6 Stupid Gun Myths Everyone Believes (Thanks to Movies)

[my72jeep]

It's a myth. I tried that with live ammo a few times (in another country and another time/space continuum so of course the statute of limitations is expired) and it didn't work. Sterling takes the fun out of everything! 

Ok worked with blanks but it would jam 2-1 and the match stick worked blank or live every time.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Firing the Sten while holding onto the magazine, as portrayed in the video game Call of Duty 2.

vs.

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Call_of_Duty_2

Holding the mag like that causes the mag to "rock" in the mag well, this changes the angle the bullet at the feedlips presents to the oncoming breechblock, if the bullet is not stripped from the mag correctly, a jam is most likely to occur. Hence the reason we were taught not to hold the SMG that way.

 

[PanaEng]

Ok worked with blanks but it would jam 2-1 and the match stick worked blank or live every time.

Didn't work for me (tried several times with blanks); maybe mine was a less used one and still had a "tighter fit" on the bolt and sear/trigger mech.

cheers,
Frank

 

[OldSolduer]

Holding the mag like that causes the mag to "rock" in the mag well, this changes the angle the bullet at the feedlips presents to the oncoming breechblock, if the bullet is not stripped from the mag correctly, a jam is most likely to occur. Hence the reason we were taught not to hold the SMG that way.

You are wise in the ways of the SMG, Jedi Master!

 

[medicineman]

You are wise in the ways of the SMG, Jedi Master!

I tried the LCF thing with mags taped together once on an exercise (I wasn't issued the proper mag pouch) and I remember having a contact and hearing a dead man's click - same sort of effect as holding the mags. 

My dad, who'd been in during the 60's, told me there is another reason they don't like people doing that - fingies get too close to the breach and get nibbled or hit the mag release.  Both are what one might call bad in a gunfight...

MM

 

[a_majoor]

Mythbusters has examined all kinds of gun myths (including weird ones like shooting through a carton of milk to prevent the muzzle flash from triggering an explosion), and in almost every case the myth was busted. Watch on YouTube but don't try these at home...

 

[bick]

When I was in 1 RCR, we had a MCpl who used to be in the USMC.  He swore to anyone that would listen that he shot the first nuclear bullet and that it "took the top clear off that hill."


He was serious.

 

[medicineman]

He didn't care to elaborate on how much LSD he'd dropped prior to that did he  ;D?

MM

 

[GnyHwy]

When I was in 1 RCR, we had a MCpl who used to be in the USMC.  He swore to anyone that would listen that he shot the first nuclear bullet and that it "took the top clear off that hill."


He was serious.

Now I know he was lying.  The first one was shot by the scientist who invented it.  I believe he went by the name Wile. E. something.

 

[NavyShooter]

Mythbusters is "junk" science....their quick soundbytes contain a minimum of useful information.

If you'd like a good read about firearms history, and things that have been done with them experimentally, I can STRONGLY recommend "Hatcher's Notebook."

http://www.milsurps.com/content.php?r=439-Hatcher-s-Notebook-(by-Julian-S.-Hatcher)

 

[Retired AF Guy]

That's friggin hysterical!!

MM

Its a fake site.

 

[Kalatzi]

""way back in 83 my Mcpl taught me a trick for room clearing with out grenades "toss SMG with 32 rd mag through window jump way out of way, wait for it to jam or empty. Room cleared. come to think of it that was the same Mcpl that taught me about paper match sticks.

It's a myth. I tried that with live ammo a few times (in another country and another time/space continuum so of course the statute of limitations is expired) and it didn't work. Sterling takes the fun out of everything!  "

I can think of one person who would disagree - if he could.

Related trivia question - How nmany CF personnel killed during the FLQ Crisis

A: One, A signaller jumped off the back of a Deuce + 1/2 with the bolt back on his UNMODIFIED Sterling - Bolt jumped the receiver and fired the round killing him

 

[medicineman]

Wonder where his finger was... :

MM

 

[Kalatzi]

They modded the SMG after that

M72jeep and other may  attest to the folded safrty match in the safety sear of the FN C1 for full auto.

I don't know that it overrode teh safety ALL the time, but I've seen one fired when dropped, the guy tripped over a tree trunk.

 

[medicineman]

They modded the SMG after that

M72jeep and other may  attest to the folded safrty match in the safety sear of the FN C1 for full auto.

I don't know that it overrode teh safety ALL the time, but I've seen one fired when dropped, the guy tripped over a tree trunk.

I have used both the FNC1 and C1 SMG, since they were still in use when I originally got in and used them extensively on exercises and on the range.  I've seen people use a match stick or gun tape on the sear of the C1 to make it a C2...with blanks though.  My dad saw a dweeb back in the 60's do that with live rounds and it warped the barrel.  I've never seen an ND or accidentally on purpose discharge from dropping a C1 SMG - as it's an open bolt weapon, the trigger weight was fairly robust and the sears generally well seated to prevent that sort of thing from happening.  I've  seen it drop tested and tried that trick of tossing - never worked.  All ND's I've seen with the SMG were because the safety was off and the trigger was squeezed and I've seen a few.  I've never seen one runaway...had a long burst from a runaway C6 trigger a stand to with us in Kabul - both sears failed on the gun, so I suppose it can happen, but I've never seen it happen on the SMG.

MM

 

[Kalatzi]

"I've seen people use a match stick or gun tape on the sear of the C1 to make it a C2...with blanks though""

For very good reason, The FAL that the Belgians marketed was designed for full auto - beefed up barrel and receiver similar to C2

The C1 and I believe the various SLRs were not designed for this, and catastrophic failure  on auto was a real option.

Thank God we were indestructible, as are all youth.

I can recall going to some  Summer concentrations and the first thing the armourers did was check the safety sears.

I've also heard more than once the command ÖPn your own time - Fire"

Followed by  "BRaaaaP"  from a post  on the C1 range, usually follwed by a short period of silence followed by ....

 

[Kalatzi]

to clarify  stunned silence '- followed by WTF?

 

[medicineman]

"I've seen people use a match stick or gun tape on the sear of the C1 to make it a C2...with blanks though""

For very good reason, The FAL that the Belgians marketed was designed for full auto - beefed up barrel and receiver similar to C2

Hence this: 

My dad saw a dweeb back in the 60's do that with live rounds and it warped the barrel. 

MM

 

[OldSolduer]

Movies showing "snipers" making shots from 500 meters + in the standing position. Correct me if I am wrong, please.

 

[PMedMoe]

Movies showing "snipers" making shots from 500 meters + in the standing position. Correct me if I am wrong, please.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows comes to mind.