MythBusters · Video summary

Could Walter White's Trunk Machine Gun Actually Work? | MythBusters

MythBusters tackles two explosive challenges: the literal meaning of "blowing it out of the water" with a ship and a depth charge, and the feasibility of Walter White's trunk-mounted machine gun from the Breaking Bad finale.

MythBusters · October 7, 2026 · 49-min episode · 5-min read

Could Walter White's Trunk Machine Gun Actually Work? | MythBusters

Key takeaways

💥The first miniature test of blowing a boat out of the water resulted in the boat's complete obliteration, demonstrating the immense destructive power of explosives when placed too close.03:47
⬆️A mid-depth placement of the explosive in the miniature tests successfully lifted the boat out of the water, indicating the optimal position for achieving the desired effect.05:24
💪Initial firing of the M60 machine gun revealed that its recoil was less severe than anticipated, suggesting that Walter White's homemade mount might actually be able to withstand the force.10:30
🔧The MythBusters discovered that Walter White's machine gun rig likely used common items like an office chair base, a garage door opener, and wrenches, making its construction plausible with readily available parts.14:03
⚠️Early blank-firing tests of the machine gun rig revealed critical malfunctions like 'stovepiping' and the gun shifting due to recoil, highlighting the real-world challenges and unreliability of Walt's improvised design.27:39
🌊The use of ANFO, a slower-speed explosive, was a deliberate choice for the full-scale boat test, as it is designed to 'push' rather than 'crack' objects, aiming to lift the boat out of the water.32:01

Chapters

1:39🌊 Introduction to Blowing it Out of the Water
3:52🔬 Miniature Boat Explosion Tests
14:50🔫 M60 Machine Gun Recoil Test
21:42🛠️ Building Walter White's Machine Gun Rig
45:00⚙️ Troubleshooting the Machine Gun Rig
48:31💣 Full-Scale Boat Explosion Preparation
58:05💥 Walter White's Machine Gun Final Test
1:05:09🤔 Analysis of Walter White's Rig and Boat Explosion

The digest

The phrase "blowing it out of the water" often signifies an overwhelming victory, but its origins lie in the literal experiences of World War II submariners who occasionally witnessed torpedoed ships being lifted clear of the water rather than simply exploding. The MythBusters team set out to investigate both the literal and metaphorical interpretations of this dramatic idiom, culminating in a full-scale naval explosion and a recreation of Walter White's infamous machine gun booby trap from the Breaking Bad finale.

Miniature Explosions and the Quest for Lift

The initial phase of testing focused on the literal meaning of blowing a boat out of the water. The team began with miniature experiments in a large tank, using a scaled-down boat and 15 grams of black powder. Their goal was to find the optimal explosive placement that would lift the boat rather than disintegrate it. The first test, with the explosive placed directly on the surface next to the boat, resulted in complete obliteration, leaving no trace of the vessel. This spectacular, albeit destructive, outcome highlighted the immense power of even small charges.

Subsequent tests involved placing the explosive at varying depths. A charge placed halfway down the tank successfully lifted the boat out of the water, demonstrating the desired effect, though it also caused the tank to leak. A third test, with the explosive at the very bottom of the tank, still lifted the boat, but not as dramatically as the mid-depth placement. These miniature experiments provided crucial insights: explosives too close would destroy the boat, while those too far away would have less impact. The sweet spot for lifting appeared to be a mid-depth placement, a vital clue for the full-scale experiment.