Well, I once watched someone empty a mere .22 automatic with silencer attached into a woodpile in a living room (I will say no more). Trust me: Silent it ain't.
Good list. Another one: bullets in a fire are dangerous.
Despite some familiarity with guns, I was unaware that if bullets are tossed into a fire the gunpowder does ignite, but without the barrel to hold it together, the casing surrounding the power just bursts. The lead projectile goes nowhere.
When depicting the real life event of a sporting goods store in flames in my novel, bullets in the air was a key element. (It was reported by witnesses.) But several online readers were kind enough to point out this was a mistake. I corrected this before the paperback came out. A character comes to realize the flying debris was generated by the barrels of gunpowder in the flames, not the bullets.
In a way it was a nice metaphor for what I hoped would be readers reaction to the book itself - you think you know all about something, but you may find out there's more to it. (In this case nuclear power, but really, pick your subject...)
Good list. Another one: bullets in a fire are dangerous.
ReplyDeleteDespite some familiarity with guns, I was unaware that if bullets are tossed into a fire the gunpowder does ignite, but without the barrel to hold it together, the casing surrounding the power just bursts. The lead projectile goes nowhere.
When depicting the real life event of a sporting goods store in flames in my novel, bullets in the air was a key element. (It was reported by witnesses.) But several online readers were kind enough to point out this was a mistake. I corrected this before the paperback came out. A character comes to realize the flying debris was generated by the barrels of gunpowder in the flames, not the bullets.
In a way it was a nice metaphor for what I hoped would be readers reaction to the book itself - you think you know all about something, but you may find out there's more to it. (In this case nuclear power, but really, pick your subject...)