tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61843948208063035942024-02-19T19:02:12.396-07:00I'm Not EvilAn evil person would do the things I think up.Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-35053974721537043852016-01-25T04:02:00.002-07:002022-03-20T12:34:33.544-06:00Writing exercises - Week 2<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>I've neglected this for a while, mainly because there didn't seem to be a lot more to add on the firearms guide section. But, I'm taking an online writing course and part of that is posting exercises. This is the first one.</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>By way of a set up, the exercise was to do about 500 words on the first thing I heard when I turned on the radio. It's 2016. We don't have a radio. We have dozens of streaming services and personal mp3 libraries. I don't even have one in my car. It broke a few years ago, and between portable Bluetooth speakers, headphones and a phone with 96 GB of storage, I don't miss it. So that's what I went with.</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><i>This is unedited, and I've not even read through it after finishing it. Feel free to ignore it. </i></span><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Future</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Radio? People still
have those? Funny old world.</span></i></div><i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div><i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Dave never was one
to cling to the old technology. Streaming music killed radio. Streaming
services eliminated the need for a television. Mobile phones eliminated the
need for land lines, and computers as far as home use went. There were people
who still used them because the screen was bigger, or whatnot, but for the
average person, a phone was good enough.</span></i></div><i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div><i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The future. He was
living in it. Electric cars that drove themselves were coming soon. Three
dimensional printing would soon advance to the point that the only thing that
needed an actual physical delivery to the house was the raw materials.
Everything else could be made from plastics, bio-gel, various metals, and wood
paste. Most of that could be harvested from the personal waste reclamation
systems that were only ten years out.</span></i></div><i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div><i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Friends were
available through the Internet. So were jobs, music, culture of all kinds. Education
too, was out there for the taking. In twenty years, there would be no need for
face to face human interaction at all, unless you wanted kids or some kind of
disease.</span></i></div><i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div><i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The future was
going to be incredible.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“And that’s the
attitude that brought on the most recent global extinction event.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Billy’s voice rang
out of the back of the group. “Miss Jefferies, I don’t understand. How?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The tour guide
smiled and gestured to the row of benches, waiting for the class to settle
before explaining it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“I’m sure you’ve
all heard the idea that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat
it. That’s basically what happened here. You see, for thousands of years,
people were hunters and gatherers. They went outside and worked hard just to
survive. Many died at relatively young ages, mainly because they could no
longer get their own food and there were no others willing or able to share.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“When people
started living in permanent places and learned to farm, things got better
because the strong could provide from the weak, and the old could pass on the
things they knew to the young.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Like you’re doing
now?” asked Mary.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Miss Jefferies,
blushed. “I don’t think of myself as old, but yes. Sort of like this. As time
went on, those little towns grew into cities with millions of people living and
working together. Then, in the early 21<sup>st</sup> century came the technological
revolution. Small gadgets that could do all the thinking became popular. People
talked through those gadgets rather than to each other, and this resulted in a
loss of that sense of community. People grew outraged at things that happened
thousands of miles away, but cared nothing for things happening outside their own
doors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“Eventually, the lack
of interaction caused deficiencies in their immune systems. Contact with others
carried a terrible risk, and since they had found virtual sex, the reproduction
rate dropped off to the point that only handfuls of more primitive communities
that lived like they did in the beginning survived.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The class rasped their
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">“If you follow me
to the next exhibit, I’ll explain how the loss of humanity resulted in the end
of insecticides, and the birth of our society.”</span></div>
Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-28973083320833626092012-10-13T18:00:00.000-06:002018-05-12T01:52:37.588-06:00Rifles: Semi and Fully Automatic<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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Now we come
to the “cool” ones. The rifles that action heroes have been using to sow
destruction for over 50 years now. Let’s define some things.</div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I know there
are legal definitions of what makes an “Assault Rifle” but the groups that came
up with those definitions for the laws, and the people who understand what an
assault rifle is don’t have a lot of overlap. Case in point: During the
“Assault weapon ban” many gun makers were able to turn out guns that looked
like an M-16 in every discernible way. If a legal and illegal weapon were
placed on the counter, the average person wouldn’t be able to spot the
differences. In fact, what few differences there were tended to be small parts
on the inside of the action. Either that or the “pistol grip” stock was hidden
by adding another strip of material that ran along the bottom but changed
absolutely nothing about the way the weapon operated. So, here are my own,
personal, definitions of what makes a weapon an assault rifle.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It must
accept a detachable box magazine that holds more than five rounds. Just because
I have a 5 round magazine for an HK91 to make it legal to hunt with does not
mean I can’t slap in a 20 round one in about a second.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It must use
rifle ammunition. A Tommy Gun, is fired like a rifle, has a box magazine and
can fire semi or fully automatic, but it is not an assault rifle. It is a submachine
gun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It cannot
use rim fire ammunition. Rimfire is used in .22 longrifle and .17 WMR, and not
much else. A lot of .22’s use a detachable 10 round magazine, and some can take
a 50 round magazine, but they would be nearly useless on a real battlefield.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It must use
a semi or fully automatic action. This is where I get into trouble. The real
definition of an assault rifle used by everyone that isn’t a politician or
newscaster is fully automatic fire or burst control. Semi automatic isn’t
enough to really make it an assault rifle. I understand that, and I actually
agree with the reasons others say it, but for the purposes of this blog and guide,
I’m considering the semi-auto versions of military rifles to be assault rifles.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, by my
definition, an M-1 Garand is not an assault rifle. It doesn’t have a detachable
magazine. A Ruger 10-22 is not an assault rifle. It uses rimfire ammunition. Of
course, that means that the US Marine Sniper rifle based on the M-14 is an
assault weapon, even though it’s not used in that capacity. It also means that
the American 180, a fully automatic .22 caliber submachine gun isn’t one
either.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Moving on…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
My description
of loading and firing an assault rifle will be based on an M-16/M-4 but the
basics will be the same for nearly all of them. Where there is a big change,
I’ll note it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first
step is to load the magazine. These can have a capacity as low as five or as
many as 30, or even 50. Some may even have more. To load the magazine, you
press the big end of the cartridge onto the plate on the magazine until it goes
down far enough to slide it back until it stops. This will make sense if you
see it done. With practice, and in good conditions a 30 round magazine can be
loaded in 30 to 50 seconds.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When the
magazine is loaded, you want to tap thin side to be sure the primer side of the
rounds are all the way back. This is important because it’s possible for the
rounds to slide forward far enough to have the bullets hit the front edge and
cause a malfunction, or jam.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Next, the
magazine in inserted into the Magazine Well. There is only one possible way for
this to fit. Push it in gently, but firmly, until you hear and feel the click.
Then you tug on it slightly to be sure. If the magazine is not all the way in,
the rounds won’t stick up high enough to be picked up by the bolt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pull on the
Charging Handle. On an M-16 this is a T shaped thing on the back, right under the
real sight. On most H&K rifles, it’s on the left side of the barrel. On an
AK anything, it’s on the right side of the gun on the bolt. Wherever it is,
it’s the only thing on the gun other than the trigger that is obviously meant
to be pulled.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This will
draw the bolt back. Releasing the handle will let is slam forward, picking up a
fresh round as it goes. The weapon is now “hot,” or ready to fire. Pulling the
trigger will make it go off.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When the
last round is fired, the bolt on most will lock to the rear position. If this
happens pulling the trigger WILL NOT MAKE A CLICKING SOUND! You hear that Foley
Artists and sound people? The hammer can’t fall so there’s nothing to click.
Stop doing that. It’s wrong, like sound in space or tires squealing on a gravel
road is wrong. Stop it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The shooter
puts in a new magazine and does whatever is needed to release the bolt. On an
M-16, there is a small paddle lever on the magazine well that can be hit with
the left hand. Others may require pulling back on the bolt. However it’s done,
once the bolt closes, the weapon is once again ready to fire.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Safety
on an assault rifle is different. At least it is on the ones that have more
than one setting. Most firearms that have safeties will have safe or fire. It’s
binary. On or off. When a weapon is capable of firing bursts or fully
automatically, the safety will be called a Selector Switch, and have 2 or more
settings. On the M-16 (original) there were three positions. Safe, Semi, and
Full. Full meant the weapon fired as long as the trigger was held down or it
ran out of ammunition. Others have a Burst setting where each pull of the
trigger fires three rounds. On the Heckler and Koch (H&K) line, safe is a
white bullet with a line though it. Semi is a single, red bullet, and Full is a
line of red bullets and an ellipsis …</div>
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<br /></div>
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The safety
switch is nearly always accessible by the thumb of the firing hand, though most
weapons were designed to be fired right handed and not all controls are
ambidextrous.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Modern
assault rifles come in standard calibers. The reason for this, is their primary
purpose is military. It’s best if they only need to make one or two sizes of
ammunition.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The NATO
(North America and Europe) standard is the .223 Remington round, also known as
the 5.56x45 or 5.56 NATO. This is used in the M-16 and M-4, as well as every
other front line assault rifle in Europe. The only other rifle size in NATO is
the 7.62x51 known to civilians as the .308 Winchester. It’s been around for
decades and was the round used in the M-60 machine-gun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the
Warsaw Pact side of things is the Soviet AK-47 and everything that came from it.
This uses a 7.65mm bullet in a case that is smaller than the 7.62 NATO. Nothing
about either one in interchangeable. Because of the popularity of the AK
family, any story set in just about any place in the world could have one
around.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sights
on an assault rifle are normally standard open sights, but room for
customization exists. Lights, lasers, scopes, lasers with scopes, one power,
red-dot, reflex sights are all possible. This will depend on the era and
region. There were no M-16’s with red dot sights in Veitnam.</span>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-74997035044797919972012-10-12T18:00:00.000-06:002015-06-24T08:13:13.048-06:00Rifles: Bolt Action<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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This is probably the most common style of rifle in the
sporting world. They can be chambered in any caliber from .22 long rifle, to
.50 BMG (Browning Machine Gun).</div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The most common use is in the role of hunting rifle. The
Bolt in Bolt Action is a rotating cylinder that slides forward behind the
loaded cartridge and is locked into place. A handle on the (shooter’s) right
side of the rifle, just above the trigger is used to unlock the bolt and slide
it back. This will eject the spent shell, cock the striker (they don’t have
hammers) and open the chamber for the next round.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most have an internal magazine with a four or five round
capacity, but some do not. Still others may be modified to use a detachable box
magazine, like an assault rifle. When the bolt is pushed forward, it picks up a
new round from the magazine (if there is one) and inserts it into the chamber.
At this point the rifle is ready to fire. Most have no way to de-cock the
firing mechanism if there is a live round in the chamber. To de-cock them, you
make sure it’s empty, or insert a dummy round made for the purpose, point it a
safe direction, and pull the trigger. Obviously, this can lead to problems.<br />
<br />
It also means that a bolt action rifle is one of the few guns that can actually go "Click" when it's empty. There's nothing to stop the bolt from being closed on an empty chamber.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Most have a safety lever to allow a round to be carried in
the chamber. Where this lever is will vary by the action, but can almost always
be reached by the firing hand with the fingers in firing position. Most have it
on the back of the action in reach of the thumb, but some have it on or near
the trigger.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s possible, but not common, for a bolt action rifle to
come with iron, or open, sights. It’s far more common to find them with a
telescopic sight (scope) mounted just above the trigger. Rifles of this sort
are normally for use in the 100 to 600 yard range, with some going much
farther.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Calibers can be literally (correctly used) anything that can
be made. For example, any round that fires a 0.224 caliber bullet (.223, .220
Swift, 218 Fireball, .222) can use the same barrel. A good gunsmith can take a
reamer and cut the new chamber to fit the desired caliber, and you’re all set.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Commonly found calibers for North American hunting rifles
include:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>.223 Remington (5.56 NATO)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>.25-06 (said twenty five ought six)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>6 mm</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>6.5 mm</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>.308 Winchester (7.62 NATO)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>.30-06 (thirty ought six, but often said as
simply ought six)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>.300 Magnum</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>7mm</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>7 Mag</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>8mm</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>.338 Mag</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, what’s the difference between a bolt action hunting
rifle and a bolt action sniper rifle? </div>
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<br /></div>
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The paint job. Seriously.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Most
hunting rifles are a varnished wood stock, but fiberglass is becoming more
popular. Apart from that, there really isn’t much difference. If a hunting
rifle can shoot consistently, there is no reason a more sniper friendly scope
couldn’t be mounted on it. Most sniper rifles are just modified hunting rifles.
