While being all down on Bubba, I need to admit there's a light side to the slaughter. (And you can't spell slaughter without laughter!)
If you hit Gunbroker and search for "Krag Sporter" you'll get hits for some very nicely modified guns.
In the way back when these guns were literally dirt cheap some very skilled folks did the work.
There're some impressive rifles out there made on all the various Mauser actions, some you can't tell didn't leave the factory like that until you notice it's got Waffenampts. Or a Chilean crest, or whatnot.
The burr on my saddle is from the rest of the hits. There are some guns where you WISH a chimpanzee with a dremel tool had done the work instead of what was done.
Related is the whole supply issue. The price on milsurps tends to drag a bit behind the actual supply. By the time the market notices they've all dried up and been bubba'd it's too late to save many in their original condition. The less than scrap value that many of these guns carry when they're plentiful also leads to a shocking level of neglectful treatment. After all, why take care of something that didn't cost anything?
I tell you what, potential Bubbas, search for some of these old warhorses at gunbroker. Look at the prices they sell for intact and compare that to the prices of even a masterfully done sporterizing. That Krag carbine I mentioned? $1,500 or so for an original; $500 for a sporter.
Don't make mods you can't reverse, save those parts you took off!
Today's market for Mosins provides all manner of drop in parts that don't hurt anything and can be reversed should originals ever be worth anything. To me that's great!
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11 December 2012
09 December 2012
Immune To Bubba
Despite the engine swap and my proclivities to hot rodding, I am not bubba.
The Biscayne is as good or better than any full sized car made in its time frame.
That can't be said of Bubbaized Milsurp most of the time.
What Bubba does in 99% of cases is simply CHANGE the gun, Bubba so very rarely manages to improve it; or the improvements come with serious costs.
Yank the heavy wooden stock and apply a lightweight polymer one? It's lighter, it's more comfortable to hold: where did all this recoil come from? What did you expect, Bubba? F=1/2MV^2 The bullet is going out one side with a given force; the rifle is going the other direction with the same force!
The faster it goes, the more recoil you feel. Thus if you have a 8.8 lb. rifle firing a 148gr bullet at 2,840 fps it's going to be coming at your shoulder at 139 fps. If you lighten that rifle to 7 lb. that same round will propel the gun to 156 feet per second, a 12% increase in velocity.
That more comfortable stock also changed the recoil geometry in all likelihood. More drop at the heel? That's going to cause more muzzle rise. It's exacerbated by the extra rearward velocity.
Most of those plastic stocks also shift the balance of the gun to the rear, again increasing the upward tilt of the muzzle on firing. The good news is there's less inertia fighting you to bring it back down, but you have to bring it farther. If it's any consolation to Bubba, this energy equation affects purpose built guns too but they almost always have better stock geometry to compensate for it.
I come from an engineering background and there's a world of difference between works at all and works correctly.
There is also gigantic difference between works as expected and works as desired. Making a gun lighter and shifting the balance to the rear has predictable results.
With guns out there like the Savage Axis, you aren't even saving money by modifying your milsurp! Add it up. The savage comes out of the box with the stock already done and it doesn't need a Timney trigger to correct the mil-spec pull. Saw one in .308 at Wal Mart for $280! Cheap Barska scope and rings and $330 has you shooting.
The cheapest milsurp is the Mosin. $180 for the gun, $75 including shipping for the stock, $125 including shipping for the Trigger plus $50 for a scope and mount deal from Amazon plus your labor for bedding the action, clearancing the stock for the trigger and free-floating the barrel. $430 total.
You save $100 buying new or you could put the money you saved into better glass.
The Biscayne is as good or better than any full sized car made in its time frame.
That can't be said of Bubbaized Milsurp most of the time.
What Bubba does in 99% of cases is simply CHANGE the gun, Bubba so very rarely manages to improve it; or the improvements come with serious costs.
Yank the heavy wooden stock and apply a lightweight polymer one? It's lighter, it's more comfortable to hold: where did all this recoil come from? What did you expect, Bubba? F=1/2MV^2 The bullet is going out one side with a given force; the rifle is going the other direction with the same force!
The faster it goes, the more recoil you feel. Thus if you have a 8.8 lb. rifle firing a 148gr bullet at 2,840 fps it's going to be coming at your shoulder at 139 fps. If you lighten that rifle to 7 lb. that same round will propel the gun to 156 feet per second, a 12% increase in velocity.
That more comfortable stock also changed the recoil geometry in all likelihood. More drop at the heel? That's going to cause more muzzle rise. It's exacerbated by the extra rearward velocity.
