The Big Gun Of Confetti Effects
Handheld confetti guns are great! They're portable, lightweight and allow you to create a shower of confetti or streamers from just about anywhere. But no matter how much confetti or how many streamers you cram into your Sky Cannon(tm) or Aero Stage Mortar(tm) there's always that one shot that calls for...more power! (Insert Tim Allen caveman grunts here)
For those shots where you need to cover more distance or shoot more effects, but still need the portability and flexibility of a handheld gun, there's only one choice -- the Parade Bazooka(tm). Measuring in with a hefty 2" diameter by 32" long barrel, the Parade Bazooka(tm) can hold twice as much confetti or streamers as a Sky Cannon(tm). As for power, this gun uses a special tandem valve that allows it to simultaneously fire two 16-gram CO2 cartridges. This creates a tremendous amount of force, capable of sending streamers and confetti up to 75' out!
Never one to take a product's description at face value, I recently took it upon myself to test fire the Parade Bazooka(tm). I loaded the barrel with about 4 stacks of Turbofetti(tm) and around two dozen streamers of varying lengths -- a minuscule load for this particular gun. Of course, I used a 2" lifting cup and 2" backpressure cap to ensure that I would get the best distance. I also made use of a trick I've mentioned in previous articles. I wrapped each stack of Turbofetti(tm) with the end of a streamer. The streamer holds the stack together a bit longer, milking more distance from the shot.
Having loaded the gun and fitted two 16 gram cylinders in the tandem valve, I was ready to fire. I chose a spot outdoors, about 50' away from Theatre Effects World Headquarters(tm). In other words, I stood on the sidewalk next to the pay phone, facing the building. I aimed the Parade Bazooka at about a 40 degree angle and hit the lever.
The first thing one notices when firing the Parade Bazooka is that there is a slight delay between when the lever is depressed and when the device actually fires. There wouldn't be enough of a delay to be noticeable to an audience, but I have had operators report that they thought for a second that the gun had misfired. When it does fire, there is a satisfying kick and confetti and streamers go flying. Because I am by no means petite or dainty, I didn't notice the recoil too much. We do recommend, however, that this particular gun only be fired by adults weighing 140 pounds or more.
The effect itself looked great! Because I had only used a fraction of the gun's capacity, the effects didn't cover as much area as they otherwise might. I did, however, manage to launch streamers and confetti from my position to the roof of the building. Distance-wise, this equals about 52-55 feet of throw. Not too shabby!
Something interesting I've noticed about the Parade Bazooka(tm) is that, while it launches the effects a considerable distance away, it keeps everything in a fairly narrow path. This is due in part, I'm sure, to the fact that I was using streamers and stacked Turbofetti(tm). Bulk confetti undoubtedly would have spread much more quickly. However, it is interesting to compare the Parade Bazooka's "rifle" effect to the "shotgun" effect of shorter barreled cannons. More power? Oh, yeah! (Insert additional Tim Allen caveman grunts here)
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