Guns, part 2 · 1:55am Mar 26th, 2013
I'm bored. So I blogged about firearms. Again.
There are a lot of common misconceptions that come up. Having worked in the industry and been around a little, I'd like to talk about a few completely unrelated topics.
Glocks
You've heard of a Glock. Either in the news, a video game, or some gangsta rap. The Glock is an Austrian design that was one of the first pistols on the market to have a plastic frame. This makes it lighter and cheaper. It does not mean it will fool a metal detector. It set the pattern for the multitude of polymer-frame pistols on the market today.
What surprises most people is what the Glock doesn't have. It doesn't have an external hammer or safety. This makes it simpler to operate, which is why it is a favorite of both cops and criminals. It is also less safe, because there's no selectable safety! This is why police have sturdy holsters that keep the trigger covered and secure when not in use. Gangstas have baggy pants.
Ammo
There are hundreds of kinds of ammunition out there, and it can be very confusing. For instance, what's the difference between .380 ACP, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, 9mm Makarov, and 9x19mm Parabellum? All of them use a bullet that is exactly 9mm in diameter, but they are vastly different cartridges!
Let's break it down into metric vs. inches. A designation like 9x19 usually specifies diameter x case length. The case is the shiny brass part.
Metric designations usually make more sense than inches. For instance, what's the difference between .357 Magnum and .38 Special? Not much, except .357 has a case 1/8" longer. They can use the same bullet. But wait- .357" = 9mm! Then where does .38 come from? That's the diameter of the case, not the bullet. Like I said, metric is easier. For instance, Dirty Harry's famous .44 actually measures .429" !
Going a little deeper, what do the extra suffixes mean? Well, 9x19mm Parabellum is Latin meaning "For War." (To further confuse things, it's also sometimes called 9x19 Luger, because it was first used in Luger pistols. Yeah, 9x19 was the #1 choice of Nazis.) Most times, the suffix is just a little nickname to differentiate a cartridge from the rest. Sometimes it actually means something, like .45 ACP, where ACP = "Automatic Colt Pistol"
And what about kinds of bullets? Let's start with an easy one: full metal jacket (FMJ). That means the lead bullet is wrapped in a coat of other metal, usually copper. Jacketed hollow point (JHP) also has the copper, but there is a hole in the front of the bullet. This is usually intended to make the bullet expand when it hits the target, theoretically causing bigger holes. Less common types include wadcutter, with a flat nose for punching neat holes in paper targets; and frangible, designed to disintegrate into tiny particles upon impact to minimize their penetration. Armor-piercing and incendiary are self explanatory.
Leet sniper skilz
Depending on the video games you play, you probably know that long range precision shooting not only requires special weapons, but special techniques. I was on a target team for a few years, and learned a little about the bodily processes involved. The technical details would take a whole other blog.
Most people shoot best prone (lying on your stomach), but some things carry over to any position. First, get into position. This means getting your rifle on target. Next, relax completely. Act like a wet noodle. Your sights probably moved off target when you relaxed. Adjust your position until you can relax and the rifle is still on target. By having no tension on your muscles, you’re less likely to twitch and throw off your aim.
Now we come down to the breathing aspect. Try a little example. Take a deep breath and then let it mostly out. You probably have three or four seconds before you feel like you need to take another breath. That little pause is when you’re the closest to being completely still. This is the time you should take the shot.
And finally, trigger control. Squeeze, don’t pull. You should move the trigger slowly, so slow that it surprises you when it fires. In addition, it helps to follow though-that is, keeping the trigger to the rear momentarily until you move your finger forward to reset the trigger. Jerking your finger forward as soon as the shot goes off can actually disrupt your aim.
All of this is more of an art than a science, but if you practice you get better and faster. Some people can actually listen to their heart and fire between beats. From personal experience, I know that meditation helps calm your nerves.
As always, I’m available for questions or clarification.
