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How about a water balloon gun?
Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 11:56 pm
by Freezer
Where's JSD when you need him?
I used to make surgical tube launchers and we could launch a balloon almost a quarter mile if we had enough drop, 100 yards was easy! We had a lot of fun at family gatherings with them. I'm bored out of my skin and have been doing a lot of reading and research about MLs and found a rabbit hole, first small cannons, too expensive. Then potato and golf ball guns. I know they're not a good idea but the head was engaged. If I could use a paper or waxed cup, slice the sides and fit it tight into the barrel it would act like a sabot or wad, protecting the balloon until it exited that barrel. Small Dixie cups would be real cool and might enable you to use a self contained cylinder to charge the cylinder.
Not exactly a firearm but cool to shoot! Any ideas?
Re: How about a water balloon gun?
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 12:26 am
by CPJ 2.0
Here’s your rabbit hole. He uses a tire bead seater, electric valve. Launches mainly 3d printed projectiles.
Here’s a long video, but he’s got a butt load of short ones. I know he’s shot ice bullets before, not sure about balloons.
https://youtu.be/0tDNk6osrTs?si=65WYbtMpuweG5TyH
Re: How about a water balloon gun?
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 12:46 am
by CPJ 2.0
Here’s a short video. His specialty is making siren/whistle projectiles
https://youtube.com/shorts/psCljmS3-XQ? ... w5Qs01KydD
Re: How about a water balloon gun?
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 2:05 am
by Freezer
Those are cool but I have a small portable compressor. I want something hand or shoulder held. they're shooting things that will hurt someone. I want to shoot water balloons for three flies up. Catch three, get wet and you get to operate the gun!
Re: How about a water balloon gun?
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 2:21 am
by Zorba
Some of the shop boys made a water balloon catapult in high school. Lobbed water balloons over the top of the cafeteria into the inner court during lunch time. I remember a kind of spun dish to load the balloons onto.
Re: How about a water balloon gun?
Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2026 3:18 am
by CPJ 2.0
Freezer wrote: ↑Tue Jun 09, 2026 2:05 am
Those are cool but I have a small portable compressor. I want something hand or shoulder held. they're shooting things that will hurt someone. I want to shoot water balloons for three flies up. Catch three, get wet and you get to operate the gun!
Then use less pressure. Science!
Re: How about a water balloon gun?
Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2026 12:18 pm
by Bigslug
Challenges to man-portable:
You are going to need low pressure, but high volume, and likely a long barrel to throw your high-mass water balloons with any decent speed without having the acceleration blow them up in the gun. I'm envisioning something that would have a scuba tank on your back and would look a bit like the Ghostbuster's particle accelerators or the harness mounted MG-42's from
Aliens. Probably some kind of "bolt action" to access and seal a loading port. A pump action - or sort of an M203 system with a barrel that rides on a rail and telescopes back into a larger diameter breech block might be a bit more streamlined for this. At any rate, something that locks closed on its own when you shut it that requires a manual action to reopen.
You'll need a sabot that's low mass and harmless. Paper cup full of cotton balls? Maybe some kind of sleeve with a lubed silicone O-ring (messy). Maybe use some kind of cup with a base filled with water behind your balloon that expands to seal your bore that disintegrates on exit? Make for a cool "muzzle flash" if nothing else.
Re: How about a water balloon gun?
Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2026 12:35 pm
by CPJ 2.0
Bigslug wrote: ↑Wed Jun 10, 2026 12:18 pm
Challenges to man-portable:
You are going to need low pressure, but high volume, and likely a long barrel to throw your high-mass water balloons with any decent speed without having the acceleration blow them up in the gun. I'm envisioning something that would have a scuba tank on your back and would look a bit like the Ghostbuster's particle accelerators or the harness mounted MG-42's from
Aliens. Probably some kind of "bolt action" to access and seal a loading port. A pump action - or sort of an M203 system with a barrel that rides on a rail and telescopes back into a larger diameter breech block might be a bit more streamlined for this. At any rate, something that locks closed on its own when you shut it that requires a manual action to reopen.
You'll need a sabot that's low mass and harmless. Paper cup full of cotton balls? Maybe some kind of sleeve with a lubed silicone O-ring (messy). Maybe use some kind of cup with a base filled with water behind your balloon that expands to seal your bore that disintegrates on exit? Make for a cool "muzzle flash" if nothing else.
He’s already solved it.
https://youtube.com/shorts/psCljmS3-XQ? ... w5Qs01KydD