Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Build a homemade water gun or water balloon launcher and tell us about it.
TheBrogrammer
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Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by TheBrogrammer » Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:29 am

What's up guys? I just discovered this site about an hour ago while looking for homemade water gun designs. Here's why I was looking:

Every year the seniors in my high school have a competition called water wars. Teams of four are put against each other in a tournament style competition. Each round players try to eliminate opposing team members by spraying them with water. Once you are out you can't shoot anyone else and the team with the most people left at the end of the round wins. Each round lasts a week and people can get out at any time during that period. It's not school sanctioned, there's a massive first prize (like $2500 for the team), and it's going to be sick as fuck.

You can check out our competition website here. It has a rules section if you click the button.

My team and I wanted to build a custom water gun, a really powerful one, to give us an edge so I came here and found the Supercannon II. I'm confident this is the gun for us. It seems fairly portable and has great range and output. It would be a great support gun.

I just have a few questions about building it:
  1. How much will it cost?
  2. Should I build the separate air tank too? How would I build it?
  3. I noticed there were metal pipes instead of PVC on the pressurizing end of the gun in some of the pictures. Is this a better design and how would I build it if it is?
  4. How prone to breaking is the gun?
  5. What is the ideal air pressure before firing?
Also, do you guys have any strategies you think might be useful for the competition? Like ways to get people out or avoid getting out.

EDIT: We were also thinking about making small, but powerful water pistols that we could carry at all times outside of school. A one shot pistol that uses an air compressor to pressurize might work for us. Is this possible to build one of these that would be effective at short to medium range?

Thanks for your help in advance guys. I really appreciate it.
Last edited by TheBrogrammer on Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

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cantab
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by cantab » Sun Mar 14, 2010 2:24 pm

Sounds a lot like Assassins, with the eliminate at any time thing.

Building an SCII would be cool, but it's not particularly practical. You only get one shot - though it is one ridiculously powerful shot. If you're allowed to shoot from vehicles, I'd suggest that as the best usage, so you can make a getaway if you miss. SCII could cause injury at close range, so have something else too.

Your main objective should be not to get in a duel. You want to shoot your target in the back.

That said, you should certainly practice duelling with each other. The most important thing is dodging, since this sounds like a one-hit-kills game.

Each player should keep a compact, reasonably powerful, pressurised blaster with them at all times. One of the smaller Water Warriors would probably be ideal. You want it to fit in a coat pocket and be quickly drawable. Also helps if it doesn't leak!

Also get something like a larger Water Warrior (or a CPS. Ideally one each again. These should be your main weapons when you're going out target hunting

If you fancy going for a clever homemade, how about a pressurised container in a backpack, and then a hose running inside your sleeve, to a nozzle and trigger. Powerful and concealable. You may be able to adapt a garden sprayer.

Finally, be paranoid. Check over your shoulders. If you walk to/from school, go a long way round instead of by the usual route, come in early and leave late (or come in late if you think you'll avoid getting in trouble!), that sort of thing.

If you fancy pushing the rules - they say only water may be used, but they don't say what physical state it must be in. So hitting someone with a thrown ice cube or snowball counts ;-)
I work on Windows. My toolbox is Linux.
Arsenal:
Super Soaker: XP215, 2xXP220, Liquidator, Aquashock Secret Strike M(odded), Arctic Blast M, CPS1200, CPS2100, SC Power Pak, 3l aquapack, 1.5l aquapack
Water Warriors: Jet, Sting Ray M, Shark, Argon M, Tiger Shark, PulseMaster
Others: Waterbolt, The Blaster, Storm 500, Shield Blaster 2000, generic PR gun, generic backpack piston pumper (broken), 3l garden sprayer M, 10l water carrier:

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JuchTurtles
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by JuchTurtles » Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:14 pm

Welcome to SSC! I have an idea for a pistol you might like.

Attach a small, pressurized tank made out of PVC with a bike pump connection, like a schrader valve. Make it have an outlet (threaded 3/4") so that you can add a garden hose handle contraption. Modify them if you want bigger blasts and you should be done. Remember to have a cap to refil more quickly.

Now with the SCs, I think you should build several Hand Cannons instead. These get the output levels of SCs at a smaller size. It's so much better, and all of you could have one or two of these per guy. At that you have appr. 6 blasts that are SC like. I personally think those are a lot better.

EDIT: Link to Hand Cannon
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zeda.beta
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by zeda.beta » Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:32 pm

Personally I would just go with a wrist mounted water gun, probably using LRT for the entire tube running down the forearm. Otherwise you could just use a water worm, and have the output tube on your wrist or knee. (I have tried the knee and nobody expects to be shot while you are tying your shoe.) :D
-Zeda
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
Quack damn you.

steelboot
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by steelboot » Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:16 pm

Realistically, in street wars you won't want something like an SCII at all. I recommend the XP270, it's readily available, light and has a decent range.
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cantab
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by cantab » Sun Mar 14, 2010 5:35 pm

Regarding specific guns, around Cambridge the XP240 was highly popular as a 'concealable' weapon. (Note the Cambridge rules states that anyone openly bearing a weapon is a legit target for everyone, but a conspicuous bulge under a coat isn't openly bearing.) The larger Storm pistols were also popular, having rather good range. Not common, but very effective, was the Aquapack Devastator. And of course there were the various CPSes.

