More Gunshop Tomfoolery (From THR)
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Things overheard in a gunshop are the topic of a few threads here...and having spent time behind the counter on a very busy gun shop...I've heard my share of...things.
The other day, I walked into an argument in progress, and couldn't help but overhear the comments. It was pretty obvious that it was starting to become heated...so I tried to ignore it while I browsed around.
Then, the shop owner spotted me, and motioned for me to come settle the argument. Based on what I'd already heard, I knew that the man behind the counter was right, and Happy Harry Customer was dead wrong.
"This guy says that German machinegun in WW2 fired so fast that there were 3 bullets in the barrel at the same time. I say it can't happen. What do you say?"
"Can't happen" (As I moved slightly away from the one who insisted that it was so. He was a little large...quite a bit younger than me...becoming more agitated by the second...and he wasn't made any happier at my backing my friend.)
"Well, my grandaddy fought the Germans and he said it was so, so it's so. My grandaddy oughta know whut he wuz talkin' about and you wasn't there!"
"Your grandfather was mistaken or misinformed. It can't happen. In order for the gun to have three fired bullets in the barrel at the same time, the bolt would have to cycle faster than the bullet moves. Can't happen."
Louder and more agitated:
"BY GOD! HAVE YEW EVER HEARD ONE OF THEM THINGS SHEWT! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE RATE OF FAR WUZ?"
Yep. 'Bout 1200 rounds per minute, give or take 10. That works out to 20 rounds per second...which works out to about 2 rounds in a tenth of a second. The bullets hit the muzzle at about 2800 feet per second. Not inches. Feet. The barrel is less than 28 inches long. (23 inches? 24?
I forget the specs for the MG42.)
"So?" (He was starting to try to do the math in his head at this point.)
"So...In order for the gun to put 3 bullets into a 28 inch barrel at the same time, the gun would have to cycle 100 times per second. It only cycles 20 times per second."
He's starting to blink...and then rallies. He announces that he going home to
call his grandfather and he'll come back and prove it. He stomps out and burns rubber as he hits the highway.
"I don't think he'll be back. I think he'll go look it up on the internet...get a calculator...and figure it out."
"Yep. Probably so. Too bad. I think he was gonna buy a gun."
"Win some...Lose some...and some get rained out."
"Yep."
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