Hi.
I've been lurking here a while, and first off I'd like to thank the long time posters here, who's posts have helped me design this build. Especially the Rainbow guys for their remarkable catch mechanism.
I'd like to share a slightly different design, which is a musket style homemade designed for use in fairly authentic Medieval LARP games, rather than NERF wars and is based around the NERF Rival ammo.
The design is based around the need to use a ramrod, which is passed down the barrel, and then used to push down and prime the piston, which uses a slightly modified rainbow style catch at the rear of the barrel. The round is then dropped down the barrel, and pushed home with the ramrod. Finally a small amount of talcum powder is poured down the barrel, and a toy cap is fitted just behind the air cylinder.
When the gun is fired, the catch in the rod leaves the rainbow catch, and is caught at the end of the piston travel on a ring, this then activates the cap (making the musket go Bang!) the ball is fired along with the talc (making a plume of smoke)
Its neither quick to load, or very long ranged, but this is what we were aiming for, as we want them to simulate the loading and effective range of a real 15th Century Arquebus/Musket.
Anyway, if people are interested, I can post some pictures of the internals later, and perhaps a video of it working.
Trigger mechanism
The bit what goes bang, also showing machined barrel connector
Some of the internals on display
Thanks
Justin.