Place 4-inch mini-boomerangs into ammunition feeder slot. Aim, fire, and if you miss your target, use a hockey glove to catch.

Either pneumatically powered, or electrically powered, miniclampers on a chain thing grab a minirang as they spin past them. Upon nearing the far end of the gun, the clampers start to turn and go back (think chainsaw). The minirangs are released at the moment of maximum rotation and speed, throwing them in a blur.

Great for hunting or playing a game of catch with yourself.

G'day mate!
-- DesertFox, Feb 28 2006

For the boomerang impaired http://www.boomerangs.org/how.html
Apparently your mistake was a) you weren't good enough; b) the boomerang was duff. [DrCurry, Feb 28 2006]

Boomerang Gun http://www.firebox....ion=product&pid=855
Range 100'. Sounds an awful lot like what you're proposing. One might even call this MFD consumer advice. [DrCurry, Feb 28 2006]

TriFly fast catch http://www.boomeran...n.com/plans/mhr.php
[hippo, Feb 28 2006]

Triffid Gun http://www.bbc.co.u...ffids/reviews.shtml
[DrCurry, Feb 28 2006]

Has anyone ever actually seen a boomerang return?
-- bristolz, Feb 28 2006


Me. (Of course, I had to include a stamped self-addressed envelope.)
-- DrCurry, Feb 28 2006


Precision-make the boomerangs, and because of the fact that it is a machine, it will throw them the same way every time. The throwing motion isn't that complex, it deals a lot with the wrist, and timing of the release, as well as the torque motion.

I know a bit about boomerangs.
-- DesertFox, Feb 28 2006


Cool link [DrCurry]. I've seen 'em come back, but not right to the thrower's position.

[DesertFox] what do you think the range on those would be? (interesting idea).
-- Zimmy, Feb 28 2006


Btw, you do realize that boomerang launchers (guns) are a staple of children's stores? See link for one that fires three-bladed boomerangs. (You might want to buy one for Bristol, I guess she lacks the proper wrist action.) (Girls, sheesh!)
-- DrCurry, Feb 28 2006


I had a traditional (2 spoke) boomerang that would come back to the throwing location reliably. It's the only one of its kind I've ever had that worked this way, and I can not find one like it today. Most notably it was large - about 3 feet long, weighing about 10 pounds. My guess is that some would-be Einstein decapitated themselves with one leaving the rest of us to play with the dysfunctional remnants of what it once was.
-- Shz, Feb 28 2006


I've never thrown a boomerang but I've seen them thrown many times without their ever coming back to the thrower.

I've seen people throw Frisbees in such a way that they traveled a large circular path back to the thrower.
-- bristolz, Feb 28 2006


This annotation contains words longer than 30 characters and will be difficult to display. Please use the [link] button for URLs; if your long word is not a link, find some way of breaking it up with spaces.

+, nuff sed.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 28 2006


I've used something similar to the Trifly Fast Catch (see link), which was lightweight, small and so easy to throw even I could make it return to me.
[note that's "Trifly" as in "Tri-Fly", not "Trifle-y" - i.e. similar to a trifle - that wouldn't fly at all]
-- hippo, Feb 28 2006


Spear throwers are sometimes touted as the most significant tool development.
-- DrCurry, Feb 28 2006


Good one, [UB]. I was going to do the 'I'm Australian, let me tell you about boomerangs' thing but I'm glad you beat me to it. Hadn't heard of the hook thing.

There's a boomerang-gun-like triffid killer in 'Day of the Triffids'.
-- spidermother, Feb 28 2006


Well, it's a damn good thing Dick Cheney doesn't use a boomerang.
-- bristolz, Feb 28 2006


Millions would disagree with you there, and one lawyer in particular.
-- DrCurry, Feb 28 2006


Question for antipodean members: Was the rocket range named after the launcher, or was this simply a happy coincidence?
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, Feb 28 2006


Yes, the range was named after the launcher. It's interesting living here in the antipodes ;-)
-- spidermother, Mar 01 2006


But no yo-yos?
-- DrCurry, Mar 02 2006


I do remember reading somewhere that traces of eucalyptus gum were found in some of the mummies.
-- BunsenHoneydew, Jul 18 2006


great idea! btw I don't think Aborigine is a politically correct term anymore, your supposed to say "aboriginal" or "indigenous australian" or maybe "black fella mob" if your in the right circles.
-- greyfiend, Jul 18 2006



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