Home-made Airsoft Hawkins Mines

Sounds like an interesting one to me.

Pics would be good at the very least!

Indeed, I shall try and get some pics or diagrams up soon. Built the prototype mechanism last night so havn't had the chance to take any pics. Looks quite rough anyways. Once firmly mounted into the can and mabey a bit of piant, I'll do some proper pics and discriptions aswell.

Well, I can't find the dock for the digi camera, so I've had to try and use my scanner to 'take photos' of the prototype: Here is it in it's sprung position. Doors/flaps have yet to be made to cover the "flinger" when it's set/primed:

Yet to be painted/cosmetics added, or have the triggering system permanently fixed.

Interesting stuff... what would the trigger be?

At the mo, the original trigger was by pressure from underneath; so if it's stepped on or knocked, It'd go off, but to fit it I've yet to cut the holes in the bottom of the can and it seems like quite an obvious trigger for it set up like a mine, but relies on the enemy being quite blind to it. I think I'll be going for a remote wire trigger, so that it can be set up with a trip wire or as a remotely activated "give a tub on the wire to fire it when the enemy gets near" kinda thing

Any suggestions for improvements or other triggering suggestions greatly welcome!

Yeah a wire would be better... You'll need to mount it for a good spread of bbs or it'll not get noticed.

Currently I've tested it with pay-loads of up to 500 BBs (not full, but a nice amount to release) and launches them to around 12ft into the air. I've got loads of the cheapo yellow 0.12g BBs to use up now...

Currently I've tested it with pay-loads of up to 500 BBs (not full, but a nice amount to release) and launches them to around 12ft into the air.

Nice little shower, that! i'd certainly be interested in seeing the plans

Well, plans (in verbal form) are two bog-standard wood-based mousetraps that have been cut down, mounted on two 1" high wooden blocks (they're also 2" long, as I cut the mousetrap bases down to 2". Width doesn't matter as long as they're thinner than the width of the mousetrap base). These two "spring-arms on blocks" get fitted (read: screwed from underneath) to either end of a section of UPVC air duct that has been cut into a length slightly shorter than that of the Jeyes/IPA/thinner can, and then cut in half to provide two U-shaped sections (you only need one) and the sides of the U need to be cut down to 1 1/4" (the same hight of the "spring-arms on blocks" from bottom of blocks to top of trap bases, assuming the wood trap bases are 1/4" thick). The "spring-arms on blocks" should be orientated so that in the 'released/sprung' position they point away from each other, and in the 'set/primed' position the trap arms nearly touch. Between that arms, there needs to be sewn a loop or sling of light but high-density cotton (like the cotton used for pockets in trousers) in the half triggered position of the arms as seen in the photos above. The triggerable locks are two L-shaped bits of metal attached to the side of the U-shaped UPVC channel by some form of hingeing (I am using two small jewlery box hinges) that can fold over and lock the two spring arms down in place. The ammo is loaded into the cotton sling which sits down in the centre of the U-shaped channel between the two "spring-arms on blocks". Hope that makes some sense...

I'll draw up some plans and post them later. Would be good if we could get a few made!

just wondering-how about spraying them with butter beans or dried marrowfat peas rather than BB's?

chilli beans maybe?

Or raw liver? Make them look like they've really been hit!

Or raw liver? Make them look like they've really been hit!

grim! still yeah, dried peas are quite good. mind you, i'm not sure if they're any cheaper than those crappy .12 cheapsoft BB's!

but they ARE biodegradeable.

but they ARE biodegradeable.

so are all the BB's i've ever bought, well, it says they are on the bottles/bags, at least?

I doubt the .12g ones are...

Yes, that is a very good idea. Shall prob use lentils and/or dried peas for natures sake. It can even fire up a cloud of "smoke" (read: two tea-spoons of flour , Not that people would want flour sticking to thier damp uniforms).

bicarb(soda) would probably work better if you want smoke-that won't stain, or perhaps starch-then at least their uniforms would get a pressing....

Sorry to keep people hanging (that is if anyone is actually interested ), but I should havei t fully working and looking 'decent' for a quick video soon hopefully. The reason for the delay is that parts of my original prototype trigger mech' have snapped Too thin a' wire.

Definitely interested in this skullduggery, McV !