Water Gun Buyers Guide

Are you looking for one of the best water guns to buy? You might be confused; it's understandable. The market is full of countless options with different companies. That's not the worst part! There are many features, various designs, and unique models that make it a challenging process. Choosing a water gun isn't as easy as it used to be.

But don't you worry!

We are bringing you a complete water gun buyer's guide! It will provide information for everything from factors to consider, deciding the purpose, and answering some common questions. And that's not all!

As a bonus, you might learn some fun and creative ways to use your water gun for everyday tasks! Here you will find everything you need to know to make the right choice. However, before we begin with the guide, let's learn a little more about the water guns.

What is a water gun, and why should you buy one?

The simple definition of a water gun would be a toy that shoots a jet or stream of water. A water gun is primarily made up of plastic and holds water with tubes and pipes to pump it through. Most of the water guns require manual efforts. However, there are automatic water guns available in the market today.

The main objective of using a water gun is to soak other people wet. You can mix the color with water or use different liquids with the water gun if it is compatible. People mostly use it to play with water and have fun. Summer is when people mostly use water guns to entertain themselves!

Reasons to buy a water gun.

Now we can try to tell you the 'advantage' or 'benefits' of using a water gun. There can be detailed information of science behind it and much more, but that's all jibber-jabber. We will cut it short. To be honest, there's usually one simple reason to buy a water gun: 'To have fun!'

It is a great way to have some harmless fun. More importantly, you can make your everyday activities a little more exciting by using a water gun. Still, though! We've decided to come up with some compelling reasons to buy a water gun.

Action-packed activities

Almost everyone likes to have some action-packed fun in their life. Water guns are great for games that are about shooting other people. If you want to play a hunt, a water tag game, or divide the team into two for competitive battles, a water gun is a refreshing take.

Add a little red color, and you could prevent its blood. Too violent? Then experiment with other colors like blue, green, or yellow. Some guns are compatible with denser liquid like jelly and slime. Imagine playing with soda or juice in the guns! There's just too much fun.

A safer alternative

Compared to other options available in the market, water guns are very safe to use. Air guns or projectile nerf guns could be harmful. The components are physical and may hurt the person if it hits the wrong place. Eye damage is one of the common injuries from other types of toys.

A water gun uses water, and that is virtually harmless. The worst you can do is pump up too much pressure and shoot a powerful stream that will inflict a little 'pinch.' Even then, many water guns come with a failsafe to prevent excessive force that could turn water harmful.

Making gardening fun

If you have a backyard garden, plants, or trees, you can make it fun to water them. Whip out your water gun and load it with water. It's time to do some target practice. Yeah, you got it right! Imagine indulging in some refreshing activity to water your plants!

It's better than using a garden hose, think about it. You can jump around, dive, and shoot your green fellows without harming them. It would be easier to water them. This is a great way to get your or other kids to help you water the plants!

Splash for summer

Summer feels incomplete without a little fun with water. There are pool parties, which can be great, but you can make it better with water guns! Scorching heat may drain you out, but imagine grabbing a water gun to play in the evening with your friends, other kids, or your kids!

Nothing feels as refreshing as a stream of cold water. Did you know that there are water guns with cooling tanks available? Yup, they will maintain and cool down your water's temperature for extra chills! A little more costly than standard guns, but worth it for summer.

Make your parties exciting.

This is where you're going to get some fun tips and ideas to make your parties exciting. Imagine shooting jets of your favorite drinks into each other's mouth. You can do it with cocktails and champagne without harming anyone.

That's just the start! You can add water guns to your pool party and take it to the next level. Drench anyone in the water. Perhaps add a game in which a person will get shot by water upon losing. There are many playful and creative ways.

By just having a water gun in the vicinity, you can make anything fun.

Factors to consider when buying a water gun

Now that you know what a water gun is and have countless reasons to use a water gun, it is about time to get down to the main subject. How to buy the best water guns without getting confused and wasting too much time?

Yes, many companies offer water guns. Each one of them wants you to believe that their's is the best. However, there are some things more important than that. We are bringing you a cohesive list of proper factors to consider. Let's cut down to the chase and begin by understanding:

Types of water guns

This is the most confusing aspect of water guns that makes it challenging to choose. There are too many types of guns. It almost seems like one water gun has something that the others doen’t.

What if you end up buying the wrong gun? You can contemplate that when you decide the purpose. For now, you can learn about the different types of guns. It will ease up the selection process.