Most of those plastic stocks also shift the balance of the gun to the rear, again increasing the upward tilt of the muzzle on firing. The good news is there's less inertia fighting you to bring it back down, but you have to bring it farther. If it's any consolation to Bubba, this energy equation affects purpose built guns too but they almost always have better stock geometry to compensate for it.
I come from an engineering background and there's a world of difference between works at all and works correctly.
There is also gigantic difference between works as expected and works as desired. Making a gun lighter and shifting the balance to the rear has predictable results.
With guns out there like the Savage Axis, you aren't even saving money by modifying your milsurp! Add it up. The savage comes out of the box with the stock already done and it doesn't need a Timney trigger to correct the mil-spec pull. Saw one in .308 at Wal Mart for $280! Cheap Barska scope and rings and $330 has you shooting.
The cheapest milsurp is the Mosin. $180 for the gun, $75 including shipping for the stock, $125 including shipping for the Trigger plus $50 for a scope and mount deal from Amazon plus your labor for bedding the action, clearancing the stock for the trigger and free-floating the barrel. $430 total.
You save $100 buying new or you could put the money you saved into better glass.
Fuddy Time
I no longer enjoy action movies.
The last vestige left me last night.
I was watching Expendibles 2 and it wasn't even fun to make fun of it.
I'd noticed that my liking of such movies was waning when I just stopped caring who would prevail in Wrath of the Titans.
All the pretty explosions and special effects simply can not make up for a lack of plot or interesting characters. The latter sin is the most damning.
I've sat through and enjoyed a ton of movies with just the thinnest veneer of plot slapped on that had utterly fascinating characters with excellent acting performances.
I've noticed lately that several movies I really should have loved didn't even get me above "meh" enough to actually keep watching. I love period pieces and especially those set in Elizabethan England. Anonymous sure is pretty. And I have yet to make it through the first hour.
Also, the wrong Scott jumped off the bridge.
The last vestige left me last night.
I was watching Expendibles 2 and it wasn't even fun to make fun of it.
I'd noticed that my liking of such movies was waning when I just stopped caring who would prevail in Wrath of the Titans.
All the pretty explosions and special effects simply can not make up for a lack of plot or interesting characters. The latter sin is the most damning.
I've sat through and enjoyed a ton of movies with just the thinnest veneer of plot slapped on that had utterly fascinating characters with excellent acting performances.
I've noticed lately that several movies I really should have loved didn't even get me above "meh" enough to actually keep watching. I love period pieces and especially those set in Elizabethan England. Anonymous sure is pretty. And I have yet to make it through the first hour.
Also, the wrong Scott jumped off the bridge.
Fixed That For You
Friday night, Crist announced admitted he's a Democrat.
Over and over in his administration I kept saying, "I thought we elected a Republican." He certainly never appears to have behaved as one.
08 December 2012
A Beautiful Day In Florida, In December!
Heading back from Lakeland.
There was an SSR with his top down and I was trying to get video proof that there are people who own an SSR and will put the top down. Alas, they went south while I headed north.
Still a glorious day to have the targa top off.
07 December 2012
Sin
It's little discoveries like a Remington bolt body on my Finnish rifle that make me the saddest about Bubba's deprivations on milsurp rifles.
Six million Izhevsk bolts out there and someone has butchered a New England Westinghouse one. You know they did.
While many Mosin Nagants are actually "just another Mosin" there are some that are emphatically not.
Guns made by Remington, New England Westinghouse or Chatterault are not common because they are oldest and because they were made in the smallest numbers. Grinding off sights and drilling for scopes on such collectables is WRONG.
And Bubba don't care.
Six million Izhevsk bolts out there and someone has butchered a New England Westinghouse one. You know they did.
While many Mosin Nagants are actually "just another Mosin" there are some that are emphatically not.
Guns made by Remington, New England Westinghouse or Chatterault are not common because they are oldest and because they were made in the smallest numbers. Grinding off sights and drilling for scopes on such collectables is WRONG.
And Bubba don't care.
Fired Off A Missive To ATF
Sebastian posted about it and encouraged us to write. So I stole someone named J's comment and added some text of my own. Walla!
With regards to the ATF Question of the month posted here:http://www.atf.gov/firearms/industry/
I completely disagree with the inclusion of any new language pertaining to the restriction of any type of ammunition commonly used for sporting purposes. The regulations in question are onerous enough as is.
The law in question was never intended to be applied to rifle ammunition that is adapted to "handgun" use later.