There are a few task specific ones now, but for years, the small town police
sniper rifle of choice might have been the same one the chief used to get his
elk the year before.</span>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-23949077359263130552012-10-11T18:00:00.000-06:002015-06-24T08:18:12.302-06:00Rifles: Double Rifles<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Double Rifles were made in Europe, mainly England, for use
in Africa in the late 1800’s. They had the same metal casings, but used black
powder or a mix of black and smokeless. These latter versions were the
“Express” calibers. The .577 Nitro used black powder only, the .577 Nitro
Express used a mix.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This style looked like a side by side double barreled
shotgun. Two rounds could be loaded at once, and each had a separate hammer and
trigger. This allowed for very fast second shots. To reload, a lever under the
trigger is rotated to the side and the barrels drop away from the shoulder
stock on a hinge in front of the trigger. This is called a Break Action. One
round is placed in each barrel and the barrels are closed and the lever is
returned to the locked position. When the shooter is ready, the hammer is
pulled back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One other thing to make note of. These rifles are either
right handed or left handed. If you have a right handed rifle and try to shoot
it left handed, you won’t hit anything. Once the gun was finished, the shooter
had to adjust the load in what is known as “regulating” the barrels. If the
speed is too low, the right barrel will shoot low left, and the right barrel
will shoot low right. As the bullet speed increases the impact points will
climb higher and closer together, until the eventually hit in the same spot.
Any speed after that will increase the climb and separation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is because the recoil moves the barrels slightly before
the bullet can get clear. Looking down the right barrel will show it points low
and left of the aim point. Looking down the left will show it points slightly
right and low. As the recoil moves the barrels up, the shooter’s body twists to
the right and everything lines up. If the right-handed rifle is fired left
handed, the elevation will be okay, but it will hit quite far to the left.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sights were a simple bead in front and a notch in back. In
addition to this sight which was for close range, there were often express
sights which can be flipped up for different ranges.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When these were in common use, they were very expensive to
buy, and to shoot. It was common for the hunting guide to carry a double rifle
to back up the hunter who used something more common or conventional. Even back
then, there was a lot of emphasis placed on the fit and finish. As a result, a
lot of old examples are still with us, and still perfectly useable.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today, there is a company from those days still making
double rifles. The wait is long and costs can run over 100,000 dollars. This
can include a visit to London to measure the future owner for the stock to
ensure that it fits them exactly. To describe them as the “Rolls Royce” of
firearms is possibly making them too common.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some personal experience with a .577 Nitro Express.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The one I fired was a Hollis and Hollis made around 1900 or
so. It fired a 650 grain bullet at 1830 feet per second, and the gun weighed 11
pounds. Those numbers may not mean much to most of you, but for comparison, the
.44 Magnum uses a 240 grain bullet at a slower speed. The bullet portion
of a .577 is bigger than a fully loaded .44 mag. The diameter of the bullet is
bigger than a .50 caliber Browning, though that bullet is heavier and goes
about 1200 fps faster. The short version is, it kicks. Luckily it’s not a
snappy kick. It’s more like a sort of gentle push, like stopping a truck that
slipped its break and is rolling across a parking lot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m about 6 feet tall and at the time I fired it weighed
about 230 pounds. It wasn’t a solid 230, but mass is mass. I leaned forward
over my left foot, with my right foot only supporting me enough to keep me
stable. When the gun went off it knocked be back onto my right foot with enough
force that I needed to step back twice to keep from falling over. My right
thumb, which was wrapped around the stock like it’s supposed to be, hit me in
the side of my nose (which has been broken a lot). My nose didn’t break, but I
wish it would have. It would have hurt less. The lever used to open the barrels
came back hard enough to crack the big knuckle of my middle finger in a way I
thought broke it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still had nine shots to go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since that first one, I’ve taken to just resting the gun in
both hands, not holding it. It jumps out of my left hand but I’m able to catch
it before it goes too far. It still stands me straight up and knocks me back a
step, though.</div>
Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-57690435143666908102012-10-10T18:00:00.000-06:002012-10-10T18:00:04.405-06:00Rifles: Rolling Block and Falling Block<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The word
Rifle can refer to many different types, from the long barreled muzzle loading
flintlocks*, to the classic lever action cowboy gun, to the modern hunting
rifle, and even the short barreled bullpup assault rifle. The one thing they
must all have is a rifled barrel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
*Not all
flintlocks, or muzzle loaders, are technically “rifles” since the barrels are
smooth inside, but because they are fired from the shoulder, it’s still common
to call them a rifle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
What I want
to cover in this section is the non-black powder, non-assault rifle versions.
These still cover a number of types, but they share much more in common with
each other. I’m going to use the term Hunting Rifle for these. They have a
metal case, primer, powder, and a bullet, just like most modern handguns. To
see a round from a .40-90 Ballard rifle beside a round of a .338 Lapua as used
in sniper rifles, there won’t be many obvious differences to the average
person, even though more than 100 years separates their release.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hunting
Rifles can be single shots, manual repeaters, or even semi-automatic, but they
don’t have a removable magazine. Most also hold a maximum of five rounds,
including the one in the chamber. Some can hold more, but they are the
exceptions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Rolling
Block and Falling Block actions of the American West were among the first metal
cartridge rounds and used black powder. If you ever saw the film “Quigley, Down
Under” you have an idea of the type of rifle represented here. Calibers for
these use the bullet diameter followed by the number of grains of black powder
used in the case. A .40-90 used a .40 caliber bullet (10mm) and 90 grains of
powder (which is actually quite a bit). The .45-70 was common, and still in use
in smokeless powder versions under the same name. There was also a 100, 110,
and 120 version of the 45, as well a version or two of a .50 caliber. Case
lengths of 2.5 to 3.5 inches were common.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
These used a
big, heavy bullet that went relatively slowly. They could be accurate at a mile
or more, but the path the bullet took to get there was actually several
thousand feet high at the top of its arc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To load and
fire a Rolling Block action, the shooter must pull the hammer back, then pull
back on a small tab on one side of the rifle. The “block” rotates around a
point near the trigger and exposes the chamber. A single round is inserted,
then the block is rolled back to the closed position. There is no locking
mechanism. When the hammer is back, the weapon can fire. The only safety is
lowering the hammer to the “half-cock” position, which actually hovers just
above the firing pin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Falling
Block is similar but more secure, in my opinion. A lever under the trigger is
pulled down, which drops the breech block vertically out of the way. There is
no way for the block to move without the lever moving. Otherwise, the operation
is the same as the Rolling Block.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Both of
these featured a “tang sight.” The tang is the bit of the action behind the
hammer where the shooter places the thumb of the firing hand. The sight was
mounted here and could fold down forward or backward. It had to fold back to
load the rifle but has an obvious stopping point to tell the shooter when it’s
back to vertical.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
On the side
of the sight was a screw that allowed for quick adjustment for range. There was
a second screw that allowed adjustment for wind. Some of the newer sights have
a small bubble level in them to be sure the gun is level from one to the other.
A slight tip either way will mean the bullet hits far left or right of the
target due to the high arc of the path.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the Old
West, these guns were the tools of the trappers and buffalo hunters. They were
the dirty old pick-up of today. They were built solid and strong and there
wasn’t much you could do to hurt them. Because of that, there are still some
around. There are also companies that still make them new, though these are as
much a work of art as they are a gun and have waiting lists years long with
prices in the multiple thousands of dollars.</div>
Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-12110571678150226322012-10-10T09:47:00.000-06:002012-10-10T09:47:52.211-06:00Rifles: Lever and Pump Actions<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Starting in the mid-1800’s metal cartridges made repeating
rifles possible. The most famous of these was the model ’94 (1894) Lever Action
Winchester. This was most common in .30-30, which is still available today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the type of gun seen in westerns set anytime after
1870, and well beyond. The style was the basis for the sidearm carried by the
character Zoe in the science fiction TV show, “Firefly.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To load it, a single round is pushed through a small gate on
the right side (right as it’s held in a firing position). The round slides
forward and into a tube magazine located under the barrel. The second round
stacks up behind the first so the bullet of the second rests on the primer of
the first. It was very important that only flat nosed bullets be used. The
pointy ones could set of the primer of the round in front of it, and that would
be bad. Not quite crossing the streams bad, but “Hey I need to count past five,
can anyone loan me some fingers?” bad. If one round went, odds are the rest of
the magazine would go with it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once the magazine is loaded, a lever under the stock and
behind the trigger is pushed down with the back of the fingers on the firing
hand. This causes a block to slide straight back from the chamber, opening the
chamber and ejecting the spent shell, if any. This action also cocks the
hammer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the lever is returned, the slide comes forward, scoops
a loaded round out of the magazine and inserts in the chamber. The total time
to reload can be well under a second.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sights were kept simple, using a rear notch mounted on the
back of the barrel, though some may have had a tang sight as with the bigger,
single shot rifles of the time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because the operation is so similar, I also want to mention
that the same tubular magazine was used in pump action rifles (see the shotgun
entry) and a specific semi-automatic here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The pump substitutes a hand cranked slide in place of the
lever operated one, but is otherwise the same.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The semi-automatic is loaded the same way, through a gate in
the side or bottom, and into a tube magazine that runs under the barrel.
Chambering a round is done with a small handle on the right side, but after the
first round is loaded, each shot works the slide in the exact same way
described in the semi-automatic pistol section, or the lever section above. The
only other difference is the hammer is inside the action and not visible on the
outside. The one we had was chambered in .44 Mag., but I’ve seen others in
larger rifle calibers, like .444 Marlin. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In either action, this would be the type of gun a guide or
hiker might carry for protection against bears or cougars in a remote area of
the western US. They are light and have few things sticking out that might get
caught on something. They would be less useful in a modern firefight simply
because of the time it takes to reload the magazine. Still, the lever action
rifle was the assault rifle of the late 19<sup>th</sup> century.</div>
Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-45730428716345389442012-05-28T02:23:00.001-06:002012-05-28T02:23:40.616-06:00Silencers<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="Blog">
On the Accessories page, I briefly went over sound suppressors.
This time will be more in depth.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
A suppressor is the more accurate term for a silencer. This is an
attachment that fits on the end of the barrel of a firearm and reduced the
intensity of the sound. </div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
It does not make the weapon silent.</div>
<a name='more'></a>If you’ve never heard a gun fired in person, it’s hard to really
appreciate how loud they can be. A large firecracker would be a fair estimate
for a low powered handgun. A .22 pistol is actually pretty quiet, but a .44
Magnum is much louder than most fireworks you can get without a permit. Very
few guns could be mistaken for a car backfiring.<br />
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
What the silencer does is takes that loud BANG that makes your
ears ring for hours, and reduces it to a loud thump, not much different from
popping a balloon or hitting a pillow with a plastic baseball bat. Beating the
dust out of a rug could also be a good estimate for the quieter ones.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
That said, there are some suppressed weapons that reduce the
sound so much that the only audible indication the gun has been fired is the
click where the hammer falls. These are semi-automatic pistols chambered in
9mm, and referred to as “Hush Puppies.” Their intended purpose was the
elimination of guard dogs.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
Here would be a good time to note that most military weapons are
not suppressed. Some police weapons might be, particularly if those weapons are
used by SWAT teams or other groups that are normally involved in rapid entry into
confined spaces.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
Civilians MAY be able to own a suppressor, but it largely depends
on where they live and the amount of paperwork they fill out.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
That brings us to the other bit. Not all guns can fit a silencer.
By default none can. For a gun to fit a silencer, the barrel must be machined
to have threads on the outside, like a bolt. The silencer will then screw on.
For most guns, this means getting a special barrel that is a little longer than
normal and cutting threads into the outside of it. This will be an obvious
modification to just about anyone familiar with guns in general.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
Because the suppressor works by capturing gasses, the system must
be closed to be effective. This limits the type of guns that make use of a
silencer.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
Single shot pistols of any type can use them. Most of these are
likely to have many custom parts anyway. One example is the Remington XP-100
and all the various versions by other makers. This is basically a bolt action
rifle with a short barrel in a pistol grip stock. Another is the Thompson
Center Contender family, which uses a single shot break-action and is available
in dozens of calibers from .22 long rifle, to 45-70 (which was a rifle used for
buffalo in the old west).</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
Semi-automatics can also be used, but suffer some restrictions.
For the weapon to function, there must be enough power to drive the slide back.
This means it will be more of the baseball bat in the pillow sound than that
quiet “puff” we hear on TV. To get the weapon actually quiet, it loses the
ability to cycle automatically and becomes a single shot manual repeater.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
A third option for a semi-auto pistol is to replace the standard
recoil spring with a much lighter one that will allow the weapon to work
quietly while still functioning. The problem here is that if the suppressor is
not used, the weapon will be dangerous to the shooter.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
With one nearly obsolete exception, a revolver cannot be
effectively silenced. The gap between the cylinder and the barrel will leak
enough gas to make it audible. I’m not sure how quiet one could be, but it will
never be as silent as the semi-automatics and single shots.</div>
<div class="Blog">
<br /></div>
<div class="Blog">
Silencers on rifles is possible, but comes with a steep price.
The bullet will end up dropping to a very slow speed right at the start. This
will reduce range and power. The silencers will also need to be very large to
be effective.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-21452158710423050082012-03-06T02:12:00.000-07:002015-01-06T09:20:43.969-07:00How interchangeable is ammunition?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
This comes up now and again, and I haven’t posted
a firearm entry for some time, so here’s a new one.
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
There are several calibers that sound like they
should be interchangeable, but the truth is, there are slight differences that
can lead to disaster for your fictional characters, and your real life ones.</div>
<a name='more'></a>The two most common offenders are the .38 Special/.357
Magnum and the .44 Special/.44 Magnum. A lesser known issue comes with the .40
Smith and Wesson and it’s mixing with the 10 mm, 9mm, and .357 SIG.<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Let’s start with the .38 Special. This is most
commonly found in revolvers and dates back to the end of the 1800’s. It’s the
most commonly found pistol cartridge in just about police story through the 70’s.
