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[Doug (Ancient) Wojtowicz]

Figure I'd pitch in on one of my favored subjects - them things wot go BOOM!

Okay, a few basic bits of information:

1) Safeties:

No safety lever handguns.
Revolvers, Glocks, and SIG Sauer pistols do not have safety levers except in the absolute rarest of cases.

Exception - Revolvers: The taking of Pelham 123 was written at a time when the New York City Transit police had a rare safety lever modification to their service revolvers.  The French also had one, and the big Thunder 5 revolver has such a lever as well.  There is also the rare Muribato safety conversion, and a more recent hammer mounted safety offered for Smith and Wesson revolvers in the 90's. 

In the long run, most revolvers are chosen because they go into action right away, with no switches to flick.  Pull the trigger, and that gets the hammer rolling to make the boom sound.

Exception - Glocks: In some Middle Eastern markets, Glock does have a safety lever installed on the Glock.  There are also some gunsmiths who cut the Glock's frame and install an off switch.

Again, Glocks became popular because they are point and shoot.  Glocks don't even have hammers that cock. 

Exception - SIG Sauers: A European police force ordered the sigpro 2022 with a slide mounted off switch.  Since 2005, SIG Sauer's SAO - single action only - has been produced.  It is the only type of SIG with a frame-mounted off switch (one for access by either hand, left or right).  However, these guns must be carried cocked in order to fire, unlike the regular SIGs.  However as God (as many call John Moses Browning) designed his finest invention, the Colt .45 Automatic (properly known as the 1911) to be carried cocked and locked (hammer back, safety on), few people have a real problem with these SIGs.

SIGs are also under the banner of simple, point and shoot.  They only add the decocking lever - it lowers the hammer to a safety step on the frame, necessitating more than a hair trigger pull to activate.  No SIG should ever have its hammer lowered by pulling the trigger and retarding its downward travel with thumb pressure - the hammer could slip and cause a bang moment, or the hammer is in contact with the firing pin, and a sharp impact (like dropping the gun on the ground) will cause a discharge.

Lesser known guns similar to the Glock - the Springfield XD, the HS2000, the Heckler and Koch P2000 (and the new P30), the Smith and Wesson Sigma, the Walther P99, and the Smith and Wession Military and Police autopistols. 

Lesser known guns similar to the SIG Sauer - the Zastava Z99, the Walther P-5, the Walther P88 all have no safety, and they have a lever dedicated to safely lowering the hammer.

Guns WITH safeties.

Berettas, the "Colt .45 Automatic," the Walther PPK and P38, the Browning Hi-Power, Heckler and Koch USP, the Taurus version of the Beretta, and the Smith and Wesson metal-framed guns have thumb safety levers.

The Beretta, the Walthers, and the Smith and Wesson metal framed guns have what is called a slide-mounted safety decocker.  This works like the SIG, safely lowering a cocked hammer.  All three of these examples have the added bonus of deactivating the firing mechanism if left down, but the firearms are safe to carry with this lever off.

The Colt and the Browning are "single action."  Their safety levers serve only one purpose - to block the firing mechanism for safe carry until it's time to make the bang sound.  Thus, their safety levers are on the back of the frame - easy to reach without changing grasp.  This method of carry is known by several names:
Condition 1
Locked and Cocked
The Way God (John Moses Browning) Meant Them To Be Carried.

The Heckler and Koch USP and the Taurus version of the Beretta are in between these two extremes.  They are double action (can fire with a lowered hammer) with a frame mounted safety which can be operated like on the Colt and Browning.  The frame safety also can be pushed down to safely decock the hammer, though some users prefer to carry them in Condition 1 like a Colt .45 Auto.

Guns that need to be thumb-cocked

The only firearms meant to be cocked with a thumb before shooting are the so-called Cowboy era revolvers.  Their hammers are meant to be hooked by the thumb or the palm of the off hand and preened back.  The Colt Peacemaker and the Ruger Blackhawks and Vaqueros, and the Freedom Arms Casull revolvers are "thumb-busters." Six-shots, cowboy style (though most cowboys prefer to rest the hammer on an empty chamber.

Phew- that was a lot for the first post.

[Snell]

This is my rifle, this is my gun--Doug, can you tell me which is for shooting and which is for fun? 

Actually, my REAL question is... do you know much about ballistics?  Can you describe the types of wounds one might expect from common calibers and bullet types?

[john_sunseri]

Doug, this could be one of the most useful threads in history, if you decide you're willing to put up with stupid questions from the rest of us.  You did yeoman work on my 'Money Shot' novella, and I couldn't have written it without your help.

[Lane Adamson]

Re: single-action versus double-action -- I thought (from my Western-reading days) that a single-action revolver was the "had to be cocked before every shot" variety, while double-action are "pull the trigger to shoot."

Thanks for the list of "no safeties" to help us non-shootists from looking like total dummies.

Does a Desert Eagle have a safety?  "The science of ka-boom" is a personal favorite of mine...

[john_sunseri]

If you were the world's highest paid hit man, what would your weapon of choice be?  Or, actually, three weapons--one that's easily concealed yet still has enough stopping power to take a target down at close range, another handgun for pure murderous energy and some sort of sniper rifle for long-range shots (and what's a 'long-range' shot, anyway?  Three hundred yards?  Five hundred?)

