In a rather boring departure from the recent Doomer-Polly wars I thought I post something that might help someeone prepare for Y2K.

I have been asked by two individuals to provide a primer on firearms for the forum. So for any of you newbies to firearms here it is. (For you experienced waddies, Ill take some liberties with descriptions, as this is NOT a highly technical piece - just an introduction.)

If there is any interest, Ill follow this piece with a primer on gun safety.

SIZE

Firearms can generally be divided into two broad categories  Long guns and Hand guns. There is some cross over with very large handguns and some very short long guns. If you are going to have only one gun (however unimaginable that is to the author) make it a long gun.

TYPE

Firearms may also be divided into two catagories by what type projectile they discharge. The projectile will either be a one-piece solid (a bullet) or multiple parts (shot, as used in a shotgun). The term rifle comes from groves (called rifleing) inside the barrel, which causes the bullet to rotate around its long axis  spin to us regular folks. This spinning is what helps the bullet the fly stable and not tumble, that is, rotate eradically and fly off course. While virtually all handguns have this rifleing inside their barrels, the term rifle is used to refer to long guns only.

Shotguns differ in that the virtually all are smooth on the inside of the barrel. Shotguns usually fire multiple projectiles (called shot). The smooth inside of the barrel is required for best preformance. Shotguns are sometimes referred to as smoothbores.

LONG GUNS

ACTIONS, How they work and how to recognize them.

There are several types of mechanisms available today in both long guns and handguns.

The first and simplest is the single shot. This is (theoretically) by far the strongest most reliable action available. Also the slowest to use. You open the action and insert a round of ammo. Close the action. Some types must be cocked by pulling a hammer back other cock the piece when the action is opened. Its fairly easy to tell. If there is a hammer (a little tang) sticking out about where you thumb would be when holding the gun, its a pretty safe bet thats a hammer.

An action found primarialy in handguns is the revolver. These actions have a cylinder which holds several rounds of ammo. The cylinder rotates automatically when the action is cocked. They are generally referred to as just revolvers. They come it two varities  single action and double action. A single action requires cocking via the hammer. A double action can either be cocked like a single action or the trigger may be pulled which both cocks the action and fires the weapon.

The next (and most common in hunting rifles) is the bolt action. This type gun generally stores extra ammo below the line of the barrel in either a tube or a magazine. More on these in a moment. A bolt action can be recognized by a little handle sticking out on the right side (for right-handed guns). When loading or reload a bolt action one grasps the handle and rotates it up until it stops and then pulls the handle backwards until it stops. The will (generally) eject the spent cartridge. Cartridges are explained below in the ammo section. Then one pushes the handle forward and down. This loads a new cartridge. Bolt action guns have served many decades at the default military weapons for all of the worlds armies..

Another action found in long guns is the lever action. These are the guns you see in the Westerns. They were the Dukes favorite. They have a lever below the main body of the gun, which is pushed down and then pulled back to load, or reload the gun.

The slide action or pump is more commonly found in shotguns although there are some fine rifles made with this type action. This action is operated by pulling the forend (the part you left hand holds) grip backward and the push it forward to load or reload.

The last action is the self loader. This type action reloads itself when fired. These come in basically two varities: auto and semi-auto. The distinction is really pretty simple. If the gun will or can be made to fire more than once with only one press of the trigger it is an automatic. These automatics fall under the same BATF laws as sawed off shotguns and are referred to by the BATF designation as Class 3 weapons.

If trigger must be pressed each time the gun is fired, it is a simi-automatic. These are often eroneously refferred to by the shortened name automatic. Herein lies the confusion. Once again, if the gun cannot be made to fire more than once with each depression of the trigger it is a SEMI-automatic. These do not fall under the aegis of Class 3 weapons are only subject to the normal laws controlling gun purchase and ownership. (And NO, a rant will NOT follow.)

ACTION summary.

There are other types of actions that have been omited because they are fairly rare and esoteric.

Long guns generally can be found single shot, bolt, pump, or self-loader. Handguns generally can be found in single shot, revolver, and self- loader.

+++

Calibers, Ammo, Bullets, Cartridges, Shells, Rounds, The True meaning of Life, and other misteries.

Otherwise know as If I drop it in the dirt can I really just blow the dirt off by the 5 second food rule?

