Another sci-fi question here

[STEED]

I was watching OUTLAND today and I noticed something which I would like an answer to. True or false, can you fire a pump action shotgun in outer space?

[Torplexed]

It should fire in space with certain reservations...

In the pressurized environment of the bullet casing/gun, it would work just fine. Gunpowder has its own oxidizer built in, so it needs no air to function. However, a loosely packed gunpowder charge (or any other similar low explosive) would not really burn very well. This has nothing to do with its ability to burn, and much more to do with the fact that burn rate is pressure dependent. No pressure creates a kind of fizzle that spreads out the substance faster than the flame can spread, resulting in no significant explosion.


Minor things could have serious negative effects at least on existing firearms not designed for such environments - like subzero temperatures on lubricants, packing of powder in a vacuum etc. Theoretically, you would have marvelous range with no fricition or low gravity. :cool:

[wamphyri]

with all the experiments they do in space they never do the ones that matter. Like this one.

[STEED]

It should fire in space with certain reservations...

In the pressurized environment of the bullet casing/gun, it would work just fine. Gunpowder has its own oxidizer built in, so it needs no air to function. However, a loosely packed gunpowder charge (or any other similar low explosive) would not really burn very well. This has nothing to do with its ability to burn, and much more to do with the fact that burn rate is pressure dependent. No pressure creates a kind of fizzle that spreads out the substance faster than the flame can spread, resulting in no significant explosion.


Minor things could have serious negative effects at least on existing firearms not designed for such environments - like subzero temperatures on lubricants, packing of powder in a vacuum etc. Theoretically, you would have marvelous range with no fricition or low gravity. :cool:

Well the bad guy got off a couple of rounds with no problems outside on the moon of IO.

[Torplexed]

Don't they know that Bond (Sean Connery) is bulletproof?

Outland's biggest flaw is that Io would be almost impossible to colonise. It has huge variations in temperature, it doesn't have a stable surface and is the most volcanically active body in our solarsystem, it has a thin toxic atmosphere and its ionizing radiation would be instantly lethal.

Gotta cut them some slack tho. The movie was made in 1981 and they were probably more interested in re-creating High Noon in space. :p

[STEED]

Gotta cut them some slack tho. The movie was made in 1981 and they were probably more interested in re-creating High Noon in space. :p

Spot on, the ticking clock is a give away. :lol:

Good movie for it's time.

[mrbeast]

I reckon a Glock 9mm would fire in space, IIRC it can be fired underwater so It might be a safe bet in space. :hmm:

Just remember though, be careful where you shoot, unless those bullets hit something they are gonna carry on going forever!