Further, said ammunition is not a problem in the real world with regards to officer safety; this is a purely speculative move on the presumption that someone, somewhere, someday MIGHT use such ammunition unlawfully.
Literally attempting to fix something that is not broken by breaking it.
Signed,Angus McThag
Bet it has zero effect on what they do, but we have to try.
Some History Here
I attacked the gray patina on my Kiv/39's bolt handle today.
Literally polishing my knob!
I noticed this:
That is not registered trademark. That's how Remington marked their parts on the Mosin Nagants they made.
Hardly any Remington M-1891 rifles were actually delivered to the Tsar's army because there was a war on and then a revolution.
However, they did eventually go to Russia! The US Army issued them to the troops sent to help out the White Russians. Those weapons were abandoned in the port they left from and were absorbed into the new Red Army's stores.
And there they sat until the Soviet Union invaded Finland.
Who knows what configuration it was in when it was captured. Was it still an M-91? Had it been converted into an M-91/30?
What is certain is the Finns salvaged and recycled every single part they could. Nothing went to waste.
Literally polishing my knob!
I noticed this:
That is not registered trademark. That's how Remington marked their parts on the Mosin Nagants they made.
Hardly any Remington M-1891 rifles were actually delivered to the Tsar's army because there was a war on and then a revolution.
However, they did eventually go to Russia! The US Army issued them to the troops sent to help out the White Russians. Those weapons were abandoned in the port they left from and were absorbed into the new Red Army's stores.
And there they sat until the Soviet Union invaded Finland.
Who knows what configuration it was in when it was captured. Was it still an M-91? Had it been converted into an M-91/30?
What is certain is the Finns salvaged and recycled every single part they could. Nothing went to waste.
Pron?
Inspired by Jay G; here's the Colt-Browning pocket trio!
They're all Colts. The little guy is a 1908 Vest Pocket in .25 ACP, next one clock wise is a 1908 Pocket Hammerless in .380 ACP and finally the jewel of the collection the 1903 Pocket Hammerless in .32 ACP. Sometime next year the .32 turns 100!
You should have bought it, Jay. The regret will burn inside you every day for the rest of your life. When you finally do buy one, it won't be the same. It won't be as good as the one you passed up.
06 December 2012
Wildlife In My Backyard
This little lady is involved in a territorial dispute with another girl. A male was making noise from nearby.
Also in artistically recropped size.
She's a fine example of a Red Bellied Woodpecker.
Also in artistically recropped size.
She's a fine example of a Red Bellied Woodpecker.
Racism Has Flavors
A buddy of mine is a vet of the Rhodesian Bush War.
I asked him about racism and the whole white supremacy thing about white rule.
What came from that was one of the most interesting conversations I've ever had about racism.
The Rhodesians didn't hate their blacks. Not like the KKK at all. But their attitudes were most certainly racist.
The feeling was that blacks were basically retarded. They weren't capable of learning more than a certain amount and could never equal a white with the same effort. The attitude was to treat them sort of like children.
It caused the whites to constantly underestimate both their own troops capabilities and their opponents.
Willard is from the USA and didn't bring that attitude with him. He also said his point of view was infectious since he gave his black dudes a lot more credit and thus his guys were accomplishing more. The difference between prejudice and bigotry is that a bigot will not surrender the bias even when confronted with facts to the contrary.
Interestingly he confirms something I'd read before. The intent was never white rule forever. Their position was (and is if you find a couple to talk to) that the natives were simply not ready to be handed the vote and that it would take years, likely a generation, to get them up to speed with the whole educated voter thing.
Primary sources are kinda neat.
I asked him about racism and the whole white supremacy thing about white rule.
What came from that was one of the most interesting conversations I've ever had about racism.
The Rhodesians didn't hate their blacks. Not like the KKK at all. But their attitudes were most certainly racist.
The feeling was that blacks were basically retarded. They weren't capable of learning more than a certain amount and could never equal a white with the same effort. The attitude was to treat them sort of like children.
It caused the whites to constantly underestimate both their own troops capabilities and their opponents.
Willard is from the USA and didn't bring that attitude with him. He also said his point of view was infectious since he gave his black dudes a lot more credit and thus his guys were accomplishing more. The difference between prejudice and bigotry is that a bigot will not surrender the bias even when confronted with facts to the contrary.
Interestingly he confirms something I'd read before. The intent was never white rule forever. Their position was (and is if you find a couple to talk to) that the natives were simply not ready to be handed the vote and that it would take years, likely a generation, to get them up to speed with the whole educated voter thing.
Primary sources are kinda neat.
Rot
One of the fastest ways to destroy a car is to let it sit.
