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I Like Big Guns And I Cannot Lie . . .

Robert Farago - comments 57 comments

In the video below RealLifeLore ask What’s the Biggest Gun We Could Possibly Build? Personally, I couldn’t “build” a BIC pen spitball gun. But I know enough to know that RLL’s missed a trick . . .

I watched a science program (whose name I’ve forgotten, along with the names of everyone I’ve ever met casually) where some science fiction-loving scientists dreamed-up ways to repel an alien invasion.

One of the participants suggested digging a massive hole in the ground, topping it with an enormous piece of flat metal, then setting off a nuclear bomb in the hole. Ba-BAM!

I don’t know about targeting, but that would be the world’s biggest possible gun, right? Now about those tanks . . .

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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

57 thoughts on “I Like Big Guns And I Cannot Lie . . .”

  1. Robert, I would highly recommend you re-think the concept of red dots on pistols. Single focal plain shooting is the way of the future and they are way more capable ensuring accurate shot placement as well as proper identification of targets. With standard sights you have three focal planes to shoot with, rear sight, front sight, and target. You can only focus on one so we focus on the front sight. This prevents you from being able to ensure perfect rear sight alignment and prohibits you from seeing your target clearly. With a red dot sight you can focus on the target and simply put the dot on it and squeeze. Here is a link to a paper written by Aaron Cowan of Sage Dynamics on the matters. He has a military background as well as law enforcement and is a firearms instructor.

    On another note, I carry a Glock 19 MOS with a Trijicon RMR07 every day and find that I’m a much better shooter because of the red dot. Plus I can shoot out much further than I can with iron sights because the sight radius is unlimited. Food for thought….

    http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/7dc128_c8da57977a8c4b53903192fa603fce6f.pdf

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  2. Not a particularly obscure caliber, but I have a Kimber 17 Mach 2 Conversion kit for my 1911. They can’t have sold too many. I can’t say I’ve ever seen another one.

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  3. 7.65×53 Mauser. Mauser’s first smokeless cartridge for the 1889 Belgan rifle.
    The cartridge and 1891 rifle was supposed to be our service rifle instead of the Kraig.
    If that had been the case, there would have been no need for the 30/40, 30/06 or 7.62 NATO.
    Even the 30/30 would have been a .31/30.

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  4. For *once*, I’ll be on-topic for this thread. *cough* 😉

    1 – It’s pretty much known who killed Bull. He was visited by people who didn’t want the gun built, and told him it would be a good idea to drop the project.

    He didn’t, so they dropped him. The folks who dropped him were reputedly the Mossad.

    2 – The steel plate atom-bomb thing.

    There’s a large grain of truth there. Back in the days of US underground nuclear testing in Nevada, they were conducting an underground nuke test where they placed a 4-inch thick cast-iron plate over the test hole and set up a high-speed camera to record the launch velocity.

    It exceed *all* test expectations :

    “Brownlee replicated the first experiment, but the column in Pascal-B was deeper at 500 feet deep. They also recorded the experiment with a camera that shot 1 frame per millisecond. On August 27, 1957, the “manhole cover” cap flew off the column with the force of the nuclear explosion. The iron cover was only partially visible in one frame, Brownlee said.”

    “When he used this information to find out how fast the cap was going, Brownlee calculated it was traveling at five times the escape velocity of the Earth — or about 125,000 miles per hour.”

    http://www.businessinsider.com/fastest-object-robert-brownlee-2016-2/#at-the-time-brownlee-said-he-expected-the-manhole-cover-to-fall-back-to-earth-but-they-never-found-it-13

    More on the test shot series :

    http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Plumbob.html

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    • EDIT – In my non-humble opinion, if the plate were traveling *that* fast, compression heating of the lower atmosphere would heat that thing to iridescence, and no one reported a reverse shooting-star…

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  5. Project Metal Storm. Theoretical fire rate of 1 million rounds per minute. Yes 1 million rounds per minute.

    Now Define biggest. our current limitations on rail gun technology are Material Sciences for the conducting coils and Material Sciences for the capacitors and energy storage And generation systems. Rail guns, also occasionally referred to as gauze rifles, provide the most kinetic punch per pound. U.s. military has been testing them out for deployment on Naval vessels for years now. You can theoretically get anti-Armor weapon. down to a size that would be able to fit in a Humvee. Man portable is still a few years off, again due to limitations in Material Sciences and energy storage.

    I’m going to leave directed energy weapons out of this discussion because gun implies a projectile, not directed energy.

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  6. The source article, like countless other articles, statements, tweets, etc. from Progressives, clearly and unequivocally illustrate their utter contempt, disdain, and downright hatred for people who are “different”.

    Make no mistake: Progressive controlled government will not hesitate to silence/eliminate people who are “different” (their political enemies) via bullying, coercion, fines, imprisonment, and/or executions if they think they can get away with it.

    Progressives fundamentally and vehemently oppose the idea that people should be able to think and live freely. THAT is why we must never give up our arms.

