From:	Hobbes Patrol Headquarters <TYGER@****.WINONA.MSUS.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Firearms 101
Date:	Thu, 30 Sep 1993 18:14:19 -0500

>OK, quick, simple firearms explanation of rifling vs smoothbore. . .

Please

>Rifling: A really great innovation at the tim. The rifling imparts spin to the
>round, which makes it more stable in flight and therefore more accurate. It
>shoots straighter.

I kinda see how, but I kinda don't. Seems to me that a non-areodynamic
round wouldn't do that, but what do I know?

>Smoothbore: Don't think that there aren't reasons to go smoothbore. The only
>examples I am aware of in modern life is tank guns, like the 120mm smoothbore
>used by the Germans and now us on our Main Battle Tanks. Because rifling acts
>as resistance on a round, it slows it down. If all other factors are equal, the
>velocity of a smoothbore-fired round will be higher than that of a rifled-fired
>round. This is important in tank warfare, where (among other things) you're
>trying to get as much force (of which velocity is a component) as possible in
>order to penetrate armor. Many tank rounds have fin stabilizers on them to make
>up for the loss in accuracy.

So the tank rounds are kinda like air-torpedoes? Neat!

>I haven't done paintball yet (though I'd love to) but I imagine that the
>following factors apply:
> 1)Rifling would tear the paint round to shreds, at least at higher
>velocities (they're made of plastic, right?)

(Actually, it's a gelatain shell...) But your right There are 'vented'
barrels that reduce the air resistance in front of the round, and there's a
company that makes a 'rifles' barel, but I don't know the quality of it.
(See Rec.sport.paintball for more info...)

> 2)Accuracy at that level of play is not of prime concern; it's close
>range, as I understand it.

Depends, if your playing outdoors, there's a great deal of accuracy
involved. If it's indoors, the normal range is, oooo, 10 feet (if your
city hopping...)

This reminds me, take your local Shadowrun crew to a local indoor field (if
you have time and the indoor field) and get your players to try this game.
I did this with some of my players, and the looks on their faces were
priceless.

> 3)In order to get any kind of range at all on such weapons, you need
>to have as little resistance as possible.

Yep.

>Hope that helps. Hope I wasn't too far off the mark, either.
>J Roberson

BA-DUMP-BUM! >KLANG!< (rimshot)

-Tyger

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"It's not like talking with people. With people, anything can be said and
nothing matters. Words and words and words. You go to a party... people
sit around and say things. Anything. Just to talk. Put forth views and
debate them. Sometimes you get a new idea. Sometimes something changes"
-Luicifer
From "Virtual Realities"
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