Here's an example of what happens.
Joy. $150 a tire for the 275-40-ZR17's the Biscayne wears. At christmas time. Same month as my birthday, so all the plates are due.
Joy to the world!
05 December 2012
Been To The Ball
Got the DD214 to prove it too.
The stories are better than the truth, and I like the laughter; so you get the stories.
My participation is primarily of the "honorable mention" variety.
Whomever thought that adding me to a developed team was a good idea because I brought some sliver of expertise to the table was stoned. And should BE stoned for the decision.
Yes, good intel was gleaned because I did have a different perspective from the professionals. However I was a hinderance to their main mission and a distraction at the very worst time at best.
The stories are better than the truth, and I like the laughter; so you get the stories.
My participation is primarily of the "honorable mention" variety.
Whomever thought that adding me to a developed team was a good idea because I brought some sliver of expertise to the table was stoned. And should BE stoned for the decision.
Yes, good intel was gleaned because I did have a different perspective from the professionals. However I was a hinderance to their main mission and a distraction at the very worst time at best.
Faerie
My National Ammo Day order arrived last night.
While it may be non-corrosive, it's still your typical light ball ammo. Copper plated steel jacket.
It occurred to me that there are legends about cold iron and steel being extra efficacious on the faerie folk.
Something to keep in mind when making a character who may be confronted with Celtic and Nordic mythology.
Gratuitous pic of 7.62x54mmR ammo. L -> R New Russian 148gr; Chinese surplus light ball; Wolf brand 148gr; Finnish surplus S Bullet.
While it may be non-corrosive, it's still your typical light ball ammo. Copper plated steel jacket.
It occurred to me that there are legends about cold iron and steel being extra efficacious on the faerie folk.
Something to keep in mind when making a character who may be confronted with Celtic and Nordic mythology.
Gratuitous pic of 7.62x54mmR ammo. L -> R New Russian 148gr; Chinese surplus light ball; Wolf brand 148gr; Finnish surplus S Bullet.
04 December 2012
New Stuff
New Magic Elf Box, upgraded from a Droid 2 to a Droid Razr M. Very much more whiz-bang.
New version of iTunes. Stupid Apple. Here's a complete redesign to do nothing different.
New version of iTunes. Stupid Apple. Here's a complete redesign to do nothing different.
No Cutting Corners Here!
Perfect for the Zumbapocalypse, where chubby aerobic zombies dance at you. Or the Roombapocalypse where robotic vacuum cleaners chase you around, but you're safe past a small step.
h/t Tam
The comments at the Tam post that inspired that pic have informed us that there are FOUR corners on teh 'Murrican card.
M1 Garand, check.
M-1903, check.
1911, check.
Self made AR, check. In fact since that AR is on a Form 1, I should get a gold star for being the manufacturer of record!
Fear
I think I have quantified the fear that many liberals have about firearms.
We gun-folk often state exactly the circumstances where we'd kill another human being.
Often in detail.
Never with much remorse.
The only people in any danger are those who would create the circumstances we're talking about.
Again, we're very clear about what those circumstances are.
Only someone who intends to create that circumstance has any reason to be afraid; and all of the banners are afraid.
Perhaps I've spotted the real reason they fear guns.
We gun-folk often state exactly the circumstances where we'd kill another human being.
Often in detail.
Never with much remorse.
The only people in any danger are those who would create the circumstances we're talking about.
Again, we're very clear about what those circumstances are.
Only someone who intends to create that circumstance has any reason to be afraid; and all of the banners are afraid.
Perhaps I've spotted the real reason they fear guns.
03 December 2012
And Now, Sports
Oh look, an NFL player has done something felonious.
Dog bits man.
Why do people admire the players?
Is it residual admiration from players, coaches, teams and owners long gone?
Reconsider your admiration and support.
There is nothing to admire.
College football is their minor league and look how corrosive that is on university budgets and life in and around campus. Literally importing crime to have the best players.
This corrosion is starting to creep down into high school sports.
It. Is. A. Game.
If football means more to you than checkers or tiddlywinks you should really take stock of you life and consider redirecting your passions.
The millions of dollars that create monsters like Michael Vick and Jovan Belcher come from the fans. Welcome to enabling, starring you! Buying tickets, memorabilia, pay-per-views...
Congratulations!
Oh, don't look indignant at me. I'm just pointing out the six-hundred pound linebacker in the room.
PS
Hey, NFL; the headline should be, "Player Murders Woman" NOT "Belcher Commits Suicide" with a short biography eulogizing him in admiring tones.
Dog bits man.