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  7. That clerk was very fortunate to be in Florida…methinks some states (MA, MD, CA, etc.) would have busted his balls and he would have some big legal bills – and maybe prison time.

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  8. everything with the left is turned into some kind of sexual fetish or sexual urge or sexual innuendo.

    sometimes a carry bag is just a carry bag.

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  9. NOT in commie kalifornia. These are so dangerous, that the overlords that rule this shit hole wont let us! Ain’t Freedom and Liberty great?

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  10. Recoil? Physics is an unavoidable B _ _ _ H! Solution’s easy. MAG-NA-PORT Been using for nearly FOUR DECADES. That’s Larry Kelly’s company in Michigan; not one of their imitators. On Kimber’s K6 DCR.. should cut recoil by 1/3. Have it QUAD-PORTED if possible.

    One of many ‘Mag-na-Port’ Stories. Good friend of many years purchased a 4″ Scandium S&W 44mag. and asked for me to ‘test shoot’ his gun before he shot it (likely from knowing MANY rounds fired through original Freedom Arms 454 Casull (pair, 4-3/4″ and 7″ with scope), using 454 loads having DOUBLE muzzle energy of 44mag.
    On with story, end of day at range (one of RO’s), fired 12 factory 240gr JHP, that was all fun could stand for day (even wearing PAST recoil shooting gloves). Friend followed advise, paying up charge (due to Scandium); had gun Mag-na-Ported,,, HALF RECOIL WAS GONE.

    In past, having TWO Ruger Redhawk’s, both 7-1/2″, one Mag-na-Port other not. Same factory 240gr JHP and ANYONE shooting could easily tell which gun was ported, even handed gun with eyes closed. Big difference in recoil. Another Ruger Blackhawk 44mag with 4-3/4″ barrel and QUAD-PORTED by MNP. Despite shorter barrel which normally gives greater recoil, the QuadPorted gun was noticeable better than Standard Ported 7-1/2″ Redhawk (heavier gun to boot); difference was HUGE comparing QuadPorted Blackhawk to NON-Ported Redhawk with any magnum load. Even ‘light’ defense load, copying SuperVel’s specs, has 180gr. Sierra JHP chronograph’s 1,850fps from 7-1/2″ gun, was like shooting 38spl target loads in full size.

    Personally have Mag-na-Port process done on so many rifle’s, pistols and shotgun (Pro-Porting, best is ‘Pigeon’ Port (more holes). MNP uses EPDM process which cuts EXACT size trapezoid slots in handguns, different shape /size Quad-Port (originally done for Rifles), etc. has NO affect on velocity and NO affect on Finish (NO as in NONE, ZERO, NADA, ZIP) but what is does is CUT DOWN RECOIL. Had testing done way back when, using 44 magnum, % reduction in recoil was ~ 47% for 4″ gun and 33% for 7-1/2″ guns. More weight and barrel length, using that ‘Physics’ thing again, will have less and as your gun get smaller and lighter,, what you feel in your hand when trigger is pulled is HUGE. Worth ever penny and more if you shoot your guns.

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  11. Curtis in IL: It is always circumstantial. I can think of what ifs that go both ways. Bottom line is, are you ready to defend yourself? The police do nor have to, are probably not around to do so, and will first shoot your dog. Time to cowboy up and take the bad guy down.

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  12. When I was a kid .22 rifles with 24 inch barrels were kinda common. With a kids eyes and that long tube even the iron sighted ones were usually tack drivers.

    A lot of these were single shot bolt guns. Great training guns and hunting guns for new shooters.

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  13. I love my H001 (the base model). I’m a cheapskate, and the base model is a lot less expensive, with a msrp of $299 (mine was $249 at Bi-Mart). I also prefer an 18.5″ barrel on a .22lr to a 24″ one.

    It scratched my itch for a lever action rifle, and pairs well with my Heritage Arms single action .22 revolver to fulfill the need for “cowboy guns” on a budget.

    Lucas McCain may have had something to do with me wanting a lever action rifle.????

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  14. In MA? Are you kidding? That’s a joke question, right? The subjects of MA have made it abundantly clear they don’t need help from someone out of state.

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  15. Schwerer Gustav, the Paris Gun and the V-3 Cannon showed what really big guns can do — which is not much. At “best,” they’re terror weapons. At worst, they’re massive money sinkholes.

    Besides, as we saw in “Independence Day: Resurgence,” the only way to kill an alien is to get behind him and chop off his head with a BFK (Big Kukri).

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  16. I thought it would be a great idea until it rained & the water drops completely made sight & red dot warp for target acquisition. The co witness iron sights my p320 also warped sight picture. I will stay with good old iron sights & keep the p320 RXfor range use only. Maybe if I thought the 9mm was better than a 40 or 45 I would consider it for home as well but for now it stays a toy. I am a retired veteran & I have seen results first hand of 9 vs 40 & 45. The power of a heavier bullet is more efficient.

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