What gun and ammo?

[BeccaPrice]

I love this forum. I'm learning so much! (and you never know when this kind of information may be useful.)

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Degradation of proteins in the vitreous humor of the eye. (Eyeball juice) It's a more accurate measurement of time of death than liver temps unless the body has been frozen.


Stitchawl

And how exact is this? Like within10 minutes?
Wouldn't this require lab equipment? Or can it be done on the spot?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

And how exact is this? Like within10 minutes?
Wouldn't this require lab equipment? Or can it be done on the spot?

Don't know about the specific timing, only that it is more accurate over longer periods of time. Body temps are good for short times between death and measurements,
Requires very special lab testing, not so much equipment as procedure.


Stitchawl

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Don't know about the specific timing, only that it is more accurate over longer periods of time. Body temps are good for short times between death and measurements,
Requires very special lab testing, not so much equipment as procedure.


Stitchawl

Thanks, but it is time for you to go to bed? Or are you already in Thailand?

[Lazer]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

It takes place in Stockholm, the Nagant was popular as a police side arm in both Sweden and Russia, because it is a unique weapon there might be reason to keep it, the home made ammo of builders sand and epoxy sound interesting if viable. Have to study the availability of cartridges.

First of all, I'm not convinced a bullet made from sand and epoxy would penetrate someone's skull, it's going to be much lighter than a lead projectile and may come apart when it strikes the bone. Secondly, any evidence this unique would be of tremendous evidentiary value in a criminal investigation. Remember, the evidence left at a crime scene tells a story and is used to link the perpetrator to the scene.

One would need a bullet mold and reloading equipment to pull it off and you'd end up with a cartridge with limited performance (accuracy and penetration).

I have no knowledge of firearm/ammunition laws in Sweden, but assuming ammunition is available on a retail basis, you might ask for the Nagant ammo. I have to believe it's a special-order and that would be an investigators dream.

[Kumabjorn]

At the base of the scull at 45 degrees?

[Penforhire]

The idea of a very frangible (untraceable after firing) bullet really depends on the shooter wanting to retain the weapon. I always liked the totally impractical bullet made of ice.

Seems to me a professional has enough access to weapons that disposing of each weapon after it is used is preferable. On the other hand, if someone really wants to retain their weapon, for whatever reason, and is concerned about ballistics matching there is a relatively new breed of revolvers using .410 shotgun shells (e.g. Taurus Judge), whose shot will have no rifled marking to match. I view those as an odd novelty item but they have been reportedly selling well. Of course you're also back to a revolver which is harder to silence.

Those old Nagant revolvers are very cool but definitely a 'signature' weapon. Put me in the group suggesting they are rarely used because of their odd ammunition. Okay, they will certainly be more popular than Gyrojet guns.

[Kumabjorn]

If she uses a Nagant I'm thinking she wants to retain it because it's an older gun not produced anymore, but perhaps it is not as rare as I'm assuming.

[crich70]

Maybe she uses a zip gun. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvised_firearm There are some pretty complex models including one that looks like a mobile phone that (is believed) to have been made in Croatia. Certainly it would be easier to hide such a weapon I'd think.

[cromag]

Of course, for really close range your shooter could use a "blank." The "wad" is very dangerous at close range. I'm pretty sure it would be untraceable, too.

You should get to know a local police official -- one who can be reassured as to your motives!

[Greg Anos]

Some general comments.

The round has to be subsonic. you can't silence a supersonic shock wave. You can alter it with echos (sonicator), but not "silence it".

The .22 LR is a popular assassin round. However...you can only use stock ammo. You can't custom load a .22 round. (It's a rimfire and liable to go off in the loading process.) There are weaker, and more silent version of a .22, all the way down to a .22 CB cap. (Which is just the primer charge and a BB). Note: the lesser rounds won't work the action, too little pressure, unless the gun is custom modified for the lower pressures. (One reason why .22 revolvers are still used...)