In its day, it was seen as a powerful round. It comes in behind the 9mm, and
even most loadings of the .380 ACP today. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The .38 Special has been improved with the addition
of the .38+P and .38 +P+. These are the same size as a standard .38 Special,
but run much hotter. Firing a +P in a gun not rated for it can lead to damage
and injury. Any gun chambered in .357 Mag can handle them all with ease.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The .38 fires a bullet that is .357 inches in
diameter. This is identical to the bullets fired by the .357 Magnum. In fact,
the same bullets can be fire in both. </div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Note BULLETS, not loaded rounds. The .357 Magnum
has a case which is slightly longer than that of a .38 Special. This is
specifically to prevent the much more powerful round from being loaded in the structurally
weaker .38 frame. In fact, the .357 has about twice the pressure of a .38
Special.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Putting a .357 Mag in a .38 Special, even it fits
somehow, can result in an overpressure that will explode the cylinder. The
character shooting may come away with all their fingers. Or not.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
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The .44 Special is also an older, lower powered cartridge,
and many of the same applies to its relationship with the .44 Mag, with one
exception. The .44 Special is slightly bigger around than the .44 Mag.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<strike>.44 Special = 0.432 inches in diameter and a case
of 1.16 inches.</strike></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<strike>.44 Magnum = 0.429 inches in diameter and a case
of 1.285 inches.</strike></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<strike><br /></strike></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<strike>An average sheet of paper is about 0.0025 inches,
so that’s the difference in diameters. It’s possible a .44 Special might fit
into a .44 Mag. I honestly don’t know what might happen in that case. The Mag
can take a lot more pressure, and the Special is probably a soft lead bullet. It
probably wouldn’t blow up, but I’m not testing it.</strike><br />
<br />
EDIT: <i>The above was pointed out to be incorrect. The slugs fired from a .44 magnum can indeed be used in a .44 Special, but the case length will prevent putting a .44 Magnum in a .44 Special. The outer diameters of the cases are the same, <u>so there would be no issues in firing a .44 Special round in a 44 Magnum</u>.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The 357 SIG is an odd round. It’s a pistol round
that has a bottle shape like a rifle. The case is the same size a .40 S&W,
and the bullet is the same as a 9mm (0.355 inches).</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Because the cases are the same size, a .357 SIG
round can be loaded into a .40 S&W magazine and chambered into the pistol
with no difficulty. When it fires, the bullet will have about 0.5 mm (about 1
mechanical pencil lead) all the way around. Accuracy will suffer, but it
probably isn’t enough room to get the bullet crossways in the chamber or
barrel. It also isn’t likely to have enough pressure to cycle the slide. Worst
case of a .357 SIG in a 40 S&W is a single shot that can’t shoot straight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
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You can’t put a 40 S&W in the chamber of a
.357 SIG.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
You can put a 9mm in the chamber of either. The 9mm
case is slightly smaller than the .40 S&W, in diameter and length. If one
finds its way into the chamber of a .40 S&W, it can actually slide up far
enough to allow a second one to chamber behind it. This will almost certainly
result in an exploded gun. The first round will fire and the bullet will hit
the back of the lodged round. This is too much mass to push forward as the
pressure of the burning powder builds, so the pressure will find another way
out. This will cause the slide to come back much harder than normal. About this
same time, the second round (the one fired) may set off the primer of the first
one, causing it to discharge as well. Because the barrel is a little bigger,
the bullet won’t really be restricted, so this pressure won’t be that big of a
deal. The case being shoved backwards might be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Bottom line is that not all rounds are equal. If
your character takes a gun off someone, and a magazine off another guy, the
magazine might fit, the rounds might not.*</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
If you need a gun to fail, or to become a sudden
risk to the shooter, incompatible ammo is one way to go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
*This is a peeve of mine in some action movies.
The “elite” team of good or bad guys all have different weapons. I don’t mean,
one shotgun, three assault rifles, and 4 SMG’s, which may be tactical choices.
I mean the three assault rifles, are an M-16, AUG, and AK-47, all of which use different
magazines, and one of which is a different caliber. That means if one guy
falls, no one else can use his stuff, but it still needs to be disposed of so
the other side can’t use it.</div>
Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-89515087066827720522012-02-11T09:28:00.003-07:002012-02-11T09:28:30.882-07:00Six Sentence Sunday for 2/12<div style="font-family: inherit;">
For <a href="http://sixsunday.com/">Six Sentence Sunday </a></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
From <i>I See You</i> (unpublished):</div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<br /></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
hope my face fills your mind because if there is any doubt about it, any doubt
at all in your mind that I’m the one that set this up, it means you did got to someone else.
Someone too scared and traumatized to do what needed to be done. Someone too
scared to act. Someone you drove so far down that hallway into their own
private hell that they may never come out. Well, I came out. I came out and I
know right where you are, you son of a bitch.</span></div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-54639266283201221592011-10-29T23:25:00.001-06:002011-10-29T23:25:40.070-06:00Inspiration<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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Inspiration is one of those funny things. You never know
where or how it will strike. Many writers feel that waiting for it is pointless
and anyone wanting to be a writer needs to go out and find their ideas without
it. Well, here are some thoughts on finding it.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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I write crime and mystery (mainly). Nearly everything I
write will have a fleshed out crime at its heart. My “day job” (ironic, as I
work the graveyard shift) is customer service related, and has been for 20+
years. I see a lot of people. Because I’m also a suspicious person by nature, I
watch the people I meet and notice patterns in the things they do, then try to
relate those patterns to the actions they take later on.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are five things that a person can do when they come
into the hotel that mark them as a potential problem. Anyone might do one or
two, but anyone doing four or five basically guarantees a problem room.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back at the grocery store, employees were required to greet
anyone getting within 4 to 5 feet of us. If a customer we didn’t know greeted
us in a friendly manner before they entered that range there was a good chance
they were stealing stuff. I know of two people for sure that were. The one I
caught would have gotten past me if he just ignored me. His greeting made me
look very closely at the stuff in his cart as we passed.</div>
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<br /></div>
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How does this relate to writing and inspiration? Because I
habitually watch the way people do things, I see a lot of the same behaviors
time and time again. I think that’s an important thing for any writer to do.
You have to see how most people do things to describe it clearly. I also see
things that strike me as odd. Those odd things get me thinking, and that
thinking can often lead to a story idea.</div>
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<br /></div>
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For example, today at the bank the guy in front of me was
quite tall. I left right behind him and noticed that he didn’t push the door
open in a normal way. Instead, he reached up well over his head and pushed the
door open with the tips of all four fingers. The odds of anyone else ever
touching that spot would be remote. Most people couldn’t even reach that high.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So, why did he do it? Was he afraid of touching the handle
where everyone else did? Was he a germaphobe? Maybe. Or maybe he wanted to be
sure that his fingerprints would be in the bank, undisturbed, for some other
reason.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They were up high enough that if the bank were robbed, it’s unlikely
that the police would dust that part of the door. Maybe it was like his calling
card. When he comes back to rob the place a week from now, it will be a bigger
rush knowing that his prints are right there on the door.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe it was a signal to the teller, or someone else in the
bank that something would be happening at four. He had an odd cash request too,
but I didn’t pay attention to it. Maybe it was a code.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe he was just strange. Whatever the real reason, the way
he opened the door got me thinking. From that one simple act, I ran though
about eight different plot ideas, some different enough from each other that I
could easily do two or three without the common thread showing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Inspiration doesn't hide. It’s all around. You
might not see if for what it is, but if you just pay attention to the world around you, it’s there. Sometimes it’s obvious, and
sometimes it’s not.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes, it even holds the door open for you at the bank.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-72739176145522455032011-10-18T04:46:00.001-06:002011-10-18T04:46:59.758-06:00Making Jacketed Bullets<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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In another
section I went over how to make cast lead bullets. There is a limit to how fast
these can go. That’s one of the reasons for jacketed bullets.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A modern
bullet is normally two parts. There is a lead core to give it the mass and a
copper jacket to hold it together before, and after, it hits. There are other
types, but the copper jacket represents the bulk of the market. While far less
common than casting lead bullets, there are people who make their own jacketed
bullets.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For this,
you will need a press and some ogive guides. That’s a funny word. Ogive. Ogive
is the name for the curve at the tip of a bullet. A long, thin bullet with a
gentle taper is has a shallow ogive, while a fat bullet with a sudden curve at
the tip has a steep or sharp ogive.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The ogive
helps determine how easily the bullet cuts through the air. It also affects the
sectional density, mass, and terminal performance of the bullet. A steeper
ogive means more mass per length of bullet, but it also means more drag as it
flies through the air.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
To make a jacketed
bullet, you start with a lead core and a copper cup. The first step is to get the
weight of the core about where you want it. The jackets can be bought cut to
the right length of different types of bullet, so you have to take that weight
into consideration as well. You also need to remember that as you put the ogive
on the bullet, the lead will have less space to fill, and too much will mean
the lead comes out the front.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once we have
the weights about right, we put a core into a cup, and run them through the
press. The first die we use mashes the lead to fill the entire cup as much as
possible. This is critical because any change in the uniformity of the lead
will affect the center of gravity, which will cause the bullet to wobble in
flight. This means it won’t stand much chance of hitting the target, and may
actually disintegrate in the air.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
With the core
seated, we can begin to create the ogive. Here, we run it into the press until
we get the shape we want. Some bullets have a large hollow point while others
are nearly closed. Some have lead that goes all the way to the tip, others have
a large volume of space between the lead and the tip. All of these affect how
the bullet acts when it hits something.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The only
option you really don’t have is a true full metal jacket. The reason for this
is that the jacket we have is a cup. No matter what we do with it, it’s got to
have an opening at the end. There is no way to seal it. Running it in from the
other direction won’t do it. It just deforms the jacket and leaves exposed lead
in the back of the bullet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The final
step is to size the bullet on the outside, and put a groove called a cannelure
in it. This is sort of optional, but it does have some serious advantages.
First, it acts as a belt to hold the jacket and core together. Second, it acts
to limit how far the jacket can deform when it hits. Finally, it gives the
casing something to crimp into when loaded. For some rounds, a little extra
time is required to build up the proper pressure. Most large handguns and a lot
of rifles use bullets with a cannelure groove.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, just as
the shot cup can be loaded with other stuff in a shotgun, the copper cup can
also be loaded with other stuff for a handgun or rifle. Silver powder for
example. Fill the cup with a lead core, then drill out the center and fill it
with silver powder. Place a small drop of wax in the top to hold it all in, and
when the bullet hits, the bullet will slow before the silver it carries. The
silver will be more or less injected into the target’s body.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A similar
set up was used with mercury in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Day
of the Jackal</i>, the first one, not the remake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Whatever you
plan to add, be sure you have some way to make sure it’s all balanced as it
spins, and that it can survive the incredible g-forces put on it when the gun
fires. This is why a bullet made of ice won’t work. It’s too fragile and
shatters the instant the gun goes off.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-58915748377249645412011-10-18T04:03:00.001-06:002020-11-23T21:43:58.096-07:00Making Bullets (cast)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In another section we went over how to load your own
ammunition. This one is different. This is how to make your own bullets. From
(nearly) scratch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First up is cast bullets. These are far more commonly found
made at home than jacketed ones. As with making most things, you need
equipment. In this case, you need moulds, a furnace, a sizing press, and lube.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first thing to keep in mind is that:<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THIS IS NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION TO REALLY DO THIS.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s important for me to make that clear, because when lead
is heated it gives of toxic fumes, and the only way to cast lead bullets is to
heat lead. Getting it too hot can cause serious health problems.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First, let’s look at the Furnace. For most home setups, the
furnace is a commercial electric lead pot. These can get quite hot, but usually
not quite enough to create the poison gas in enough volume to worry about. They
have a thermostat on them to regulate the temperature and a little valve on the
bottom for putting the lead into the mould.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Mould is nothing more than a block of steel with a hole
cut into it in the shape of a bullet. This block is mounted in a pair of wooden
handles so the entire thing looks a little like a pair of pliers. Where the
lead goes in makes the back of the bullet, and that part is normally covered by
a small steel plate with a hole over the bullet-shaped hole. When the lead
cools, this hinged place is rotated out of the way, shaving off the excess lead
and leaving the back of the bullet nice and flat.<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The standard tool for doing opening the mould cover is a
stick. You don’t want to use anything metal. The softer metal will deform and
eventually chip or break off. This can be bad when you have a pot of molten
lead in the area.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some moulds will have one cavity, while others will have
two, three, or four.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next phase is the sizing and lubing of the cast bullet.
