Rubber band gun

A rubber band gun, often abbreviated to RBG, is a toy gun used to fire one or more rubber bands (or "elastic bands").

RBGs are often used in live-action games such as Assassins, in which they are common, popular and effective toy weapons. They are also common in offices and classrooms.

Types of rubber band gun

Clothespin pistol

This is the simplest form of rubber band gun. Its firing mechanism consists solely of a clothespin. The gun may have more than one clothespin, thereby allowing more than one band to be fired.

Multiple load- Single fire

This RBG allows user to load many rubber bands around the handle of the gun, in the firing position. One rubber band is staged in the firing position and is shot by pulling a pivoting trigger. It is usually cheaper than a repeater pistol with fewer moving pieces.

Repeater pistol

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The repeater RBG is usually made of wood, and has a plastic firing mechanism, consisting of a toothed wheel onto which the bands are hooked, and a sprung trigger/escapement that releases the wheel by one notch, releasing a rubber band every time the trigger is pulled.

Gatling gun

A rubber band Gatling gun consists of between 3 and 12 repeater RBGs arranged on a cylindrical "rotor". The rotor rotates and each individual barrel is fired as it reaches the top of its locus.

The original, patented, tripod-mounted rubber band Gatling gun was featured on the Gadget Show on UK television in March 2007.

A twelve-barrel Gatling gun using twelve-shot repeater mechanisms can fire 144 rubber bands automatically. It is fired by manually rotating a crank handle and pulling a firing trigger.

K'nex RBGs

Rubber band guns can be built from K'NEX. Such constructions can include handheld pistols, automatics and sniper rifles. Some K'NEX guns work using the escapement mechanism seen in the repeater RBG, while some more advanced types have hinge triggers that are more reliable, allow for more bands on a barrel, and have a more realistic trigger feel.

Lego RBGs

In early 2007, Sebastian Dick built a motorized Gatling RBG entirely from Lego. It is capable of firing 11 rounds per second.

Miniguns

Motorised RBGs with rotary barrels, similar to the Minigun, are the latest developments in the world of the rubber band gun. In November 2007, Anthony Smith completed the Disintegrator, a 288-shot motorised rubber band gun with 2 contra-rotating rotors of 12 barrels each. This gun can be mounted on a tripod or fired from the hip, and can fire more than 40 rounds per second.

External links

* [http://www.surefireproducts.co.uk/ Surefire Products, home of the Rubber Band Gatling Gun]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=jOFcVg923ws Video of the K'nexecutioner, a K'nex Gatling gun, in operation]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgiUSEpg8Xc&eurl Video of the Lego Gatling gun in operation]
* [http://disintegrator.co.uk The Disintegrator, a 288-shot, motorised, cordless double rubber band minigun]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GAUnuuBkW4 Video of the Disintegrator in operation]
* [http://www.firewheel.com.au/fw/index.aspx The FireWheel, a fully automatic RBG]
* [http://store.designsonq.com/rubberbandgun.html Multiple load- Single fire RBG Woodworking plans]