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Thanks to another member here I as forced to buy a new toy on a Black Friday sale. Global Ordnance had the F5 Can Launchers for sale, https://f5mfg.com/product/soda-can-launcher/

I had semi looked at these before, but the price of blanks made me not interested. On this sale you got complete can launcher, the golf ball adapter and 900 rounds of blanks for $265 shipped. The blanks alone typically sell for ~$1/rd. I just assumed it would be a surplus can with loose or maybe boxed blanks in it. It ended up being a new can straight from the "factor" with 900 blanks on 10 rd stripper clips. Each strip is sealed in its own package and there are 2 loading tools included.

The next issue was how to add some kind of sight to the flat top. There were not a lot of references out there so I looked into the M203 quadrant sights. These come in 2 versions, one for the standard carry handle and one for the detachable handle. LMT also makes a rail mount version but they are very expensive. I ended up finding a surplus one with free shipping for $70 and decided I would find a way to fabricate a mount. I had a rail raiser floating around so I drilled 2 holes in it, one to fit the OEM hole in the quadrant site and another to create a second threaded hole.

My real question is about projectiles. For those that have these or have seen/used them what are you launching? I looked on the internet and did not come up with very many hits. I am sure there are some cool, creative ideas out there. Lets hear them.

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Glad you got yours before they shut the incorrect ad down. They came very nicely packaged and I didn't realize the blanks would be on stripper clips. I've been looking at mine the last few days and have decided to gift it to a good friend who's birthday is today. When I shoot away from a range I'm normally with this guy and figure I'll get almost as much use out of it without having to store it, LOL.
 
I took it outside and fired one "round" of soda. It is fun for sure. I aimed at a tree in my back yard about 75 yards away and I shot just to the right of the tree. With a little practice and a "known" projectile I think this could be reasonably accurate. It will get a lot more use when we are at our other house with family for Christmas.

I will have to look for a sale on soda, I did find some good deal on used golf balls on eBay.

In other news the internet said Danish ammo/blanks were Berdan primed. The ones I received are boxer primed so they will be easy to reload if I need more than 900 rounds.
 
I shot 6 more "rounds" from my cannon.

I am still trying to find a good load for these. I had some old drywall mud laying around and that is something that was recommended to fill empty cans with to fire, so I thought I would give it a try.

I did some research online and "all purpose" mud is about 10-15% heavier than a can of soda and "lite" is about the same weight as a can soda. I cut the tops out of 6 cans so I could easily fill them with the mud. The first can was completely full and it had a fair amount of recoil. The other 5 were about 80% full and recoiled about like a full can of soda.

Accuracy is reasonable, but still need more practice. One of the cans tumbled sideways and ended up about 2' left at ~75 yards. The others all ended up within ~3' laterally. Still need to play with elevation a bit.

I did some math and if I by a box of mud I can reload empty cans for the same price as buying cheap bargain soda. I hate to waste the soda, but likely the route I will go. I am still contemplating creating a watered down mud mix that can be filled though the can opening and give me more shots per box. Does anyone have any good ideas how to fill the can with water and somehow seal up the opening?
 
Thanks to another member here I as forced to buy a new toy on a Black Friday sale. Global Ordnance had the F5 Can Launchers for sale, https://f5mfg.com/product/soda-can-launcher/

I had semi looked at these before, but the price of blanks made me not interested. On this sale you got complete can launcher, the golf ball adapter and 900 rounds of blanks for $265 shipped. The blanks alone typically sell for ~$1/rd. I just assumed it would be a surplus can with loose or maybe boxed blanks in it. It ended up being a new can straight from the "factor" with 900 blanks on 10 rd stripper clips. Each strip is sealed in its own package and there are 2 loading tools included.

The next issue was how to add some kind of sight to the flat top. There were not a lot of references out there so I looked into the M203 quadrant sights. These come in 2 versions, one for the standard carry handle and one for the detachable handle. LMT also makes a rail mount version but they are very expensive. I ended up finding a surplus one with free shipping for $70 and decided I would find a way to fabricate a mount. I had a rail raiser floating around so I drilled 2 holes in it, one to fit the OEM hole in the quadrant site and another to create a second threaded hole.

My real question is about projectiles. For those that have these or have seen/used them what are you launching? I looked on the internet and did not come up with very many hits. I am sure there are some cool, creative ideas out there. Lets hear them.

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do they make chalk grenades for this size? i could think of a million potential rounds for this such as gigantic paintballs, incendiary tennis balls, smoke bombs, HSAV rounds (High Stink Anti Vagrant) skunk juice grenades, etc.
 
do they make chalk grenades for this size? i could think of a million potential rounds for this such as gigantic paintballs, incendiary tennis balls, smoke bombs, HSAV rounds (High Stink Anti Vagrant) skunk juice grenades, etc.
I have not seen anyone making anything specific for this size, just DIY project.
 
Man those are fun. I put one together a while back. Sold it as I stopped using it. Kind of felt foolish bringing it to range clean ups for folks to shoot AFTER cleaning up the whole place lol.

Campbells soup cans fit. As does Lysol spray. The soup hurts a bit more than the soda.

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I saw where they were trying to shoot formed ice out of those. They kept having difficulty because the pressure is so focused from the blank that it kept cutting/breaking up the ice rather than propelling it. It still seems like that would be cool though. No clean up! If a guy could figure a way to reinforce the base, such as something more solid frozen in to take th pressure(?)

Filled cans have enough static pressure to prevent a breech through the aluminum, but wonder how just the cut base of a can might be used to shove ice(?)

The golfball diameter... that should be easy enough. First thing that comes to mind is a wooden stake! A Vampire slayer!! ;) Screwdrivers(?)
 
I saw where they were trying to shoot formed ice out of those. They kept having difficulty because the pressure is so focused from the blank that it kept cutting/breaking up the ice rather than propelling it. It still seems like that would be cool though. No clean up! If a guy could figure a way to reinforce the base, such as something more solid frozen in to take th pressure(?)

Filled cans have enough static pressure to prevent a breech through the aluminum, but wonder how just the cut base of a can might be used to shove ice(?)

The golfball diameter... that should be easy enough. First thing that comes to mind is a wooden stake! A Vampire slayer!! ;) Screwdrivers(?)
I used to use empty chicken noodle soup cans as wads essentially. Put the empty can in, dump whatever you want in. Load the blank. Squeeze the trigger. Out came the can and whatever was in it.

Did paintballs. Filled it to the brim with those biodegradable orbeez. Options were endless.

Friend has the 308 version. He uses plaster filled half soda cans. Launches them 300-400 yards.
 
For those that have these or have seen/used them what are you launching?
I have used home made, pneumatic, tennis ball launchers to launch heavy duty fishing line over trees to pull up wire for dipole HAM radio antennas and some of these are pretty impressive!

Launching a tennis ball 100 + feet over a tree (while hauling 30 # line) was nothing for these.
 

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