pvc in the winter?

[zach12]

hey im kinda new to this hobby. i have finished my first combustion cannon. it has a 1/2 inch barrel and a 2" chamber. but here is the question. the parts are all pressure rated, but in the winter (it gets around 30 degrees feirenhient here) is it still safe to shoot it?

[john bunsenburner]

I guess if your not shooting snow or like tracking with it for days its ok, 30° is just below 32°[0°C](i work in celcius). this means its now that cold reall, but im not sure so ask some others

[Pilgrimman]

You really shouldn't shoot it in the cold. PVC gets derated (meaning the pressure rating goes down) as a function of temperature decrease. PVC gets brittle in the cold, and we all know that PVc shatters on failure, so I would not recommend shooting in the cold.

[cowkiller]

so metal guns are ok? unless you lick then that could be a problem

[john bunsenburner]

metal guns are always ok, iv bin out at like -20°C and iv shot with a metal gun and never did they shatter i also shot at 40°C and nothing happened with the same gun, only the pressure kinda goes down when its cold meaning air gets heavyer and if you have co2 its less preasurized!

[Ragnarok]

so metal guns are ok?

Sure. Metal launchers are just as safe in the cold, unless you're talking REALLY cold. Steel does get weaker and more brittle if temperatures get low enough.

Aluminium and copper launcher will retain their strength and toughness pretty much until it's so cold you wouldn't be able to fire the launcher because all the air would be in liquid pools on the ground.

[john bunsenburner]

Even then you could fire with helium, im just worried about which state of matter youd be in by then, same goes ithe other way, copper and alli will maybe expand and contract a little but can stay pretty much the same in all temps before they melt

[cowkiller]

Sure. Metal launchers are just as safe in the cold

Be sure not to lick it or that could be a long painful walk to the house or car to try and thaw it off

[zach12]

ok thanks. ill just make a small steel cannon

[Ragnarok]

Be sure not to lick it

What is this licking obsession you have for? Do you make a habit of licking them at ANY time of year?
If so, I suggest you stop it, it's unhygienic.

[SpudBlaster15]

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[Velocity]

My recommendation is just to avoid keeping the PVC launcher outside. True, the tensile strength increases. However, if that plastic receives even the slightest bump, it can crack, causing painful (deadly) shrapnel.

If you are going to fire a PVC spudgun, prepare it for launch inside. Go outside, shoot, and return before the temperature of the gun drops too much. It is your best bet.

[psycix]

If you have accidentally licked your frozen launcher, just fire it a few times to warm it up and you can take your tongue off.
Also works with hybrids. On top of that, if you can hold a gun with your tongue, it gives you a free hand to do other things, like cooking or zapping the tv.
Did you know that a trained tongue is a great recoil absorber?