From:	John E Pederson <lobo1@****.COM>
Subject:	Re: Firearms, etc.
Date:	Mon, 9 Dec 1996 17:43:12 EST

On Mon, 9 Dec 1996 17:57:39 +0000 "Paul J. Adam"
<shadowrn@********.DEMON.CO.UK> writes:
>In message <19961208.202618.22287.0.lobo1@****.com>, John E Pederson
><lobo1@****.COM> writes
>>Yeah, but if the victim is far enough away from the gun, he's not
>going
>>to hear the explosion of the gunpowder (either he's being sniped or
>>someone's using a silenced weapon under cover).
>
>How far is "far enough"? It's clearly audible through ear defenders
>even
>with a shooter 400 yards away. Rifle fire sounds like
><CRACK>...<thump>

Well, I didn't know that (as I've said before, firearms aren't my area of
expertise, or even close to it). 'Sides, when you've only shot something
heavier than a BB gun a relatively few times, there's a lot you don't
know:) So, that's my fault:(, but I think it's an understandable mistake
under my circumstances:/ This is why I usually stay out these
discussions:(

>when it goes overhead: there's about a second between the crack and
>thump per 300 yards from the shooter, it's useful for range estimation
>of "how far away is that sniper?"
>
>>You're half-right: the
>>sonic crack of the bullet DOES travel with the bullet, but since the
>>bullet is moving at super-sonic speeds, it will get there before the
>>sound would, silencer or no:)
><snip>
>>-so the target wouldn't here the sound until after the bullet was
>>past them (it doesn't make much difference when the bullet isn't
>>traveling at, say Mach 2, but it is a subtle difference in how
>quickly
>>the target can figure things out)
>
>Or the target's sniper locator system. Nice little array of five
>microphones, which detect the N-wave (the crack of the supersonic
>bullet) and work out a bearing to within ten degrees and a range
>within
>about twenty per cent from wave front curvature (This is 1980s tech:
>SR
>should do better).

I've never even heard of that item...are there stats for the SR
equivalent? If not, I'll just have to fudge it (I hate having to do
that:(

>This might be the reason sniper rifles are subsonic :)

Could be:)

<snip .sig>

John Pederson "God is dead"
lobo1@****.com -Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 to
1900)
I don't know where my home page is! "Nietzsche is dead"
Only dead fish swim with the stream -God (everlasting to everlasting)