Re: Scientific Errors

T Wake <Usenet.es7AT@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"Phineas T Puddleduck" <phineaspuddleduck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:210620061351026701%phineaspuddleduck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Dennis:
Actually, when a bullet is fired...it melts. That is why they become
deformed (as you would know if you've ever fired one [and examined it
afterwards]). The fact is that a stream of bullets is analogous to a
stream of fluid molecules. Trust me. I know what I'm talking about. I
(used to) perform very sophisticated particle simulations using
computers. You can reduce the number of particles to just a few larger
particles which statistically represent the behavior of smaller
particles (this is known as "finite element analysis", if I remember
correctly).

Rubbish

Although lead shot may suffer surface melting from very high velocity -
modern bullets do not.


Like most of the "free thinkers" here, his ideas are firmly rooted in the
late 19th century.

And even then the ideas are garbled.

No ordinary (as opposed to some NASA hypervelocity test rig) gun fires
projectiles anywhere near fast enough to cause melting of lead or lead
alloy bullets.

Propellant gases in high powered hand guns and most rifles can melt
the *BASE* of a lead or lead alloy bullet while it is still in the
barrel.

Since this distorts the bullet and leads to bad accuracy (among other
things), a thing called a gas check was invented about the same time
as smokeless propellants. Blackpowder isn't hot enough to have the
problem.

A gas check is a small cup (usually copper or copper alloy) crimped to
the base of a lead bullet to prevent base melting and deformation.

Jacketed bullets are trivial to make with modern machinery. Gas checks
are only used by home reloaders these days.

Lead shot never had this problem because shot always has a pusher
of some sort between the shot and the propellant gases. Up to the
mid 20th century, a paper wad was commonly used. These days it is
commonly a plactic cup which also keeps the shot from being deformed
by sliding on the inside of the barrel.

--
Jim Pennino

Remove .spam.sux to reply.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Resolving Kennedys Assassination
    ... This bullet apparently lodged in the window ... >fragments from the final shot to the head, ... lower part of his neck and the exit wound at the upper part of his head. ... Bin Laden states a Declaration of War against the US right before the World ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: Why Conservatives Should Vote for Kerry
    ... but those 2/3 didn't necessarily claim a shot from behind either. ... but the ones that listen to the eyewitnesses followed a distinct ... A shot that hit JFK in the back of the head would have exited through ... :> a single bullet did all that damage. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: Colt .45 - viewed as a horror weapon?
    ... The bullet punched through my outer thigh, ... and blew out several cc of muscle on the inner thigh. ... You guys can argue all you want about how a bullet can't knock ... action (as well as those shot through crime, ignorance, etc.) The term ...
    (soc.history.war.world-war-ii)
  • Re: Elk Hunting
    ... I believe that any bullet launched at elk must be toughly constructed ... My 140 grain minimum bullet weight pretty much rules out an 25 ... thing to attain "complete control over" is reliable shot placement. ... "good" hunting will give you a lot more ...
    (rec.hunting)
  • Re: Why Conservatives Should Vote for Kerry
    ... and uninformed "understanding" of the reliability of eyewitness testimony. ... A shot that hit JFK in the back of the head would have exited through ... head shot occurred, by one of those tiny coincidences that are the hallmark ... > a single bullet did all that damage. ...
    (sci.space.policy)