Mini Salt Shotgun Makes Killing Bugs Fun

Mini Salt Shotgun Makes Killing Bugs Fun AG WORLD 31-4-24 You can shoot flies, spiders, wasps, or any other insect with this new "Bugblaster" that turns an ordinary air gun into a mini "shotgun" that shoots ordinary table salt. "It's a fun way to control pests in your home, yard, or out buildings. You can shoot flies off windows, between blind slats, off walls or ceilings, or even on-the-fly if you're a real good shot," says inventor Martin Jenson. "If you can see 'em, you can shoot 'em." The Bugblaster is made from a combination of black plastic and stainless steel tubing and measures 9 in. long. It attaches and detaches in just seconds to most any air gun, including some less expensive CO2 BB and pellet pistols. A stainless steel tube simply inserts into the muzzle. A small bungee cord (supplied) is used to secure the unit around the front sight or it can be looped through the trigger housing and attached to one of the hooks at the back of the Bugblaster. The unit shoots only a small amount of salt in each blast and holds about 15 shots. Effective range is 1 to 6 ft. "The salt doesn't affect the air pistol at all as it never enters the pistol," says Jenson. Jenson has a cattle feeding operation and says he came up with the idea because he thought it would be fun to shoot flies and other insects, rather than chasing them around with a fly swatter. "After a good deal of trial and error, I came up with a way to fulfill my somewhat crazy dream. Because the Bugblaster was so much fun to operate, and because of the enthusiasm of friends, I decided to get a patent and market it." Salt is poured into a V-shaped chamber and gravity feeds into the discharge tube, so every time you pull the trigger the compressed air picks up a measured amount of salt and shoots it out in a small burst. "You can shoot as fast as you want. It reloads immediately as soon as you shoot it," says Jenson. At close range (1 to 2 ft.) most insects will be disintegrated. Further out at 4 to 6 ft., the salt spreads out in a larger pattern that may not kill all insects. "Since salt is lightweight, it loses its velocity rapidly which makes the Bugblaster safe and environmentally friendly," says Jenson. " The salt can be discharged against hard surfaces including glass windows, formica and porcelain without surface damage. Some softer surfaces like finished wood and some painted surfaces may be etched by the salt at close range. "It leaves very little residue," says Jenson. "It's so fun to use that if I come in for lunch and am eating a sandwich as I sit in a recliner, I'll put my feet up and shoot any flies that land on my shoes. I like to shoot flies when they're 2 to 3 ft. away. It's so fun to use that when flies become scarce in our house, I've been known to open the doors and let a few unsuspecting creatures come in." Air pistols start at $40 for CO2 pistols and go on up to $100 or more. Bugblaster models are available for .177 and .22 caliber air guns and the increasingly popular 6 mm soft air guns. For best performance, air guns must be rated at 400 fps or faster or 350 fps for soft air guns. Jenson says the Bugblaster should not be used with spring piston-type air guns because the salt does not create enough resistance to cushion the action. Sells for $14.95 plus $4.80 S&H. For orders of more than one Bugblaster deduct $2 from the S&H fee. "Be sure to include information on the type of air gun you plan to use with your Bugblaster so we can ship the right model to you," notes Jenson. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bugblaster Products, 7455 N 2400 W, Amalga, Utah 84335 (ph 435 563-3332; bug blaster@plmw.com; www.bugblaster.net).

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