This is where most of the confusion really starts. Once again things fall into two catagories. Firearms either fire solid projectiles or multiple part projectile. Broadly speaking, those guns that commonly fire multiple part projectiles are called shotguns. Those that generally fire solid projectile are called either rifles or handguns depending on size.

To add to the confusion, some do both, some of the time. Some do either some of the time. And sometimes either do either. Confused? Lets fix that.

AMMUNITION

Ammunition, or ammo as it is commonly called, is the stuff you have to put into the gun to make it work. Guns make marvelous, though somewhat expensive, tent pegs and clubs without ammo. Ammo should be handled with resonable caution.

Ammo has four main parts. 1. The projectile, 2. The powder, 3. The primer, 4. Something to keep all this from getting lost  the case.

Part of the gun called the firing pin strikes some part of the ammo which cause the primer to burn. This in turn causes the powder to explode. This explosion produces a rapidly expanding gas that pushes the projectile out the end of the barrel.

Since the ammo is made to work when is it properly struck by the firing pin, it is theoretically possible for the ammo to discharge when dropped or struck outside of the gun. This is exceeding rare but should not be totally discounted. Use common sense here.

AMMO VARITIES

Ammo comes in two varities. Rim fire and center fire. Let if suffice for an introduction to say that rim fire is limited to .22 caliber. Center fire ammo can either be rifle ammo or shotgun ammo. Center fire ammo has, on the back in the center, a small round area called the primer. This is the area that the firing pin strikes to make the whole thing work. The primer contains a substance, which ignites when struck. In a .22 round the primer substance is place inside around the rim  hence rim fire.

.22 Caliber

The small .22 caliber gun is by far the most common found in the world. The ammo is cheap and effective on small game. Ammo in the .22 caliber can be found in the following varities: CB, short, long, long rifle, and rat shot. By overwhelming majority the most common is long rifle. This term has nothing to do with long as in long guns. Its just a name. CB is the weakest followed by short then long and finally long rifle. All have solid projectiles or bullets.

Rat shot is a variety that has multiple projectiles - tiny little balls of lead. Rat shot can be used in long guns and handguns. Most rat shot will not cycle in a self-loader. That means that the self-loader will not reload itself when using rat shot.

They are ALL dangerous.

Do NOT be fooled into thinking just because a .22 does not kick and (relatively speaking) does not make much noise that they are a toy. They CAN KILL you or someone else.

SHOTGUN AMMO

Shotgun ammo is the easiest after .22 to describe. The ammo comes in sizes called guages. The guages (from smallest to largest) are .410, 28, 20, 16, 12, and 10. By far the most common is the 12 guage with 20 guage being the next most common. Ammo are individually called shells. Shotgun ammo is all center fire.

Shotgun ammo is usually contains multiple projectiles. These are called shot. One exception to this is the variety of ammo called slugs. Slugs have a solid projectile

Shot comes in several sizes. These are referred to by number, the smaller the number the smaller the size of the shot.

To clarify: The size of the shotgun shell is in guages  the smaller the number the larger the guage and therefore the bigger hole in the barrel. Whats inside the shell - the shot - comes by number and the smaller the number the smaller the shot. NO, it is not logical, thats just the way it is.

RIFLE AMMO

Entire books have been written on rifle ammo. Rifle ammo is described by either an American or European designation. Some American varities are .223, .308, .30-06, etc. Some European varities are 7.62x39, 7.62x54, 7x57, etc. We will not undertake here to examine the differences. Remember this is only a primer on firearms.

With the above-mentioned exception of .22 caliber, all rifle ammo is center fire and uses solid projectiles.

HAND GUN AMMO

Handgun ammo also has its share of esoteric designations. Some common designation are .38 special, 9mm, .357, .44, .45, .44mag.

Like rifle ammo, With the above-mentioned exception of .22 caliber, all hand gun ammo is center fire and uses solid projectiles.

SUMMARY

There really is NO simple explanation. The subject has been around too long with too many parts and pieces. Hopefully this primer will help you understand some of the basic elements.

Above all  Whatever comes out the end of that barrel is YOUR responsibility. BE SAFE

ALL GUNS ARE LOADED until YOU with you own hands and eyes check and KNOW otherwise.

