Airsoft Mortar

[Marlowe]

...But we have discussed possible firing mechanisms for one in IRC, and I thought I'd open up the topic for discussion on here also.

 

At present the favoured solution for a firing mechanism would be a 60mmm 2/3 foot spring, which would probably have to be a custom made job (I'm sure a blacksmith/engineer would happily make one out of some carbon spring steel if presented with sufficient currency). However, other ideas have been suggested, such as a somewhat more complex system whereby the payload was as soon as hitting a pressure sensor at the bottom of the barrel...

 

More importantly, what ideas does anyone have for a viable and (more importantly) safe payload? At present the current idea appears to be that of a waterbomb, which whilst unlikely to concuss anyone it hits, isn't likely to be too impressive on impact. Can anyone think of any superior (and just as safe) solutions?

 

Answers on a postcard please. Or on here - which'd probably be more sensible.

[rizzo]

How about rice instead of water? Put the rice in the balloon and then inflate- it would be quite spectacular on impact, and nice and safe. Also rice isn't wet and cold

[Kosac]

How about firing those Foam rockets you get?

[Marlowe]

How about rice instead of water? Put the rice in the balloon and then inflate- it would be quite spectacular on impact, and nice and safe. Also rice isn't wet and cold

 

Nice idea - better than my original one.

 

Hrm, if you were to fill the balloons with helium the air pressure difference would possibly project the payload in a weak 'explosion' effect too. But rice could be a bit unpleasant then. Wonder if dried peas would be safer?

[Marlowe]

How about firing those Foam rockets you get?

 

Nice idea for a good, safe projectile there. They'd probably make good dummy rounds, but I suspect they'd need weighting somewhat or the wind would blow them all over the place once up in the air. I was thinking really of something that 'detonated' (without injuring people, of course, which makes it trickier), but this is a good idea too. Cheers!

 

Edit: Gah, I must've clicked on reply and not edit. Sorry

[Chris P]

Couldn't you make some shells out ouf paper mache? Stong enough to survive the launch but brittle enough to explode when they hit the ground

[rizzo]

Well i just tried the rice in balloon idea, and it worked rather well. I put about 400 grains of rice into a long balloon, inflated it and then lobbed it at some concrete. It exploded sending rice flying in a 5m or so radius.

[Marlowe]

Couldn't you make some shells out ouf paper mache? Stong enough to survive the launch but brittle enough to explode when they hit the ground

 

You could I suspect, but I think that the paper mache shells would be quite time-consuming to construct, unless you were to perhaps create a mould of sorts. The other main obstable would be getting the projectile to 'detonate'. Good suggestion though!

[oikoik]

i thought that sort of thing was a legal no-no?

[Soloman]

Couldent you just use bb grenades, or smokes?

 

I'd amit though, you'd have to fire them pretty quickly.

 

Or is that too unsafe?

[Marlowe]

i thought that sort of thing was a legal no-no?

 

Which part? The concept of something which basically just fires balloons up into the air, instead of just throwing them, or the paper mache?

 

Couldent you just use bb grenades, or smokes?

 

I'd amit though, you'd have to fire them pretty quickly.

 

Or is that too unsafe?

 

The smoke idea does appeal to be honest, although you would have to ensure the fuse was lengthened sufficiently for it to not ignite until it had reached the ground - those things can get hot, after all.

 

I'd not really want to use grenades which truly detonate, for fear of one detonating on descent in someone's face, etc.

[Crazy_Harry]

marlowe- shells would be easy to make- knock up ze papier mache mix, inflate one of those sausage balloons to the size you want the shell to be, coat it in the mix, let it dry, burst the balloon, and hey presto! you could even atach dorsel fins to it

 

hang on, can't you use baking soda as a sort of propolsion unit- sure I've seen someone do this in a wholy unairsoft-related way.

 

Can't see any major problem with it if you did- no explosives to fire it, so should be pretty safe, and the mache wouldn't be heavy enough to cause any harm, I wouldn't have thought.

[gazchap]

Yeah, I'd stay well away from actual pyros. Very real danger of injury there, as you've no real way of knowing who might be walking underneath where the projectile would land!

 

The rice idea sounds like the best so far. Perhaps mix it with shiny confetti for extra comedy

[oikoik]

i cant recall where this sort of thing came up before but i think as long as everyone steers clear of 'airburst' and any kind of gas propelling [ie. co2] for the actual round [or launching it] i suppose its okay.. but then things like british rocketry etc have died a death in this country - there maybe something connected with that..

[Marlowe]

marlowe- shells would be easy to make- knock up ze papier mache mix, inflate one of those sausage balloons to the size you want the shell to be, coat it in the mix, let it dry, burst the balloon, and hey presto! you could even atach dorsel fins to it

 

hang on, can't you use baking soda as a sort of propolsion unit- sure I've seen someone do this in a wholy unairsoft-related way.