If nothing, you will at least know about the kinds of water guns available in the market.

Squirt gun

A squirt gun packs the least power. It is a simple model that usually has a trigger for a person to press. As you keep pushing this trigger, the water is pumped through the gun to shoot the jet. There are pipes inside the water gun most of the time to maintain the pressure and pump the water.

These are the cheapest form of guns, and you can fill the water directly in the main body. The jet of water is released in more of a 'squirt shot,' hence the name. These are very harmless and generally come in a pistol or handgun design without much to offer.

Pressure pump gun

These water guns are also known as 'power soakers' or 'pump-action water guns.' These have a little more complex structure and come with an extra pump. This pump allows you to fill the gun with air pressure. The air pressure that is created inside the weapon will enable it to shoot water at higher pressure.

Pressure pump guns are the most commonly used guns. They come in different shapes and sizes, generally bigger than squirt guns and available in 'rifle' models. You manually fill the pressure by using the pump, which can determine the gun's performance.

These have a long-range and shoot a more powerful jet of water. However, for kids, some pressure pump guns come with a fail-safe to prevent excessive pressure. After all, too much pressure can still inflict injury. These guns don't use bodies to store water. They come with a separate container.

Water tubes

These are mostly one-shot water guns. The range of power strongly depends on a person's physical strength. These utilize a piston-type module, more similar to an injection, a massive injection. You can pull the water through the nozzle and fill the main body (tube).

Then you will push the water out by pressing the handle as hard as you can. The range of the stream and its pressure depends on the person. These are not great for kids, somewhat suitable for teenagers. However, these are almost like a bazooka or a missile of water in the hands of an adult. Especially if they are physically stronger.

A significant drawback of water tubes is that they are one-shot and require a source of water close to refuel and reuse. These water guns can be as cost-effective as squirt guns. If you want to soak someone in water quickly, these are very effective and have a long-range with a mighty splash.

Water blasters

Let's put it in the simplest way possible. A water blaster is a water gun that has a massive storage capacity for water. Usually, water blasters come with an extra tank for the person to wear and carry separately, connected through a pipe with the water gun to shoot water.

These are primarily a water tank connected to a water tube for a consistent supply of water. Thus, making it a powerful choice. However, some models are available with pump-action guns. Alternatively, a water blaster could be a massive pressure-pump gun.

If it's a big pressure-pump water gun, then it has a great capacity to generate water pressure. Often, it can be too powerful for kids, even teenagers. These are heavier as you carry a large quantity of water. A water blaster may have more than one nozzle in the front to add more jets and streams for power.

Automatic or power water guns

Modern innovations have allowed water guns to come with automatic pumps. These pumps utilize a battery to generate apt pressure in the gun and shoot the stream. Most prominently, water blasters come with a pump for automatic and powerful water shots.

These water guns are most commonly used in firefighting rather than to play. However, companies have found a way to make them playful and colorful, with plastic material. Thus, you will find them easy to purchase.

Some other automatic functions include a cold tank to maintain the temperature of the water.

Purpose of water guns

First, decide the purpose of the gun and who it is for. Are you going to use it to play around, or perhaps use it to water the garden as we suggested? If it is for the kids, you would have to consider the gun's size and power.

To help you decide the gun according to its purpose, we have further divided it into two categories:

Kids water guns

Here you can go for conventional water guns that don't pack too much power. A kids' water gun should be lighter in weight and smaller in size. It shouldn't be too hard for them to handle. Otherwise, they may end up hurting themselves or other kids.

A kid's water gun should be easy to use without too many features. Determine the age of the kid. For toddlers and kids around 5-6 years of age, a squirt gun would be better. After that, you can start by getting a tube gun, pressure pump gun, and so on as the age increases.

Adult water guns

These guns generally have many features, including automatic pumps. Some may have more than a single container for extra storage. For an adult water gun, you can choose it according to the person's size and physical capacity.

An adult water gun may be suitable for teenagers, as well. Thereby, you can choose a pump-action rifle or a water blaster. However, a water blaster would be better for late teens and young adults to use appropriately.

Water capacity

It is vital to consider water capacity. This will determine how frequently you will have to refill your gun. However, higher water capacity means more weight, and you would need additional strength to support it. Here are three types of water storage available for water guns:

Body fill

A body fill is standard in squirt guns. There is an opening provided in the gun to fill the gun. These don't hold too much water. Nor are these great for powerful guns. These types of guns are most prone to leakage if they sustain physical damage.