Why do people admire the players?
Is it residual admiration from players, coaches, teams and owners long gone?
Reconsider your admiration and support.
There is nothing to admire.
College football is their minor league and look how corrosive that is on university budgets and life in and around campus. Literally importing crime to have the best players.
This corrosion is starting to creep down into high school sports.
It. Is. A. Game.
If football means more to you than checkers or tiddlywinks you should really take stock of you life and consider redirecting your passions.
The millions of dollars that create monsters like Michael Vick and Jovan Belcher come from the fans. Welcome to enabling, starring you! Buying tickets, memorabilia, pay-per-views...
Congratulations!
Oh, don't look indignant at me. I'm just pointing out the six-hundred pound linebacker in the room.
PS
Hey, NFL; the headline should be, "Player Murders Woman" NOT "Belcher Commits Suicide" with a short biography eulogizing him in admiring tones.
Trickle Down
While we're taxing "the rich" let's not forget something about their "paying their share".
The people they employ also pay taxes.
If the press is correct (oh and they're not) those employees pay more taxes than their employers!
If they don't have jobs, they don't pay taxes.
The people they employ also pay taxes.
If the press is correct (oh and they're not) those employees pay more taxes than their employers!
If they don't have jobs, they don't pay taxes.
It Bears Repeating
Whenever someone says we can't cut some entitlement because it will hurt the recipient, remember.
We've known for DECADES that the day would come that the cost those entitlements would exceed the revenue collected even if we cut all other spending.
DECADES!
And for decades these very same people who will be harmed the most by the cuts have voted to ignore the reality of the situation.
So I say, fuck 'em.
Screw Ledasha (spelled Le-A) and her endless brood of children.
Screw Grandma and Granpa who are fucking well old enough to know better.
Screw them all. They chose this situation and I say we give it to them, in spades.
PS:
And screw me! I get a disability check from the VA. It's officially an entitlement. I will gladly sacrifice it for the greater good, but everyone else must give too. I'm sick of being the only one who gives anything. I gave a leg already, if you want the check from that sacrifice you must give up your check too!
I find it odd that I still managed to become a taxpayer with just one leg too.
We've known for DECADES that the day would come that the cost those entitlements would exceed the revenue collected even if we cut all other spending.
DECADES!
And for decades these very same people who will be harmed the most by the cuts have voted to ignore the reality of the situation.
So I say, fuck 'em.
Screw Ledasha (spelled Le-A) and her endless brood of children.
Screw Grandma and Granpa who are fucking well old enough to know better.
Screw them all. They chose this situation and I say we give it to them, in spades.
PS:
And screw me! I get a disability check from the VA. It's officially an entitlement. I will gladly sacrifice it for the greater good, but everyone else must give too. I'm sick of being the only one who gives anything. I gave a leg already, if you want the check from that sacrifice you must give up your check too!
I find it odd that I still managed to become a taxpayer with just one leg too.
02 December 2012
First Twinkies Now Sugar
And look, it's the same union!
I think a key part of this issue is the business is having no problem finding non-union workers who are assets to the company.
A core tenant of the unions is they provide a pool of workers who have the essential skills the business cannot survive without. This strike makes it clear that this is not true.
It's been false for decades.
At one time unions did consist of skilled tradesmen who were highly skilled and specialized. Now unions represent the unskilled laborers and demand they be paid in excess of their value to the business.
I think a key part of this issue is the business is having no problem finding non-union workers who are assets to the company.
A core tenant of the unions is they provide a pool of workers who have the essential skills the business cannot survive without. This strike makes it clear that this is not true.
It's been false for decades.
At one time unions did consist of skilled tradesmen who were highly skilled and specialized. Now unions represent the unskilled laborers and demand they be paid in excess of their value to the business.
01 December 2012
First World Problem
Three of the local ranges require that any gun brought in be fully encased. Bits poking out is not allowed.
Quick, find a case that fits a Mosin-Nagant!
The range in question doesn't stock one long enough and can't find one longer than they stock in their supplier's catalog.
What am I to do? "Um..." they reply.
The next issue is the indoor ranges, quite reasonably, forbid steel core and steel jacketed ammo. It's bad for the back-stop. Got it.
What do they sell for 7.62x54mmR?
Soviet, Bulgarian or Chinese light ball. Which is universally STEEL JACKETED AND STEEL CORED. Even Wolf is steel jacketed.
It's like they don't want people to shoot Mosins and have come up with the most esoteric way of forbidding them they can.
Quick, find a case that fits a Mosin-Nagant!
The range in question doesn't stock one long enough and can't find one longer than they stock in their supplier's catalog.
