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From: peterb@pbear.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: handgun control
Message-ID: <9@pbear.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Jan-85 05:50:16 EST
Article-I.D.: pbear.9
Posted: Wed Jan 16 05:50:16 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Jan-85 10:36:35 EST
Lines: 42
Nf-ID: #R:alice:-322200:pbear:7600001:000:1937
Nf-From: pbear!peterb    Jan 11 02:29:00 1985

/* Written  9:59 pm  Jan  7, 1985 by sdcc13!ee161anm in pbear:net.politics */

>I don't know about all fire arms, but the M16 A-1 service rifle (which will
>soon be replaced with the M16 A-2 service rifle as the primary firearm for
>the US armed forces) uses a .22 round which is designed to "rotate" or
>"spin" upon impact (it hits at 3.250 ft/second).  Although the round
>becomes
>disfigured upon impact, it does not shatter.  It kind of bounces around
>inside the victim, and doesn't usually exit.  Death is by no means
>automatic,
>and survival is actually more probable.  Besides, except for sniping,
>shooting with this rifle rarely produces a hit.  You kind of shoot in in
>general directions to make it more difficult for the enemy to shoot in your
>general direction.

Excuse me, but let me correct some points here.

first the M16 A-2 is NOT .22 caliber. It uses the standard NATO round of
5.62 mm. This is equivilent to .217323 caliber (close, but not exact)

Also, 3.250 ft/second is really slow, equivilent to 2.515 MPH. I could walk
faster than that.

You are saying that rarely does the rifle produce a hit?!? Come on, on
the target range that rifle is accurate to 500 meters, or about a third of
a mile. It is only in wartime that the ammunition is expended in suspect of
a target, and then its usually FFE (fire for effect), the equvilent of using
a case of 12 gauge shells to kill a bird suspected to be in a tree. This is
why the figures are so low for hits/round. If used wisely and without the
fear of getting hit first, that weapon makes a teriffic hit.

Also the round does not "bounce" around. The newer NATO loads vary.
some disintegrate and create a cone effect. some mushroom and lodge
themselves. Otheres are jacketed and pass through cleanly.

With these loads, death is more probable if the bullet enters a vital area
such as upper chest, neck, head, etc...


						Peter Barada
						...!ima!pbear!peterb