-Greybear

-- Got Ammo?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), June 22, 1999

Answers

And the speling errrors are all myne.

Knot the prufreeders.

-Greybear

-- Got Dictionaries?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), June 22, 1999.

Thank you Greybear.

IMHO this is the only type of gun control that works. (along with teaching a healthy respect for other human beings)

-- R. Wright (blaklodg@hotmail.com), June 22, 1999.

Greybear-

Well Done!

This should be required reading for newbies and/or a part of a TB2K FAQ!

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), June 22, 1999.

Greybear:

I'm sure this was just a typo, but didn't you mean to say, with shotgun ammunition, that the larger the number, the SMALLER the shot?

Also, black powder (muzzle loading) rifles are fairly good for large game hunting, but don't include them in any self defense scheme.......

-- Jon Williamson (pssomerville@sprintmail.com), June 22, 1999.

Must have had one of those brain bombs.

On shot. The LARGER the number the SMALLER the shot.

-Greybear, who has just decided to give up the carear as a proofreader.

-- Got Accuracy?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), June 22, 1999.

(1) Although this is "old hat" to many of us, I do appreciate this basic information being posted here.

(2) What's wrong with a little gun control? I'm all for it...but remember that I define gun control as hitting what you aim at.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 22, 1999.

Greybear,

I'm glad to see you post before I'm gone. I learned something. Thank you.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), June 23, 1999.

I have been lucky enough to have made two new friends: the ole greybear and mama bear; and to have been blessed with some serious firearms instruction from himself, while mama bear sat back and thought to herself 'how does anyone get to be this age and NOT know anything about guns?'

Just wait until the Wise Grey One posts the safety issues. I learned things I would never have thought of if left to my devices. I now understand why everyone definitely should have instruction if they intend to handle a firearm of any kind. There are simply so many mistakes one can make that endanger either someone else or yourself.

I've worked around machinery a lot during my many careers. Printing presses are extremely dangerous in the hands of the uninitiated. There are a hundred ways to kill or maim oneself with a printing press. Handling a gun is like working the press, if you know what you're doing and follow the safety procedures, you won't get hurt. Otherwise, there's next to no chance you won't eventually harm yourself or some innocent, and unintended, bystander.

So heads up...get instruction.

-- Shelia (Shelia@active-stream.com), June 23, 1999.

Greybear,

Great to read your posts again. I'm printing this as a keeper! Thanks.

Stan, you're leaving too? What's up with everyone? Is there writing somewhere on a wall that I missed?

Mike ===============================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), June 23, 1999.

Greybear - Arlin

I will put this in the archive. Thanks for the information Greybear!

-- Brian (imager@home.com), June 23, 1999.

Greybear:

MARVELOUS!!

Items probably not for primer but for next level:

.32 rimfire

.410 pistol caliber (NOT exactly .41)

fragmentation pistol cartridges (Glazer comes to mind)

BTW Have seen a number of rifled shotgun barrels lately, with the appelation "Deer Barrels" (usu used with slugs)

Regards: The Picker of Nits

Might want to start on the various hitting power rules of thumb, too. Particularly for the newbies who have seen ALL of Clint's films, and think that this is how it works (not to mention Shane).

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), June 23, 1999.

Thanks for the primer Greybear!

I recently purchased a Remington 870 12-guage shotgun, and have been practicing once a week so that I am familiar with it should the need arise. Usually, I practice with #8 shot since this has been recommended for home defense. There is not much kick and my shoulder doesn't feel it much afterward.

A couple of weeks ago, I tried shooting #4 shot and boy could I feel the difference! There was a very strong recoil and I found that I could only fire about 8 rounds before I felt that my shoulder might feel sore the next day.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to deal with recoil from larger shot sizes? Or should I just suck it up and keep practicing with it occasionally.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), June 23, 1999.

nothere,

::Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to deal with recoil from larger shot sizes? Or should I just suck it up and keep practicing with it occasionally.

You can purchase recoil pads at almost any sporting goods store.

Btw, you might also want to practice with slugs (and have a few boxes on hand). I just started shooting them about two weeks ago and they do have a mighty kick. But hey, you never know when you'll need to open a door, stop a truck, or hit someone with your shotgun at 100yds. A 1oz piece of metal moving 900-1200 fps is truly an attention getter!

