blow gun vs ball valve

Show us your pneumatic spud gun! Discuss pneumatic (compressed gas) powered potato guns and related accessories. Valve types, actuation, pipe, materials, fittings, compressors, safety, gas choices, and more.
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LovableAirGuns
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 5:35 am

hey everyone this is my first topic and i was wondering if a blow gun is better than a ball valve at the moment with my gun i am looking for accuracy not so much power but if you guys know whats better please comment.
I will load up some pictures of my gun soon. :)
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jackssmirkingrevenge
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 5:47 am

Define "accuracy".

Also it depends on the setup. A blowgun offers a more "trigger-like" feel and opening a standard ball valve quickly will certainly spoil your aim, however a spring loaded ball valve will give you a lot more consistency and therefore accuracy, as well as the prospect of a "proper" trigger.
hectmarr wrote:You have to make many weapons, because this field is long and short life
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Labtecpower
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:25 am

I really like spring loaded ball valves.
they have plenty of power, and with the right setup, a very nice trigger-like feel.
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LovableAirGuns
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:30 am

has any one got any pictures of a spring loaded ball valve?
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:49 am

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jackssmirkingrevenge
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:53 am

On the other hand, here's some less poor implementation;)

And a non-spudfiles example.
hectmarr wrote:You have to make many weapons, because this field is long and short life
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FighterAce
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 8:51 am

jackssmirkingrevenge wrote:On the other hand, here's some less poor implementation;)
It looks nice on the outside... but you didnt see the inside :D

The faster you try to open the blowgun, the faster it opens. But with a spring loaded BV, no matter how fast or slow you pull the trigger, it will always open at the same speed... or at least it should because there is no human factor involved. Because of this simple thing, a spring loaded BV will be more consistent then a blowgun thus giving you more accuracy.
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wyz2285
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 9:43 am

blowgun + QEV(ou piston valve) the best solution for your problem 8)
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Labtecpower
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 9:55 am

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wyz2285
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:11 am

Labtecpower wrote:shameless self promotion
lol that's a nice build :) but in my opinion firing a spring open ball valve causes vibration that influence accurancy, if you are looking for high precision :wink:
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Labtecpower
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:39 am

The accuracy reached with an average spud gun won't be influenced by the vibrations of an opening ball valve I think.
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saefroch
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:33 am

Labtecpower wrote:The accuracy reached with an average spud gun won't be influenced by the vibrations of an opening ball valve I think.
That's a difficult statement. I just put a scope on my pneumatic and opening the ball valve pilot more gently will get the projectile to impact within maybe 4" of where I was aiming, whereas pulling it open violently will result in an error >12". It all depends, some spudguns can be quite accurate.
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:34 am

wyz2285 wrote: but in my opinion firing a spring open ball valve causes vibration that influence accurancy, if you are looking for high precision :wink:
I have shot 2000+ rounds through my M4 and never experienced what you describe. To get any amount of vibration, your ball valve handle should weigh more then 1 kg and have a spring powerful enough to move such mass. THEN you would get vibrations to influence your aim.

If you're a lousy shot after years of shooting theres not much that can help is there :D

A good test would be to aim at a target ~50 meters away while standing, dry fire and see if your reticle has moved / shaken off target. If you slap the trigger, the result of this test will obviously be invalid. If you dont understand the previous sentence, dont even attempt it.
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Big-E
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 11:45 am

I've also tried both a spring-actuated ball valve and a blowgun piloted QEV, guess what, the spring actuated ball valve was less accurate; it definitely throws off your aim a little.

a well thought out design can help compensate, but only so much.

This is why competition shooters prefer PCP airguns over spring-piston airguns. The extra vibration from that mechanical, spring-loaded movement messes with your aim, and also beats the hell out of optics (Which is why they make special scopes for springers).
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Labtecpower
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Sun Nov 28, 2010 12:14 pm

saefroch wrote:
Labtecpower wrote:The accuracy reached with an average spud gun won't be influenced by the vibrations of an opening ball valve I think.
That's a difficult statement. I just put a scope on my pneumatic and opening the ball valve pilot more gently will get the projectile to impact within maybe 4" of where I was aiming, whereas pulling it open violently will result in an error >12". It all depends, some spudguns can be quite accurate.
Are you speaking about a spring opened ball valve here, or one opened by hand as a pilot for a piston valve?
It makes quite a difference.
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