There are lots of fun guns out there, but sometimes you might want a break from guns. Maybe you want to find something you enjoy using as much as guns. Whatever your reason, there are plenty of nongun goodies out there that I know will appeal to gun owners. Let’s have a little fun today and look at five nongun goodies that’ll deliver a dopamine hit.
Flamethrower
Flamethrowers are legal in 48 out of 50 states; unsurprisingly, California is one of the two states where they are not legal. Why do they hate freedom? Recreational flamethrowers have become quite popular in the last few years. Whoever thought you’d have a chance to see capitalism produce better and cheaper man-portable flame throwers?
Flamethrowers have practical uses for controlled burns, but that’s tenuous. I’ve done plenty of controlled burns; we never needed a flamethrower. The main purpose of the recreational flamethrower dates back to all of us who went through a pyro phase. It’s just fun. Fire is fun.
Of course, you have to be responsible with fire, just like firearms. If you can wield them responsibly, you can have a lot of fun with a flamethrower. It can be the most expensive way to start a bonfire and will certainly bring a smile to your face.
If you think driving your car is expensive, wait until you get your hands on an Exothermic Flamethrower mounted under your AR-15. As far as nongun goodies go, it’s tough to argue that these aren’t firearms.
Steambow
I ran into Steambow at SHOT Show 2024 and had a long talk with the crew behind a variety of their high-tech crossbows. These aren’t your grandpa’s crossbows. These are repeating crossbows that are magazine-fed and capable of equipping modern accessories. These nongun crossbows can use AR stock, foregrips, lights, and optics.
The aptly named AR-6 Stinger 2 Tactical is the belle of the ball. It’s a crossbow but features an AR stock, a vertical grip, and a rail for mounting a red dot. It’s technically a lever action, and the majority of the frame bends forward from the stock and cocks the crossbow. You can fire all six rounds from the internal magazine in about ten seconds.
The AR-6 comes with a 55-pound limb, but up to 90 pounds can be used. I’m no archer, but it seems like some limited hunting is possible with the AR-6. Either way, it seems like a ton of fun without the noise of gunfire. Marksmanship is marksmanship, and this might scratch your itch in the backyard without any noise to disturb the neighbors.
CA-09 Gauss Rifle
Technically, it’s not really a Gauss rifle, but a coil gun, but I’ve been playing STALKER again. The CA-09 coilgun is not a firearm. This nongun looks a lot like a real gun or a real gun from 2077. The bullpup platform features some real gun features, including a Picatinny rail for optics, a box magazine, and a traditional trigger-to-fire design.
This coil gun uses electromagnetism to propel projectiles at crazy high fire rates. Since these aren’t guns, the CA-09 can be full auto without a problem, and the rate of fire is 2,400 rounds per minute. You’ll run through the 50-round magazine in no time at all.
The projectiles weigh 275 grains and move at 80 to 145 feet per second. In terms of power, it’s a big airgun. The range is somewhere around 25 feet. It’s an expensive option at 1,600 dollars, but you can’t deny the inherent cool factor.
Ballistic Dart Launcher
Sometimes, you have to indulge your inner mall ninja. That’s the only way you find yourself playing with little gadgets like the Ballistic Dart Launcher. This taser-looking device is a complicated slingshot that can launch sharpened darts at a fairly impressive range. It looks and functions like something a ninja in a cheesy 80s movie would use
It’s really cheap and is the only reason I put it on this list. The Ballistic Dart Launcher costs like 20 bucks and gives you at least 50 bucks worth of fun. It’s often touted as a hunting and self-defense tool, but that’s all BS. It’s for hitting paper targets, dart boards, and similar stationary targets.
You have about 15 feet of effective range. These little launchers are all over Amazon and can be a fun distraction. It’s the cheapest nongun on the list but admittedly the most useless.
Parrot Mambo
The Parrot Mambo might be the most nongun of the nongun goodies on this list. It’s actually a micro-sized remote-controlled drone. Guys who are into guns tend to be into aviation. It’s a weird crossover. The Parrot Mambo isn’t a pro-grade drone by any means but a toy. A toy drone that’s also equipped with a cannon.
It’s not a real cannon but a microsized plastic BB launcher that allows you to take shots at whatever is in your drone’s path. Get a pair of these things, and you can have aerial dogfights. If you’re like me, you’ll take pleasure in chasing kids and hitting them with very softly fired plastic bbs.
The cannon, if you want to call it that, just lobs the little things harmlessly around. Drones are already fun to fly, but one with a harmless cannon is positively joyous. There is also a grabber tool in case shooting the cannon gets boring.
Nongun Goodies and You
As fun as firearms are you might want a break or to try something new. Admittedly, the above picks aren’t that far from firearms, but that’s on purpose. I’m betting they will provide a good degree of enjoyment to the folks reading this website. Check ’em out, have some fun, and try something new.
