Water gun

File:Super soaker.jpg

A water pistol

A squirt gun (or water pistol) is a type of toy designed to shoot water. It works on the same principle as a spray bottle. The body of the toy is essentially a container for water, and the "trigger" is attached to a pump which squirts water out of a tiny hole at the "muzzle."

In the US and Canada, for several years, import regulations and domestic laws have required squirt guns to be made of clear or tinted transparent plastic. This is to prevent them from being mistaken for actual firearms. There have been several cases of toy water guns being mistaken for real guns, sometimes resulting in bloodshed.

Variations of the design include using compressed air, rubber chambers or hydraulic pressure to propel the water, as in a Super Soaker, or an electric pump powered by batteries. It is debatable whether the higher-powered ones (such as the Super Soaker) ought to be called "squirt guns", since "squirting" seems to imply a weak trigger-powered soaker.

External Links

• Super Soaker Central

• Water Gun Museum

• How stuff works