Mister Frag 0 Posted October 22, 2002 Might be a bit too off-topic for the moderators, but what the heck... From http://asia.cnn.com/2002....ex.html Ka-POW! goes the pumpkin Mechanic develops grand gourd gun Monday, October 21, 2002 Posted: 10:26 PM HKT (1426 GMT) A 10-pound pumpkin punches through the rear of a 1978 Pontiac. Bristoe has yet to fire the cannon at full power, but he estimates the range at about 5 miles. NOBLESVILLE, Indiana (AP) -- Jim Bristoe is getting a blast out of his pumpkin cannon. Bristoe figures his 30-foot-long, two-ton contraption can fire the orange orbs up to five miles. On Saturday, he entered his launcher in the Pumpkin Propulsion Contest, where the cannon far outclassed the competition. So Bristoe stepped aside and let the lesser rivals compete for top honors. "I actually bowed out of the money race and let the guys with the catapults compete," Bristoe said. "I only shot at 20 pounds of pressure and a 10-degree angle, and still cleared their whole range." Bristoe, a 42-year-old electrician and mechanic, estimates his cannon's range at about 5 miles. He's yet to fire the cannon at full power, although a pumpkin fired in a demonstration last week went through the rear of a Pontiac. Bristoe wowed the crowd at Saturday's contest by using the cannon to launch toilet paper rolls. Bristoe fills a tank on the pumpkin cannon with compressed air. "Everyone up there loved it. They let me shoot 36 rolls of toilet paper through the gun," he said. "That was impressive. They got about 200 feet in the air and then just unrolled." Meanwhile, he is looking for better competition. "I intend on shooting in competition, and I'm going to change my barrel size to regulation so I can compete with the other big guns," he said. "That'll be next year, when pumpkins are ripe again. This is way too much fun to stop." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tex -USMC- 0 Posted October 22, 2002 God bless America. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NavyEEL 0 Posted October 22, 2002 dammit. i was gonna enter the punkin chunkin too but they sent a reply saying that it was full! my friends and i just spent the past month building a trebuchet with a 20ft arm and 800+lbs of counterweight... capable of throwing a pumpkin upwards of 400feet! it's awesome!! all that work for nothing though!!!! arggg! cool cannon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Frag 0 Posted October 22, 2002 I saw some footage of this thing on TV after I posted the message. The guy used his pumpkin cannon to blow through the sliding door of a wrecked minivan. Technically, that's a Destructive Device that can be regulated by the BATF. He might have the feds knocking on his door soon... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Placebo 29 Posted October 22, 2002 Wonder if any movies of it will turn up on the net, would be cool to see it in action Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Balschoiw 0 Posted October 22, 2002 I´d loved to have that gun when I was a kid begging for sweeties at Halloween eve "Open the door !" "No" "OK you´ll get the pumpkin" "Yes leave it at the door" "Sure mam..." *boom* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Col. Kurtz 0 Posted October 22, 2002 Someones going to have to make a mod of this for OFP! Imagine....... Fit the punkins with a Depleted Uranium tip somehow and..... "Gunner, load DU Punkin" "Target T-80 at 10o'clock" "Fire!" "T-80, is history" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ralphwiggum 6 Posted October 22, 2002 yes, as Frag said, that is a weapon. wonder how fast terrorists will make that Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Col. Kurtz 0 Posted October 22, 2002 News Flash Today  President George W. Bush of the USA was assissnated by what appeared to be a pumkin shot at high vilocity from a range of one kilometre. Al Queda have claimed resbonsibility for the attack. That would be amusing...... Death by Pumkin! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Major Fubar 0 Posted October 22, 2002 Why not, a pretzel almost finished him off! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Papageorge 0 Posted October 22, 2002 The only thing that could be worse than reading that the pressident was killed by a pumpkin... The Terrorist attempting to shoot the poor inocent pumpking are killed in a terrible miss fire. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cam0flage 0 Posted October 22, 2002 This is slightly offtopic but I really want to know: I've never seen a pumpkin close up, I dunno why but I guess Finland is just a non-pumpkin country But the question is, is pumpkin like rock-hard or soft? Guess rock-hard if you can shoot it and it doesn't just "splat". The guy who developed that pumpkin gun looks just like a guy who would develop something like a pumpkin gun, if you know what I mean Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Major Fubar 0 Posted October 22, 2002 It depends how ripe they are...before they are fully ripe, they're pretty hard! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