You need to wait for them to cool off for this. Smaller bullets cool faster. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because the mould can change size as it’s heated, not all
bullets coming from the same mould will be exactly the same diameter. For this
reason, and to just be careful in the first place, the cavity is a fraction
larger than the bullet should be. To fix this, the bullet goes through a sizing
press. This is nothing more than a steel ring of the right diameter that shaves
off any part of the bullet that hangs over. While the bullet is in this press,
a small amount of lubricant is smeared into channels in the bullet. These
channels are called Grease Grooves. This grease is basically wax and petroleum
jelly and feels sticky to the touch. It can come in a variety of colors and
some people make their own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The purpose of the lube is to help the bullet slide down the
barrel and to keep the hot gasses from melting it. Lead bullets are limited to
about 1500 feet per second (450 m/s) because at greater speeds they begin to
melt from the friction on the barrel of the gun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some bullets, usually for small rifles, have a thing called
a Gas Check. This is a small copper cup that fits on the back of the bullet and
is added in the sizing phase. The purpose is to add a small layer of protection
to keep the hot gasses from damaging the bullet in the barrel. They are not
used in most pistols.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The lead can be adjusted in many ways. The most common is
purifying it or adding tin or antimony to it. Pure lead is very soft. It’s so
soft that it can be used like a crayon to color on paper, and it can be marked
and deformed by a fingernail. Dropping a lead bullet on a desk will deform it
as well. A bullet made of pure lead will splatter like a water balloon if it
hits something hard enough to resist it. Note that a bullet resistant vest will
slow it down gradually rather than stop it dead. By resisting the bullet, I mean
something like a tank or solid stone wall. Even metal targets can splatter a
lead bullet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tin or antimony are added to make the lead harder. This is a
fine line, because too much of the other metal can result in poorly performing
bullets due to weight or imbalance. One substance used quite often is linotype.
This is a very hard alloy with a very low melting point and a density similar
to lead. It makes very hard bullets. The bullets are actually too hard to be
fired on a regular basis. They will damage the barrel of the average gun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, where does one get lead to cast bullets? Parking lots
and city streets. I was on wheel weight patrol for most of my life. Anytime I found
a loose one, I brought it home and tossed in the bucket. The weights go in the pot,
then the impurities float to the top where they are skimmed off with a steel
(not silver) spoon. It’s also possible to buy lead from gun stores with indoor
ranges. They sweep out the lead from the bullet traps and refine it or sell it
as is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Casting things other than lead is possible. Lead is melted
to a liquid, then that liquid is put into the mould. In theory, anything that
is liquid could be put into a mould and allowed to harden. The obvious fiction
bullet is silver. The Lone Ranger had them, and anyone wanting to kill a
werewolf will probably look into them at some point. As luck would have it,
someone did the research on that already, by actually making silver bullets. <a href="http://www.patriciabriggs.com/books/silver/silverbullets.shtml">See here
for how it turned out</a>.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-20776728268218778802011-10-18T02:16:00.001-06:002011-10-18T02:16:34.282-06:00Reloading Shotguns<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Shotguns
rounds differ from handgun and rifle rounds in three main ways.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first is
that they are mostly plastic. Some are actually paper, but they can’t be
reloaded. More accurately, they shouldn’t be. Shotgun casings are also commonly
referred to as Hulls, and can come in a number of colors. Most 12 gauge hulls
are red. Most 20 gauge are yellow, and most 10 gauge are black. 16 and 28 gauge
are rare enough now that I can’t recall which is purple, and have no idea what
the other one is.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
You can’t
just go by color though. Many 12 gauge hulls come in black, green, and blue as
well. At one time, these colors may have meant something specific, but after
the first firing, they can all be reloaded and whatever that distinction may
have been is lost.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The second
thing is the “bullet” isn’t one mass of lead in most cases. It’s actually made
up of several to hundreds of smaller balls, collectively called Shot, or
Pellets. The larger the physical diameter of the shot, the smaller the number.
Number 8 shot will be smaller than number 7. 0-buck, or “ought buck” will be
rather large. Triple-ought (000) pellets are a little bigger than a 9mm bullet.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finally,
there is the Wad, or Shot Cup. This is a plastic thing that sits between the
shot and the powder. It some ways it acts like a little shock absorber,
crushing slightly as the powder first starts to expand and reducing the
acceleration curve to smooth it out a bit. That’s the idea anyway. It’s main
purpose is to keep the shot in front of the powder so it does what it’s
supposed to do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, the
process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sizing,
de-priming and adding powder are the same as with handgun and rifle rounds, but then you need to add the wad. Here
is where your Van Helsing homage slips the casing out of the press and adds
whatever he wants to shoot that isn’t the lead or steel pellets. It could be
toothpicks, or diamonds, or a bullet that’s already been fired by someone
else’s gun then wrapped in toilet paper which will come off when the bullet
hits the air at 1400 feet per second. Whatever it is, this is when you’d do it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The final
two stations put the pre-crimp and crimp on the shell. Because shotgun shells
are made of plastic, the ends are folded over to seal the shot in. The crimp
ensures that this fold is done properly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, not all shotgun loads fire shot. They also mage slugs.
This is a 1 to 1.25 ounce (28 to 35 gram) lead bullet about 0.7 inches (18mm)
in diameter. That’s almost ¾ of an inch, or close to the size of the last joint
in your thumb. This is for a 12 gauge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes these slugs are specially made to include rifling
on the slug itself to stabilize it in flight. Other times it’s just a solid,
round ball. Slugs can be accurate and quite lethal out to 200 yard/meters or
more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Other specialty rounds include small firecracker type rounds
that can be used to scare birds out of fields. These work sort of like grenade
launchers in that, you fire them in a high arc and wait for them to explode in
the air, or after they land on the ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A more lethal special round is called Dragon Fire, and actually
turns a shotgun into a shot lived flamethrower. Obviously, this is both very
hard on the shotgun, and amazingly hard for the average person to get their
hands on. A clever fictional character might be able to make some in a basement
though…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Parachute flares are also possible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whatever your characters plan to load into the shotgun
shell, the reloading phase is where it will happen.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-77770358491738434212011-10-18T01:45:00.003-06:002020-11-23T21:51:07.705-07:00Reloading<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It probably
goes without saying that no company actually makes silver bullets or rounds
filled with holy water or garlic powder for those pesky vermin that come
sniffing around some stories. Fortunately, it’s really not all that hard for a
person to make their own conventional ammunition. This is not completely
without risk, but it’s possible. Specialty stuff is a little harder.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How easy is
it?</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
My dad would
have me reloading rounds for shooting competitions when I was 9, and I can
still count past that on my fingers without having to double up. In base 10.
Nerd humor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To review,
there are four parts to a loaded round of ammunition. The Primer ignites the
Powder, which pushes the Bullet out of the gun. The Casing holds that all
together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After the
round has been fired, you are left with the casing which holds the spent primer
and some residue from the now burnt powder. To reload that case and make it a
functional cartridge again, you need to replace the primer, powder, and bullet.
For this you will need a reloading press, or reloading dies and a mallet at the
very least.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For this
first run, we’ll assume a handgun round and a bench mounted loading press.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b>SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE:</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="color: red; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b>THIS IS NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION TO ACTUALLY RELOAD A ROUND.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is enough
to let you fake your way through the process in print, but if you really want
to reload your own ammunition get a real book on it, and follow the
instructions to the letter. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The very
first thing that needs to be done is to resize the casing. When a gun is fired,
the casing will stretch out to completely fill the chamber. This will make it
hard to get the casing back in, as well as making it too loose to hold a new
bullet securely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Resizing
means running the case into a die that will squish it back down to the right
diameter. Normally, this step also includes the punch that knocks out the old
primer, and incorporates the step where a new primer is put in. This is a big
step, and there are a few things that can go wrong.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ideally, it
goes like this. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
You place
the shell in the press and run it up, into the die. The case is resized and
deprimed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Then you
push the new primer seater arm into position and lower the case onto it. This
seats the new primer. Lifting the shell back into the die releases the arm to
pick up the next primer from the feed tube. Running it too far back in, knocks
out the new primer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The next
step is flaring the mouth of the case. This is a new tool and the easiest of
the three dies. Since we sized the case back down, a new bullet won’t fit into
it. We need to flair the mouth of the case slightly to make a little funnel. Some
people move the re-priming to this step.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The third
step doesn’t use dies. It’s just the adding of the powder charge. Of all the
steps, this is the most critical. Powder charges are measured in grains. Grains
in this case is a unit of weight, not a count, like a grain of sand. A grain is
equal to 1/7000 of a pound. A charge of 6 grains of powder might be all you
need for a pistol Adding the 7<sup>th</sup> grain will make too much pressure. Doubling
the charge to 12 may cause damage to the gun, including exploding the chamber. The
case itself might hold 15 to 20 grains.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Double
charging the powder is bad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It’s also
super critical to get the right kind of powder. There are a lot of different
ones, and each has unique traits. Putting a slow burning powder in a pistol
might not make the gun even cycle. Putting fast powder in a large rifle case
will cause an overpressure. Those are bad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once the
powder is in the case, it’s time to add the bullet. Here, you use a third die
that is adjusted to make sure the bullet is at the right seating depth. That
means that the bullet is as far into the case as it needs to be, and the proper
depth can be critical to a number of different things, from accuracy, to
feeding, to not exploding.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To place the
bullet in the round, you put the case in the press and set the bullet on the flared
mouth of the case. You need to keep it straight as it starts into the die, and
it’s not uncommon to pinch your finger between the shell and the die. For a
right handed person, the fingers involved would be the left thumb and index
finger, and a blood blister is certainly possible if you’re not careful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once the
round comes out of the press, it’s a fully reloaded round and can be inserted
in a gun and fired.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Because of
the die switching, most people just do one stage at a time for all rounds. Normally
this is 50 or 100, but the primer tubes usually only hold 50.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Loading
rifle cases is basically the same, but there is another step to the sizing
process. Because rifle cases are larger and have a lot more surface area, they
can get stuck in the sizing die. For this reason, each case has to be lubed up
then wiped down. This is known as “smear and wipe” and the stuff that’s used as
a lubricant is a little sticky to the touch, doesn’t smell at all like
something you want to touch, and is applied by placing 5 or so rounds on a pad
coated with it and rolling them back and forth. Each one is then wiped down
with a rag when they come out of the press.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Those rags
are usually made from old shirts and you will never use them for anything else
again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Some rifles
with very tight chambers, normally only non-automatics, can be “neck sized.” That
means the case itself is not done, only the narrower part after the case steps
down. This must be done to hold the bullet securely. Rounds that are neck sized might not fit in other guns of the same caliber because the chamber size or shape is slightly different.<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hand dies
are also possible, but they take a lot longer to use. Some have an actual press
consisting of a tool about the size of a pair of pliers, while others are just
the dies and the cases are beaten in and out of them with a wooden mallet. These
are often used by people that are working up loads and have five cases they use
with different charges each time. Most casual shooters will never even see one
of these sets.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For some,
all of the above takes too long. For them, we have Progressive Loaders. A
progressive loader uses all dies at once. There are several stations in either
a straight line, or a circle around the center of the press. Each time the
handle is pulled, all stations do something, and the casing is advanced to the
next step. After five pulls of the handle, every cycle will produce a loaded
round.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When these
work, they are awesome. A person on a roll can kick out 500 rounds an hour. If
something goes wrong, they are an incredible pain to fix. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Most shotgun
presses are progressive and have a few more steps and will be covered in the
entry on Reloading Shotguns.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-4312004263880079872011-07-06T04:09:00.000-06:002012-03-06T01:08:40.737-07:00What kind of gun to use?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another question I see pop up quite often on forums is “What kind of gun would my character use?” The answer to that depends on a lot of different factors. Here are some common ones.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When and where does your character live?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If your story is an American Civil War epic, the gun will be much different than a modern police drama. So, that’s the first thing to consider. What guns actually existed when your story happened?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/firearms_2.htm">Here is a general timeline</a> of the various types, and the years they became common. I didn’t verify these dates, but it should give you a basic idea of the major types of actions and when they became available.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Where presents other issues. If your story is set in the modern world, is it in a city where guns are even legal? If they are not legal, where does character get them, and how. Gun laws in the US vary from state to state. The laws also change rather quickly in some cases, so the way things are “now” might be different than they were five years ago.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Outside of the US, gun laws are far more restrictive for the most part.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Next, we need to look at what the character plans to do with it. Do they need a sniper rifle, or a combat handgun? Do they need an assault rifle or a close contact covert assassination weapon? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For a close contact weapon, the long time favorite, and possible urban legend, is a Ruger Mark II in .22 long rifle. Just about any Internet search will show this weapon is the “most used by professional assassins.” It’s hard to say just how true that really is because not a lot of professional assassins are willing to go on record listing their weapons. Still, its use in fiction is well documented and for head shots out to a few yards, it is a perfectly plausible choice. For a John Woo style running gun battle, not so much.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For a combat handgun, just about any modern one will do. Most are semi-automatics, but there are some people who do very well with revolvers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Do they need to carry it concealed for protection, such as in a purse, or in a hidden holster?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you need a good semi-auto you can use any of these for the default:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Glock</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sig Sauer</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Beretta</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
