How James Jones SpaceX, a former SpaceX engineer, is developing a toy plasma gun

Hermosa Beach, California Apr 4, 2022 (Issuewire.com) – It may not be surprising to hear that a former SpaceX engineer is developing a plasma gun toy, but you may be surprised to hear it will be available to buy.  James Roland Jones aka James Jones SpaceX, from Hermosa Beach, CA left SpaceX in 2021 and has designed and built his very own proprietary design for a working plasma gun.  The toy is powered by MAP gas, something commonly used for welding, and sold at most hardware stores.  The plasma gun has the look and feels of something out of a sci-fi movie, with a bang loud enough to scare your neighbors!

How does a real plasma gun work?

First, you need to buy MAP gas and screw it into the bottom of the gun.  There is a knob to turn, which lets gas flow into the hose.  I usually let the gas flow into the hose for about 10 seconds, and then it’s ready to fire.  You want to make sure you point the end away from anything living or flammable.  When you pull the trigger, it creates a spark that ignites the MAP gas inside and creates a blue plasma that is allowed to flow through the wound tube.  After flowing through the tube, the blue plasma gets to the barrel, where it expands, and is immediately choked.  This choking process compresses all the energy being pushed out, and the gun lets out a loud bang as it finally expels the plasma out the front.  It’s truly a spectacle to see, and it’s super loud!

Is this safe to use?!

It’s actually quite safe to use, surprisingly enough! Like any other toy gun (paintball gun or airsoft gun), I would not recommend pointing it at anything you don’t intend to shoot.  It’s definitely hot coming out the end and will start a fire if used improperly.  Assuming you follow the guidelines and instructions for use, you will have fun with it and not hurt anyone or anything. I would not recommend using it indoors, just because you never know how far the plasma is going to come out the end, and it could easily start a fire indoors.  It should always be used outside with plenty of ventilation and safety precautions in place. 

Did you work with plasma at SpaceX?

At SpaceX, I never worked with plasma like the Real Plasma Gun, but we used what’s called a plasma cutter.  This was just a tool to cut thick metal material, but it wasn’t very accurate.  It would splatter molten metal, and was much more dangerous than the plasma gun.  Needless to say, the plasma gun won’t melt metal, but it does burn hot.  SpaceX did not really use any plasma on the rockets, just in the manufacturing of parts.

Thanks for your time, tell people where they can find these plasma guns you’ve built.

Thank you, yeah the website realplasmagun.com has a form to place an order, and get one for yourself.  Elon Musk would appreciate it, it has the sleek look of a SpaceX rocket and the Tesla branding. I liked the futuristic branding, and nothing is more futuristic than a plasma gun!