Blowguns

[ThorinNNY]

I just saw a news article where 2 NYC teens shot several people with blowgun darts. The victims had been picked at random. The victims were treated and released. The good news was the darts the teens used were not poisoned . The scary part is darts can be poisoned.
I guess this creates a new or at least little used class of non firearm weapon in our cities.
I know poisoned darts have been used by primitive tribesman in jungles for ages now, but it`s the first time I heard of blowguns& darts being used in a crime in any US city.

 

[tlatoani]

Blowguns are cheap and available at lots of boat/hunting/fishing Shows. And the internet of.course. Mine is fun and easy to shoot.

 

[ThorinNNY]

I apologize tlatolani.I just edited the post to say it was the first time I heard of blowguns and darts being used in crime in a US city.
Yes, I`ve seen them at a show or two,but not recently. I thought they were interesting, but of lttle practical value -to me. I can see where they might be fun to shoot at targets, but theyr`e not my thing.
Just hope this crime was an isolated incident and not the start of a trend.

 

[tlatoani]

Yeah, they could probably do some damage. But they are really just a toy to me. The paintball loader tube is nifty.

 

[rcmodel]

I think I'll pass getting shot with one.

They could shoot your eye out!

And somebody sick enough to shoot a person with a blowgun is also sick enough to have AIDS/HIV and stick himself with the darts first to transmit it.

rc

 

[glistam]

A blowgun is nothing more than a tube. You don't even have to buy them, they are so simple you could just buy a plumbing part.

The incident you mentioned is not that odd to me. I have heard of miscreant teenage boys shooting people, animals and property with them around here and in Baltimore. Never any poison, just cheap needle darts or sometimes pencils or chopsticks with cotton balls. Of course the law eventually catches up with them and we can probably guess how that goes.

I am however a fan of blowguns (see my invention in this thread) and a lot of people underestimate them. For hunting small game, pests, and fish, the darts do not need to be poisoned to get the job done. And I have seen a blunt-nosed "stun dart" knock and adult out cold at 15 feet (long story, though still pretty funny in hindsight).

 

[JShirley]

Blowguns can be as simple as a length of conduit, some conical paper cups, and screws. I made some blowdarts to use on the darn starlings that were infesting the patio.

 

[ThorinNNY]

Glistam
I checked out your invention. I AM IMPRESSED!
I`m sorry to hear that blowguns are becoming a nuisance( hazard?) in your area.
I live in a very rural area that`s pretty laid back. There`s some crime sure, but it`s mostly thefts & alcohol fueled fights or accidents.
But things are changing here also but probably a lot slower than in an urban area.
From what you wrote, I guess blowguns could be a useful tool in survival situation. I`ll have to keep that in mind if things get really tough.

 

[Ryden]

Most consider them merely toys but mine will put a dart so deep into a concrete wall you need pliers to get it out, and they are suprisingly accurate even without sights.

 

[451 Detonics]

In South America the folks used poison from the small colorful "poison dart frogs" to coat their darts. The result are kinda a slow motion knock out deal. Here in the US we have cane toads..don't know how effective their poison would be.

 

[Bikewer]

A variation of the blowgun would be the home-made airgun. You see quite a lot of variations of these on YouTube, most built with simple plumbing parts and surprisingly effective.
A 2-liter soda bottle, a piece of 1/2" copper, and a ball-valve... Pumped up to 100+ pounds with a bike pump they can launch various projectiles with rather scary effect.
I built one that at 150 pounds will shoot an "egg" fishing sinker through 1" pressboard.....

 

[ThorinNNY]

Not sure how toxic cane toad juice would be, but there`s lots of nasty stuff out there to poison a dart with if one cared to.
Darts that need to be pulled out of concrete walls with pliers are not very reassuring either.
Bikewer,
That gizmo you described reminds me of something out of No Country For Old Men. BEWARE OF STRANGERS WITH SODA BOTTLES SPORTING BALL VALVES AND COPPER TUBES !