Spud Guns: Legal And Dangerous - When it fired a frog, it blinded a 17-year-old Boy

CBS News ^ | 08/20/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

(CBS) Just when 17-year-old Daniel Berry's life had found new light, he must find his way in the dark.

"It's not right, I'm not used to being blind," he says. "It's a whole new world for me and not one that I would've chosen."

Berry was shot in the face, looking down the barrel of a home-built contraption called a spud gun. When it fired a frog, it blinded him.

"If it would've been anything else it would've killed me," he says.

Spud guns fire potatos like light artillery. Some versions launch tennis balls.

A garage in Appleton, Wisconsin may be the center of the spud gun universe; that's where Joel Suprise has a booming business making spud guns of all sizes.

The guns are dangerous, can cause property damage and can cause severe bodily injury, he says.

"It's an item that's designed for fun and recreation but they need to be used safely," says Suprise.

The guns are made of plastic plumbing pipe and fueled by deodorant or hairspray fumes. A barbecue igniter is used for a trigger, and a potato, or anything that fits, goes down the barrel. It's a $60 weapon.

In the eyes of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, spud guns are not illegal. But across the country, some towns want them outlawed and police are confiscating spud guns regularly.

One gun was used in a North Carolina drive-by shooting. Another blinded an eye of a Pennsylvania house painter.

"They need to be used under adult supervision, the same with any type of gun," says Surprise.

On the Internet, they're a phenomenon, with nearly 9,000 spud gun hits. Web sites show people how to build or buy them cheap.

"I'm not the bad guy," says Suprise. "I'm just trying to live the American dream."

Berry had an American dream too.

"I wanted to finish up my college and go to the air force and be a pilot," he says.

Now, he struggles with a new life of talking calculators and the language of Braille.

But he wants his blindness to be his warning of what can happen when people play with any kind of gun.

© MMIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[Roughneck]

****Berry was shot in the face, looking down the barrel of a home-built contraption called a spud gun. When it fired a frog, it blinded him. ****

This is really sad, but the kid is an idiot! Too bad this lesson was learned too late.

Still, no one can blame the spud gun, as the title suggests, blame ignorance of both the parents (for not teaching him correctly) and the boy for thinking he can look down the barrel of any gun without possible bad consequence.

As a side note:
Kind of cruel shooting frogs out of guns if ya ask me, what kind of values did this boy have? Where is PETA?

[Blood of Tyrants]

KNIVES : Legal And Dangerous - Boy uses one improperly and severs fingers.

STONES : Legal And Dangerous - Boy throws one and sister and cuts her head.

WORDS : Legal And Dangerous - Evil racist Republicans are able to speak and hurt sensitive liberal's feelings.

#$@$@#% stupid nanny state.

[sd-joe]

Ban FROGS.

[vetvetdoug]

Algore=Frog=Frenchman=really dumb.

[martin_fierro]

"When it fired a frog, it blinded him."
I don't think I will ever see this sentence again.

LOL

[MassExodus]

They can have my potato cannon when they pry my cold dead, sticky with Aqua-Net fingers off the PVC.

[AngryJawa]

I've really got to get a new igniter for my old "Seigemaster 2000" spudzooka. It's been too long.

[Jonah Hex]

Is that one of those .50 caliber sniper spudguns?

[martin_fierro]

Just when 17-year-old Daniel Berry's life had found new light, he must find his way in the dark.

And with that turkey of an opening sentence, I just knew I was gonna be in for a maudlin treatment.

[Maelstrom]

How's the frog doing?

He went to pieces.

The frog croaked.
Shame on you...went to pieces...sheesh!

[AngryJawa]

"Berry was shot in the face, looking down the barrel of a home-built contraption called a spud gun. When it fired a frog, it blinded him."

Now this is a turkey of a sentence.

Poor blind froggie.

[SC DOC]

Spud Guns- The Next Generation

[The Shootist]

The American Dream - "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".

As far as the blinded kid goes . . . Another finalist for the Darwin Award.

[AmusedBystander]

Stop the presses. What, CBS can't find anything interesting to write about today? This is an old story. In fact last April it was mentioned in the responses of http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/897643/posts

Posted here as well.

[mhking]

So the last thing he'll remember seeing is a frog with a terrified look on it's face getting closer....and closer....and closer....

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

What accounts for the green color. I thought schedule 40 PVC came in white only...

[headsonpikes]

"It's not right, I'm not used to being blind..."

Perhaps he should onsider a future as a blues musician.

[lawdude]

Can one identify the specific 'spudgun' used by noting the scratches on the bullet? Does each one have unique markings?

Hmmm, are spudguns rifled?

If I make a spudgun must I provide a spud (or frog) to the feds for the databank?

[AngryJawa]

What accounts for the green color. I thought schedule 40 PVC came in white only...

Tactical paint.

[headsonpikes]

That's 'consider'!


How's 'Blind Frog Perry' as a recording name?

Or 'Hoppy' ;^)