What am I to do? "Um..." they reply.
The next issue is the indoor ranges, quite reasonably, forbid steel core and steel jacketed ammo. It's bad for the back-stop. Got it.
What do they sell for 7.62x54mmR?
Soviet, Bulgarian or Chinese light ball. Which is universally STEEL JACKETED AND STEEL CORED. Even Wolf is steel jacketed.
It's like they don't want people to shoot Mosins and have come up with the most esoteric way of forbidding them they can.
30 November 2012
Lethal Injection
Why do we use a Rube Goldberg contraption and three different chemicals?
There's some evidence that the combination used is torturing the condemned, but we can't tell because the muscle relaxer makes them unresponsive.
That bugs me.
But there's a better chemical!
And it's just a single chemical!
Heroin!
We know enough about it that we can certainly administer the LD100 reliably, even mix up LD150.
No rumors of torture and as long as the War On (Some) Drugs continues, it's free from seized supplies!
Or we mandate that it must be made from Pure Afghani Poppies® and buy their entire crop every year. That solves several problems, actually...
There's some evidence that the combination used is torturing the condemned, but we can't tell because the muscle relaxer makes them unresponsive.
That bugs me.
But there's a better chemical!
And it's just a single chemical!
Heroin!
We know enough about it that we can certainly administer the LD100 reliably, even mix up LD150.
No rumors of torture and as long as the War On (Some) Drugs continues, it's free from seized supplies!
Or we mandate that it must be made from Pure Afghani Poppies® and buy their entire crop every year. That solves several problems, actually...
Training
In the post below this I laid out how GURPS modeled the unskilled shooter pretty well.
What happens to that scenario if the shooter spends a point on Guns/TL8 (Pistol).
In GURPS that's 200 hours of training and instruction per point. Or less than four hours a week. It's all instruction and practice with a skill, not just range time.
Guns/TL8 (Pistol) is an Easy skill based on DX.
One point gives a level equal to DX. So a skill of 10.
That means our shooter will have under a 50% chance of landing one round per turn. In the convenience store scenario, that means one shot out of the five should hit the perp and there's a chance of getting four to land if he rolls well.
Untrained. 3d6 a 5 or less hits. With Rcl 5, you need a roll of 0 for two hits; thus a second hit is impossible.
1 point. A 9 or less hits and 4 or less get two hits.
The probabilities are harsh.
Chance to Roll Result or Less on 3d6...
3 = 0.4629%
4 = 1.8518%
5 = 4.6296%
6 = 9.2592%
7 = 16.2037%
8 = 25.9259%
9 = 37.5000%
10 = 50.0000%
11 = 62.5000%
12 = 74.0740%
13 = 83.7962%
14 = 90.7407%
15 = 95.3703%
16 = 98.1481%
17 = 99.5370%
18 = 100.0000%
What happens to that scenario if the shooter spends a point on Guns/TL8 (Pistol).
In GURPS that's 200 hours of training and instruction per point. Or less than four hours a week. It's all instruction and practice with a skill, not just range time.
Guns/TL8 (Pistol) is an Easy skill based on DX.
One point gives a level equal to DX. So a skill of 10.
That means our shooter will have under a 50% chance of landing one round per turn. In the convenience store scenario, that means one shot out of the five should hit the perp and there's a chance of getting four to land if he rolls well.
Untrained. 3d6 a 5 or less hits. With Rcl 5, you need a roll of 0 for two hits; thus a second hit is impossible.
1 point. A 9 or less hits and 4 or less get two hits.
The probabilities are harsh.
Chance to Roll Result or Less on 3d6...
3 = 0.4629%
4 = 1.8518%
5 = 4.6296%
6 = 9.2592%
7 = 16.2037%
8 = 25.9259%
9 = 37.5000%
10 = 50.0000%
11 = 62.5000%
12 = 74.0740%
13 = 83.7962%
14 = 90.7407%
15 = 95.3703%
16 = 98.1481%
17 = 99.5370%
18 = 100.0000%
Our unskilled shooter has a mere 4.6% chance of scoring a single hit per turn. The skilled shooter has 37.5% to land one shot per turn and a slim but attainable 1.85% chance of getting a second hit per turn.
I've forgotten my statistics to tell what the percentage is of any hits at all over two turns. I want to say they're additive, but I could easily be wrong. Time to dig out the book!
EDIT
WRONG!
I THINK...
Unskilled shooter has a 9.2592% chance of landing one round and a mere 0.2143% of landing them both.
