# Potato Guns

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potato-guns/74120
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 29, 2001, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potato-guns/74120 "2001-07-29T01:10:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![AMM9132](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@AMM9132](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AMM9132)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2001, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potato-guns/74120/1 "2001-07-29T01:10:00Z")

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Does anyone have any really simple step by step instuctions on how to construct a decent potato gun? I have searched around the web and found a lot of prospective patterns, but the majority of the designs require at least $20 worth of PVC pipe and other supplies. I have a pretty good amount of PVC at home, but the designs I saw required all these obscure end-pieces and other parts that aren’t too easy to come across. Are all these complex designs really necessary, or can somebody help me out with a more cost-effective, but still relativly safe design? Thanks.

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### Author: ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2001, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potato-guns/74120/2 "2001-07-29T01:18:42Z")

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Check out [Backyard Ballistics](http://www.frii.com/~bsimon/backyard.html).

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### Author: ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2001, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potato-guns/74120/3 "2001-07-29T01:31:56Z")

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Last year I got all gung ho on making a potato gun. I found this site to be far superior to ANY other out there [http://www.spudtech.com/](http://www.spudtech.com/) I used the basic plan on the website and made a very simple kick ass gun. The first time it launched I couldn’t believe it, I was looking at my finger when it went off, I immediatly looked up but I never saw that potato… I think its in orbit.

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### Author: ![AMM9132](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@AMM9132](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AMM9132)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potato-guns/74120/4 "2001-07-29T02:22:58Z")

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thanks for replying. I’ll have to check these links out. Hopefully I’ll find what I am looking for. If so, I’ll pass it on.