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Old April 8, 2000, 02:17 PM   #1
Solitar
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I've heard stories about using mercury. I'd expect a globule of it to come apart during flight. Gallium, though, is solid at room temperature but liquid at body temperature which could easily be exceeded upon impact due to kinetic energy heating it.
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Old April 8, 2000, 04:53 PM   #2
Blue Jays
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Good Afternoon Solitar-

Is there a specific application you have in mind where mercury or gallium would be the better choice of SG shell?

Generally speaking, the existing loads are pretty effective for hunting, skeet & trap, and home defense.

Keep us posted...

~ Blue Jays ~
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Old April 8, 2000, 05:14 PM   #3
Solitar
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Those that have talked of mercury often cite its toxicity that would do in the perp even after extensive surgery. I thought of gallium since it wouldn't liquify until impact, but its toxicity is low. If these guys wanted to be more effective with toxics, they could add some ingredients to a hollowpoint (mercury?), otherwise I think the liquid metal idea is just another one of those exotics that don't have much use. I can't think of an application for it.

Are there ANY of the exotic loads {flechettes, etc.) that really are useful? What with all the effort expended on weird stuff, surely some good would come of it.
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Old April 9, 2000, 05:38 AM   #4
Dave McC
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Ssolitar, imagine the Asst DA telling the jury....

" Mr Solitar alledges he just wanted to stop these two yutes(Joe Pesci-ese for youths), but he made sure that anyone hit with his home concocted killer ammunition from his MMMMMAGNUM(3 or more syllables) shotgun, the deadliest weapon available,would die a horrible death,even from a mere flesh wound"

In HD, like all personal defense, you want stops, not fatalities.And the regular ammo works very,very well.Disregard gunshop commandos...

Fletchettes do work well,but again, so does standard ammo...
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Old April 9, 2000, 09:58 PM   #5
TEXAS LAWMAN
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I've heard 'Nam vets discuss fletchettes. Said to cause really nasty wounds which required surgical removal and were very demoralizing to fellow troops. All I know about them--don't seem to have any L.E. uses.
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Old April 9, 2000, 10:24 PM   #6
6forsure
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how about some type of synthetics? russian soldiers in chechnya are said to seek out steel mags because of the extra protection from carrying them and the fact that the bakelite fragments don't show up on x-ray
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Old April 10, 2000, 10:37 AM   #7
Dave McC
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Flechettes tend to pattern quite tightly at shotgun ranges, cause horrifying amounts of damage,and do have some military use. The use of same in crowded areas is not as good. The improved sectional density means overpenetration, and the rounds are much more expensive to make,thus driving up the cost.

Some R&D still needs to be done on them, IMO.
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Old April 11, 2000, 09:54 AM   #8
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Read "Worlds fighting shotguns" by Thomas Swerergen. I do not know if I spelled that correctly. And it might be combat, not fighting. Its been a long time.

He has a chapter devoted to ammo, and talks a lot about flechettes, and other specialty ammo that was developed and tested during Viet Nam. Interesting reading, the book is kind of old, and hard to find, but order it from your library.

The military even developed silenced shotgun shells.

The most interesting was the experimental Scimitar round, apparently anybody hit with it died really quick.

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