The skilled shooter is a lot more complicated. I think it's 75% to land one round in two turns with five shots, 14.0625% to get two hits, 0.6944% to get three shots and a whopping 0.0343% chance to get four.
Geff gives me this:
UPDATE:
CorvetteMinivanJohn refused to help with this evolution.
EDIT
WRONG!
Geff gives me this:
First, let's define some notation, so the math is easier to express.
P(Y) means the probability of exactly Y hits after it's all over.
P(X,Y) means the probability of exactly Y hits during turn X only.
P(0) = P(1,0)*P(2,0)
P(1) = P(1,0)*P(2,1) + P(1,1)*P(2,0)
P(2) = P(1,0)*P(2,2) + P(1,1)*P(2,1) + P(1,2)*P(2,0)
P(3) = P(1,1)*P(2,2) + P(1,2)*P(2,1)
P(4) = P(1,2)*P(2,2)
Unskilled shooter hits on 5-:
P(X,0) = 0.953703
P(X,1) = 0.046296
P(X,2) = 0.00
P(0) = 0.909549 or 90.95% of missing altogether in two turns.
P(1) = 0.088305 or 8.83% of landing one hit over two turns.
P(2) = 0.002143 or 0.20% of getting two hits over two turns.
P(3) = 0.00 or no chance of getting three hits over two turns.
Skilled shooter hits on a 9-:
P(X,0) = 0.625
P(X,1) = 0.3565
P(X,2) = 0.018518
P(0) = 0.390625 or 39.06% chance of a clean miss.
P(1) = 0.445603 or 44.56% chance of getting one hit.
P(2) = 0.150227 or 15.02% chance of scoring two hits.
P(3) = 0.013203 or 1.32% chance of getting three strikes.
P(4) = 0.000686 or 0.07% chance of connecting four times.
UPDATE:
Realism
I was watching some "True Stories Of Shit We Caught On Camera" thing.
There was a scene where a robber at a convenience store was fired upon by the store owner.
Range about three feet.
Dumps the whole cylinder at the perp. Not. One. Hit.
This reality checks with GURPS 4e nicely.
Average person has a DX of 10.
Assuming the shopkeeper has no points into Guns/TL8 (Pistol) his skill defaults to DX-4 or 6.
That means he needs to roll 6 or less on 3d6 to hit a person sized target.
No range penalty.
It was a small double action revolver. RoF of 3.
A snub-nosed .357 has a recoil number of 5. What that means is for every five over the base chance to hit, you get an additional shot hitting.
-1 for firing double action.
Base chance to hit = 5.
No chance to hit with more than one round, but he pumped all five out!
Basically a poor chance to hit twice with five rounds and two turns of fire.
A .38 is slightly better with a Rcl of 3.
Additionally there's a potential for a -2 for Pacifism (Reluctant Killer). If Colonel Grossman is correct, we all have that by default.
There was a scene where a robber at a convenience store was fired upon by the store owner.
Range about three feet.
Dumps the whole cylinder at the perp. Not. One. Hit.
This reality checks with GURPS 4e nicely.
Average person has a DX of 10.
Assuming the shopkeeper has no points into Guns/TL8 (Pistol) his skill defaults to DX-4 or 6.
That means he needs to roll 6 or less on 3d6 to hit a person sized target.
No range penalty.
It was a small double action revolver. RoF of 3.
A snub-nosed .357 has a recoil number of 5. What that means is for every five over the base chance to hit, you get an additional shot hitting.
-1 for firing double action.
Base chance to hit = 5.
No chance to hit with more than one round, but he pumped all five out!
Basically a poor chance to hit twice with five rounds and two turns of fire.
A .38 is slightly better with a Rcl of 3.
Additionally there's a potential for a -2 for Pacifism (Reluctant Killer). If Colonel Grossman is correct, we all have that by default.
27 November 2012
Trash
Sat down to do the bills like a good domesticated man.
Wrote the check out to the garbage company. Check #1911.
Should I tell the people at Glock Talk?
Wrote the check out to the garbage company. Check #1911.
Should I tell the people at Glock Talk?
26 November 2012
Martial Values
Most people have at least a passing familiarity with Alexandre Dumas' "The Three Musketeers".
Most people are aware of their slogan, "All for one. One for all."
Lots of us veterans get it. There are some civilians too.
If you don't already understand what I am prattling on about, think hard about what it says.
It's about loyalty and sacrifice and those being blank checks.
I always think about it when I read an entirely different book which contains a similar message.
Shines the name, indeed.
FTW
In a previous life, I was a biker.
I learned there that "FTW" meant "Fuck The World".