-TU--33ker 0 Posted October 22, 2002 the pumpkins i've seen were quite hard. maybe US pumpkins are harder. that car on the pic looks like it took a cruise missile Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SKULLS_Viper 0 Posted October 22, 2002 It can hit a target at 3 miles.Now thats long range! Man, i bet the cops would be freeked out, seeing a dead man, and a pumpkin blown up laying next to him. And orange smeard all over him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Frag 0 Posted October 22, 2002 Nobody ever claimed that he could actually hit anything at that distance, only that it will be able to chuck a pumpkin that far. He may not be able to hit the proverbial side of a barn with that thing for all we know! In any event, that's only a range estimation. The guy has yet to fire his cannon at full power because he doesn't have a suitable test range. It may well be that the pumpkin doesn't survive the acceleration bestowed on it at full power, in which case he'd chuck pumpkin mush a few hundred feet, and that would be the end of that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cloney 0 Posted October 22, 2002 I'd like to see him shoot it full blast at an Abrams tank US News - Army's best tank armor defeated - by a pumpkin! Today, tests at the Arberdeen Proving Grounds have found that the Chobham armor on an M1A2 Abrams tank is indeed penetrable, by a member of the squash family. The crew manning the test Abrams was horrified when a 3 foot hole appeared in their tank and they were covered in orange mush. The army has recalled all Abrams for refitting with anti-Pumpkin armor, but so far, it has army researches stumped as to how to stop high velocity squash Dan Rather - Arberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Assault (CAN) 1 Posted October 22, 2002 I wan't one! Reminds me of the times that my buddies and me would drop large pumpkins off a 160ft retaining dam to the concrete below. It was fun to watch them go 'splat'. I don't think that that gun can actually be classified as a firearm. I was reading that, under BATF regulations, a firearm must use an explosive to propell it's projectile. I'm not sure what they'd think of it. Maybe they'll just tax him $200 for it? Tyler Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Frag 0 Posted October 22, 2002 I didn't say it could be classified as a firarm, I said it could be classified as a destructive device, the definition of which is as follows: </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">(f) Destructive device. -- The term "destructive device" means (1) any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas (A) bomb, (B) grenade, © rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, (D) missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, (E) mine, or (F) similar device; (2) any type of weapon by whatever name known which will, or which may be readily converted to, expel a projectile by the action of an explosive or other propellant, the barrel or barrels of which have a bore of more than one-half inch in diameter, except a shotgun or shotgun shell which the Secretary finds is generally recognized as particularly suitable for sporting purposes; and (3) any combination of parts either designed or intended for use in converting any device into a destructive device as defined in subparagraphs (1) and (2) and from which a destructive device may be readily assembled. The term "destructive device" shall not include any device which is neither designed nor redesigned for use as a weapon; any device, although originally designed for use as a weapon, which is redesigned for use as a signaling, pyrotechnic, line throwing, safety, or similar device; surplus ordnance sold, loaned, or given by the Secretary of the Army pursuant to the provisions of section 4684(2), 4685, or 4686 of title 10 of the United States Code; or any other device which the Secretary finds is not likely to be used as a weapon, or is an antique or is a rifle which the owner intends to use solely for sporting purposes.<span id='postcolor'> The BATF has the power to regulate and tax destructive devices as much as firearms. The applicable United States Code can be found here. (Edit: Fixed Iconboard tags) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Assault (CAN) 1 Posted October 22, 2002 </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The term "destructive device" shall not include any device which is neither designed nor redesigned for use as a weapon<span id='postcolor'> I think this might be a point for consideration. It was built to fire pumpkins for entertainment. That gun would be far too cumbersome to be used as a weapon with any effect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACES_KEVIN 0 Posted October 22, 2002 I want one of these babies in real life and ofp .... i also seen somethin about it on tv not too long ago...these things are severly badass...gotta have gotta have Kevin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mister Frag 0 Posted October 22, 2002 </span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Assault (CAN) @ Oct. 22 2002,15:40)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The term "destructive device" shall not include any device which is neither designed nor redesigned for use as a weapon<span id='postcolor'> I think this might be a point for consideration. It was built to fire pumpkins for entertainment. That gun would be far too cumbersome to be used as a weapon with any effect.<span id='postcolor'> How about we build one and claim it is to be used for signaling? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
