Greetings from Germany

Barnabas Malchus · Nov 18, 2012

Hello, and Greetings from Germany. First, I´d like to thank Jörg for all the inventions and brilliant ideas he shares at Youtube. Thats where I found this website. My name is Michael and I´m 45 years old. I´m working mainly as a Technician and Programmer. This year, I founded a little, one-man-company to invent and produce props, outfits and special effects. No big business, its mainly to have fun, and to bring some of the insane Ideas I allways carry with me to live. I´m just in the development process for a new "gun" for LARP (Live Action Role Play) It has to be safe in the first priotity, foolproof at all means, because in this game, we shoot at real people. The projectiles may not cause serious injuries (but some bruises may be OK). Also, there is a limitation in the force with wich the projectiles may be accelerated. Last but not least, the "weapon" has to be legal. That´s it for now, I´m looking forward to discuss and share my knowledge with you. Sincerely Michael

zwillie · Nov 18, 2012

Hi welcome your idea sounds like a lot of fun. Zwillie

Barnabas Malchus · Nov 18, 2012

Hi Zwillie. It is a lot of Fun. LARP is one of the best and most relaxing hobbies one can have. Hey, what is better than save the world at the weekend? I chose this hobby to create, sew, build and invent all of the stuff I carry around. The helmet and the mask of my Avatar are also D.I.Y. At the moment, im working on my 7th set of armor.

JoergS · Nov 18, 2012

Michael, what kind of projectile do you want to shoot? Shape? Size? Weight? Desired velocity? Are you looking for a repeater, or a single shot weapon?

tokSick · Nov 18, 2012

Hello and welcome Michael.

onnod · Nov 18, 2012

welcome, have some friends that play? do? LARP too, it sounds like a lot of fun

Barnabas Malchus · Nov 18, 2012

Hi Jörg. The Ammunition is the main thing about it all. In LARP, also bows and crossbows are used. They are limited to max. 30 lbs, and the tips of the Bolts and Arrows must carry a soft pad, big enough to make it impossible for the projectile to enter the eye-cave of the human skull I would give you a link, but I am to new here to be allowed to send Urls. I´m not a big fan of this, only on draw-weight based, restriction. With a realy long draw-length, for example reached with a Longbow, the arrows reach very dangerous velocities. And I was hit in the face once with the nock of such an arrow, after it reboundet of a wall. An inch higher, and I could have lost an eye... So, to be on the safe side, I want to use projectiles without a shaft. At the moment, I focus on three constructions: Tennis-Balls, with a hole in them, so that they lose a lot of their "hardness"; Pipe-Insulations, which can cheaply be bought at DIY-stores; or... (Please don´t laugh TO hard...) Marshmallows. Even when accelerated to rather high velocities, I see no real risk in being hit with these objects. It would be nice if I could cover a range up to 40 or 50 meters, the LARP-Bows or crossbows also can´t be shot at longer distances because of the draw-weight restriction, and the blunt, paddet tips. I want to start with a single-shot gun, and I would appreciate a look like an old Hand-canon, or at german "Faustrohr". So, the rubber-Bands should not be visible at the outside. Finally, I need something that goes "Bang" when a shot is fired. My plans are, to put a little blank firing gun inside the shaft of my canon. But that is the final step. If I find another way, to make the gun go "Bang", I would addopt it immediately. I know the gun laws in germany very well, so its not at all allowed, to accelerate a projectile with blanks. It would be MUCH easier to build something like a "Kartoffel-Kanone", but that would push me over the border what I am allowed to build. If this works as I plan it, a repeater would be the next step.

onnod · Nov 18, 2012

this sounds cool, you could also use some of those blanks for toy pistols, the are pretty much harmless, but they aren't to loud either <img src="http://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_scratch.png" alt="scratch" longdesc="33">

Barnabas Malchus · Nov 18, 2012

@ onnod A lot of friends of mine join my hobby, including my 15 year old daughter. We mainly play in "Mythodea", the biggest LARP-Event worldwide. In the Conquest of Mythodea, each year about 10.000 people meet for a week, and join in the struggle of the Elements. But there are much more conventions all over europe. Just ask Google, I´m sure, you will find a lot of people near you, wich are in LARP. But please... Never take it too serious. It´s just a game...