It caused a couple of confusing moments before I learned about "For The Win"...
25 November 2012
24 November 2012
I Matter!
No I don't.
I matter so little that I can completely shut down my Facebook account and stop initiating conversations and nobody notices.
The fact that I have to mention it before someone notices says a lot about my value to my "friends".
That really hurts.
The hurt is compounded when I mention the hurt and get told, in detail, what a horrible person I am.
If I ask a second person, they agree. Then a third. Then a fourth.
Damn.
It's me.
I was afraid it would be.
I matter so little that I can completely shut down my Facebook account and stop initiating conversations and nobody notices.
The fact that I have to mention it before someone notices says a lot about my value to my "friends".
That really hurts.
The hurt is compounded when I mention the hurt and get told, in detail, what a horrible person I am.
If I ask a second person, they agree. Then a third. Then a fourth.
Damn.
It's me.
I was afraid it would be.
23 November 2012
Confluence
I am only just now wrapping my head around the idea that Amazon.com is for more than just books.
My recent Mosin acquisitions didn't come with slings and the Chinese carbine was missing its cleaning rod.
Amazon was the first hit for "M44 cleaning rod" and a helpful link at the bottom of the page offered to add a sling to my order.
So I clicked on the link, changed the quantity on slings to two and checked out.
This generated an order at two different vendors. The slings coming from New Jersey and the cleaning rod from California.
Freaking amazing.
Both vendors chose the venerable United States Post Office for their shipping.
I placed the order on the 19th and today have my stuff.
My mind still boggles at the immediacy of it all.
I can still recall writing to a vendor to order a part and including a check in that letter. A letter would take more than a week to get to them, then the mythical "four to six weeks" allowance for shipping would begin and it never took less than five.
In its own way this is more amazing than the computer I carry as a phone.
My recent Mosin acquisitions didn't come with slings and the Chinese carbine was missing its cleaning rod.
Amazon was the first hit for "M44 cleaning rod" and a helpful link at the bottom of the page offered to add a sling to my order.
So I clicked on the link, changed the quantity on slings to two and checked out.
This generated an order at two different vendors. The slings coming from New Jersey and the cleaning rod from California.
Freaking amazing.
Both vendors chose the venerable United States Post Office for their shipping.
I placed the order on the 19th and today have my stuff.
My mind still boggles at the immediacy of it all.
I can still recall writing to a vendor to order a part and including a check in that letter. A letter would take more than a week to get to them, then the mythical "four to six weeks" allowance for shipping would begin and it never took less than five.
In its own way this is more amazing than the computer I carry as a phone.
Attacked By Turkeys
Really!
I don't understand.
But then again, I am an apex predator. I see the turkey in its proper place as a prey animal.
Any turkey stupid enough to get into arms length is going to learn that. Briefly.
Yup, they're agressive birds, but they are only birds.
We had a couple of premature turkey dinners because one of the toms would get stroppy. Grampa had a policy about that. Anything tries to bite him, it's dead.
A wild turkey will be faster and more agile than its barnyard cousin, but it's just as fragile, and because it's a smaller, leaner animal, easier to get to the neck.
Don't be afraid, it's not a lion or a wild boar. You're looking at some scratches at worse.
Grab the neck or head and whip it around a couple times, you'll feel the neck snap. Repeat as needed. Like so many other critters, running from them provokes the attack, not defuses.
I don't understand.
But then again, I am an apex predator. I see the turkey in its proper place as a prey animal.
Any turkey stupid enough to get into arms length is going to learn that. Briefly.
Yup, they're agressive birds, but they are only birds.
We had a couple of premature turkey dinners because one of the toms would get stroppy. Grampa had a policy about that. Anything tries to bite him, it's dead.
A wild turkey will be faster and more agile than its barnyard cousin, but it's just as fragile, and because it's a smaller, leaner animal, easier to get to the neck.
Don't be afraid, it's not a lion or a wild boar. You're looking at some scratches at worse.
Grab the neck or head and whip it around a couple times, you'll feel the neck snap. Repeat as needed. Like so many other critters, running from them provokes the attack, not defuses.
Winnah!
Derek Simonds has won the FL Edition Spike's lower!
I thank him for his generous contribution to Tam!
As soon as I have payment, or confirmation of that payment we'll arrange the transfer.
I thank him for his generous contribution to Tam!
As soon as I have payment, or confirmation of that payment we'll arrange the transfer.
22 November 2012
Linked?
Ever notice that two items in the military's inventory that they've been trying to get rid of since nearly day one both originated with Fairchild Aircraft?
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