How to Make a Mini Potato Gun

A potato gun can propel a potato up to several hundred yards.

Build a mini potato gun out of household items. A potato gun is used to shoot potatoes up to several hundred yards. The gun uses an aerosol propellant that is ignited in a combustion chamber to launch a potato through a barrel. A mini potato gun does not propel a potato at the same rate of speed and will not shoot a potato as far as a normal potato gun, which makes it a safer alternative.

Things You'll Need

• Utility lighter
• Screwdriver
• Drill
• Travel-sized plastic medicine bottle
• 1/4-inch drill bit
• Ballpoint pen
• Electrical tape
• Two thumbtacks
• Potato
• Aerosol hairspray or breath freshener

Instructions

Disassemble Utility Lighter

1. Remove the casing on a utility lighter by removing the screw with a screwdriver. Turn the screw counterclockwise to loosen it.

2. Take the bottom casing off and remove the barrel of the lighter.

3. Remove the butane tank and pull the igniter out of the trigger assembly. There will be two wires on the top of the igniter. Leave them intact.

Make the Barrel and Chamber

1. Drill a hole in the center of the bottom of a travel-sized plastic medicine bottle with a 1/4-inch drill bit. This is the combustion chamber.

2. Remove the ends of a ballpoint pen and take out the ink tube. The barrel of the pen will be the barrel of the gun.

3. Insert the barrel into the hole on the bottom of the combustion chamber. Tape the barrel into place with electrical tape. Wrap the tape around the barrel and the chamber until it is firmly in place. It must have an airtight seal.

Assemble the Gun

1. Push a thumbtack through the side of the chamber. Place a second thumbtack into the bottle 1/8 inch to the right of the first thumbtack.

2. Attach one wire from the igniter to each thumbtack. Wrap the wires around the thumbtacks and secure with electrical tape. Tape the igniter to the side of the chamber.

3. Stab a potato with the barrel. Remove the lid on the chamber and spray aerosol hairspray or breath freshener into the chamber. Close the lid. Press the button on the igniter to fire the gun.

References

• Advanced Spuds: Free Spudgun Plans
• Didn't You Hear: Mini Spud Guns are Easy to Make
• Micah Shamash: Beginner's Spud Gun