The Firearms Thread (Questions and Discussions)

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PeteMC

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I need a sanity check from people who actually know something about guns please, as I freely admit I don't!

I've got a character pull a handgun on another at close range, indoors. He's the sort who would naturally choose the biggest, most showy and over-the-top weapon he could get, so using my tiny knowledge of handguns I've given him a Desert Eagle .50 - is this still the gangsta's go-to choice for that sort of thing?

Also, he ends up shooting the other guy in the face and I've said it pretty much blows his head apart - is that reasonable for a .50 at maybe 10 foot range?

Thanks in advance from a clueless Brit!
 

jeseymour

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I need a sanity check from people who actually know something about guns please, as I freely admit I don't!

I've got a character pull a handgun on another at close range, indoors. He's the sort who would naturally choose the biggest, most showy and over-the-top weapon he could get, so using my tiny knowledge of handguns I've given him a Desert Eagle .50 - is this still the gangsta's go-to choice for that sort of thing?

Also, he ends up shooting the other guy in the face and I've said it pretty much blows his head apart - is that reasonable for a .50 at maybe 10 foot range?

Thanks in advance from a clueless Brit!

I'm just wondering where he's pulling that handgun from.
 

PeteMC

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Yeah, there is that - I know these things are huge but I don't know how heavy they are. He's wearing an overcoat so I was going with some sort of heavy duty shoulder holster under it if that's feasible?
 

Duncan J Macdonald

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Yeah, there is that - I know these things are huge but I don't know how heavy they are. He's wearing an overcoat so I was going with some sort of heavy duty shoulder holster under it if that's feasible?

Here are the specifics on the Desert Eagle. 10 to 14 inches long and 4 1/2 pounds unloaded. Big honking shootin' iron.

Yes, that will fit in a shoulder holster, or a belt holster. It'll take a week to draw the damn thing (sarcasm alert), but it's a showy piece. Made my Ruger Redhawk 7 1/2 inch barrel .44 Magnum look small.
 

PeteMC

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Perfect, many thanks - showy is exactly what I was after for this character.

Any idea if I got the damage potential about right?
 

Trebor1415

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I need a sanity check from people who actually know something about guns please, as I freely admit I don't!

I've got a character pull a handgun on another at close range, indoors. He's the sort who would naturally choose the biggest, most showy and over-the-top weapon he could get, so using my tiny knowledge of handguns I've given him a Desert Eagle .50 - is this still the gangsta's go-to choice for that sort of thing?

A Desert Eagle in .50 AE is one of those guns that works better in movies than in real life.

It is flashy, and showy, but is also heavy, very large, and pretty much impossible to conceal. It's also difficult to shoot well, especially one handed, and especially for the untrained.

In short, it's the "Flashy gun for someone who doesn't know anything about guns and is more concerned about looking cool than being effective."

If that fits your character, it might work. If your character is more of a realistic, he'd pick something else.

Btw, I don't think the Desert Eagle was really ever the "gun of choice" for any bad guy. It's not nearly as common as the movies make it seem and remember, most criminals get their guns by stealing them or buying them from people who stole them.


Also, he ends up shooting the other guy in the face and I've said it pretty much blows his head apart - is that reasonable for a .50 at maybe 10 foot range?

No, the .50 AE, which is the cartridge the Desert Eagle shoots, is a handgun cartridge. It is NOT the same as the .50 BMG machine cartridge.

It's not going to blow anyone's head apart. It could make a nasty, ugly, graphic wound though, with lots of blood and brain matter coming from the exit wound.
 

PeteMC

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In short, it's the "Flashy gun for someone who doesn't know anything about guns and is more concerned about looking cool than being effective."

If that fits your character, it might work. If your character is more of a realistic, he'd pick something else.

Yeah that's my guy - he would have bought the gun legally, he's just kind of a dick.

No, the .50 AE, which is the cartridge the Desert Eagle shoots, is a handgun cartridge. It is NOT the same as the .50 BMG machine cartridge.

