Germans And Vermonters Have One Thing In Common

We both like making potato guns:

German police have arrested a man for firing potatoes at passers-by with a home-made bazooka, authorities in the western city of Essen said on Friday.

"It was like a bazooka that fired potatoes," a spokesman for police in Essen said. "Jolly dangerous from close range."

Police said the weapon consisted of about five feet of drainpipe attached to an aerosol can which the man ignited to propel the root vegetables toward their targets.

"He was plastered and probably thought it was fun," the spokesman said.

The 33-year-old man is now under investigation for attempting to cause bodily harm and violating gun laws.

I've played with two variations on the theme: using an air-compressor works pretty well and provides decent range of the spud (downside is the amount of required equipment); the aerosol approach is simpler and I find almost as effective (using a flower-scented bathroom freshener makes for pleasant-smelling artillery). Nothing like launching a potato into the middle of the lake for fun when you're in the boonies. And you don't necessarily need to be plastered, although it does add to the jocularity, or so the Germans would have you believe...

ntodd

[Update: I can't find the plans that we've used to build guns, but here are a couple of interesting spud gun sites: a nice Beginner's Spud Gun page for an easy, low-rent approach; and The Spudgun Technology Center for more advanced types who prefer the accuracy of laser-guided bolt-action potato weapons.]  ¶ 10:31 PM