Posted on 09/06/2011 7:46:20 AM PDT by Morgana
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A man was hospitalized after being seriously injured in a potato gun explosion.
Police said they received a report of a shooting in the 200 block of Alpha Avenue at about 4:15 p.m. Monday, where they found 53-year-old John Berthiaume II lying in the street.
Berthiaume suffered injuries to his right arm and leg when his homemade potato gun exploded, Louisville Metro Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell said.
The victim's brother, Tony, said it appeared that his brother put too much black powder into the device.
"I guess it stressed the metal out too much, and it blew up," he said.
Martha Dodd said the explosion sent shrapnel into her home across the street.
"I looked out the door and saw him sitting on the ground and I said, 'You just shot a hole in my house,'" Dodd said.
Berthiaume was taken to University of Louisville Hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Mitchell said.
(Excerpt) Read more at wlky.com ...
I thought you used lighter fluid?
Must have had Olivia Wilde advising him. In her return to “House”, she’s looking at House’s gun to see what can be improved, and sends a potato through the rear window of a pickup.
Are we supposed to be surprised?
In Sacramento, CA potato guns are illegal, one year in jail if you are caught with one.
The “potato gun” was made with a piece of chain link fence rail pipe.
The idiot put black powder in that???
Another fun activity is going to be outlawed now.
Could shoot a spud about 100 yards.
The same is true in most any city in the US.
I quit building them more than 10 years ago...
I now have more fun shooting my .50 cal air rifle that makes the same “whoop” when it goes off. It is legal.
Not for long if the libs have their way.
Typical evil chick. He’s writhing in pain in the street covered in soot and shrapnel,,, and she walks up and first thing she says is ‘you shot a hole in my house’. Nice,,,
LLS
Yep... me, too. I sure kept my guardian angel busy in my younger days.
“You’ll shoot your eye out!”
Guns dont kill potatoes, potatoe guns kill er, ah, maybe potatoe heads....
Yep. That tends to happen when you use an exploding substance on a tight-fitting projectile which is intended to be shot by air, like a bb or a pellet gun.
Black powder is not a toy and not something which should be disrespected. The Brits learned that lesson the hard way when they marched against the Kentucky riflemen at the Battle of New Orleans. No knock on our other men who contributed to that victory, but most of the thinning of the herd was done in that field range between where the Kentucky rifles could hit the redcoats but the redcoat return fire couldn't hit them.
No one in his right mind would load a tater cannon with black powder, in any quantity.
My son played around with potato guns when he was younger. Aqua-Net was his preferred propellant as well. I couldn't believe the range he was getting the first time I saw him fire it.
Where is the “Hold my beer.” alert?
I built several that used compressed air to launch baseballs. Worked great for little league practice.
Just watch the pressure.
First time I shot one was when I proved the fallacy of gun control. Dump a handful of nails in with the potatoe and for about $15, you have a pretty effective shotgun.
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