It's not going to blow anyone's head apart. It could make a nasty, ugly, graphic wound though, with lots of blood and brain matter coming from the exit wound.
Got you, thanks - I had a feeling I might have screwed that bit up.

Many thanks for the help everyone.
 

PeteMC

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That's a monster of a thing!

The video pretty much matches what Trebor said - I had more of a "red mist" thing going on, which is what I get for google-imaging "50 cal headshot" and not thinking about the difference between a handgun and a machinegun...:e2thud:
 

MichaelZWilliamson

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DE recoils similarly to this .44 magnum. With training, a 16 year old, 107lb, 5'4" girl can handle either. They're BIG guns.

1233524_10201384877976439_1149141005_n.jpg
 

MichaelZWilliamson

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Sorry I didn't post these way back when.

.50 AE is about 3-4X the power of a .45 ACP. Shown with a .32 ACP (7.65mm Browning) for comparison.

50_AE_and_32_ACP.jpg



.50 BMG runs 13,000 to 15,000 ft/lbs, or 10X that of the standard NATO rifle round or the .50 AE, 5X that of a good deer rifle. Shown with several cartridges starting with a .22 Long Rifle.


Rifle_cartridge_comparison.jpg
 

fyrefyghter33

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Wow there is a lot of info in this thread. I haven't read it all but the parts I have read are interesting.

I have a question about what kind of rifle an army sniper would use. It would be modern day rifle. My WIP is set in the not to distant future so I should be able to extrapolate what they would use in the future based on modern day tech, or at least that's the plan.

Also info on different ammo types if applicable would be helpful.

Thank you in advance.
 

Drachen Jager

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What army, what kind of sniper? Many militaries these days have heavy and light sniper rifles, some have more than two.

Is this sniping part of his service, or is he some kind of vigilante using his own weapons? What's the mission?

You know most snipers these days work in teams, right? Spotter picks the targets and helps with range, wind etc. sniper takes the shot.

This website has lots of good info.

https://demigodllc.com/
 

fyrefyghter33

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What army, what kind of sniper? Many militaries these days have heavy and light sniper rifles, some have more than two.

Is this sniping part of his service, or is he some kind of vigilante using his own weapons? What's the mission?

You know most snipers these days work in teams, right? Spotter picks the targets and helps with range, wind etc. sniper takes the shot.

I would say a light rifle would probably work as the shooter is alone. The shooter has little sniper training but I would say he is proficient with a rifle. The shooter is part of an anti government group trying to over through the current government, there not assassinating any in particular more using it as a terror weapon.
 

Drachen Jager

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How much money?

If I were rich, I might take something like a Sako TRG, on a budget, a Tikka or Remmington (police model, the base-level Remmies are crap IMO). Really any good-quality hunting rifle will suit him, and something expensive like the Sako would probably be a waste unless he's really good. There are various manufacturers that promise 1 MOA or 1/2 MOA out of the box accuracy and pretty much any of those would be fine.

If he wants to spread terror, he might want a semi-auto, so a sniperized FN SCAR, Colt AR 15/10, or H&K (they have a few that would fit the bill).

In any case, he'd probably want a suppressor to help keep him from being spotted.
 

badwolf.usmc

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I would say a light rifle would probably work as the shooter is alone. The shooter has little sniper training but I would say he is proficient with a rifle. The shooter is part of an anti government group trying to over through the current government, there not assassinating any in particular more using it as a terror weapon.

Remington 700

The Marine Corp uses a modified version as a sniper weapon, the M40. It is a civilian rifle that has been modified for military use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M40_rifle
 

MichaelZWilliamson

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There's no simple answer to this. Police and military MP snipers may use accurized versions of issue rifles.

Designated Marksmen use accurized versions, or slightly heavier ones--in the US military, often an old M14 that's been overhauled.

