New Years Eve "celebratory" gunfire

[churchmouse]

Well from what has been tested in the past, that a bullet fired straight up into the air when it falls back to earth the amount of energy the bullet has MIGHT cause a cut on your skin if it hit you directly. I know that Mythbusters did that as an experiment and found out the terminal velocity of a bullet, and shot those bullets out of an air cannon and they "stung" the persons hand received the "shot" Now I am not talking about something that goes downrange, but basically straight up. I am not condoning it, just stating that the damage that a round would do it negligible at best.

Gunner

We have removed bullets from the roof on both of our houses (next to each other) and both were deep enough to cause water leaks in the rain. May not have been "Straight" up but it would have went a lot deeper into a body than they did in the roof.
Please do not shoot your ****ing guns in the air. We may shoot back......

 

[GunnerDan]

It's funny how a question of celebratory gunfire turned into a discussion on ballistics.

Leave the guns put up(especially if you have been ringing in the new year drinking), give one another a toast and be done.

Go to your range on the 1st if you wan to shoot. You'll probably have it to yourself.

And that is exactly what I will be doing. I dont like to just shoot up in the air, ammo is too expensive and time consuming to reload to just shoot it up in the air. Oh and for the record, I have NEVER shot up in the air, I ALWAYS shoot at a target with a known backstop. I will shoot off fireworks because drinking and fireworks just goes together so well... LOL Just a joke... Anyway, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Gunner

 

[sloughfoot]

The Official charge for this behavior is "Criminal Recklessness with a Firearm". On a typical New Years Eve I could only get a couple of arrests myself, but each conviction also cost the reckless shooter his LTCH. I made sure of that.

It has been more than 6 years since I hunted down these idiots.....

It is a scary hour or so for everybody working or just trying to live in the city. Lots of cops find bridges to park under until the gunfire dies down.

 

[jbombelli]

Is it still reckless and irresponsible if you're firing straight into the ground a couple feet away from your feet?

 

[sloughfoot]

Is it still reckless and irresponsible if you're firing straight into the ground a couple feet away from your feet?

In 12 years, I never saw this happen. Everyone was firing into the air.

I can only relate my experience. I doubt that the charge would stick on someone who was shooting into the ground. I am guessing that I would just ask him to stop if I saw someone shooting into the ground.

I don't understand the attraction to firing a gun on New Years. If it is a good thing to do, why not other days?

 

[jbombelli]

In 12 years, I never saw this happen. Everyone was firing into the air.

I can only relate my experience. I doubt that the charge would stick on someone who was shooting into the ground. I am guessing that I would just ask him to stop if I saw someone shooting into the ground.

I don't understand the attraction to firing a gun on New Years. If it is a good thing to do, why not other days?

On the rare occasions that *I* have fired rounds off on New Years or 4th of July, it's always been into the ground. I don't want to worry about where they're going to come down, so I put them into the grass a couple of feet away. All the fun, with just about none of the danger!

I haven't done this in a few years, though.

As to why not on other occasions? I can only answer for myself, and I have 2 reasons: 1) it's a frivolous waste of good ammo, and 2) when you're the only one doing it, it draws too much individualized attention.

 

[chachi73]

"All the fun, with just about none of the danger!"

do you own a nomex suit? prepare to be flamed in 3, 2, 1

 

[Walt_Jabsco]

When I was in Iraq, a buddy of mine went on leave, came back after two weeks to a 7.62 bullet lying on his pillow. Straight up above was a hole through his room's ceiling. I doubt the round would have killed him, but it definitely would have been an injury.

 

[GunnerDan]

hmmm... So basically to test the theory, we would need to have different rounds, and a way to fire them with a air gun at a particular velocity. Come up with some ballistics gel to fire into, and do our own testing. Again, this would be for a bullet fired STRAIGHT up, and not one with any trajectory. I'm game....

Gunner

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I've done it before, but never up in the air if using live ammo... always into my woodpile or the ground (and with a shotgun, not a rifle or handgun). When I had a muzzle loader, I'd just load it with powder and a patch. Big bang, no bullets. It's been awhile since I've seen midnight though, on New Years or any other night.

 

[jb1911]

We got a new roof on our house last month; the roofers found this stuck about 3/4" into the plywood:

It measures .308

 

[churchmouse]

This thread has made us dig deep into the shed and find the trust acetylene cannon.
No projectile just a hell of a huge noise when it goes.

 

[techres]

Years back, my first car got hit by a bullet on new years after I had it for a few months. Given the damage I am certain that it could have done some nasty damage or even killed a human.

The angle of impact was most definitely NOT straight down.

 

[CindyE]

I won't be doing it. Anyone recall the story of the Amish girl in OH killed by a round from a muzzle loader that was fired into the air?

 

[Expat]

I won't be doing it. Anyone recall the story of the Amish girl in OH killed by a round from a muzzle loader that was fired into the air?

After watching the Amish Mafia, I now think it may have been a professional hit... she had been slacking on her chores about that time...

 

[CindyE]

After watching the Amish Mafia, I now think it may have been a professional hit... she had been slacking on her chores about that time...

Maybe she was spending too much time on INGO... that reminds me, i have chores to do!

 

[Mark 1911]

We got a new roof on our house last month; the roofers found this stuck about 3/4" into the plywood:

It measures .308

That's amazing! Could easily have dealt a lethal hit to a human.

 

[Hookeye]

Bullets fired straight up (or very close to it) don't pose the risk many think.

Who knows at what angle the bullets that wound/kill or punch roofs were fired at?

The physics doesn't lie, but people on the other hand............................

 

[Hookeye]

That's amazing! Could easily have dealt a lethal hit to a human.

Could have easily not, depends on what angle it was fired.

 

[BlueEagle]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxhUt3FxjK4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxhUt3FxjK4[/ame]

Lets just not do it, ok?