I have a friend with a Glock. Pretty damn nice- much lighter than the overrated 1911.
yes guns
humanevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/kidswithguns.jpg
nothing more needs to be said
Now the spas-12 shotgun
947110 Piece of unreliable trash. No one uses it- it's an old Italian hunting shotgun that is not worth the metal it's made of. /rant
947105 Glock updates every so often, I think they're on Gen 4 now, but newer designs have become better. When I was shopping around a couple of years ago, I picked a Springfield XD over Glock because of the more comfortable grip, cheaper price, and other features.
And the 1911 is even more comfortable.
You know, this is the first time I've actually thought about the meaning behind parabellum, even after having seen it in so many places. I even already knew what it meant, in a way, from the phrase "pax per bellum" or "peace through war".
I think this says a lot about how much I actually use the knowledge I have on an everyday basis...
Also, as you suspected, I was quite surprised to learn that there is no safety on a Glock. That seems simultaneously like a really bad idea and a somewhat sound tactical choice.
This was a very interesting post indeed.
947121>>947121
Sorry just trying to make a suggestion, didn't know it was that bad.
I play Fallout ( 3 & NV). I am pretty decent with a sniper in that game. But nothing beats beating shit to death with an axe. An axe from the future. And a shotgun fist. Mmmmmm. Shotgun fists...
I wish my sergeants taught me all that when I had my rifle range so many years ago.
You forgot the difference between clips and mags.
Uts-15 FTW!
947193 That was covered in the first guns blog
9x19 Parabellum being the #1 choice of the Nazis isn't really too notable considering it's basically the #1 choice of the world (along with .45 ACP). Since the early 1900s. For both cartridges.
947193
Actually, that was in Guns, Part 1.
947208
Oh. Derp.
947214 I just was told.
947216
Yeah. I replied a little too late.
947221 Hurpa durpa durp
Pet Peeves of the stereotypical Gun.
1) Shotgun Range/Pellet spread. Yes, shotguns are good for close-quarters. No, the pellets don't magically disappear after five feet from the muzzle. (If they're even using bird/buckshot. So many people seem to forget about slugs...)
2) Somewhat related to the above and somewhat related to firearms - Flamethrowers have a much longer range than most people think.
3) Earplugs. Earmuffs. Use them, or risk hearing damage.
4) AK-47. This is probably the pettiest of the list. Most AK-47s around are AKMs or Type 56s. Just call them AKs or Kalashnikovs.
5) Anachronisms. Yes, the Red Army used the AKM. No, they did not issue them to front-line troops after the 80s.
947163 It's a video game. Most video games don't have realistic sniping. ArmA sort of does.
... On second thought, because of your second section, you should've called this Guns and Ammo.
947238
Exactly. And I do not trust myself with anything that can potentially harm someone.
I kind of have to wonder how a doctor would react to treating a gangsta that had accidentally shot his own nuts off.
I also wonder how often that actually happens.
947298 I once heard of a guy who went hunting and shot his foot off because he didn't safety his shotgun.
Can I just say that I love DJ's "Happy Pony On Nom Nom" face?
*reads post*
I like trains
I had heard about the 'breathe out before shooting' thing before, but I didn't know why until now.
What do you think about the Hi-Ponit or the Cobra Freedom guns?
Come back to me when your covering how awesome the FN P90 is.
or the XM2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle (I want some so bad replacing the M24 with them)
I myself am a gun enthusiast. Extreme long range shooting is probaly the most difficult. I hate how people think it is so easy to use a sniper rifle. Just about everyone thinks you just take a rifle with a scope and aim the crosshair on your target. Well, NO! NO! NO! JUST NO! You have to factor in the bullet size, bullet velocity, bullet type, bullet grade, bullet spin, number of barrel spirals, humidity, weather, wind speed, distance, and the corealis effect. You also have to control your breath, heartbeat, and how you pull the trigger. You need a fast mind in your head when you are shooting about 1000 yards away. I myself am basically a human calculator. Anyone that has ever shot a rifle from an extreme distance and actually hit a target accurately, I say good job. Anyone who says its easy, no, just no.
You seem to favor glocks in disscussion.
I wonder why that is.
Hm, I heard "bellum" and knew that meant "war" in Latin, but for "Para" I was like "Hmmm...well, para is Spanish for 'For,' so maybe it means for war"
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DEAGLE PEW PEW!
