A Few Words of Caution About Potato Guns
A potato gun is not a toy. Never point one at someone, if it is loaded or not. Never look down the barrel of a gun yourself, or have someone else look down the barrel.
I read a story about a
person that shot a potato gun, while holding an empty soda can over the end of
the barrel. He thought the potato would maybe penetrate one end of the can, and
that the can would fly off with the potato inside it. This person ended up
cutting his fingers off.
The air escaping from the end of the barrel was restricted by
the can, causing the escaping air to behave as an air knife which removed his
fingers before he realized what happened.
I'm sure there are many more ways you could get seriously hurt with a potato gun. If you make one, have fun with it, but treat it with respect. It is not a toy.
When you store yours, keep it in a secure place.