns are powerful. While springers will always have the potential for both high range and RoF, airguns have the power for long range, shotgunning, oversized darts/missiles, and other uses. However:

WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. –Michael Scott

Airguns are far more dangerous than springers in several aspects. There’s a reason you don’t single PVATs: if you have the power to draw blood at range, you have too much power (and deserve to be shot with your own blaster). Even more concerning is the construction and operation of airguns: if you do not follow specific guidelines, your blaster will fail, and possibly in a catastrophic manner.

99.9% of plastic piping (PVC, CPVC, etc.) is NOT rated for air pressure, only water pressure. The difference? Water under pressure does not compress; if your system fails, you just get a leak. Air, however, is a compressible gas. If your plastic pipe fails, the air will rapidly decompress, blowing the plastic apart into shrapnel. Translation: possible maiming, hospitalization, you name it.

Is it possible to build safe airguns? You bet. But expect every war host to test fire it or pump it up until 1) it fails, or 2) an overpressure valve opens.

-ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have an overpressure valve, whether in your pump, or elsewhere (McMaster has a nice one here: 50265K23).
-Unless using equipment made for pressurized air, keep your air pressure in all areas low, ~30psi or less. And NEVER have the firing chamber above that. There's no need to shred your darts or test the pressure rating of your PVC.
-Use with care (or not at all) in cold weather, as it can make the plastic more brittle.
-When assembling, use the correct primers and solvent welds to ensure solid bonds between your plastics (THIS LINK is your friend).
-Concerned about your range and power? Have someone shoot you from 10 feet away with it. If you're doubled over in pain, don't single it or slap on a hopper. Also, if you're breaking 100' easily, it's most likely too powerful.

For people new to airguns, take a look at the following. This cross-section of homemade airgun designs should give some inspiration.

Pixieblast 9000, by rork

FANG Automatic Nerf Gun, by Doom

Pepé, by CaptainSlug

FOMAS, by Whisper101

PVAT 2.0, aka the VenPVAT, by venom213

Homemade Cobra, by Buffdaddy

JSPB - The Mad Ghost, by 3DBBQ

S.C.U.N.B.A.G., by roboman

Edited by Buffdaddy, 10 May 2012 - 08:09 PM.

[Daniel Beaver]

Added to the general info thread. I asked Buffdaddy to make this, since he's built quite a few pipe bombs in his day.

[thesaz123]

Thank you buffdaddy for this informative post.

[Ivan S]

This guide is a great idea. Another write-up that I think is very useful for this kind of thing is adjustable homemade OPRVs.Easy, adjustable, under a dollar.