.25 ACP is very similar to .22 LR from a ballistic standpoint, and being a centerfire, it can be custom loaded. It is used in autopistols only, and usually very small ones. (Beretta is the common example), They are ofter referred to as "ladies guns" or "garter guns". They can be modified for "silencers". Strictly designed for close range work. This seems to be a perfect fit for your character.

As to the toilet paper "silencer", it might catch fire from the unburnt (but still burning) powder. and at the range described, traceable powder will be found on the shooter face, as well as hands...

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by Lazer

First of all, I'm not convinced a bullet made from sand and epoxy would penetrate someone's skull,

Check YouTube for some very unusual and effective hand-loads, some even using wax rather than epoxy.

Originally Posted by crich70

Maybe she uses a zip gun.

As a young teenager, we used to make zip guns using the case from a Zippo-style lighter, the second section of a car's radio antenna as the barrel, enclosed in melted lead from old newspaper type to keep it from bursting in the base, and a filed down carpet tack as the firing pin embedded into the hinged lid. We'd get the ammo (.22 shorts) from the shooting gallery inside Hubert's Museum on 42nd st. 25 rounds for a quarter. Accurate to almost 7 inches if you were lucky. Those were the days...

Stitchawl

[frahse]

I am an engineer and an occasional writer, but no way in the present environment would I tell you how to make a gun silencer.

I can make some suggestions though.
1) To try out some of these ideas you really like, go out in the woods. set up your firearm in a jury rig down in a ravine, and then fire it with a cord while you are safely crouched behind a big tree "outside" of the ravine. Your character might do something similar down in her basement depending on where she lives.
A few short pieces of wood nailed together, with some holes in the wood and some strong ties to hold the firearm and silencer in position are all you need. The barrel should be pointing at a piece of 2 to 3 inch hardwood resting on the side of the ravine.

2) The temple or the eye socket has thin bone.

3) FLUSH while shooting. Some of those joints have really loud toilets.

4) The lady could disguise herself as a cleaner while checking things out unless this is all impromptu.

As an engineer, I warn you that ideas are fine but even good ideas must be executed (or engineered) properly to work.

[Lazer]

Have your character solve the problem. But the Nagant is a big heavy, hard to conceal weapon. Give her a .22 Berreta or (.22 Deringer), she can put together a makeshift sound suppressor using a half-used toilet paper roll. Have her stuff the roll with a wad of toilet paper, crunch it down with her shoe. She can stuff the little .22 in the roll's tube, push it to the back of his head and he'll drop like a sack of potatoes falling off a truck. It'll be fairly quite. The makeshift suppressor will let you character grow.

Take a look at this on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5oBxytsINM

Good luck,

L

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by frahse

I am an engineer and an occasional writer, but no way in the present environment would I tell you how to make a gun silencer.

I can make some suggestions though.
1) To try out some of these ideas you really like, go out in the woods. set up your firearm in a jury rig down in a ravine, and then fire it with a cord while you are safely crouched behind a big tree "outside" of the ravine. Your character might do something similar down in her basement depending on where she lives.
A few short pieces of wood nailed together, with some holes in the wood and some strong ties to hold the firearm and silencer in position are all you need. The barrel should be pointing at a piece of 2 to 3 inch hardwood resting on the side of the ravine.

2) The temple or the eye socket has thin bone.

3) FLUSH while shooting. Some of those joints have really loud toilets.

4) The lady could disguise herself as a cleaner while checking things out unless this is all impromptu.

As an engineer, I warn you that ideas are fine but even good ideas must be executed (or engineered) properly to work.

Thank you for the ideas. The shooting is a spot of the moment decision, she doesn't have a contract on the victim, he is the competition, she sees a chance to eliminate him (and thus starts a chain of events), tree toilet is in a restaurant, ask she need is to keep the bang of the gun low enough to not create a reaction out in the restaurant, she can only get away with it because they are the only two in the bathroom.
Despite her having no morals whatsoever, i want the reader to sympathize with her actions, part of that is being ingenious in the given situation.