Mousetrap (weapon)

Transcription

You can turn a mousetrap like this into a fun little handgun, that will shoot projectiles with power and precision! In this video we'll be converting these traps into affordable little firearms. I picked up this two-pack of traps for only 98¢. These are the "Tomcat" brand, and I chose them because of this yellow bait pad that I'll be using later. I got a piece of 2x2 and cut it to the height of 4 fingers, and that's going to be my handle. To modify these traps, we'll get them out of the packaging, and start by removing the bait pad from this heavy duty support staple, and setting it to the side. Using some needle nose pliers, we can remove the staple from the base, and grab a marker. We're going to need to place some dots over the cat's heel bone, the elbow, and one where the ear meets the eye. A drill and an 1/8" bit will help turn those dots into holes, that should end up looking like this. I've got 2 screws from a door hinge that will work well for fastening the trap onto the top of the wood handle. The back overhangs about 1/4" and when the screws are set, the trap is secure. Now the locking pin will need to be shortened, so holding it over the spring and looking down from the top, a mark is made so that it lines up just past the remaining hole. The snips on my pliers will cut that to size, and I'm double checking that the length is good by holding it next to the hole. It's pretty much flush with the edge, so I'll finish it off by bending the tip back just a touch, so it angles up at about 45º. The other trap still has a locking pin that can be easily removed, and used to help form the trigger for the pistol. This hole is just large enough to allow the trigger to pivot freely. On the top side, I'll cut the pin flush with the spring, and then bend it over forming a hook shape. This will prevent it from slipping back through the hole. There's only one thing left to do and that's to add this launching pad. So with the hooks facing up, it get's clipped onto the trap hammer and slid all the way to the right side. Then we simply lift the hammer up, and tuck the pad inward so it lays down flat on the platform. This mousetrap handgun is finished and ready for testing. Setting the firing mechanism works about the same as setting the trap, only this time we push the trigger up from the bottom so the hook slides over the locking pin, catching it in place. It's a 3 step process to pull the hammer back, set the pin, and secure it with the trigger hook. By squeezing the trigger gently, you can watch the catch slide off the pin, causing the gun to fire. It's time to add some ammo and these Airsoft BBs hold perfectly in the center groove. A quick test proves they fire straight ahead, so I've made a little target for practice. These things are pretty fast, and I'm a little surprised the pellets aren't penetrating the paper, even when shot at close range. To address that problem I'm putting pellets on every hole to attempt a shotgun approach. That's a lot more dramatic, and the spread is about 70º, so it's obviously more effective closer up. With a bit of practice, it's pretty easy to set, but if you're feeling lazy, you could just hold the hammer back with your thumb, and release when you feel like it. This also opens up an option for a rapid-fire approach. Make sure you stay well back when firing because there's a real danger of losing an eye when the locking pin snaps back and hits you. Alright, for a little variety, I've placed a penny on the launch pad, and it's a powerful shot. Back at my make-shift target range I'm interested to see if the penny does any better than the Airsoft BBs. ..And that's a definite yes. The gun shoots straight ahead by moving the ammo forward on the pad, because the targets are lower, and this is essentially a hand held mini-catapult. It's obvious that the coins get the job done, and are surprisingly consistent. By sliding the penny further back, the launch angle is shifted upward and targets higher up can be hit, even when the gun is held level. I experimented with other sources of ammunition, like this metal washer, a glass pebble, a bracelet bead, a bottle cap, and found that pretty much anything small and dense like a little stone gave satisfying results. I made some more guns and painted this one black because I liked how that contrasted against the yellow launch pad. Well now you know how to make a powerful handheld mousetrap gun, or maybe two if you're feeling ambitious? That's it for this project. If you enjoyed this video, please "Like", comment and share with your friends. I appreciate your support. Thanks for watching.