.45 auto (also called a model 1911, the year the US adopted it, and yes, they still make them, and they are still viable.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many people on forums will also mention the Desert Eagle. These are good guns, but they are large and heavy. As a combat handgun, they are not practical. As a hunting handgun, they are great.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For revolvers, the most common will be a Smith and Wesson for double action, and Ruger Blackhawk for (modern) single action. Both come in a number of calibers and styles, but as model names, both are at or near the top of their field.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are also a number of very specialized single shot handguns, which would be the pistol equivalent of a sniper rifle. These include the Thompson Center Contender line and the XP-100 line of target pistols.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For shotguns, my default answer is the Remington 870, Ithica Stakeout, or Mossberg 500 Pump. All three are pump action shotguns and come in a variety of styles. A shotgun is also the best choice for a person with minimal training to use for home defense. In a combat situation, a handgun is actually very difficult to fire accurately. A shotgun requires far less precision, and the sound it makes being cocked is enough to stop most people who are not already committed to an act of violence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For an assault rifle, the AK-47 and variants will be available nearly everywhere. They were designed to be easy to make and to function in the worst conditions. That makes them cheap and desirable, and very successful. On the other hand, those same strengths make it weak in other areas. It’s not as accurate as other rifles, for example. Still, if your character needs a rifle in just about any country on earth, odds are good that one of these would be around. Note that the 47 refers to the year it was introduced. This is an old design with few changes. Mainly because none were needed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For a more modern assault rifle, you can look to anything used by the modern military forces of the world. In the US, the M-16 and M-4 rifles are the most often used. In Britain, it’s the L1A1, which looks really cool, unless the guards at Buckingham Palace have them. They just don’t look right to me. I know appearance isn’t really a factor, but I can’t help it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For a submachine gun, the options are very open and very dependent on style. The HK MP5 is a solid choice and available in many styles. The uzi has been around since the 50’s and has not really changed at all. Use those as your default unless you need something specific.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For a 1920’s gangster, neither of those would be available, so you’d want the classic Tommy Gun. This was used by both sides of the law and carried by US forces in World War II, and even in Korea.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For a sniper rifle, just saying “sniper rifle” is good enough. The options, variants and styles are so vast, and the specific application so unique, that having a general one is almost silly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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Almost. Any hunting rifle can be a passable sniper rifle. One of the most often used is the Remington 700, which is a bolt action rifle used to some extent by the US military, but also used by thousands of deer and elk hunters across the United States.</div>
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The ones made with being a sniper rifle in mind will have modifications and special scopes, but the basic action is the same. They are available in a wide range of calibers.</div>
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Now, just because that one is mentioned by name does not mean that any other hunting rifle is inferior. Some are, but some are better. Nearly all of them will be up to the task.</div>
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How do I arm my own characters?</div>
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Raymond Jaye, my noir-style private eye carries a Smith and Wesson revolver in .41 magnum. Yes, .41, not .44. I chose it because he’s modeled after the detectives of the 30’s and 40’s, who generally carried a .38 revolver. He’s also got a physical limitation that prevents him from using an automatic. The .41 was a nice choice because it’s big, but not a Dirty Harry rip off. It’s also a little known cartridge that’s been clinging to life for some time. Maybe that says something about my character and his attitude.</div>
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Another character is a waitress who used to be an Air Force Security Forces member. Basically, the Air Force version of the Military Police with some infantry duty and counter sniper training as needed. When she left the Air Force, she got a concealed weapon permit and carries a Sig 230, which is a small automatic pistol in .380 ACP. It was chosen for some very specific reasons as well, but one of them is that I have one of these, and I’ve used in IDPA style fun shoots. It will be a very simple matter for me to write about her use of the gun, because I’ve used one just like it extensively.</div>
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One of my killers uses a .22 caliber target pistol. In that instance, the gun was chosen for very specific reasons relating to its design and function, and the solution for the case wouldn’t work with any other type of gun.</div>
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Other times, when it’s not really that important, I’ll just pick one at random. Most of my police officers carry Glocks, because most police officers do. My Thugs will carry a .45 when they need a gun. Generic thugs may carry anything. Another story starts off with a sniper attack. In that case the type of rifle doesn’t matter, but the trajectory of the bullet does. Where he hits a target after the person has moved a significant distance is a clue that the shooter is not a sniper, or a hunter, but still skilled with a rifle.</div>
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My number one recommendation for anyone wanting to get into specific guns for specific characters is to buy a book or two that show a lot of types broken into classes. Learn how they work in general terms, then used the book to zero in on the specific versions you want. Role Playing Game books are very good for this. Ignore what they say about damage for the most part, but range and operation tend to be good enough to get by.</div>
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For those living in area where it’s possible, go to a gun store or gun show and actually lift some of the guns that interest you. Some ranges will allow you to rent one so you can test fire it.</div>
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If you have specific questions, you can ask me here, or on Twitter where I’m @BillTheScribe. I’ve been having some issues replying to comments left here though. Just a heads up.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-79424733334122512122011-06-14T02:35:00.001-06:002011-06-22T01:29:09.632-06:00I Miss Being Sixteen<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I miss being sixteen. Not for the obvious reasons, but for a very specific feeling, I seem to have lost.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I didn’t get a driver’s license until I was nineteen or so. It wasn’t a huge deal because I had friends with cars, and I had my bike. I spent a lot of time on my bike, and I knew the area around my house well.</div><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One spot I used to visit on a regular basis was on the edge of office park near my house. It was some sort of building with a secure entry, so the smokers were given a little patio with an 8 foot high cinderblock wall that ran all around it. The only way to get in was from the building or climbing the wall.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I used to go there around sunset and climb that wall to just sit there. The view was sort of east, so it was in shade but I could see the mountains and watch as the light turned more and more pink as the sun set behind me. That was my spot as a teen and I loved it there. It was a great spot to go to think about things, and it was out of the way enough that no one was likely to see me there. I wasn’t normally the type of teen that had issues with the police, and I knew from experience that just getting caught there wouldn’t get me into any real trouble.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">None of that is why I’m feeling what I’m feeling as I write this.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Many of the best times in my life have been due to the summer rain. From riding one, lone shopping cart back to the grocery store while “singing” Wagner’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Ride of the Valkyrie</i> (Ba ba-ba BA ba, BA BA-BA <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BA </b>ba, ba ba-ba BA ba, ba ba-ba baaaa) at the top of my lungs as the thunder crashed all around me, to working with a kendo partner in a grove of trees in a local park, the sky so dark we could only see each other in faint silhouette until the lightning flashed and lit the area like daylight. Even the road marches in basic training were better I the rain, until we had to put on our ponchos.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I loved the rain. I really loved thunder and lightning. One afternoon, I went to my building and sat on my wall as a summer thunderstorm moved through and I loved every second of it. It took me out of my head and away from real life. All my problems, minor though they were, were forgotten. Grades didn’t matter. I wasn’t freaking out about whether or not that girl really liked me. I didn’t care that I didn’t have a car. I was alone, and I was fine with it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As I type this, I sit about 300 yards from that wall. It’s still there 25 years later. I’m still here, too. It’s 2 AM and I’m at work. Most importantly, there is a raging thunderstorm outside. I can see the flashes and hear the thunder. I’ve got the sudden boomers, and the lower, distant rumblers, and if I were 16, I’d be out there in the middle of it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Right now, I’m not feeling anything. I can see the flashes. That last one was just over 400 yards away. I made it to “one-one thousand, two.” Not only did I see the white flash, but some blue and pink as well. There is no reason I should be anywhere other than standing in a dark room watching it, but I’m not. I’m sitting at the desk, writing about it. Where did the magic go? Why isn’t this as cool as it used to be? I know lightning didn’t change, so it must be me. But why?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Growing up sucks. I miss being sixteen.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-84305735068187242992011-06-01T04:13:00.000-06:002011-06-01T04:13:54.127-06:00How I Write<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One of the most common, if not THE most common question writers get asked is “Where do you get your ideas?”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I know this, not because anyone has ever asked me, but because I’ve listened to a lot of interviews where long running, successful writers say they hear that question time and time again.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In a flourish of pre-emptive optimism, here is my answer:</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Beats me.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Seriously. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sometimes a new idea will start with a character. Sometimes it will start with a plot. Sometimes it will start with a bit of dialog, or a specific scene. Sometimes all I have is the basic premise.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I’m currently sitting on about fifty ideas which are no more than 2/3 ready to begin. Some have only one of the above, some have all but one.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I usually have a digital recorder with me, and a second one on the nightstand. When I get an idea I record it, then go through the recordings later when I can get them into the computer.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">How I keep track of it all:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Spreadsheets and folder trees. In the writing folder on my computer I have folders for my stuff, not my stuff, and a few others.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The only stand alone file in “My Stuff” is my ideas spreadsheet. This is an Excel file with one tab for each “world” I’ve created something for. Each Idea is listed with a working title, the proposed length, the phase it’s in, and a summary.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The phases start with Idea, then move on to planning, In Progress, Editing, Submitted, with date, Revision, and Complete. There are a few others, Such as “Frankenplot” which means it’s no longer a viable story, but bits are good and can be reused in other things.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Also, in My Stuff I have folders for each genre. Mystery, Horror, SF, Fantasy, and Other.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In Mystery, I have a few different worlds where certain characters can be found in more than one story. In these cases, I have a folder for each world, and one for the stories that exist as stand-alones.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">In the world of my private eye, I have three main sets of characters. There is one sheet which serves as the master time line for all of them, then each has set has a folder. In each folder is a folder named for the title of the story or book. In each of those folders is the actual story, along with spreadsheets for the timelines, other research stuff, and the most important thing of all, the brainstorming page.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The brainstorming page is just what it sounds like. I use the outline feature to write out an idea, then all the questions that idea sparks, then I try to answer all of those questions. When I finally make the choice about what to do, I highlight the ones that matter, but I don’t get rid of any of the others. I never know when they may come in handy.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><s>If</s> When I get published (looking like Jan 2012 at the moment), I’ll have each story up in its own section here with a history of just how it developed, including where the ideas came from and how I got past the different blocks.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-64645159239238899272011-01-24T04:33:00.001-07:002011-01-24T22:03:53.768-07:00What I Write<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I told a little about why I write, or why I think I do. This time I thought I’d talk a bit about what I write.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">My focus is Mystery, but that’s a deceptive term. The driving force behind any story is the desire to see what happens next. That makes everything a mystery in some form. We can’t even say that a mystery involved finding out who committed a crime. The TV series <i>Columbo</i> opened most of the time by showing the killer doing it. The rest of the program was spent watching the detective try to figure what the audience already knew. Yet, these were still Mysteries.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Still other stories are most certainly Mysteries but they contain some other element that puts them in a different genre. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">If Agatha Christie’s <i>And then there were None</i>, sometimes called <i>Ten Little Indians</i>, would have been set on a space station instead of an island, it would have been Science Fiction. If that same story used dwarves and elves and been set in a cave or dungeon, it would have been Fantasy. The dialog and room descriptions would have changed, but the key plot points could remain intact regardless of time or place.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Many of the classic Science Fiction stories of Phillip K Dick were essentially mysteries that used fantastic technology to set up the crime. While making them Science Fiction as far as the world is concerned, it did not make the any of the stories any less of a Mystery.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">When I say I write Mysteries I mean I write detective fiction. It may be set in the current world, an alternate, fantasy world, or a world of spaceships and aliens. To me, they are all mysteries. With that in mind, here are the main “worlds” I plan to use as settings.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The modern, “real” world will be home to most. In particular, I have a private investigator who recently left Detroit after suffering a serious injury. His name is Raymond Jaye, and even though the settings and technology are as real as anything around today, the character is a throwback to the late 40’s radio drama programs. He’s not Phillip Marlowe, Flashgun Casey, or Richard Rogue, but he knows many of the same people.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Ray Grew up listening to the old shows his grandfather had saved from his days as an engineer in Chicago, just after World War II. Most of the kids in his school were raised on television programs. Ray was raised by radio. When he’s working, he often slips into the old time mindset. This gives him a quick wit, which doesn’t always work out in his favor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Ray’s stories can be short stories, novellas, or full novels. I have some of each either planned or finished.