 

Can't see any major problem with it if you did- no explosives to fire it, so should be pretty safe, and the mache wouldn't be heavy enough to cause any harm, I wouldn't have thought.

 

Great - I remember reading about the old baking soda method as a kid, but I didn't realise it would be able to project the payload sufficiently up into the air.

 

The mache or balloon idea both certainly appeal. The only thing with the paper mache system is producing the same sort of 'detonation' effect (eg rice or dried peas scattering across the vicinity) without the use of our old friend potassium nitrate. Thanks for the suggestions, and feel free to keep them rolling in!

[Duff Beer]

What about just packing a load of BB's/dried peas in to the tube and then launching them straight up? It would simulate the blast effect and not be illegal.

[^cRYpTic^]

The guy who owns our local store and runs our local events got a few mortars. I was lucky enough to be there (as the target) when they were test fired. Its a C02 powered cannon, and the payload was a paintball pod without a lid full of BB's. It covered about a 20x20 foot square when fired, dending on wind. However, I don't think it would work to well in the woods, especially as an indirect weapons.

 

If you want to build a realistic mortar, all you need is a tube and a pencil-sized metal rod. Attach the rod to the bottom, and when you drop M203 shells down the tube, they go off when they reach the bottom, just like a real mortar. Obviously you can make a "nice" mortar (shell and all) but basically its the above.

[John Romero's Head]

I'm not sure if this is what Duff and Cryptic were suggesting, but you could use a container full of BBs that's open at one end. You launch the entire container into the air, with the open end facing upwards to keep the BBs from falling out. Once the container reaches the apex of its arc, it turns upside down, dropping the BBs on anyone standing underneath it.

[Don_R_Luigi]

The guy who owns our local store and runs our local events got a few mortars.  I was lucky enough to be there (as the target) when they were test fired.  Its a C02 powered cannon, and the payload was a paintball pod without a lid full of BB's.  It covered about a 20x20 foot square when fired, dending on wind.  However, I don't think it would work to well in the woods, especially as an indirect weapons. 

 

If you want to build a realistic mortar, all you need is a tube and a pencil-sized metal rod.  Attach the rod to the bottom, and when you drop M203 shells down the tube, they go off when they reach the bottom, just like a real mortar.  Obviously you can make a "nice" mortar (shell and all) but basically its the above.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

http://www.tippmannordnance.com/retail/mortars.html is it one of these?

[Tef]

i had a little idea, may be useful in later of development

 

on the motar shell itself, attach a tail on it to make it spin,

i) more accurate, less affected by wind (its in a way drill through it;s way)

ii) after the shell landed the content inside will be spread/swing wider area than normal shell, because normal shell's content will only bounch up/down due to reaction force, there is no force making them bounch outward. or at least not as much force anyway.

[Marlowe]

i had a little idea, may be useful in later of development

 

on the motar shell itself, attach a tail on it to make it spin,

i) more accurate, less affected by wind (its in a way drill through it;s way)

ii) after the shell landed the content inside will be spread/swing wider area than normal shell, because normal shell's content will only bounch up/down due to reaction force, there is no force making them bounch outward. or at least not as much force anyway.

 

The tail-fin idea does appeal for that reason, but I'm trying to keep the payload and firing system as mechanically simple as possible, because from experience, the simpler an idea, the more likely it will be that it works. I might try that later down the line, but I'm trying to keep the thing grounded in reality, and going to such a level of detailing would probably make the projectiles too expensive to produce.

 

And while suppose I can see the appeal in just loading a load of dried peas down the barrel and firing a la musket, I'd prefer if I could for a mixture of practicality, accuracy and also to an extent realism to fire the things from a projectile - like a balloon or (if I can find a viable fashion) a paper mache shell. I'd much prefer the things to hit the ground and scatter its contents, rather than rain them across the landscape. This is the same reason why I probably won't ever touch moscarts.

[Tef]

i go an crazy suggetsion, do slap me if it's too stuipd

 

[Edited] Sorry it wasn't stupid, however your suggestion would most likely be highly illegal if it ended up in court. -Arn

[Ubar]

read second page before adding comment

[Evil Knevil]

why dont u jus get a 40mm tube or 41mm dunno what'ed work, attach a pin to a piece of card or wood block attach that to the tube then drop in a 160 round bb shower possibly with a thin bag full of bbs on top and hey presto shell drops onto pin.. fires shell and ejects everything into the air with 160 plus bb's landing in a blast zone. well that was my idea anywhoo.

 

probs wont work cos of wind but hey may work!

[DrewLawson]

why dont u jus get a 40mm tube or 41mm dunno what'ed work, attach a pin to a piece of card or wood block attach that to the tube then drop in a 160 round bb shower possibly with a thin bag full of bbs on top and hey presto shell drops onto pin.. fires shell and ejects everything into the air with 160 plus bb's landing in a blast zone. well that was my idea anywhoo.

 

Wow thats weird because im in the process of making one right now

 

Ill keep you posted