Tube water guns also utilize their bodies, which is a tube, to store the water. Similar to a squirt gun, they may leak.

Container fill

A container is standard for power pump guns. Most of them have a removable container to fill with the water and then tightly fit in the guns. A 'screw' type module is common to brace or hold the container for the water guns.

There are usually two types of pipes, one for the gun to draw water and another for the gun's pump to fill the container with pressure. A container type water gun has a decent water holding capacity. Some even have a larger container to carry extra water.

A container fill has the least probability to leak in any way. Thus, they are great for long-term use without worrying about consistent maintenance. Most of the time, if the container sustains damage, you can get a replacement for your gun.

Tank fill

A tank fill can hold a substantial amount of water for a seemingly endless supply. However, you have to carry them either in the back or the side. There is usually a pipe connecting the tank to the gun, and this pipe should not bend in any way. Otherwise, it will impact the flow of water.

Similarly, if the pipe sustains damage, it may leak. That is the weakest link of these types of water guns.

Type of material

The quality of material in a water gun will highly impact its maintenance and longevity. Some materials may corrode or not work best with water. Other guns have premium-grade material that enables you to use more than just water in the guns. Related to the quality of material, here are two other factors you may consider:

Toxicity level

Some water guns can be toxic, depending on the quality of plastic utilized. There have been countless guns that use toxic plastic for production. Although most companies have stopped its manufacture, you might still have to pay attention to it.

Any harmful toxic agent in plastics can easily mix with the water, which is a universal solvent. As a result, the stream of water may turn harmful, causing mild irritation to more substantial damage. Hence, you should always take a look at the material used for manufacturing the gun. The quality of plastic or any other artificial material is paramount.

Is it biodegradable?

Many manufacturers have decided to administer eco-friendly methods to introduce biodegradable material for water gun production. In other words, these are the guns that are made up of biodegradable material. While these are usually harmless, you should still check for the toxicity and quality of the material.

The main intention behind biodegradable plastic or artificial material is to preserve the environment. If you decide to discard your gun, it won't harm the environment. However, some manufacturers claim that their guns are 'eco-friendly.'

It doesn't mean that they are biodegradable. Sometimes it might indicate that the guns may have recyclable plastic. You might have to dispose of it properly to ensure it is recycled.

Nozzles of the gun

The nozzle of the gun will impact the type of stream or jet you will get from the water guns. There are different types of nozzles available in the market.

Multiple Nozzles

There are water guns that come with multiple nozzles in the same area to soak the target quickly. Some models have two or more nozzles in a different part of the gun to hit multiple targets at once. There have been guns with dual nozzles and dual triggers to control each nozzle and move them to change direction and hit the targets.

Interchangeable Nozzle

Some water guns come with a nozzle you can change. It allows you to select a 'spray' type nozzle to spread more. You will find a thick nozzle to shoot a powerful stream for splash, similar to tube water guns, and then there are thinner nozzles for more precise aim and longer distance.

FAQs: Best Water Guns

Q: What is a proper way to fill the water gun?

A: An ideal way to fill water in a water gun is through the opening provided through tap, hose, or pipe. Don't submerge the water gun inside a bucket or pool of water. It can potentially damage some components. Some water guns may require you to fill the tank separately.

Q: Are water guns treated as a weapon?

A: No, water guns are not a weapon, and you don't need any special permission or license to use them. However, some water guns may release a powerful jet of water. Therefore, you should take proper care. It is essential to follow the age suggestions on these guns.

Q: How to clean and maintain a water gun?

A: To remove spots and dirt on the water gun, you can use a cloth with a little cleaning agent. Some parts of the water gun, like its trigger, may require lubrication to prevent jamming.

Q: What are the common problems with a water gun?

A: The most common problems are leakage from the body due to physical damage. Sometimes the trigger rusts or jams, and the pump may face a similar issue. Therefore, proper maintenance and cleaning are crucial for water guns.

Conclusion

There you go! Now you know how to choose a water gun. We hope that this guide helps you get answers to all the questions. Hopefully, you learned something new with some of the information.

Here's another fun use of a water gun. Instead of using funnels and tanks to fill oil or fuel in your machines like a car or generator, use a water gun. These can quickly help in fueling the machine. Alternatively, if you want to lubricate something and can't reach it, use a squirt gun and aim.

Now that you can get the best water guns, it all comes down to your creativity on how to use them. Have fun, and stay safe. Take proper measures to enjoy adrenaline-pumping activities with a water gun!