Re: Odd-ball conversions and left field questions

["Gareth Livergood" <garethlivergood@xxxxxxxxx>]

> > 1) Would conventional firearms ammunition fire in a
> > vacuum? (ie space)
>
>   Yes. Incedently, the gear taken on at least some
> lunar expeditions included two .45 automatics...

> > 2) What would this do to the weapon? Would the lube
> > used on the weapon boil away into space or what?
> > Extremes of chamber temperature/pressure etc, do
> > they make a difference?
>
>   You do need special lubes. I believe that such
> lubricants have been developed, although probably
> initially for lubricating something else. You'd
> probably also want to check to see that nothing on the
> weapon or ammunition causes a pressure chamber that
> would trap either air or vacuum, causing a pressure
> rupture on exposure to vacuum or reintroduction to
> pressure. The obvious example is that you'd want to
> make sure the rounds were far from air-tight or could
> stand up to rapid depressurising to 0 psi without
> rupturing.
>
Something that seems to be forgoten, any airtight item; voids in the fram,
cased ammo, etc. would only be traping 14 psi of positive pressure
(atmospheric pressure at sea level is 14 pound-per-sq. in.).  The argument
for bleeding the cases of air doesn't seem valid when most cases can
withstand several thousand psi and only split slightly at the neck, if at
all (this is considering ignition outside a chamber).  And a well seated
bullet requires conciderably more pressure to move that 14psi.

> > 3) I have been informed by former GDW writers that
> > caseless ammo will not detonate in a vacuum
> > environment...is that right?
>
> *clueless*
> But I'd be interested to know as to why they wouldn't.
> As an explosive, the compound includes oxygen and
> nitrogen, making it independant of the atnosphere for
> burning.

With the pressure problems moot.  There is no reason that a caseless weapon
would not work in a vacume.  In fact the G11 or varient would work very well
in micro-gravity.  The recipricating parts have little mass and the
cartridges are chambered via a motor, I think.  Micro-gravity would
exagerate limp-wristing for most weapons, which would cause a jam.

Any corrections are apreciated.
Gareth
>
>
> Mike
>
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