Celebratory Gunfire??

[dharry]

I have just seen live footage from Green Square in Tripoli where many people with automatic weapons are firing their weapons into the air in celebration. There was even a large caliber pickup mounted gun being used. My question is - what goes up must come back down again and whilst the rounds i assume only return at terminal velocity, surely there is risk of injury especially from the larger caliber rounds?

[TeaSea]

Yep, sure is.

[darklight]

Relevant

[OBIO]

Didn't Myth Busters show that falling bullets simply did not have the energy to kill people? Or maybe they showed that falling bullets could kill. One of the two. Or maybe they showed that only bullets fired by rednecks wearing Hank Williams Junior shirts had the required energy to make a man swallow his Skoal Bandit when they fell back down and hit him on the head. Maybe that was their conclusion.

OBIO

[Jagdflieger]

I think that Mythbusters got that one wrong. The LA coronor's office has filed DOA death certificates from bullets returning to earth. In addition, the US Army ran such tests prior to WW I and the conclusion was completely different than what was promulgated on TV. In addition, it was found that about half of the bullets hit base first and half hit nose first during the tests. The gyroscopic stability imparted by the rifling in the machines guns' barrels continued to stabilize the bullets as they returned either point down or base down. In other words, they did not tumble as reported on TV, but came down still rotating around their axis perpendicular to the earth's surface.

Best advice for celebrations in Libya? Wear your helmet and body armor or just stay inside!

[Piglet]

AK-47 types I see, as expected. But I noticed alot of FN FAL's in all those videos coming out. And a .50 M2HB on a Toyota truck in classic bush war fashion.
As far as what goes up, must come down. You bet. Much damage/wounded in Bagdhad in '91 was Saddam's own AA fire coming back down.
Every New Years, and July 4, the local news runs a bunch of PSA's telling the "citizens" not to fire guns in the air.

[pfflyers]

I agree that the Mythbusters got that one wrong. They assumed a perfect scenario where a bullet flew straight up, lost all its energy, then simply fell back down at terminal velocity, tumbling as they came down.

I think most bullets fired into the air will follow a ballistic trajectory and come down with plenty of lethal velocity.

[OBIO]

I do know this....if you throw a 40 pound Cod into the air, when it comes down...it's gonna hurt someone real bad!

Yeah...I think Myth Busters messed up in their investigation...most people who shoot off celebratory bursts don't hold their guns straight up and down...they hold them off at a steep angle....and that would allow the bullet to maintain a ballistic trajectory and maintain a bunch of their punch as they return to terra firma. Thus, they would remain deadly.

My Grandpa told me that if I want to launch something into the air to celebrate, make it a 40 pound Cod. That way when the fish falls back to earth and kills someone, we will have the start of the funeral dinner.

OBIO

[TARPSBird]

I saw this news pic (see below) over the weekend, Libyan rebel with a very new looking Romanian PSL sniper rifle.

[johnh_049]

...most people who shoot off celebratory bursts don't hold their guns straight up and down...they hold them off at a steep angle....and that would allow the bullet to maintain a ballistic trajectory and maintain a bunch of their punch as they return to terra firma. Thus, they would remain deadly.

OBIO

If I'm not mistaken, that's exactly what their conclusion was on "MythBusters"
if the projectile is fired straight up, it's not so much a danger, but fired at an angle can/will kill someone. But anyway, not a good idea ...

[T Square]

One of my Uncle's was in the Navy, on a Fleet Oiler in the Pacific. He experienced numerous Kamikaze attacks around Okinawa, he told me that a couple of times they received damage from our own AAA from other ships overshooting at Jap aircraft. My Uncle Pete said that from his station he could look at incoming aircraft and it looked like it was raining in the ocean below the them.
The other comment here is if they did that in every city or town they have taken, they better hope they have a never ending supply of ammo, cause I don't think anything over there is over, until Quacky is hangn' from the end of a rope.

[SpitXIV]

AK-47 types I see, as expected. But I noticed alot of FN FAL's in all those videos coming out. And a .50 M2HB on a Toyota truck in classic bush war fashion.
As far as what goes up, must come down. You bet. Much damage/wounded in Bagdhad in '91 was Saddam's own AA fire coming back down.
Every New Years, and July 4, the local news runs a bunch of PSA's telling the "citizens" not to fire guns in the air.

Well that's one way to clean out the Gene Pool!

[stiz]

I saw this news pic (see below) over the weekend, Libyan rebel with a very new looking Romanian PSL sniper rifle.

if you look closely at most the pics from that area an awful lot have brand spanking new stuff from different nato countrys ... not bad for just a "no fly zone" ! :mixedsmi:


Also didnt the mythbuster only use a pistol?? maybe if fired it doesnt have enough engery to kill, wouldnt do you any good, but might not kill you ... a rifle bullet however!!

