I was getting ready for a pool party with my buddies last week, and the excitement was building. Erik mentioned that some of them would be bringing water guns. As I imagined the EPIC WATER BATTLES ahead, a mischievous plan formed in my mind. I couldn’t wait to splash them in the face gleefully!
Then, a LIGHTBULB went off in my head – can I shoot my gel blaster by filling the hopper with water instead of gellets? I felt a twinge of hesitation. After all, gel ball guns are designed for a specific type of ammo, and messing with that could lead to all sorts of problems.
Plus, using water directly inside an Orbeez gun didn’t seem like the brightest idea. But then I remembered my old Splat R Ball SRB1200 sitting in the corner, collecting dust. I decided to take a chance and see if I could make it work. Let me share my findings with you.
So, Can You Use A Gel Blaster As A Water Gun?
NO, you should not put water in a gel blaster and shoot- it cannot function as efficiently as a water or squirt gun. Built specifically for shooting gellets or gel balls, attempting to fire any liquid from a gel gun is an inefficient process and not fun. The splashing usually only reaches a short distance, often less than 2 feet.
Moreover, using water in a gel blaster for a long time can cause DAMAGE to its electrical components, leading to malfunction. To keep your Orbeez gun performing at its best, stick to using it with the recommended gel balls with the proper size and hardness.
Curiosity often leads to discovery, so I decided to conduct a few experiments myself to see if a gel gun blaster could shoot water instead of gellets. Here’s what I did:
- Setting Up Targets: I arranged some cans in my 60-foot backyard as targets.
- Preparing the Blaster: I took an empty hopper, filled it with water, and attached it to the SRB1200 splatter ball gun. I made sure to keep the blaster upside down to prevent any possible spillage.
- Taking Aim: With everything set, I quickly turned the blaster upright and aimed at the cans.
- Observation: The blaster did shoot water, but the streams were not as forceful as regular squirt guns. In fact, they barely reached a couple of feet away.
While this result was disappointing, it wasn’t surprising. No matter how powerful a gel blaster is, it simply isn’t designed to fire water effectively due to its internal mechanism. This is also the same reason why airsoft BBs are incompatible with gel blasters.
Why Isn’t A Gel Blaster Gun Able To Shoot Water?
Since a gel blaster uses water beads as its ammo, you might wonder why it would fail to shoot just water. Well, let’s get a better understanding of their working mechanism and compare it to that of a squirt gun.
A typical electric gel blaster has a motor powering a gearbox. The gears work together to move the spring-powered piston back and forth rapidly. The piston cylinder is completely sealed, allowing it to build up air pressure and use it to launch the gel beads.
Each time the piston is pulled back, the cylinder draws in air. The piston then rushes forward swiftly, pushing the gel balls out of the barrel. Gas-powered blasters work similarly, except compressed CO2, HPA, or Green Gas is used to propel the ammo.
On the other hand, water guns typically use a pump and piston mechanism to build up pressure and expel the fluid in powerful blasts. Some squirt guns also use air pressure by pushing air into a dedicated space in the water reservoir, but these are usually less powerful than gel blasters and splatter ball guns.
A water gun can effectively build up the pressure until it is strong enough to release the liquid when you pull the trigger. In contrast, an Orbeez gun will push out the water with a LOWER FORCE as it flows into the barrel without sufficient pressure buildup.
Here is a nice video explaining what really happens:
But, Can You Install A Water Tank In Place Of The Magazine?
If you find a water tank that perfectly fits the THREAD on the feed neck of your gel blaster, you could consider replacing the top-loaded hopper with it. However, since this modification won’t significantly improve performance, it may not be worth the hassle.
When it comes to using bottom-fed SLR clips or drum magazines available with splatter ball guns, the process becomes more complex. Unlike a top-fed hopper, gravity can’t assist in moving the water upwards into the barrel. You would need a water tank with such a mechanism.
But guess what? It’s uncertain if you can find a water tank that fits in place of the magazine. As attempting this modification could potentially damage your blaster, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Final Verdict: Gel Blasters Are Best for Gellets, Not Water
While you can still use a blaster to shoot water at very close range, it’s just not fun enough. Besides, you’ll be running a huge risk of potentially short-circuiting the electrical components and ruining your Orbeez gun. I’d strongly advise against using your gel blaster as a water gun.
So, what can you do?
If you’re planning a wet summer party with friends or family, consider getting the BEST WATER GUNS instead of modifying your old gel blaster guns. Trust me, water guns are incredibly fun, and everyone loves them.
Alternatively, new gel blasters like the Piranha model are water-resistant, allowing them to be used at pool parties. While water guns are typically ideal for such activities, you might want to try out this new option.