Tiny squirt guns were used also. The smaller the better, ideally you can conceal it in a closed fist. Hard to find one that doesn't leak mind.

Of course, this was in a mixed weaponry environment. Water blasters were joined by nerf guns, rubber band guns, and pens and rulers labelled 'knife'.
I work on Windows. My toolbox is Linux.
Arsenal:
Super Soaker: XP215, 2xXP220, Liquidator, Aquashock Secret Strike M(odded), Arctic Blast M, CPS1200, CPS2100, SC Power Pak, 3l aquapack, 1.5l aquapack
Water Warriors: Jet, Sting Ray M, Shark, Argon M, Tiger Shark, PulseMaster
Others: Waterbolt, The Blaster, Storm 500, Shield Blaster 2000, generic PR gun, generic backpack piston pumper (broken), 3l garden sprayer M, 10l water carrier:

TheBrogrammer
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by TheBrogrammer » Sun Mar 14, 2010 6:48 pm

Wow, you guys have been a ton of help so far. Thank you so much. I can definitely see why the SCII would be impractical. The only reason we'd make one is just to completely embarrass people. It has a sort of intimidation factor that other guns do not.

I love the hand cannon idea, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to build an effective one without clear instructions. Since the game involves one shot kills the capacity of the guns isn't as important as their accuracy and effective range, this makes the hand cannon sound like a good weapon for us.

We're also definitely buying other "assault rifle" type of guns. Your recommendations so far have been awesome. Cost is not a factor for us. We want something that works well and doesn't leak. Soaking ability is also a major factor to avoid disputes over kills.

We can't get killed to and from school in case you guys were wondering. We're clearing out our garages so we can open them, park inside, then close them, without leaving the car. Then we will be able to walk inside safely. We're also only leaving the house to get people out.

Another question on strategy:

Should we wait for them to come to us (camp outside our house and wait) or go to them and wait for them to leave? Which is better and why?

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soakernerd
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by soakernerd » Sun Mar 14, 2010 6:51 pm

How wet do you have to be to be out?
I would go to their house dressed as a mailman. when they open the door, shoot them.

TheBrogrammer
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by TheBrogrammer » Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:01 pm

soakernerd wrote:How wet do you have to be to be out?
I would go to their house dressed as a mailman. when they open the door, shoot them.
Any amount of water is technically enough to get someone out, but people are likely to challenge the kill if you don't get them that wet. Money is involve and things get heated (although all we really care about is winning, at any cost). The mailman idea would be really funny. I'd be afraid of them just opening the door a crack and spraying me, but it might work.

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zeda.beta
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by zeda.beta » Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:29 pm

The Aquapack Devestator is super effective for a sneak attack, but a well concealed XP 20 gets the job done the exact same way.
-Zeda
I reject your reality and substitute my own.
Quack damn you.

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martianshark
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by martianshark » Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:28 pm

I laughed at the mailman idea. You could also dress yourself as a salesman or something.

This is a serious water war considering you get $2,500 if you win!

Where is this war? If it's close, I might want to join it.

Get some Hydra-Paks/Leftovers/Vanquishers. They have decent range and great shot time.

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C-A_99
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by C-A_99 » Sun Mar 14, 2010 10:35 pm

There are generally three recommendable blasters for assassins:

XP215 (or any other tiny, PRESSURIZED blaster): is fairly powerful for it's size and much, much better than squirt guns.

Max-D 2000: concealable but has the power to push roughly 30-35ft, though not perfectly concealable like the XP215.

Any CPS: saved for duels, must be kept in careful locations or may be omitted to prevent from being stolen.


That said, I've never played assassins before. Think carefully, always be armed, and remember, a suspicious mind is a healthy mind. Work with your team carefully, and always keep a loaded soaker at the front door. (open the door carefully as well)

TheBrogrammer
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by TheBrogrammer » Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:00 am

martianshark wrote:I laughed at the mailman idea. You could also dress yourself as a salesman or something.

This is a serious water war considering you get $2,500 if you win!

Where is this war? If it's close, I might want to join it.

Get some Hydra-Paks/Leftovers/Vanquishers. They have decent range and great shot time.
The war is in an an area in Michigan called Birmingham. It's only open to seniors from our school though (not even juniors can compete).

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C-A_99
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by C-A_99 » Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:40 am

My high school (I live in Troy which is close to Birmingham) had an assassins game as well during our senior year though I declined to participate due to the fee and the fact that no friends were interested. (plus our own water wars are better anyway)

TheBrogrammer
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Re: Supercannon for high school water wars competition.

Post by TheBrogrammer » Mon Mar 15, 2010 12:58 am

C-A_99 wrote:My high school (I live in Troy which is close to Birmingham) had an assassins game as well during our senior year though I declined to participate due to the fee and the fact that no friends were interested. (plus our own water wars are better anyway)
Oh cool. I have a couple friends at Troy. Yeah, it costs a lot to enter, but at my school pretty much everyone in the grade participates so the prize money you can win back makes it worth it. Still, it's going to be a ton of fun regardless of the money.

Here's what I'm thinking for our arsenal:

1 XP215 per person, we will carry on us at all times
1 CPS gun per person, these will be hard to find cheap (should I check garage sales and ask around about them?)
1 homemade monster for the team, probably the SCII (I know you guys discouraged this, but it looks ridiculous and this is the perfect excuse to make one)

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