Five ways movies get everything wrong about gun battles in war
Please consider donating to Behind the Black, by giving either a one-time contribution or a regular subscription, as outlined in the tip jar to the right. Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Link here.
Please consider donating to Behind the Black, by giving either a one-time contribution or a regular subscription, as outlined in the tip jar to the right. Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Link here.
Who woulda thunk?
“So in a way, you could argue that all of Hollywood’s gunfight bullshittery is a significant asset to our national defense. And, therefore, when Jerry and Matt transitioned from battlefields to movies and TV, they still played a role in fighting America’s enemies, through sheer misinformation. Keep that bullshit flowing, Hollywood. America needs you.”
What? Nothing about how lead sparks and sets off explosions? ;-)
Yes, I’ve wondered how a non-ferrous metal could create sparks. Of course, you can get that effect with steel-jacketed bullets, but I don’t believe that they are standard issue for military and police forces.
I’ve seen “pure” lead air rifle pellets make sparks against steel plates.
Military small arms bullets often have steel cores or have copper washed mild steel jackets. Sometimes both.
It’s all about turning kinetic energy into heat, not what it’s made of.
People do not fly backwards when shot. They just fall down.
Gas tanks don’t explode.
And shotguns do not spray out a cone of instant death and thus never need much aiming or practice.
Ask and Bird hunter or trap shooter.
For my first few years hunting the birds stood a hell of a good chance of getting away clean.