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The “real” world is also home to a number of short, one-off stories featuring their own characters and styles. These can be anything from flash fiction to novella length, and vary in tone from creepy, to light comedy, but always with the mystery element in mind.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Stepping slightly away from reality is a possible series set in a super luxury hotel. The hotel is a bit too out of this world to be “real”, but no so out of place that it couldn’t really exist. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Stories set there would have more of an espionage feel to them, with high stakes gambling and people skulking about a closed environment looking to either perform, or elude, dark deeds.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Then, there is the world of Richard Gray. His world is one of magic coexisting with our modern technology. His stories are less of a detective style and more of a police procedural. Rather than collecting samples and taking them to a lab to analyze, he uses magic at the scene.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">His “team” consists of a grumpy old man who always seems to know someone that can help with some task, an assistant who is quite a bit more than she typically lets on, and a pair of normal young women who are nearly exact opposites of each other.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I have six novels planned for them so far. The first draft of the first one is nearly done.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Finally, moving to the Science Fiction end of the scale, I have a few ideas that include my take on the standard dystopian society, as well a character who has been very well received despite being an 8 foot tall insect. She’s a great character, but I can’t think of any way to use her other than the one little experiment I had her in. I’m not even sure how to class a non-graphic novel about superheroes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">So, that’s about it. I’ve got things planned in three main genres, but under everything, they are all Mysteries.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-26931516531053530692011-01-05T04:57:00.000-07:002011-01-05T04:57:15.130-07:00Accessories: Lasers, Supressors, and Scopes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">...Oh my. Sorry, had to do it. OCD thing. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">When most people think of gun accessories, three things come to mind.<span> </span>Scopes, laser sights, and silencers.<span> </span>The truth is that there are a lot of other things that fit this category, but it’s those three I want to look at in depth.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">First off, laser sights.<span> </span>I touched on these briefly in the Exterior Ballistics section, but I want to go over them again.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Most people know what a laser sight is from TV and movies.<span> </span>It’s that red dot that creeps along the hero’s face until it stops right between his eyes.<span> </span>It’s become so ingrained that the bullet will hit that spot no matter what that no one bothers to even question it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Well, here’s a question.<span> </span>What is the Zero Distance for that gun?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The Zero Distance is the range where the bullet will intersect with the line of sight.<span> </span>If I want to be “dead on” at 200 yards, I can sight in at 100 yards and place my bullet 1.1 inches high.<span> </span>The ballistics for that bullet show that it will then be right on at 200, and roughly 1.8 inches low at 300.<span> </span>If the target is 600 yards away and I’m aimed at the center of his head, I’m probably going to hit somewhere around his liver.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">That’s problem number one with laser sights.<span> </span>In close range situations, they are accurate enough to be effective.<span> </span>This includes nearly all ranges for pistols and sub machineguns.<span> </span>For ranges over 100 yards or so, they are far less reliable, even if the dot could be seen.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">That brings up problem number two.<span> </span>The dot shows up very well for the target because the target is right there.<span> </span>From 200 yards away, the shooter may not even be able to see the spot, and if they can, there is so little detail on the target that there is no way to be sure where the dot is resting.<span> </span>Is it on his heart, or his right shoulder?<span> </span>This is actually easy enough to test now that laser pointers are cheap.<span> </span>At a range of 100 yards, most laser “dots” have grown to a 1 inch or larger blob of diffuse light.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">One Hollywood solution I’ve seen a few times is to use telescopic sight to make the dot show up for the shooter.<span> </span>This adds a whole new level of silliness.<span> </span>It’s using a far superior targeting method as a secondary system to one that shouldn’t be used that way in the first place.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Problem three.<span> </span>The target is now aware that there is a weapon in the area. <span> </span>Other people in the area may also be aware of it.<span> </span>The general position of the shooter can be determined because the laser has to have a direct line to the target.<span> </span>Any hope of having the element of surprise is gone.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">So, laser sights on handguns and SMG’s used in close quarters combat, like a house, fine.<span> </span>That’s a perfectly legitimate use for them.<span> </span>Laser sights on a sniper rifle, not so fine.<span> </span>Borders on laughably silly.<span> </span>For an assault rifle used for clearing houses in an urban area, that’s basically what the close combat one covers.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Telescopic Sights, or Scopes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">These are tubes that increase the apparent size of an object by bending light through lenses.<span> </span>They have a few parts and terms in common, and we’ll go over those below.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The Objective Lens, is the one in the front.<span> </span>This is the one you don’t look though.<span> </span>Generally speaking, the larger this lens, the more light the scope will bring in and the higher the magnification can go.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The Reticle is the thing that is laid over the top of the image.<span> </span>It’s usually called the cross hairs and in its most basic form, it looks like a plus sign (+) that goes all the way to the edge of the image.<span> </span>Some scopes will have more elaborate reticles that include range finding scales and windage meters, while others may simply have a small circle in the center.<span> </span>One thing they actually will have in common is something in the center. Of the field of view.<span> </span>I’ve seen a few shows where the scope had all sorts of cool stuff in it, but lacked anything that might show where the freaking bullet was going to go.<span> </span>Seriously, the + shape is fine.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Adjustment Knobs.<span> </span>These sit on the center of the tube, one on the top and one on one side.<span> </span>Their purpose is to move the reticle until whatever is in the center lines up with the impact of the bullet.<span> </span>Once this is set, there is rarely a good reason to move it on normal scopes.<span> </span>Some high end sniper scopes are made to adjust the knobs from one shot to the next to compensate for range and wind.<span> </span>Most scopes made for the general public are adjusted using a coin for a screwdriver.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Scope Mounts.<span> </span>This is what holds the scope on the rifle.<span> </span>Yes, there are some that can be slipped on and off and maintain their aim point.<span> </span>Most are simply screwed into the top of the rifle and ignored forever after.<span> </span>For some scopes, the mounts have the aim adjustments, rather than the scope.<span> </span>For some sniper scopes, the mounts can be quickly adjusted for range to compensate for bullet drop.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Eye Relief.<span> </span>This isn’t a physical thing, but an absence of it.<span> </span>The distance between the shooter’s eye and the part of the scope closest to it is known as the eye relief.<span> </span>Because of the way lenses work, there is a “sweet spot” where the shooter has to be to see a full picture.<span> </span>This is true of telescopes, binoculars, and even magnifying glasses to some extent.<span> </span>If that sweet spot is too close to the scope, when the rifle recoils, the scope will hit the shooter in the face.<span> </span>This normally results in a crescent shaped cut on the eyebrow or bridge of the nose, and weeks of ridicule from friends that recognize it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">In the section on Sniper Rifles, I talked about magnification.<span> </span>I don’t want to go over that all again, but I do want to add to it.<span> </span>As magnification increases, three things happen.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The image will get darker and lose contrast.<span> </span>This is why scopes with higher magnification have larger objectives.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The angular size of the objects in the scope get larger.<span> </span>This also magnifies any shakes or tremors the shooter may experience.<span> </span>It’s generally considered impossible for a normal person to hold 15 power binoculars steady enough to use.<span> </span>Those are still easier to manage than a rifle with a 15 power scope on it.<span> </span>From a rest of some sort, 30 or 40 power is possible, but if the target moves a tiny bit, or the shooter twitches for any reason, the target will end up completely out of the view.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Atmospheric artifacts increase.<span> </span>The main of these is mirage.<span> </span>On a hot, or even warm day, moving air currents can refract the light between the target and the scope to the point that the target seems to float away like a helium balloon.<span> </span>The shooter is still lined up, but can’t tell because the air is distorting things.<span> </span>Higher magnification makes this more common.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The following will tie in, I swear.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">One type of US military sniper scope in use for decades has a cam on the rear that will adjust the height of the rear of the scope to match the range to the target to the ballistic arc of the bullet fired.<span> </span>If the shooter knows the range is 800 yards, he sets the scope to 800 and aims directly at the target.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Another scope from the Soviet Union (I think) worked in a similar way, but also used the zoom function of the scope as a range finder.<span> </span>Two lines represented the average human from head to navel<span> </span>The target was selected, then the zoom on the scope was turned to fit the target between the two lines.<span> </span>Three power was 300 yards.<span> </span>Nine power was 900 yards.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Did you catch that?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">At 900 yards 9 power was adequate magnification for a military sniper scope.<span> </span>You don’t need to see their eye color, you just need to know where the center of the head is.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Silencers, or more accurately, suppressors.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">These have been mentioned a few places already and this is running long.<span> </span>That bulky black thing on the end of the gun will not make it silent.<span> </span>At best it will make it quiet enough that the people in the house next door won’t think it’s a gunshot.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">When a bullet is fired, it’s usually going faster than sound.<span> </span>This creates a sonic boom, but because the bullet is so small, it’s really more of a loud crack, kind of like a whip makes.<span> </span>The expanding gasses hitting the air make a much louder sound.<span> </span>A suppressor catches this gas and slows it down in an effort to quiet it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">To be truly effective, the suppressor must be huge.<span> </span>The ones seen on the barrels of SWAT team weapons are not intended to make the weapons silent, only to take the bite out of the sound and allow for communication with teammates and hostiles in the area.<span> </span>If their ears are ringing from the gunshots, they can’t very well follow instructions.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Improvised items can be used as silencers for a shot or two.<span> </span>Classically, a pillow works well, but it spreads feathers.<span> </span>For a while, there were attachments that allowed the threading of a 2 liter soda bottle to the front of a gun.<span> </span>This was supposed to work for a few shots before the bottle was too damaged to be effective.<span> </span>Under the laws at the time, the adaptor was legal, but actually putting a bottle on it was not.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Suppressors can be owned by private citizen in the United States.<span> </span>They require a lot of paperwork and the permits can be refused for any number of reasons, but in some states it is possible.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-40452609833864328272011-01-05T03:16:00.002-07:002011-01-05T03:16:59.675-07:00Sniper Rifles<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Sniper Rifles</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The first thing to know about sniper rifles is that they don’t do any more damage than any other rifle of the same caliber.<span> </span>The US M24 sniper rifle fires the same 7.62 NATO round as the M-60 machinegun, and M-14 battle rifle.<span> </span>Sort of.<span> </span>There are small changes with the shape of the bullet, but there is no significant difference in the velocity or energy.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">So, why are Sniper Rifles so special?</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Consistency.<span> </span>When speaking of rifles and accuracy, there is a term that comes up often: Minute of Angle, or MOA. <span> </span>A circle is divided into 360 degrees.<span> </span>Each degree is divided into 60 arcminutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">This is math.<span> </span>Ride it out, it’s important.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">When measuring separation of two points that may or may not be different distances, feet and inches don’t work.<span> </span>Neither do meters, so settle down, metric.<span> </span>This is commonly used in astronomy.<span> </span>Two stars may be separated by hundreds or even thousands of light years in real space, but when we describe their separation as seen from Earth, we might say they are four degrees apart.<span> </span>This same method is used when talking about rifle accuracy.<span> </span>One MOA doesn’t need to know how far away the target is.<span> </span>It only looks at the space between the holes in the paper.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">When we say a rifle has one minute of angle accuracy, it means that no bullet will hit outside of a circle that spans 1/60<sup>th</sup> of a degree.<span> </span>In one of the few cases where two non-metric units of measure play well together, 1 MOA is equal to 1 inch at 100 yards.<span> </span>That works out to 2.54 cm at 91.4 m.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Minute of angle accuracy is fine for a hunting rifle, but think of it like this.<span> </span>At 500 yards, that circle will be 5 inches across.<span> </span>That’s not really a lot smaller than a human head.<span> </span>At 1500 yards, that circle is now 15 inches.<span> </span>Snipers need to be much more precise than that, especially since they deal in ranges over a mile (1760 yards/1.6 km).<span> </span>In bench rest rifle competitions, the best shooters are getting group sizes around 0.1 MOA out to 200 yards.<span> </span>That would be a 0.5 inch group at 500 yards assuming that wind and other outside conditions were not a factor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">In reality, it doesn’t scale up like that, but they are still much better than a regular hunting rifle, and that’s the key.<span> </span>Sniper rifles don’t do more damage, they simply do their damage in exactly the right spot.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Obviously, the rifle itself is a significant part of it, but just as important is the telescopic sight, or Scope.<span> </span>A rifle scope is basically the same thing as a spyglass, or one side of a pair of binoculars.<span> </span>It magnifies an image to make it appear closer.<span> </span>This allows for a shooter to make tiny corrections to the point of aim.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">A six power scope, written 6x, is one that increases the magnification six times.<span> </span>A target at 600 yards would look like that same target is only 100 yards away, and that’s the first place movies and TV shows screw things up.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">When movies let us see “through the scope” we can clearly see the target’s eye color.<span> </span>We can see tiny details from 1000 yards away that would be hard to spot from across a coffee table.<span> </span>Most sniper scopes are under ten power.<span> </span>Bench rest rifles sometimes have scopes that go as high as thirty power.<span> </span>At 1000 yards, a 30x scope will make the target look like they are 100 feet away.<span> </span>That’s about the distance from one end of a basketball court or hockey rink to the other, and about 1.5 times further than the pitcher’s mound from the home plate in baseball.<span> </span>Plenty close enough to recognize someone, but still not enough to read the serial number off the money being exchanged at the drug buy.<span> </span>Also check out the accessories entry when I get it done.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Another critical aspect to the use of a sniper rifle is the shooter.