Why the Can Cannon Is the Greatest AR-15 Accessory

Fun for less money. Easy to run. Built to turn “range day” into “core memory.”

If you’ve spent any time around AR-15 owners, you know the truth: we love capability… but we live for smiles per trigger pull. That’s exactly why the Can Cannon® has earned its reputation as one of the most talked-about, most grinned-about, and most shared AR-platform add-ons ever made.

This isn’t about “tacticool.” It’s about pure, repeatable fun—the kind that works for a backyard range day with friends, a family gathering (with responsible adult supervision and safe conditions), or a weekend where you just want something different than punching paper.

And when you compare it to the world of 37mm launchers—where cost, specialized rounds, and hazmat shipping can quickly turn “fun idea” into “expensive project”—the Can Cannon’s value becomes obvious.

---

The best AR-15 accessory is the one you actually use

There are plenty of AR accessories that look great online and then collect dust in a safe. The Can Cannon is the opposite: it’s the accessory you pull out every time someone says, “Okay, what’s next?”

Why? Because it’s built around three things people actually want:

• Low cost to own 

• Low cost to operate

• Ease of use

• Fun for all ages 

The Can Cannon was purpose-built to launch thin-wall, heavy objects (not shred them), with its original intended use being a full 12oz can. xproducts.com but it's more than a can launcher, X products has a huge array of accessories and any off the shelf item like shaving cream, whipping cream, golf balls can be shot out of it! 

That detail matters, because it’s why the experience is so consistently entertaining: you’re launching a real, everyday object with surprising distance and spectacle—without needing niche ammunition or complicated logistics.

---

Fun for less money: the “ammo reality” nobody wants to talk about

A big reason the Can Cannon wins the “greatest launcher ever” argument is simple:

The Can Cannon runs on blanks.

X Products designed it specifically around blanks, and X Products has stocked and sold M200 military training blanks since 2014 and has never run out. xproducts.com

37mm fun usually runs on specialized rounds.

And those rounds can get expensive fast. It’s common to see 37mm “live” signaling and specialty rounds listed in the $5–$75+ range (sometimes more depending on type and availability). exotic-firearms.com

Then there’s the shipping reality: many 37mm specialty rounds are treated as hazmat, which can mean separate orders, restrictions, and higher friction to purchase and ship. iwainternationalinc.com

Bottom line Cannon vs 37mm

• Can Cannon = blanks + any accessory cans, tennis balls, rockets, golf balls = fun 

• 37mm = specialty rounds + availability + shipping limitations, which often turns “let’s do this this weekend” into “maybe next month.”

---

Ease of conversion: built for normal people, not gear nerds

Here’s the magic of the Can Cannon’s popularity: it takes something people already understand (the AR platform) and turns it into a launcher experience without making you learn an entirely new system.

The Can Cannon is a way to “convert your AR-15… into a launching machine.

And the product design includes safety-minded features intended to prevent the use of live ammunition with the launcher setup, making it safe for users.

So the Can Cannon often wins on pure practicality: less gear switching, less niche sourcing, more doing and we love doing. 

---

The “fun for all ages” factor: everybody understands a flying can

There’s a reason Can Cannon videos do so well online: you don’t need to be a firearms enthusiast to get it.

A can launching downrange is:

• Instantly visual

• Instantly funny

• Instantly shareable

It’s a “first 10 seconds” product. People see it once and go, “Wait—what is THAT?”

Even older reviews leaned into this exact point—the joy of launching cans to impressive distance and watching them burst on impact is the whole experience. The Truth About Guns

And importantly: it’s not a one-trick pony. The Can Cannon system is positioned for launching multiple objects, with authorized X Products accessories supporting more variety

---

Why it beats a 37mm for everyday fun

Let’s be fair: 37mm has its lane—signaling, training, and specialty uses.
But if your goal is maximum fun per dollar and minimum hassle, the Can Cannon is hard to touch.

1) Lower ongoing cost

37mm specialty rounds add up quickly.
Can Cannon sessions are typically driven by blanks + inexpensive projectiles you already have access to. 

2) Less shipping and purchasing friction

Hazmat restrictions and shipping rules are common in the 37mm specialty round world. 
Can Cannon blanks are no different than firearm ammunition accept they can be shipped nationwide with no limitations, even California can't restrict them! 

3) More “grab it and go”

When you can turn a normal range day into a novelty launcher day without building a separate ecosystem, you do it more often.

4) More universally fun

A flying can, X Products Rocket, or Golf Ball is the great equalizer. People laugh. People film. People always want a turn.

The Can Cannon is equipment that requires safety discipline: follow the operator manual, use the specified blanks, use appropriate PPE, maintain safe distances and backstops, and comply with all local/state laws and range rules. It's easy to use, identical to your AR15, and it shoots further than you think, and we promise it will suprise the shit out of you.