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), June 23, 1999.

Greybear,

As an adjunct primer you might consider a "course" on reloading. It's certainly a less expensive way to go and there's a certain amount of self-satisfaction involved. There's a feeling of comfort and preparedness, too, these days.

-- Vic (Rdrunner@internetwork.net), June 23, 1999.

Thanks TECH32!

I have to go to a sporting goods store soon anyway and will pick one up.

I was planning on moving up to slugs after practicing with smaller shot, and I will definitely buy a few extra boxes.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), June 23, 1999.

A good post, and much appreciated.

-- M.C. Hicks (mhicks@greenwich.com), June 23, 1999.

Greybear: Excellent piece!

nothere nothere: The Remington 870 is a great weapon for home defense, especially if you get the extended magazine (increases capacity) and folding shoulder stock (to give it a pistol-like grip) so that you can easily move around inside a house. Keep working with the #4 shot, it is the best "manstopper" for a 12 gauge.

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), June 23, 1999.

I'm going to continue to restrain myself from opinions in this thread. I didn't want it to turn in to a I-like-this-better-than-that.

However I would add one correction. The size of the shot is not the primary factor in recoil. The amount of powder in the round is the primary factor with the WEIGHT of the shot the next factor.

Often ammo is loaded in various "strengths". One may find a #8 shot load in both light practice loads and heavy field loads.

The #8 vs #4 question can be resolved by checking the amount of powder (often in drams) and the WEIGHT of the shot in ounces.

The rule is fairly simple. The more powder and the heavier (weight) the projectile load the heavier the recoil. This is true for a given weapon.

The weight of the weapon is important. We need to note the usually when talking about recoil we are really discussing PERCEIVED recoil. Actualy recoil is a very involved subject best left for a physics thread.

The simple (and therefore somewhat inaccurate) answer is that in a given gun the lighter the load (powder and projectile) the lighter the recoil. With the exact same load uned in different guns the lighter the gun the more the (percieved) recoil.

And yes, I know about gun shape and design with all the details about drop and comb and heel. I'm trying to keep this on the primer level.

For anyone interested in the subject of recoil, read about Benelli shotguns. They are one of the exceptions to the rule. They "buffer" the recoil by passing most of the force into a spring that spreads the recoil out over a (relatively speaking) longer period of time. They are a dream to shoot. Where another gun of the exact same weight will kick the heck out of you, the Benelli will be much gentler to shoot. Even this may still be pretty serious recoil for those not accustomed to it.

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), June 23, 1999.

Just in case someone's high school classes didn't cover this--

Treat every gun as a loaded gun until you've disassembled it.

Learning to fire a weapon is not intuitive. Find an instructor if you haven't already.

Practice. If you ever need to use this weapon you won't want to miss.

Don't point a gun at anything living that you aren't willing to kill.

If your children aren't qualified make sure they can't reach the weapons you have.

Breaking any one of these rules can get someone killed. And already has.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), June 23, 1999.

another safety issue worth mentioning is that those little .22's have long ranges

whatever is behind what you're shooting at is important, I use my .22 around the farm and even though neighbor houses are out of sight they can never be out of mind. plenty of things that block vision won't block a bullet

-- Gus (y2kk@usa.net), June 23, 1999.

Excellent piece Greybear!! A handy rule of thumb for those pesky Euro trash millimeter caliber designations is to multiply the millimeters by 4 to get American decimals. Example 9mm x 4 = .36 caliber, or 7mm x 4 = .280 caliber. This is not exact but will give you a quick reference point to compare projectile size. Safety, Safety, safety. A short story to emphasize. Myself and three friends with an accumulated total of nearly a hundred years of gun experience were admiring a Walther PPK recently purchased by one of them. Friend drops clip out of gun and cycles slide vigorously several times to make sure chamber is empty. Points gun at my stereo system and squeezes trigger to test trigger pull. Broken extractor. I need new stereo. Better than needing a new friend, but still too close for comfort. There is NO safe level of comfort with firearms. Familiarity breeds contempt and an old hand can be as or more dangerous than a novice. Always remember, THEY ARE ALL LOADED, AND THE SAFETY PROBABLY DOESN'T WORK.

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), June 23, 1999.