<span> </span>Just having the rifle and knowing the range is of no use without a better than average ability to read the wind, breathe properly, and account for variations in elevation and terrain.<span> </span>Not just anyone will be able to pick up a sniper rifle and make impossible shots.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The last thing I want to say about sniper rifles is about the rifle itself.<span> </span>A common question I see on forums is, “What type of gun could make a good sniper rifle?”<span> </span>A good rule of thumb answer is anything you could use to hunt deer or elk.<span> </span>The US Army Sniper Rifle is basically just a Remington 700 bolt action rifle with some extra work done on it.<span> </span>The Marine Sniper Rifle is based on the M-14.<span> </span>Both are available on the civilian market in the US in most places.<span> </span>There are certain changes made to them, but most of those can be done in about a day in a basement.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">That said, there are several rifles that are built with the sole idea of sniping in mind.<span> </span>These are often in non-standard calibers and may be hard to find in the civilian world, depending on the setting.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The last thing I want to mention is another myth that has been reinforced by film and TV for decades.<span> </span>The image of a sniper with a bipod or balled up coat serving as a rest on a window sill is so common that it’s accepted even in shows that try hard to get things right.<span> </span>In the real world, the sniper will stay away from the window as much as possible.<span> </span>They might climb up onto something in the back of the room, or set up in the rafters several yards from the opening they plan to use.<span> </span>From outside the building, no one should be able to look up and see the barrel of the rifle unless the person doing the shooting doesn’t really know what they are doing, or the target will be moving too quickly to take the shot any other way.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-47753937156888120612011-01-05T03:05:00.000-07:002011-01-05T03:05:21.413-07:00Shotguns<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Shotguns</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Shotguns have an aura about them that makes them unique among weapons.<span> </span>Maybe it’s the size of the shell, or maybe it’s the amount of damage they seem to do, whatever it is, it’s very often over-rated.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Shotguns come in sizes that range from .410 bore to 10 gauge.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">A 410 bore is actually a hole 0.41 inches in diameter, the same as a .41 magnum or 10mm pistol, and slightly smaller than a .44 magnum.<span> </span>It’s the only size that doesn’t follow the standard convention explained below.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">All other shotgun gauges are based on the number of lead balls of that diameter that it would take to equal one pound.<span> </span>This means that smaller numbers have bigger holes.<span> </span>Modern shotguns come in the following sizes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">28 Gauge</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">20 Gauge</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">16 Gauge</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">12 Gauge and </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">10 Gauge</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">In the past, sizes of 6, 4 and 2 gauge shotguns were used, but these were more like cannons.<span> </span>Of the above list, only 20 and 12 are in regular use.<span> </span>The 10 gauge is starting become common, but it’s a big round that few people will choose to shoot if a 12 is available.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">A normal round consists of a case, primer, powder and bullet.<span> </span>A shotgun shell is the same, in principle.<span> </span>The case can be called a Shell, or Hull.<span> </span>It still has a primer in the back, but only the very back is made of brass.<span> </span>Most of the shell is plastic, and some are layered paper, like cardboard.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The powder charge sits in the bottom of the shell.<span> </span>Above that is something called a Wad or Shot Cup.<span> </span>The shot cup is usually a plastic thing that has a disc on the bottom, a few columns of plastic on top of that and a tall cup with four petals, like a flower.<span> </span>Inside this tall cup is the shot.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Shot size is determined by number.<span> </span>#12 shot is the smallest.<span> </span>#9 is bigger than #12, and #8 is bigger than #9.<span> </span>#7 is about the smallest used for hunting, but #8 or #9 can be used for sports like trap and skeet.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The number of pellets in the cup is determined by weight.<span> </span>Usually about 1 oz, or 1 1/8 ounces are used in a 12 ga.<span> </span>Since the weight of the shot stays about the same, but the pellets get bigger, the number of pellets in each round decreases as shot size goes up.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">By the time we reach #0 buckshot, they are slightly larger than a .30 caliber bullet. #000 buck is larger than a 9mm bullet.<span> </span>That means you only have 6 to 10 pellets per shell.<span> </span>The thing to remember though is that those 6 pellets are going the same speed as a 9mm bullet and are nearly as heavy.<span> </span>From the target’s point of view, it’s getting hit with six 9mm bullets at once.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">That brings us to the spread of the shot.<span> </span>Obviously, if there are only 6 pellets there is a good chance that a small object will be missed by most of them.<span> </span>That’s an advantage to using smaller shot.<span> </span>The number of pellets per square inch actually goes up very quickly.<span> </span>Think of it this way.<span> </span>If you were to hang a 12 inch pizza at the right range so that 100% of the pellets hit inside the pizza, six pellets of #000 shot will mean that there are at least 2 of the 8 slices with no shot in them at all.<span> </span>On the other hand, with the 410 pellets of #8 shot, every slice will have about 50 pellets in it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">That’s where the great trade off comes in.<span> </span>Those 6 pellets of #000 are going to blast through the target and keep moving.<span> </span>Those smaller pellets won’t.<span> </span>They will hit the surface, maybe get an inch or two in, and stop.<span> </span>It’s possible to survive a direct hit from bird shot because they don’t have the mass to hold onto their momentum.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">That might be a tricky thing to understand, so here’s a more common real-world analogy.<span> </span>In soccer, or football if you live outside the United States, it’s a valid tactic to jump up and hit the ball with your head.<span> </span>The ball is hard, but it doesn’t weigh much.<span> </span>A bowling ball is about the same size, but weighs up to 16 pounds, (7.25 kg).<span> </span>If you jump up and hit that with your head, it will have a much different outcome.<span> </span>The reason is the momentum.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Momentum is a physics term that basically means that something wants to keep doing what it’s doing.<span> </span>A ball moving through the air will keep moving until the air slows it down, gravity pulls it down, or it hits something that stops is.<span> </span>Bullets and shotgun pellets are the same way.<span> </span>They will keep going until something stops them.<span> </span>More momentum means that they will be harder to slow down or stop.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">For momentum, mass is more important than speed.<span> </span>Heavier things are harder to get moving, but they are also harder to stop.<span> </span>Our buckshot is heavy and moving at 1400 feet per second.<span> </span>Out birdshot is light and moving at 1400 feet per second.<span> </span>When both hit, the birdshot will stop almost instantly, while the buckshot will keep going.<span> </span>Getting shot in the chest with a full load of birdshot will suck in immense ways best described with lots of profanity, but there is a good chance that none of the pellets will penetrate more than an inch or so into the body.<span> </span>Buckshot on the other hand will go right on through.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">That brings us to the “choke” of the shotgun.<span> </span>The Choke is a term used to describe the shape of the end of the barrel.<span> </span>An Open Choke means that the barrel is the same diameter inside all the way from the chamber to the muzzle.<span> </span>A Full Choke means the end of the barrel is slightly smaller than the rest of it.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Why would this matter?<span> </span>For the same reason flashlights have an adjustable beam.<span> </span>A full choke will keep the pellets together longer, giving the shotgun more range.<span> </span>Similarly, a longer barrel will keep the shot from spreading as quickly.<span> </span>This is one of the reasons that “sawed off shotguns” are viewed as being more destructive than other types.<span> </span>At a range of about 20 yards, a long barrel with a full choke might give a pattern of under 8 inches.<span> </span>That is, nearly every pellet inside an 8 inch circle.<span> </span>That same round from a sawed-off shotgun might make a 20 inch pattern, which would make hitting more than one person per shot a definite possibility.<span> </span>This ability to hit more than one person per shot, combines with the extra concealability of them made a sawed-off a brutally effective close combat weapon in bar fights.<span> </span>Their effectiveness drops off rapidly as the range increases.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Another thing that gives a shotgun an advantage over other guns is the ease with which it can be loaded with other things.<span> </span>With a rifle or pistol, you have to be very careful with the type of bullet that goes into the casing.<span> </span>The diameter must be just right.<span> </span>It can’t be too light or too heavy. <span> </span>If the bullet is pure lead, it can’t go faster than 1500 feet per second.<span> </span>There are all sorts of rules.<span> </span>Shotguns don’t really care about that stuff.<span> </span>If it fits in the shell and doesn’t weigh too much, it can be fired.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Got a vampire problem?<span> </span>Load a shotgun shell with toothpick fragments.<span> </span>One of them is bound to hit the heart but you need to get close.<span> </span>For werewolves you can break the tines off of silver forks and use the same trick.<span> </span>Want to frame a guy?<span> </span>Get hold of a bullet from his gun and load it in a shell surrounded by packing material or rice.<span> </span>Need to put down a big critter from a long way off?<span> </span>Cast a .75 caliber lead ball; they just fit and are still really accurate out to 150 to 200 yards.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Anything that fits inside the shell can be fired.<span> </span>There are some myths and legends out there that firing part of a roll of dimes can be super lethal, but when tested on Mythbusters, it was shown that dimes slow down way too fast to be practical.<span> </span>The point is, you can fire freaking dimes from a shotgun.<span> </span>Rock salt is a classic load to keep trespassers away.<span> </span>It just breaks the skin and stings like the dickens, but probably won’t be fatal.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Military loads include small signal flares.<span> </span>Fish and Game officers have access to firecracker loads that work like a grenade launcher.<span> </span>There are even loads that fire a jet of flame out of the shotgun like a flamethrower.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Shotgun actions can be just about any type, from single shot break actions, to pump or lever, to semi-automatic.<span> </span>Just about any configuration used in a rifle can be used for a shotgun.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">A final note on ammunition.<span> </span>Back in the late 80’s or early 90’s, it was found that waterfowl in hunting areas were eating a lot of lead shot when they’d feed.<span> </span>Because that’s actually poisonous, laws went into effect in many places to restrict the use of lead shot pellets.<span> </span>Copper, steel, or plated pellets were made available, but these have other drawbacks.<span> </span>Steel is much less dense than lead, so for a given diameter, the penetration is less.<span> </span>Steel is also much harder than lead, so the shot does not deform when going through sold objects.<span> </span>The same car door panel that might stop lead buckshot will probably not stop steel shot.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">If you have a victim turn up in a duck blind in 2010, and he’s got #7 lead shot in him, your killer almost certainly didn’t buy it recently.<span> </span>If that’s something that will matter, research it.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-27338755932945228712011-01-05T02:20:00.000-07:002011-01-05T02:20:51.629-07:00Semi-Automatic Handguns<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Earlier I talked about semi-automatic actions in a general way, focusing more on the difference between single and double actions.<span> </span>In this entry, I’m going to look at the entire class, but in a slightly more detailed way.<span> </span>This will be mainly for handguns, not rifles or shotguns unless noted.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Semi-automatic is the correct term for a firearm that will eject a fired casing and load a new one to be fired, all without any input from the shooter.<span> </span>This is often just called automatic, or auto.<span> </span>I will probably do that too, but technically, automatic weapons will also fire the second round to complete the cycle.<span> </span>They will do this until the trigger is released.<span> </span>Just be aware that semi-auto and auto can mean the same thing, just as automatic and full-auto mean the same thing.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Okay, moving on.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Semi-automatic handguns are popular in fiction and in real life because they are more modern than revolvers.<span> </span>They tend to look cooler.<span> </span>They can hold more ammunition.<span> </span>They can be reloaded faster.<span> </span>They tend not to kick as much.<span> </span>The list goes on.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The problem for a writer is that along with all that sexy, there is the very real issue that they are far more complicated and there can be a wide range of operational differences.<span> </span>The bullet fired from a brand new Glock chambered in .45 ACP will be just as effective as the bullet fired from a 90 year old M-1911.<span> </span>The bullet won’t see a difference.<span> </span>The target won’t see a difference.<span> </span>The shooter.<span> </span>He’ll see a difference.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">There is no real safety on the Glock.<span> </span>There is one that prevents the gun from firing accidentally, but if there is a finger on the trigger and a round in the chamber, the Glock will go off.<span> </span>With the 1911, there are three different ways to keep it from going off even if the trigger is pulled, and any two of those can be active at the same time.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">As a writer, you need to be aware of those differences, or you need to ignore them completely.<span> </span>By that I mean, don’t make any mention of the safety, or the condition of the gun prior to it going off.<span> </span>Don’t have the shooter pull the hammer back unless you know it <i>has</i> a hammer.<span> </span>Don’t have the hero see that the safety is engaged on the Glock and rush the thug.<span> </span>Don’t have either gun fall to the floor and just go off, unless you know enough about the mechanics of it to make it plausible.<span> </span>With the 1911, it’s possible to pin down one of the safety mechanisms and make it non-functioning.<span> </span>If neither of the others are engaged, then it’s possible that the gun could go off if dropped.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The point here is that semi automatic pistols are not like revolvers where they are all more or less the same.<span> </span>Find out what type you want to use and learn how it works, in detail, before you write about it.<span> </span>If at all possible, visit a gun store and talk to people, or even handle the guns you want to use.<span> </span>You don’t have to shoot them, but you should know more about them than the color and name.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">As far as the basic operation of them goes, there are some commonalities.<span> </span>The rounds go into a magazine (not a clip, technically), which is inserted into the hollow grip if the gun (in most cases).<span> </span>There are a few notable exceptions.<span> </span>“Broom Handle” Mausers have a magazine that goes in front of the trigger rather than in the grip.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">See that, we can’t even load the things the same way.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Once the magazine is wherever it’s supposed to go, the slide is pulled back and released.<span> </span>In some guns, this action is replaced by a charging handle or some other method, but some way or another, some part of the gun is drawn back far enough to pick up a bullet from the magazine and feed it to the chamber.<span> </span>From this position, the gun is ready to be fired.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">When the trigger is pulled, the gun goes off, causing the slide or bolt to move back and eject the spent shell casing and pick up a new one to reload in preparation for the next shot.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">In most guns that have an actual slide, this will move back in a way that can cause injury to anything in its path.<span> </span>The thing most likely to be in its path is the thumb of the shooter’s non-firing hand.<span> </span>Some people cross one thumb over the other.