B.S.R 75 - Bolt action spud gun

 When you think of the words "spud gun" or "potato cannon", the image of a redneck (or bogan, in my language) probably comes to mind, with them holding a bunch of slapped together PVC pipes and a can of hair spray, blasting vegetables off in to the distance. Most potato cannon builders aren't anything like that image, but that is how I think I look in my mind anyway. Most self confessed spudders probably build a couple of hair spray cannons then move on to something that requires some kind of calculated science, like a metered propane cannon or piston valve cannon and leave the old hair spray propellant idea behind.

the B.S.R 75 bolt action spud gun

However, every now and then, someone works with the basics and produces a masterpiece. That's what the B.S.R 75 is. I actually saw this cannon quite some time ago on the spudfiles forums, and loved it. but, I completely forgot about this design created by spudrogue420 and didn't stumble upon it again until I did a search for ideas for a combustion potato rifle. It turns out, that this is still the only hair spray cannon I've ever seen like this. Better yet, the B.S.R 75 was built from mostly ABS and PVC pipes, including the scope.

Hard to believe that this is all clever use of plastic pipes...

Bolt action open, shell exposed

The design is somewhat similar to the Serbu BFG 50, except the bolt handle is further forward presumably to accommodate the combustion chamber in the stock. The operation of this cannon is also pretty interesting. while the ignition is a simple peizo button ignitor with button mounted where the trigger would be, and no fuel metering devices, the bolt action system is very clever and also does two things: 1: opens and closes the chamber for a 5 inch long shell to be loaded, and 2: exposes the end of the combustion chamber for fueling and activates the venting fan while the cannon is unloaded.

Man, I'm on a roll with the spud banger posts lately. I think this incredibly innovative cannon deserved a lot more recognition than it received, simply because it shows what you can do with little more than some time, thought, and basic hardware materials. I'm also surprised that no one has tried to build something like this chambered for Nerf darts... Or perhaps someone has? Leave a comment if you've got a project you're particularly proud of, especially if it's a potato cannon that fires Nerf darts.