Bona fide snipers do as much intel gathering and fire control as they do shooting, and use specialized rifles. The M40 of the Marines is similar to the M24 of the Army, both based on the Remington 700. I've shot one. It's very accurate. It's also about $25,000 with scope, $10,000 without.

That's being replaced by the SR25, a variant of the AR10.

There are .50 caliber and heavier rifles for anti-materiel or targets behind light armor. These can also be used with APIT or RAUFOSS rounds to designate targets for aircraft. USAF Combat Controllers sometimes use them in that role. EOD may use .50s for disabling/destroying munitions at a distance.

We've seen cases of people using rifles in an attempt to cause terror. They weren't very effective.

Foreign militaries use different weapons. The Brits use stuff by Arctic Warfare, among others. The Canadians have a McMillan. The type of target and range will dictate the weapon you use.

I've competed in military match and have trophies. My preferred long range weapons would be:

Ultramag .50, currently out of production, or something by Barrett, with precision loaded cartridges. (Under 2000 meters, preferably under 1000 meters)

LAR 8 or SR25 in .308. (under 1000 meters)

NGA X7 carbine in 5.56mm, no longer in production. (under 500 meters)

In cheaper, off the shelf weapons:

Swiss K31 carbine or Finnish (Specifically) Mosin Nagant, each with handloads. (up to 800 meters)

In good commercial rifles: Tikka, Dakota, Remington, Savage, Steyr. (up to 800 meters)

I'd suggest not getting into too much detail. Decide what he can afford, buy a rifle in that range, note he had it tuned by a professional (or himself) and get on with the story.

More depends on the shooter than the weapon.

Just keep in mind there will be a lot more shooters looking for him, and eventually, they'll get him. There are ways to track gunfire now.
 

tom1172821

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So I'm creating a post-apocalyptic world where ammunition, among other things, is used as currency. (I know it has been done in Metro 2034 before... but it's such a cool concept that i want it! And i said "other things"... so that makes it different!)

What kind of ammunition could be created with very basic equipment and resources? I assumed some kind of crude shotgun shells, and obviously crude explosives. The answer to this question will shape my whole economy and the means of warfare.

If you have anything else to add on the idea too, it'd be appreciated.
 

Amadan

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So I'm creating a post-apocalyptic world where ammunition, among other things, is used as currency. (I know it has been done in Metro 2034 before... but it's such a cool concept that i want it! And i said "other things"... so that makes it different!)

What kind of ammunition could be created with very basic equipment and resources? I assumed some kind of crude shotgun shells, and obviously crude explosives. The answer to this question will shape my whole economy and the means of warfare.

If you have anything else to add on the idea too, it'd be appreciated.


There are people who load their own rounds in various calibers now. "Reloading" is mostly a hobby for avid shooters, but a lot of prepper-types stock up on reloading equipment for exactly the scenario you envision - having stockpiles of ammo for both use and trade in a SHTF scenario.

Casting the rounds is not too difficult, and any chemistry book will give you the formula for gunpowder. Making the shells would be the most difficult part (most reloaders collect brass for reuse). But you can expect in a post-apocalyptic world, one of the first industries enterprising people will start will be manufacturing of ammunition.
 

Drachen Jager

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Like Amadan says, the only really tough part is the brass.

Perhaps brass is the currency? A little less for spent brass, a little more for loaded? Under those circumstances, loaded might not even be more expensive, because if you don't know the source of the load it could be sand in there. I'd rather get the brass and have someone reliable do the loading (or do it myself if I was set up).

That could also work to differentiate you from Metro 2034.
 

MichaelZWilliamson

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Shotgun hulls are much easier to make than drawn brass cartridges. Also, shotgun barrels are easier to make--break action single shots are very simple, if you're making the whole gun.

Primers are your tough part. The rest is pretty easy.

You could also go with percussion or flint and carry pre-charged chambers to fit into the breech.

If you do go with rifle or pistol cartridges, straight walls and/or rimmed are much easier than necked and/or rimless.

And modern self-loaders require PRECISE mixes of propellant, so stick to manual actions.
 
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