This will be a little different from our typical review and will touch on multiple products all at once.
I reached out to Global Ordnance (GO) a couple of months back, after they relaunched their Can Launcher following a 1+ year hiatus from their website, about collaborating on a giveaway. Needless to say, the boys over at GO were down for not one, but two promotions (this is some foreshadowing). The GO Can Launcher was the perfect choice, and the timing was just right. There was just one problem: I had never launched a soda can downrange myself at that point.
Cue Alan Silvestri’s score from The Avengers soundtrack: I assembled a team—Global Ordnance, Rainier Arms, Next Level Armament (NLA), AR15Discounts, and WaffleHouseAfterDark. GO chipped in its newly relaunched Can Launcher, including a golf ball launching attachment, and 300 rounds of blank 5.56. Rainier Arms contributed its nitride match-grade bolt carrier group. NLA provided an NLX556 Ambidextrous Charging Handle. Finally, AR15Discounts topped it off by providing the sighting system: a Vortex Optics SPARC AR red dot.
The Can Launcher upper works with any standard AR lower and is chambered in 5.56 NATO, but it can ONLY accept blanks. The chamber is blocked and is too short to accept a 5.56 round with a bullet, for both safety and legal reasons. The “barrel” within the main can-tube is a short protrusion with vents that allow the chamber gases of the blank to propel a soda can or golf ball out of the tube or adapter when fired. For obvious reasons, I only recommend using the GO Can Launcher as they have directed, with their provided instructions. Furthermore, launching non-alcoholic beverages is the safest way to go; we know firearms (even blanks) and alcohol do not mix.
When I first unboxed the GO Can Launcher, I attached and installed the appropriate accoutrements. The NLA charging handle, paired with the slick ALG Go-Juice-coated Rainier Arms BCG, was the right choice for the Can Launcher. The NLA NLX556 provides ample real estate on each lever to grab and charge the upper receiver. The nitride finish on the Rainier Arms BCG is so glossy and slick that it looked pre-oiled coming out of the packaging and required very little lubrication to smoothly charge in the upper. I chose to use the lower one-third spacer plate option on the Vortex Optics SPARC AR (provided by AR15Discounts) to give the optic as much height as possible on the Can Launcher.
I slapped the now-complete launcher upper on a spare lower I had, raided the fridge for some sparkling water and Diet Mountain Dew, and then headed on down to the local outdoor range. Sadly, I did not have any golf balls, so I unscrewed the golf ball adapter tube and left it at home. Upon arrival, the Can Launcher immediately drew the attention of the other range-goers. Those at the range stopped and asked to see me fire it, so we did. We loaded the tube, loaded a single blank into a magazine, inserted it, charged that NLA NLX556 charging handle, and let that Rainier BCG go into battery. THUMP! The first can went about 40 yards downrange in a cloud of carbonated mist. I quickly realized that the pressure from the blank cartridge had caused the mouth of the can to crack open as it exited the tube.
Round 2: We put a tiny bit of masking tape over the can’s mouth and loaded up again. THUMP! This time, we launched the can about 75 yards, watching it burst into the dirt on impact. I was hooked, and so was everyone else at the range. We continued launching cans down range: testing various angles of elevation and using the SPARC AR to put can’s on standing targets at closer ranges.
Our fun was only limited by the number of carbonated beverages that we brought with us and the limited length of the range, whose berm was located at 110 yards from the firing line. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun shooting something chambered in 5.56 in years.
I reached out to GO after the range trip asking about accessories for their launcher, as many entities online are producing 3D printed sights, chalk cannisters, and even grappling hook attachments. They said they are actively looking into some accessories in the future which would make this platform even more of a blast to enjoy with friends and family at the range.
Want to break up the monotony of your normal range routine? Grab a GO Can Launcher, find the cheapest soda you can find, and enjoy the heavy recoil of a 12 oz can being sent skyward.
Want to win an identical can launcher setup? Enter our Ready for Launch giveaway here: https://gleam.io/DXCZC/ready-for-launch-giveaway
For full disclosure, F3 is an affiliate of Global Ordnance, Next Level Arms, and AR15discounts. We can receive a small commission, at no cost to you, when purchasing through our affiliate links or through the use of our coupon codes:
Global Ordnance: Use code FRIED for free shipping on orders $99+ (ammo included) here: https://alnk.to/8824a4s
Next Level Arms: Use code FRIED10 for 10% off here: https://alnk.to/b7AWPWr
AR15discounts: Affiliate link: https://alnk.to/cSKwE5Q
Please enjoy this product responsibly. It might make you giggle and feel toy-like, but it packs a punch.
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