<span> </span>While this is possible to do with a revolver, it’s not a good idea to do with an auto.<span> </span>The slide will come back and take a bite out of the thumb.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I also saw someone dumb enough to try aiming like a rifle once.<span> </span>Well, I didn’t see them aiming, I saw them with a slide impression just below their right eye.<span> </span>There are only so many ways that can happen without someone else committing assault, and the guy was damn lucky to still have an eye.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">In some guns, the bolt is contained totally inside the frame and nothing on the back of the gun moves back and forth when fired.<span> </span>Again.<span> </span>If it’s important enough to describe, don’t guess about it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">When the last round it fired, most modern semi-autos will lock the slide or bolt in the open position.<span> </span>This means the bolt or slide is back far enough to pick up a fresh round, but stays in the spot because a small cut-out on the magazine moves something into the spot that holds it open.<span> </span>This tells the shooter that the magazine is empty.<span> </span>It also makes it impossible for the gun to go “Click” like an empty revolver.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">That last bit is important.<span> </span>Empty automatics do not go “click”.<span> </span>That’s a noise that comes from the hammer falling on an empty chamber.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Once the empty magazine is removed, normally by pressing a button near the trigger guard with the thumb of the right hand, a new magazine can be inserted.<span> </span>Some guns, mainly European designs, don’t have this button.<span> </span>Instead, they have a small catch on the bottom of the magazine well that holds the magazine in place.<span> </span>For this type, two hands are strongly advised, since the magazine will not just slide out on its own.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Once the loaded magazine has been inserted, the slide or bolt is released to pick up a new round and continue firing.<span> </span>This can be done by releasing the catch on the side of the gun, or by pulling the slide back slightly with the opposite hand for those guns that do not have the little catch.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The main point of this section is that there is such a wide variation in types of semi-automatic handguns that a writer really needs to know they type they write about well, or they need to skip all the details.<span> </span>There are too many places to make a mistake.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-68308248957385107832011-01-05T02:03:00.000-07:002011-01-05T02:03:06.382-07:00Exterior Ballistics, or Bullets in Flight<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Exterior ballistics is just a sciencey sounding word that is used to describe anything flying through the air.<span> </span>Could be bullets; could be snow balls.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">This is a very math intensive area, but I’m going to do my very best to keep the math out of it as much as possible.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Once a bullet leaves the barrel of a gun, or a ball leaves the hand that threw it, it is at the mercy of physics.<span> </span>Where it goes is determined from the moment it breaks contact, unless the wind messes with it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Look at a baseball.<span> </span>When an outfielder throws the ball to second base, he doesn’t throw it at the second baseman.<span> </span>It would never get there.<span> </span>Instead, he throws it up, in the direction of the second baseman.<span> </span>Air resistance slows the speed of the ball and gravity pulls it back down.<span> </span>The same thing happens to bullets.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">If a bullet is fired exactly level with the ground, it will start to drop the instant it leaves the barrel.<span> </span>It will actually hit the ground at the same time as a bullet that is just dropped from the same height at the same time.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">We need to define a new term here.<span> </span>LINE OF SIGHT is a straight line drawn from the rear sight of the gun to the front sight of the gun, and extended out to the target and beyond.<span> </span>If I aim a pistol at a mountain top 10 miles away, I’m never going to hit it, but I have a line of sight to the peak.<span> </span>In that same way, if I aim a rifle at a target 100 yards away, I have a line of sight from the sights of the rifle to the target.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The bullet will actually leave the barrel an inch or more below this line of sight, fly up past it, level off and drop back down, crossing it a second time.<span> </span>If the gun is sighted in exactly right, the bullet will cross the line of sight at the exact range of the target.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Because this is all physics, the amount a bullet will drop can be calculated without ever having to fire it.<span> </span>There are a lot of variables in this, but the main ones are the speed of the bullet when it leaves the gun, and the ballistic coefficient, which is a fancy way of saying “the shape of the bullet”.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The Ballistic Coefficient, or BC, is a measure of how well the bullet moves through the air.<span> </span>A higher value means the bullet slows down less per unit of time.<span> </span>This is one of the reasons that a rifle bullet is longer for its diameter than a pistol bullet.<span> </span>Generally speaking, a long narrow bullet will be better for long range shooting than a short, fat bullet.<span> </span>Being longer also means they are heavier, but that is actually not as important for how they fly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">So, how does all of this affect you as a writer?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Let’s start with the laser sight cliché.<span> </span>A laser beam travels in a straight line.<span> </span>It’s a physical representation of the line of sight.<span> </span>The bullet will be close to that line for a while, but once it drops below it, it will continue to move away until it hits the ground.<span> </span>The only time a laser sight will really indicate where the bullet will hit is if the gun is sighted in for that range.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">It’s not all Hollywood though.<span> </span>Because the bullet travels in an arc, it’s possible for the line of sight and the bullet path to be within a couple of inches of each other for 50 to 100 yards.<span> </span>Beyond 100 yards, even rifles will have a noticeable drop from the aim point.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Gangster style.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Yo.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Somewhere in the 90’s a memo went out that said that holding a handgun sideways was cool.<span> </span>I’m not sure where I was at the time.<span> </span>Possibly at a range actually hitting what I was shooting at.<span> </span>The result was a deluge of TV and movie characters that tipped their handguns 90 degrees to one side.<span> </span>A Right handed shooter would hold the gun with the sights to the left side rather than on top, and the bottom of the gun would face the right side.<span> </span>Here’s why this is so bothersome to those of us that know how guns work.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Remember how the gun fired the bullet up slightly?<span> </span>It does that because the barrel is pointed up slightly.<span> </span>When the gun is tipped to one side, that slight angle is no longer up, but points to the left (for a right handed shooter).<span> </span>This change means that the bullet will never climb after leaving the barrel, and will instead hit low left, often by a surprising amount.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Now, people who actually practice shooting this way can eventually compensate for it, but the sights will be useless.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Guuuns in Spaaaaaaaace.<span> </span>(Sorry, Muppets)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">With no air to slow the bullet, and no gravity to pull it back down, a bullet fired in space will travel in a straight line.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Forever.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Ish.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Eventually it will get too close to something and change paths, but the initial inertia of the bullet will virtually guarantee that the bullet will pass higher and higher over the target as the distance increases.<span> </span>For a planet or moon, there will be gravity, and possibly air resistance that can greatly affect the path the bullet takes.<span> </span>If you plan to have a gun in a non-Earthlike environment, be aware that certain changes will be needed to fire accurately.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">For a police procedural type of story, the shape of the bullet can be very important.<span> </span>A 7.62 mm hole could be from a sniper rifle or from a small semi-automatic pistol.<span> </span>If the bullet is long, it eliminates the pistol as a possibility.<span> </span>Interestingly, a short bullet does not eliminate the possibility of the weapon being a rifle.<span> </span>In theory, the .71 grain bullet from a .32 ACP could be loaded into the case of a 30.06 hunting rifle.<span> </span>Accuracy would be an issue since the rifling twist would be all wrong, but for a close range killing, it wouldn’t be insurmountable.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-67626849463156323392010-11-22T04:45:00.000-07:002010-11-22T04:45:35.124-07:00Why a Writer?<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I’m a writer.<span> </span>At least, I want to be.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Did I always want to be a writer?<span> </span>I’m not sure.<span> </span>I remember watching <i>Captain Caveman</i> as a kid and seeing a couple of episodes that still hold up as crime plots in my grown up mind.<span> </span>Even then, I thought it would be cool to steal, er, pay tribute through homage to, those plot ideas.<span> </span>I was seven or so.<span> </span>I remember watching Scooby Doo and working out ideas for the treasure where it was something totally unexpected.<span> </span>Rather than a stash of Civil War gold, or a fortune in gems, why not some odd collectible item that would be cast aside by nearly anyone that found it?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I’m drifting a bit.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I look back to my life then, and I wanted to make stories.<span> </span>I wanted to make them my way with characters doing what I wanted them to do.<span> </span>But why?</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Money?<span> </span>At one time, maybe.<span> </span>Then I looked into it.<span> </span>I don’t think anyone can realistically get into writing to get rich. <span> </span>Oh, it’s certainly possible to get rich doing it, but I don’t think that was the primary reason the big names started doing it.<span> </span>For every Twain, Hemingway, or King, there are tens of thousands of Bill the Scribes, lost forever to the obscurity of the slush piles and card catalogs.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Fame?<span> </span>Probably not.<span> </span>Having a name that people recognize isn’t always a mark of success, and being successful does not always bring lasting fame.<span> </span>Above, I named three authors by last name only, but nearly everyone would know who I meant.<span> </span>What about the names Fleming, Queen, and Stout?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Those would be Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, one of the most famous characters ever created.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Ellery Queen, the pen name for a pair of cousins that are credited with creating the “American Detective” in fiction.<span> </span>Ellery Queen was the best selling mystery author for decades, yet few people outside the genre have ever heard the name.<span> </span>The two most populated counties in Utah have libraries that contain a total of seven Queen books.<span> </span>I’ve never seen one for sale in a book store.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Rex Stout created Nero Wolfe.<span> </span>Arguably one of the most memorable characters in detective fiction, subject of television and radio programs on multiple occasions, and is still revered by the loyal members of the “Wolfe Pack”, a group of fans that sponsor an annual novella contest.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">All three of these men were wildly successful, and when a person hears their full name, bells ring.<span> </span>But, their last names alone are not often recognized among the general public.<span> </span>Fame is fleeting.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The more I think about why I want to be a writer I think the reason must be respect.<span> </span>Not respect as an artist.<span> </span>I don’t consider myself to be one at this point.<span> </span>The kind of respect I’m thinking of is where people that have no clue who I am, and don’t care the slightest bit about my feelings, look at something that came from my imagination and say.<span> </span>“Well, this doesn’t suck.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I want people to tell me the things that pop into my head from time to time are as interesting to them as they are to me.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">In the posts that follow this one, over the span of months, and possibly years, I plan to put down thoughts about writing in general, my struggles with it, and hopefully fairly soon, my first success at it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6184394820806303594.post-89457226591327607852010-11-22T03:55:00.001-07:002010-11-22T04:25:24.123-07:00I'm not Evil...<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">… I’m a writer. At least I hope to be.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I often have ideas pop into my head that would make the average person cringe at the thought of them. The opening credits to the TV show <i>Castle</i> feature the main character saying, “There are two types of people that sit around all day thinking of ways to kill people: psychopaths, and mystery writers.” Personally, I’m not so sure it involves all that much sitting around and thinking to come up with the actual killing. It’s the getting away with it that takes all the time.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">When I say that the ideas pop into my head I mean it. There are times that I’ll start talking to someone and form some elaborate demise as I’m talking, but have no idea where it’s going. I’m thinking about five words ahead of what I’m saying, and when I finally get to the end, I get That Look.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Now, I would never actually do the things I think of. Even the plausible ones, but I enjoy the planning. We have an apple tree in the back yard. I’ve talked with an organic chemist about how a novice might extract the cyanide from the seeds and asked for a basic yes or no answer about my method for getting to it. He said the basic idea was sound.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">It turns out that there are very few legitimate things you can do with a plausible idea for murder. Still, some part of me wants to show people just how clever I can be. That means I can tell them and get The Look again, or I can craft it into a story of some sort.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">That’s something that I think gets lost on a lot of people. There is a difference between the creator of something and the creation itself. I once read an interview with someone talking about Lucille Ball. She’s remembered as one of the greatest comedic actors of all time, but the person giving the interview said that while could <i>be</i> funny, she didn’t <i>think</i> funny.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">The way I interpret that was that if you were to run into her at a party and expect a laugh riot every time she spoke, you’d be disappointed. I think it’s the same way with a lot of other people at the top of their game. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Stephen King is known for his horror writing, but I’ve read articles he’s written that were really funny. Vincent Price was the face of horror in films for years. It’s hard to imagine him doing anything other than some Gothic horror film written by Edgar Allan Poe, but by most accounts, the real man was a kind and generous person with a warm personality.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">I do much of my writing at work. Nearly all of it in fact. I’ve got a job where there is a four hour block of time where my only required duty is being awake on the off chance anything happens. Sometimes stuff does, but normally, I don’t see another person, even briefly, from midnight to five AM.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">On those occasions when someone does come down from a room and sees me typing away, they might ask what I’m working on. I look too old to be in school, but I’m clearly typing away with a purpose. I’ll tell them that I pass the time by writing. If they want details, they’ll ask. Few ever want details. When it does happen, I’ll explain the basic idea I’m working on, then I see The Look.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">It’s as if they suddenly realize that the person that minds the building while they sleep has actually just stuffed a murder victim into the locked U-Haul trailer they are taking back to Vermont…</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Oh, I actually like that one. I may use that sometime.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Anyway, the point is that while I don’t always choose to think the way I do, I do have some measure of control over how those thoughts are used. Sometimes I’ll sit down and work out an idea. Other times one will just hit me. Either way, it doesn’t mean that I’m an evil person.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">An evil person would actually <i>do</i> the things I think of.</div>Bill The Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17439409254694783042noreply@blogger.com0