CANzerfaust – 3D-Printed 66mm Recoilless Soda Can Launcher

Luke C.
by Luke C.
A 3D Printed 66mm Recoilless Soda Can Launcher – The CANzerfaust

The 3D printing community never ceases to amaze me. With recoilless launchers appearing a lot in the news as well as here on TFB, I think it was only a matter of time before someone found a way to 3D print such a device. However, what the CANzerfaust does that a lot of other recoilless launchers don’t do is convert itself from a shoulder-fired launcher into a mortar without any additional attachments.

Recoiless Launchers @ TFB:

CANzerfaust – 3D-Printed 66mm Recoilless Soda Can Launcher

While the CANzerfaust seems to be in perfect working order according to posts on Twitter, according to ctrlpew, the launcher is not quite ready for the files and plans to be released on the usual channels.

Hi, dev here.
Hanrahan jumped the gun. Its not released yet. We’re still working on the docs and polishing the files so that it meets The Gatalog’s standard for releases. Beta soon on the rocket chat.

-ctrlpew

The tweet in question was posted by user Jake Hanrahan who posted videos of the working launcher in both configurations (shoulder-fired and as a mortar). According to the series of posts, the CANzerfaust will be a 100% DIY capable build meaning that there are no regulated parts included in the construction and this means that anyone, anywhere should be able to build it provided they have the gumption to do so.

As can be seen from the tweeted video below, the launcher does in fact have basically zero recoil and looks like it can be safely fired from the shoulder or from the ground without issue. While there could be some pretty creative uses for this type of device, according to Deterrence Dispensed, the CANzerfaust is nothing more than a novelty 66mm drink can launcher. Sounds like this one is a perfect case of doing something just because you can.

As always, we’d like to hear your thoughts on this. Once the plans are released, will you 3D printers out there be considering making your own DIY recoilless can launcher? Do you see any potential legal or safety issues involved with this design? Let us know down in the comments!

Luke C.
Luke C.

Reloader SCSA Competitor Certified Pilot Currently able to pass himself off as the second cousin twice removed of Joe Flanigan. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballisticaviation/

More by Luke C.

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 57 comments
  • David Knuth David Knuth on Mar 30, 2022

    This + Home model rocket kits + ?? == fun!

  • Love and Justice Love and Justice on Apr 02, 2022

    I've always thought a home-made recoiless launcher would benefit from a high-low pressure system like a little pipe-bomb with a bunch of holes drilled through it: lower peak pressure, higher average pressure, like in a 40mm launched grenade. https://uploads.disquscdn.c...

    Also, since SIG has a scope and rangefinder combo that converse in a wireless manner, I wonder how feasible it would be to make shells that also take that data for a burst-open timer (less than a 1/4 oz charge and I think the projectiles may be non-NFA). The shell could travel with a good ballistics coefficient, and then open up into a spray of buck shot at an optimal distance to saturate a target.

    comment photo
Next