Is there a gun expert in here????? :D

[hot_shoe_cv]

Okay, I'm writing a story and basic knowledge about firearms is a must but I haven't been able to find anything useful on the internet (I must be a bit dumb l ). What I'm in need of is a picture which shows clearly the parts of a gun and what they're called. Then there's something about the charging. English is not my 1st language so I don't know if I get this right or not, but I heard the guy checking his new gun out ask : mercurate charge watever ). I didn't even know the word but from the way he pronouned it, I think it's "mercury". I need to know the difference between those.
Thanks a lot

I think most of your other questions have already been addressed, but as to the mercury (?) question, in the old days befor anyone knew about the danger of handling mercury, it was used to remove lead from the barrels of firearms. Without knowing the text or content of the article you mention, it's difficult to tell whether this explanation is relevant.

[dieziege]

Mercury Fulminate was used for primers...the primer is the thing that is struck by the hammer and actually ignites the propellant that drives the projectile. The first weapons using mercury fulminate primers came out in about 1810. These were 'caplock' guns... muzzle loaders that used small copper caps filled with the mercury fulminate and other compounds... the hammer would strike the exposed cap and some of the flame would go through a small passage to ignite the black powder. These replaced flintlocks (used in the American Revolution etc) and were used through the American Civil War. After that war most firearms went to cartridges with primer, propellant, and projectile all bundled together... the primer still contained mercury fulminate. Those were all referred to as mercurial.

Mercury hasn't been used in primers in quite some time.

The term would be somewhat appropriate from the early 19th to early 20th centuries.

[snwbrdr]

Im gonna toss my .02 now:

1) Until every man, woman, and child has a police officer to protect them 24hrs/day they must take the protection of themselves and their possesions into their own hands. I know of two occasions when my father used his Ruger 9mm to protect his home and children. He did not shoot to kill however the second time the wanna be burgler dropped a 9 inch Bowie on his way out.

2) The majority of gun owners are responsible gun owners. I would bet that 90% of people who own guns have a gun safe or at least a locked case for their choice weapon. In my case my father kept all of his weapons in a gun safe except for his Ruger 9mm which he kept loaded with one in the chamber under his pillow.

3) along with responsibility i would like to say that although i want to own a handgun for target practice and potentially defense i will not own one until i am living in a neighborhood where i do not worry to much about it being stolen. currently i live just off campus and breakins are the norm. so until i can successfully secure my weapon i will not own one.

4) someone mentioned family members being killed by guns. just like with motorcycling there are some irresponsible people out there who make the rest of us look bad. Many parents teach their children about firearms the wrong way. from a young age i knew what a gun was, i knew how it operated, and i knew what it could do. Therefore i never felt the need to get the gun from under the pillow and pla with it. In my parents home there was only one gun loaded, my father's Ruger 9mm. Any other weapon was rarely out of the gun safe. They were not loaded until they were at the range.

So, what i mean is: most guns can be owned and operated safely.
thanks for reading.

[cherokeepati]

Very well said! Your parents have raised one level headed kid and they should be VERY proud. And yes, our (my husbands and mine) guns are locked up when not being carried.

[snwbrdr]

PS. My girlfriend is night manager of a restaurant and because she has to do the closing paper work she may be in the restaurant alone for 30-45 minutes. she then has to go to the bank to make the deposit. I'm pushing her to consider a weapon, but i think im gonna have to settle on her only carrying mace, which im sure she wont buy for herself. She thinks my ideas are ridiculous, but then there are nights like last night where she called the police to escort her to her car because she was freaking out. (there had been a few restaurants held up in the past week and she has received three hang up phone calls. which is odd because the neighborhood is relatively crime free.)

[end rant]

[mgdavis]

Tam over at View From the Porch made an excellent post on Concealed Carry. http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.co ... t-you.html