And the blanks for toy pistols are exactly the stuff that´s used by musketeers at the moment. But I would like something a little louder...

onnod · Nov 18, 2012

i don't take anything too serious, it would make life boring as hell , btw i forgot and i, i was going to write: I have some friends ..... etc.

JoergS · Nov 18, 2012

Let me tell you that you can't make a blank firing gun without a license, and even then you would have to get a PTB certification plus number for it before you can fire it. This will be virtually impossible and way too expensive anyway. Also you'd have to get a carry permit ("kleiner Waffenschein") in order to use it in public. So you are left to "Klasse 1" fire works, mainly fire caps for toy guns. Those have a maximum volume of 125 db, not too bad - but your gun will still sound like a toy. Advantage is that you can fire them all year long with little restrictions. 30 lb draw is not too bad. With the lightweight ammo you are planning to use, you will be able to shoot at nice speed. Hidden bands are problematic, though - for several reasons. First of all, you can not make a weapon that uses a tube like barrel ("rohrförmiger Lauf") without a gunmaker's license. That is why I make my shooters with slots that run through all the way. Also if you can't see the bands, it will be hard to cock the weapon. How do you want to do that? Push in a loading rod? It also would be hard to inspect your bands frequently. This is a must - rubber always breaks. A band that breaks during a shot can get you in trouble. I will send you a link to a private video of mine I have made a while ago, and never made public. That should give you some more ideas.

Barnabas Malchus · Nov 18, 2012

@ onnod Do me the favour NEVER to forget what you just wrote! I know a lot of people, which take this hobby REALLY serious... Please, become a "typical" man: From the age of about 15, Men grow older, but no more mature!

And from that point on, the toys just grow bigger and more expensive. The happiest men I know, are still youngsters in an adult boddy.

onnod · Nov 18, 2012

<table width="90%" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="center">
<tr><td>Barnabas Malchus wrote:</td></tr>
<tr><td class="quote">
 From the age of about 15, Men grow older, but no more mature!

And from that point on, the toys just grow bigger and more expensive. The happiest men I know, are still youngsters in an adult boddy.</td></tr>
</table>
 i think I'll have this one made on to a tile <img src="http://illiweb.com/fa/i/smiles/icon_smile.gif" alt="Smile" longdesc="2">

Barnabas Malchus · Nov 18, 2012

@ JoergS Thanks for the hints. I plan to use a blank firing gun, that already has a PTB-Number. I am not going to modify parts of the barrel or the lock, but use it as it comes right out of the box. The "kleine Waffenschein" is no Problem, I have one. I also have a green and yellow WBK, and a reloding license for ammunition. The problem with the tubular barrel is not unknown to me. I plan tu use a tubular barrel, with slots in it, to make it legal, and to guide the rubber. I plan to cock the "gun" like an old Muzzleloading gun, so it would be no Problem to reach the rubber inside the gun. I´m not at all in the construction of slingshots, and the information that the breaking of a rubberband can cause trouble is logical. But if the rubber is completely enclosed in the weapon, the result would only be a missfire, or am I wrong with that?

JoergS · Nov 18, 2012

Well, if the rubber bands break then it may lash out. Nothing that you couldn't take care of in the design or the weapon. You just need to be aware of the fact that rubber, accelerated to well over 300 km/h, can do a lot of harm. Much like a bullwhip. Using a ready made PTB weapon may solve the legal issues. Just make sure you don't alter the gun in a permanent way, and deal with the pressure from the shot in a way that no safety risks apply. Anyway, good luck with the design, and by all means keep us updated!

Barnabas Malchus · Nov 18, 2012

I surely will keep you updatet. And the Blank-firing pistol will be a 6mm-Flobert-Type, so the pressure will be very low. How I mentioned, Safety first, in any imaginable way. I´m going to use this against people, and I don´t want to harm one of them. Thanks for the nice "Welcome", and the hints you gave me.

Greetings from Germany

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