RE: [HOE] Guns&ammo in odd environments

["Clint Black" <cblack@ohtinc.com>]

>But not all combustion requires an outside source of oxygen. As pointed
>out the shuttle and rockets fly into space using combustion. As a more
>down to earth example, magnesium flares burn (combust) underwater. Your
>comment on shotgun rounds (which are generally cased in plastic or some
>type paper material, right?) makes me wonder whether the rounds failed to
>fire because of no oxygen or because the ammo simply got wet?

Actually, rockets specifically carry oxygen in the form of huge tanks of O-2
into space, so they can work.  You cannot have combustion without oxygen
(O-2).


>Out of curiousity I looked up the molecular equation for gunpowder:
>It's made up of carbon (C), saltpeter (KNO3) and sulfur (S). So there is
>oxygen available in the equation. Wood is essentially made up of carbon
>(for burning purposes) and so needs air (oxygen) to burn. Magnesium flares
>have Magnesium-oxide in them (I think) so they "have their own oxygen
>supply", as do bullets.

Magnesium flares burn underwater because they literally burn the oxygen out
of the water.  There is oxygen in water (fish gotta breathe too).


The problem with bullets is if they do have enough oxygen within the shell
to complete combustion, what do you think will happen when you expose them
to space?

Right.  The pressure within the shell will try to equalize with the pressure
outside the shell.  In the wussy version, the oxygen simply leaks from the
shells rendering them inoperable.  In the COOL version, all of the shells
explode upon contact with space.

This actually would make shotguns useful, because they are air permeable
enough to allow the oxygen to simply leak out, but when returned to
atmosphere, they would still be useable.




Clint Black

"You smell that? Do you smell that? ...Ghost Rock, son. Nothing else in the
world smells like that. I love the smell of ghost rock in the morning. You
know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over
I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' Yank body. The
smell, you know that sulphurous smell, the whole hill. Smelled like...
victory. Someday this war's gonna end..."