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There are two kinds of plumbing pipe out on the market that are the best for making potato slingers. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. All makers of guns out there have their own opinion on what pipe is the best. Here are some of the theories between the two pipes:

• ABS Cellular Core is much lighter than PVC.
• PVC is cheaper where I live.
• PVC will shatter when hit with hard objects (sledgehammers)
• PVC will shatter even easier in cold weather.
• PVC is pressure-rated, so it can take pressure from compressed air.
• PVC will chemically break bown in sunlight.
• ABS is sometimes hard to find in many areas.
• ABS can take just about any kind of propellant you put in it.
• PVC has smaller parts needed for mini-gun and air-cannon.
• ABS is not really pressure-rated (it's made for drainage, not pressurized water).

When you look at PVC pipe, there should be a strip of type giving size, bunch of numers, kind of pipe, and the psi rating. The psi rating of 3" PVC pipe is 260 psi. 1-1/2" pipe is 330. 1/2" is 600 psi. So the smaller the pipe, the higher psi rating. That's for the pipe. The weak parts of the gun are the fittings and the joints. To help make stronger, use the info here to help you make a strong gun.

You see that PVC and ABS pipe has its differences. What I think of the two is use ABS for guns that use propellants for propultion and use PVC for pneumatic guns. Although ABS might be more, it could save you money in the long run from having to replace guns or body parts! And use PVC for guns that need small fittings. Of course, the best kind of material for guns is iron pipe. It will take alot of abuse from propellants, but that sucker would be heavy!

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Created 1997-98, Mike Gagnon "Spud Man"

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