| From: | Michael Orion Jackson <orion@****.CC.UTEXAS.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | shotguns, venting, etc. |
| Date: | Fri, 6 Dec 1996 18:24:57 -0600 |
technology. Essentially, the shot is contained in a little plastic cup
(not so little if you're loading with 4 inch magnum .12 gauge shells ;) ).
So, nose to tail in the shell, you have the shot conatiner, a spacing wad,
the powder, and then the primer. The firing pin hits the primer, which
detonates the powder, which pushes the wad forward down the barrel via
gaseous evolution of combustion products. The plastic cup conatining the
shot (and usually some inert spacing powder to cushion the shot and
provide a uniform mass distribution within the sabot) flies down the
barrel. When it exits the barrel, the sabot strips away from air
resistance and the shot then begins to spread out. So, venting is fine
because the shot is still within th eplastic sabot when it passes that
point in the barrel. This helps reduce recoil a bit, from what I
understand, but doesn't really make the gun itself any quieter. Shotguns
are just fucking loud no matter which way you look at it. :) Primarily
because a shotgun shell contains so much powder: louder initial explosion
noise, more gas evolved, larger projectile, etc. The loudest part of the
shot is when the gases escape the muzzle when the projectile exits, and
with the huge amount of gas the shotgun makes, this noise is quite loud.
(I'm no ballistics person, and its been a while since I've fired a shot at
anything, but this theory seems to explain the data). Rifles/pistols have
less powder, so less evolved gas, so less noise. Also, different calibers
of weapon would have different sound wave characteristics because of the
different shapes of the barrel's apeture 9can't remember the name of the
principle governing this, something having to do with wave propagation and
diffraction). The shotgun's barrel is wider, so the wavelength of the
generated sound is longer, so shotguns have a very bassy sound. By the
same logic, rifles/pistols would have higher wavelength sounds
("sharper"). Shotguns=loud and bassy, rifled guns=loud and sharp. From
what I recall from my shooting days this seems to be accurate.
Anyway, must run to take a chemistry final which I haven't studied for. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Michael Orion Jackson~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TAMS Class of 1996/UT Class of 199?~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~2112 Guadalupe, Rm. 502; Austin, Tx 78705 (The Goodall-Wooten)~~~~~~~
"Goddamn creatures of the night, they never learn." ~Gideon, _The Crow_
"Happiness is but a temporary chemical imbalance of the true baseline state
of our minds."~Lusiphur, quote ill-rembered and butchered by M. O. Jackson