[OBIO]

Myth Busters used a pistol and a rifle. I just did a search for that topic, and this is the only myth that got all three results: Busted, Plausible, and Confirmed.

Busted: The myth that a bullet fired straight up can kill you when it comes down....a bullet fired absolutely vertical does not fall with enough speed/energy to kill. They also stated that it would be nearly impossible for a human being holding and firing a gun to fire it 100% vertically.

Plausible: The myth that people have been killed by bullets fired into the air.

Confirmed: That a bullet fired from a gun into air, in any manner other than 100% vertically, can and does maintain enough energy and speed to kill someone when it reaches the end of its trajectory.

OBIO

[OBIO]

I saw this news pic (see below) over the weekend, Libyan rebel with a very new looking Romanian PSL sniper rifle.

That is one good looking piece of firepower! I have always liked the looks of the AK derived rifles, and the PSL sniper rifle is one of the best looking AK offspring I have ever seen.

OBIO

[wombat666]

NATO have been supplying enormous quantities of arms and munitions in quantities that will never be made public.
Add that to the covert operations that will also remain buried and just for once we can congratulate NATO on getting their act together for a change.
Remember, 'NATO' now incudes many former 'Eastern Bloc' Nations in its ranks.

As for 'Mythbusters' .................. wankers!!!
Rounds fire at an angle or vertically come down at a killing velocity.
Period.

[Cees Donker]

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Cees

[Tom Clayton]

I know first hand how much damage a bullet can do when it comes down. I had one (0.45 FMJ) come down through my metal roof and land on my kitchen floor one night. The deputy that arrived to check it out had been in touch with another that had been dispatched to a "shots fired" call that was about a mile and a half away. The radio conversation included the phrase "You're not gonna belive this!"

[T Square]

And a .50 M2HB on a Toyota truck in classic bush war fashion.

Seeing those pick-ups, I have often wondered about the conversation.

"Abdul listen that Datsun B210 in it's day was the way to go but you and I both know it's seen its last action. Hey I have just what you need, a used, low mileage, heavy duty towing package, chrome wheels, spray in non slip bedliner, bucket seats, air and cruise control, custom interior, the works. It's a peach only been in one revolt. C'mon Abdul, I tell you what I'll make you a deal I'll replace that 50cal with a 40 Mic Mic I got in the back still in the original crate, never been fired, normally a firepower upgrade like that would cost you big bucks, hey but because I'm on your side, and know it's for a good cause I'll do it for no charge. Abdul: Throw in 6 months ammo TT&L, and you got a deal ? Abdul you're kill'n me here I got a family, my kids gotta eat, let me go talk to my sales manager, relax I'll be right back."

[wombat666]

Seeing those pick-ups, I have often wondered about the conversation.

"Abdul listen that Datsun B210 in it's day was the way to go but you and I both know it's seen its last action. Hey I have just what you need, a used, low mileage, heavy duty towing package, chrome wheels, spray in non slip bedliner, bucket seats, air and cruise control, custom interior, the works. It's a peach only been in one revolt. C'mon Abdul, I tell you what I'll make you a deal I'll replace that 50cal with a 40 Mic Mic I got in the back still in the original crate, never been fired, normally a firepower upgrade like that would cost you big bucks, hey but because I'm on your side, and know it's for a good cause I'll do it for no charge. Abdul: Throw in 6 months ammo TT&L, and you got a deal ? Abdul you're kill'n me here I got a family, my kids gotta eat, let me go talk to my sales manager, relax I'll be right back."

Throw in a quad ZSU23 and I'll think about it ...........

[Allen]

Mythbusters noted a perfect scenario where a bullet shot straight up, lost all its energy, then simply fell back down at terminal velocity would be not lethal. However if I'm recalling right they said most people who shoot off celebratory bullets don't hold their guns straight up and down and even if you shoot a bullet shot straight up the wind current could push on the bullet and push it into a ballistic trajectory and come down with lethal force.

See OBIO post on the first page for more info.

As for arms and munitions. It is no secret that Libyan rebels have been alowed to buy arms and munitions and NATO will let the bring them into Libya.

[Piglet]

Hazards of having an airport in a bad part of town...Attachment 46757

[Allen]

Why haven't you cops came and got those?

[Piglet]

Why haven't you cops came and got those?

We got bullets going back years, cops never asked for them (AFAIK). About a year ago, a plane got damaged by a bullet, the cops came out, made report and took the bullet that was found nearby.