Quote:
Originally Posted by Kumabjorn
@Hitch
Woaw, that was a lot more silent than I expected. Forgive my ignorance, I don't live in a country where firearms are prevalent, is a .25 like 10% bigger than a .22 bullet? Will that transfer to 10% more sound (or more, if I remember my physics class isn't sound something that grows exponentially)?
Yes, you're absolutely right. My protagonist never ever fights (unless someone of similar build) she always kills with a gun, it's her only chance. That is also why she needs to be a real expert on anything firearms related (Something I fear I'm not). Hence the suggestion about a magic bullet is something that has me intrigued. I see a sewing kit with a hidden compartment for some very specialized ammo. What are some things you can creatively do with something like that? For example, can you make the bullet out of something so hard it won't deform if hitting cast iron or bronze?
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Hi, there:
Okey-dokey. We all got distracted because I sort of hijacked the thread (sorry!) about the physics of people fighting. Ballistics is an enormously complex science, with many, many variables. (n.b.: most of the biggest computing advances have been to calculate ballistics, like Eniac, IIRC, for trivia fans.) Back onto the ballistics of the weapon:
Generally speaking, a "caliber" of bullet means the diameter of the round in inches. So, a .22 is ~2/10ths of an inch in diameter. A .25 is not hugely larger, but it's larger. Now, that means that yes, it's a larger bullet. The bullet will (but not necessarily must) weigh more. Any competent shooter or certainly assassin won't be buying their bullets down at Bob's Bullet Emporium, so s/he will likely be either making her own rounds (n.b.: probably not for a .22, as previously discussed by someone else who is patently knowledgeable about ballistics, as well) or having them custom-made. This means that the bullet could actually be lighter than the aforementioned .22. Are you married to the idea of a .25 for some reason? Have you already used that weapon elsewhere in the book? A la early James Bond with the Walther? So the answer to the "sound" question is: that depends. (Sorry.)
As far as a sewing kit with magic bullets...how realistic do you want this? (Don't misread that sentence, I'm seriously asking, not snarking). What your professional assassin would
likely do is carry a throw-away gun. Make it a small-caliber derringer, suppressed.
She'll have sanded down the interior of the barrel, so it's not grooved. What this means is that
the bullet will tumble (grooves basically make a bullet fly straight, without getting too complex), so it cannot be used for anything more than a few feet; 10 at most, to be on the safe side. It's a one-shot weapon. The derringer will not leave brass; you have double-safety because the barrel isn't grooved; it's a single-use, specialized weapon (implies expertise) and it will be sub-sonic and quiet as the grave. If you go with this gun, due to the lightness of the round, tumbling, etc., I'd endeavor to make the killshot directly to the head, with as little space as possible between the end of the barrel and the skin.
It's almost overkill, no pun intended, but to not tie the weapon to the brass or the lead, make it smooth-bore. I don't know if she can throw the gun away, but this way, if you have a scenario where she can't, you can keep the gun, as it can't legally be tied to the round in the dead guy. (Although, any gun guy or woman will instantly know what was done, but still...no evidence is no evidence.) OTOH, it's really not very versatile, so your assassin probably then needs to have a backup weapon. Nobody carries a derringer to a gunfight, in other words.
So, a little less sexy is the basic .22 with suppressor. You can reuse it. It will be traceable to the bullet, unless your assassin gets really lucky. Still, excellent weapon for your purposes.
Hope that helped. Ah, ballistics. Brain-teasers for the whole family!
Hitch