"Part of the gun called the firing pin strikes some part of the ammo which cause the primer to burn. This in turn causes the powder to 'explode'."

Graybear,

Just a reminder that primers explode, powder (propellant) burns. A good primer (heh heh) on different propellants and their evolution is in the Speer reloading manual.

May I also suggest that any firearms primer include safety. Lots and lots of safety. Everyone benefits from this, even the Old Timers, but especially those who are new to firearms. Newcomers to firearm use and ownership must know that, when the proper procedures for use, care, and safety are followed, no one need fear a gun. Unless someone's pointing it at them, of course.

Vic,

Another benefit of reloading is that, assuming you know what you're doing, you will never have any doubt that each round will work the way it was supposed to work; no split cases, no squibs, no overcharges, no surprises. And yes, those things do happen with factory products.

Needless to say, if you don't know how to reload, and want to learn, DON'T RUSH IT. Get good quality equipment, never be afraid to ask questions, and TAKE YOUR TIME. This is something that, if you don't do it right the first time, you may not get another chance.

NEVER ATTEMPT TO FIRE a cartridge you found on the ground, especially if it's not a .22, unless you are the one that dropped it. If a cartidge won't fit "all the way" in the gun, or you can't easily close the action, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FORCE THE ACTION CLOSED, and DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FIRE THE CARTRIDGE. Remove it from the gun, and either dispose of it in a safe manner or give it to someone who can. I recently came across 9 .357 magnum cartridges in the bottom of a trash can at the pistol range at my gun club. When I told the rangemaster what I had found, he was not happy. I don't blame him.

Proper use of firearms can be satisfying and rewarding, as can hand loading. But, as in most things, if you don't follow the rules, you can spend the rest of your life regretting it. If you're lucky.

To borrow from a poster on another forum:

KEEP SHOOTING. IT'S THE SOUND OF FREEDOM

-- LP (soldog@nohotmail.com), June 23, 1999.

I'm no expert, but,

1 TREAT ALL GUNS AS IF THEY ARE ALWAYS LOADED

2 NEVER POINT A GUN AT ANYTHING YOU DONT WANT TO DESTROY

3 NEVER PUT YOUR FINGER THRU THE TRIGGER GUARD UNTIL YOU ARE AMING AT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DESTROY

4 NEVER SHOOT UNTIL YOU CAN POSITIVELY IDENTIFY NOT ONLY YOUR TARGET BUT WHAT'S BEHIND IT

5 BE AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF RICCOCHETS

6 NEVER TRY TO USE ANY AMMO IF YOU ARE NOT SURE THAT IT IS THE RIGHT KIND FOR YOUR GUN, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY REASON TO THINK IT COULD BE DEFECTIVE

7 IF YOU PULL THE TRIGGER AND NO BULLET FIRES, DON'T PULL THE TRIGGER AGAIN UNTIL YOU HAVE CHECKED THAT THE BARREL IS CLEAR. TRYING TO SHOOT WHEN THERE IS A HANGFIRE (BULLET STUCK IN THE BARREL) CAN CAUSE THE GUN TO BLOW UP IN YOUR FACE. LIKEWISE DON'T SHOOT ANY GUN THAT HAS BEEN LAYING AROUND FOR A WHILE, OR THAT SOMEONE GIVES YOU, UNTIL YOU CHECK THE BARREL.

-- (y2kbiker@worldnet.att.net), June 24, 1999.

for defensive use,there is a big differance between #4 birdshot and #4buckshot.In defensive shooting,the goal is IMMIDIATE INCAPACITATION.that means hitting the central nervous system or lowering the blood pressure quickly enough that the BAD-GUY passes- out BEFORE shooting back.#4shot will be very easy to hit with ,but the shot DOES NOT have the mass to insure the deep enough penetration that will ensure IMMIDIATE INCAPACITATION.Blasting someone in the gut with an ounce of birdshot will get results,but the bad guy will be MORE LIKELY to be CAPABLE of shooting back.If you have no shooting expieriance and shot placement is an issue,SHOOT THE BAD GUY TWICE.In a life or death shoot out,head shots rule.A good buddy of mine took a belly full of #6 birdshot while pheasant hunting(Lord Buddha protect us all from chicago hunters!)and he was able to lie in the corn field and cry for help,which means he could have shot back if the incedent had not merely been a near tragic accident.If you are capable of hitting what you aim at,#4buckshot is clearly where it's at.bottom line is ;shot placement and penetration are all important.a head shot with a .22 is much more effective than several large calibre holes in the wall.check out the f.b.i.'s statistics on mortality,sorry,no link.peace.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), June 24, 1999.

