Airsoft Canada - View Single Post

Kimbo · November 2nd, 2009, 18:19

I would love to see this work, but in my opinion it`s going to be tough.

The mass of the projectile is going to have to be very small. I`ve done quite a bit of testing as I have a few AT-4 launchers (one Zero Delay built one and 2 that Ive made myself). I use the nerf 2 inch vortex rounds and to get usable range (150-200 feet) they need to whack out at least 150 fps. They don`t weigh much and the FPS doesn`t sound so bad until you take one at point blank range. They hurt quite a bit, so It`s getting close to the threshold for safety in my mind. Add to that a bunch of bb`s and the required matrix to hold and distribute air and your wieght is going to add up quickly. The only way that you will be able to remediate this is to limit the usable range at which this will be used.

Getting a good dispersion of bbs, usable enough to be useful may also be an issue. To fit in a 40mm launcher, everything is going to have to be super small. This means at low pressures (a requirement of using super light materials) bb dispersion will be low as well.

What you could do is try and prove if the physics of the warhead would work with your design. If you took a heavy duty plastic bag and made an air chamber that`s 40mm by say 60mm, sealed the end around a straw, filled the straw with a few bb`s then whacked it on a table. How fast do the bb`s come out? Will the bag burst or hold the pressure long enough to vent it out the straw? Will the seal on the straw vent the pressure before it transfers the energy to the bb`s? Going further, and assuming you`d make the bb manifold out of foam, will it have enough mechanical strength to contain the pressure long enough to disperse the bb`s? I think it will be too small of an area and you`d need to use to heavy of material to make it viable.

Just use a regular nerf round. We`ve played quite a few times now where we use them for vehicles or small buildings. If either get`s hit, you`re out. It`s simple and you won`t cry when you lose one of your creations. I get miffed enough when we lose nerf rounds at 3-4 bucks a piece.

In the end I think you`d be way better off doing a mechnical type design which wouldn`t require complicated pressure distribution. Have a plunger that fit`s inside a sleeve that whacks the bb`s out as it compresses or something along that line.

Again, I`d love to see it work, but I see it as a hard thing to do and keep safe enough to be used in a game. If you do get something happening and you want something to launch test with, PM me and I`ll loan you one of my AT4`s for a bit.

November 2nd, 2009, 18:19	#35
Kimbo formerly pivot Trader rating Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Calgary	I would love to see this work, but in my opinion it`s going to be tough. The mass of the projectile is going to have to be very small. I`ve done quite a bit of testing as I have a few AT-4 launchers (one Zero Delay built one and 2 that Ive made myself). I use the nerf 2 inch vortex rounds and to get usable range (150-200 feet) they need to whack out at least 150 fps. They don`t weigh much and the FPS doesn`t sound so bad until you take one at point blank range. They hurt quite a bit, so It`s getting close to the threshold for safety in my mind. Add to that a bunch of bb`s and the required matrix to hold and distribute air and your wieght is going to add up quickly. The only way that you will be able to remediate this is to limit the usable range at which this will be used. Getting a good dispersion of bbs, usable enough to be useful may also be an issue. To fit in a 40mm launcher, everything is going to have to be super small. This means at low pressures (a requirement of using super light materials) bb dispersion will be low as well. What you could do is try and prove if the physics of the warhead would work with your design. If you took a heavy duty plastic bag and made an air chamber that`s 40mm by say 60mm, sealed the end around a straw, filled the straw with a few bb`s then whacked it on a table. How fast do the bb`s come out? Will the bag burst or hold the pressure long enough to vent it out the straw? Will the seal on the straw vent the pressure before it transfers the energy to the bb`s? Going further, and assuming you`d make the bb manifold out of foam, will it have enough mechanical strength to contain the pressure long enough to disperse the bb`s? I think it will be too small of an area and you`d need to use to heavy of material to make it viable. Just use a regular nerf round. We`ve played quite a few times now where we use them for vehicles or small buildings. If either get`s hit, you`re out. It`s simple and you won`t cry when you lose one of your creations. I get miffed enough when we lose nerf rounds at 3-4 bucks a piece. In the end I think you`d be way better off doing a mechnical type design which wouldn`t require complicated pressure distribution. Have a plunger that fit`s inside a sleeve that whacks the bb`s out as it compresses or something along that line. Again, I`d love to see it work, but I see it as a hard thing to do and keep safe enough to be used in a game. If you do get something happening and you want something to launch test with, PM me and I`ll loan you one of my AT4`s for a bit. Last edited by Kimbo; November 2nd, 2009 at 18:25..