... Actually I target shoot an old Ruger MK2 because the ammo is cheap, the weapon is easy to clean, and it's relatively accurate for a pistol... Balance is a bit barrel-heavy to be honest, but... Whatever.
947230
Of course, Protocol III of the Geneva Convention bans:
- The use of incendiary weapons on civilian targets
- The use of air-delivered incendiary weapons on military objectives located within a concentration of civilians
- The use of incendiary weapons delivered by means other than air on military objectives located within a concentration of civilians unless the objective is clearly separated from the civilians (and all possible measures are taken to avoid injury and death to the civilians)
- The use of incendiary weapons on plant cover unless it is solely used as cover for military objectives, or is itself a military objective*
So in practice, flamethrowers are no longer used as weapons of war.
* Yes, the Geneva Convention makes a provision for a forest being used as a weapon. MacBeth, eat your heart out.
947528
It is the most incorrectly displayed firearm in modern media.
I can imagine that you "having been in the industry" and just "being an american" means that you think that guns are okay for everyone to have, despite the fact that: Guns are a dangerous weapon designed to kill.
The only reasonable approach to guns are total civil disarmament.
The primary duty of a state, beyond civil rights, beyond justice itself is to could guarantee the safety of its subjects from external and internal treats.
Justice and civil rights are all about preventing the people from being oppressed by the state, but the state needs to have the power first before any guarantee of any kind can be made. Without the power of force the law have no meaning. Few would follow a law that cannot be enforced, and it is the secret duty of the police and ONLY of the police to enforce the law.
Imagine a future where the police and army have been privatised. Now the chairman and CEO of the company that run this private army for the government are called to congress charged with corruption and treason. They want to forcefully remove him from his position, take away his power and dissolve his company. But instead of doing what they say, he orders his men to arrest the men and women of congress and have that dissolved instead. Then he would proclaim a new empire with himself as absolute ruler. That would happen if you completely handed over the force monopoly to private interests. You aren't that stupid of course, but it is all a matter of degrees.
Do you understand what I am saying?
947509 Well, I've never covered the P90 directly, but I did draw a nice picture
948114 I think they made a video game about that.
948197 worst pony using best gun
The worst is when you go to a free range (so there is no one watching over everyone like at a paid range) and a kid has a shotgun. Their parents say "now make sure to hold it this way-" and the kid cuts them off saying "don't worry, I've done this in call of duty many times". The kid then proceeds to fire the 12guage from the hip, causing the gun to fly backwards into the dad's groin. THIS IS WHY KIDS SHOULDN'T PLAY VIDEOGAMES!
I just like to stick with my beautiful Mosin Nagant at the range. The kick from that 7.62x54r is AMAZING
947809 actually those all specify 'against civillian targets'. but since there's so many 'civillian targets' in modern warfae, Flamethrowers and all related incendiary weaponry[napalm, incendiary bombs, and the more intense inceniary bullets] are essentially impossible to use outside designated areas.
948199
Just one? I can personally recall several... Actually, now that I think about it, any of the modern games where you can 'buy' weapons/equipment in any way.
Also, fail troll is fail.
What, if given choice, would you desire most amongst the firearms world to be wiped from existence?
947511
That is why I could never be a sniper.
Besides, I personally prefer my ability to put a lot of rounds on target and not have to see my target (as a sniper must).
948262
Safest place on an Afghan training day?
The target.
I think the COD kid may be easier to train
So...what kind of gun can you pass into a plane WITHOUT having an army of security personell on you?
949106
I am not sure I follow. would you care to elaborate?
949147
948272
Only the first point bans their use on civilian targets. The other points ban their use on military targets that are near civilian targets (or on plants that might be covering civilian targets)
947287 Eh, it isn't that bad.
BUT A GUN IS A DANGEROUS TOOL. RESPECT IT, AND IT WILL RESPECT YOU.
Done.
Now, where was I?
Oh yes. Fluttershy.
th06.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/159/d/2/sketch__fluttershy_with_sniper_rifle_by_tunskaa-d52r2lk.png
947131 The 1911 also looks pretty damn gorgeous.