for defensive use,there is a big differance between #4 birdshot and #4buckshot.In defensive shooting,the goal is IMMIDIATE INCAPACITATION.that means hitting the central nervous system or lowering the blood pressure quickly enough that the BAD-GUY passes- out BEFORE shooting back.#4shot will be very easy to hit with ,but the shot DOES NOT have the mass to insure the deep enough penetration that will ensure IMMIDIATE INCAPACITATION.Blasting someone in the gut with an ounce of birdshot will get results,but the bad guy will be MORE LIKELY to be CAPABLE of shooting back.If you have no shooting expieriance and shot placement is an issue,SHOOT THE BAD GUY TWICE.In a life or death shoot out,head shots rule.A good buddy of mine took a belly and crotch-full of birdshot while pheasant hunting(Lord Buddha protect us all from chicago hunters!)and he was able to lie in the corn field and cry for help,which means he could have shot back if the incident had not merely been a near tragic accident.If you are capable of hitting what you aim at,#4buckshot is clearly where it's at.bottom line is ;shot placement and penetration are all important.a head shot with a .22 is much more effective than several large calibre holes in the wall.check out the f.b.i.'s statistics on mortality,sorry,no link.peace.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), June 24, 1999.

sorry for the double post

-- zoob (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), June 24, 1999.

zoobie, is absolutely correct, we are certainly talking #4 buckshot (not birdshot) here!

-- Jack (jsprat@eld.net), June 24, 1999.

"Broken extractor." -- Nikoli Krushev

Nikoli,

The Marine Corps used to have a way to ensure that the gun was unloaded when the guard Corporal passed the duty .45 on to his relief: after the slide was locked back (magazine out, of course) the off-going Marine stuck his little finger into the breech, and let go of the gun, so that it was hanging in the air by his little finger. If a round was stuck in the chamber, he couldn't get his finger in there, and both would know that the gun was still loaded.

Nothing wrong with looking in there, either. That's part of the inspection drill for both pistol and rifle.

-- LP (soldog@nohotmail.com), June 24, 1999.

That is excellent advice L.P., the point I was trying to make is that my friend had become so complacent with firearms handling after 25 plus years as a POLICE OFFICER, that he ignored the common rule of looking into the chamber to visually confirm it was empty. 25 years of carrying a gun all day every day, tens of thousands of times ejecting a live round from the chamber of a duty issue .45 government model, and he assumed if there was a round in the chamber it would have ejected when he cycled the slide. Just to make sure he cycled it several times, but he did not visually check the chamber. Luckily he still observed the rule about never pointing the gun at anything you don't intend to kill before pulling the trigger. And that was the difference between looking stupid and being a killer.

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), June 24, 1999.

"...the point I was trying to make is that my friend...ignored the common rule...he assumed if there was a round in the chamber it would have ejected..."

Point taken, and a good one, too. There are some things that carry too high a price tag to allow casual assumptions, no matter how well qualified someone may feel to make them.

Short story: guard relief, mid 1960s, USMC, on board naval vessel, somewhere at sea. Oncoming watch waiting for offgoing watch to finish log entries. Decided to practice his "quick draw." Gun unloaded, of course. Guard shack is about 10 ft square, about 8 ft. high, all steel plates, of course.

The round was standard issue 230 grain FMJ 45 ACP, aka "hardball." The round bounced around that shack with its two frozen occupants 11 times, by actual count of the gouges it made as it slowed down, looking for an exit. No one could ever figure out why it never went out the door into the squad bay, or hit anything but the bulkhead (wall), overhead (ceiling), or deck (floor) plates, or the gov issue steel desk.

Needless to say, the 1SGT was not pleased when he heard about it. Those were two very, very lucky Marines, including the one that got an all-expenses paid vacation in the brig as an E-1.

-- LP (soldog@nohotmail.com), June 26, 1999.