Thanks in advance.

[Lane Adamson]

Here's one with some serious stopping power, the S&W 500S... although at nearly 4 lbs UNLOADED, it'll also put some serious sag in yer britches.

[Lane Adamson]

And here is some seriously pimped-out kaboom...  The .50AE Desert Eagle with titanium gold tiger stripes!

[Doug (Ancient) Wojtowicz]

2) Automatic, semi-automatic, full automatic, WHAT?

Referring to many weapons as "automatics" or "assault weapons" can be erroneous, and frustrating to readers who know their guns.

There are very few handguns which are automatics. 

The Beretta 93R, the Glock 18, the Stetchkin and custom-made special operations versions of the Colt .45, Beretta 92, and Browning HiPower are the only handguns which are also automatics.  These guns fire either limited bursts or fire for as long as the trigger is depressed.

Most non-revolver handguns are autoloaders - wherein the next round is stripped from the magazine by the discharge of the previous round generating the energy to move the slide or mechanism.

Side note
Revolvers get their name from the rotating cylinder (which revolves).  The cylinder is most often NOT automatically turned without operation of the hammer by either thumb action (see the cowboy guns), or the pull of the trigger (for modern, double-action revolvers).  The infamous Webley Fossbury "Automatic Revolver" had a cylinder that rotated thanks to the energy generated by the firing of the first round.
Side note done

What are assault weapons REALLY called

The Machine Pistol - is a lightweight version of a submachine gun.  The small Uzis, the MAC-10, the Skorpion, and the MP5K are all classified as machine pistols. 

The Sub machine gun (SMG) - is a small, pistol-caliber weapon capable of fully automatic fire, and has a shoulder stock for improved accuracy and control of fire.  The Thompson (the Tommy Gun), the Uzi, the MP-5 and the MP-40 (erroneously called the Schmeisser) are all submachine guns.

The Assault Rifle - you can only call a selective fire rifle an assault rifle if it is of an intermediate caliber (stronger than a pistol cartridge, weaker than a real rifle) and capable of full-auto (hence selective fire).  The M-16/AR-15 and the AK-47 are assault rifles.  Their rifle cartridges are powerful enough to harm a human being, while generating low recoil.  Their range is longer than a handgun or SMG - generally 350-450 yards.  The M-16/AR-15's cartridge, the .223 Remington/5.56mm NATO isn't even powerful enough to be used to hunt deer in some states in the US, while the AK-47 round - 7.62mm x39 (or COMBLOC) is roughly the same power as a .30-30 carbine.

The Automatic Carbine - most of the guns banned by assault weapons bans are these - intermediate caliber rifles which are NOT capable of full-auto fire, and can only be fired one round per trigger pull.  Civilian versions of the AK-47, the AR-15, as well as the famous M-1 carbine, are banned because they only look nasty enough to hose down a horde of German soldiers. 

The Battle Rifle - these are rifles that are usually simply autoloaders, but some have selective fire capability.  These fire FULL POWER cartridges like the .308 Winchester or the .30-06.  They generate significant recoil, so control while firing on automatic is iffy.  The M-1 Garand, the M-14, the FN-FAL and the Heckler and Koch G3 are the most famous of battle rifles.  They are beloved because their full power cartridges can cause damage to an automobile engine, or root out an enemy soldier behind a barrier which would be able to protect them from an Assault Rifle.

The Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) - these fire big belts or drums of Assault Rifle ammunition in long, protracted bursts.  They have quick change barrels because they are supposed to put out high volumes of fire and generate so much heat that a prolonged firefight literally will melt the gun's barrel.  Assault Rifles are generally kept on semi-auto, while the SAW gunner rocks and rolls all night long and parties every day. 
The most famous SAW is the M-249 used by our boys since the 1980's, but the Browning BAR was cast as a SAW in WWII.

The Machine Gun - these are big, heavy guns that fire battle-rifle or more ammunition.  They also have quick change barrels.  The M-60, the Bren, and the Maxim are pretenders to the throne held by JMB's mightiest creation - the M-2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun.  The Ma-Deuce, as it is lovingly known, was designed almost a century ago, and it's still riding jeeps and killing bad guys in the Sandbox today, even when the Colt .45 auto has been mostly retired.

[Matthew]

I do a lot of horror/western blends. I'm getting decent at knowing the differences in period rifles but am not really up on handguns. Can you point me to any background for popular calibers and models?

I'm particularly interested in information on a good what would have been a good .41 caliber pistol.

[Doug (Ancient) Wojtowicz]

Doug, this could be one of the most useful threads in history, if you decide you're willing to put up with stupid questions from the rest of us.  You did yeoman work on my 'Money Shot' novella, and I couldn't have written it without your help.

That's why I started it.  And honestly - you had good solid basics down pat, my man.

Re: single-action versus double-action -- I thought (from my Western-reading days) that a single-action revolver was the "had to be cocked before every shot" variety, while double-action are "pull the trigger to shoot."

Most double action revolvers can be cocked, though the trend is towards hammerless revolvers for wearing in ankle holsters or in pockets.

Thanks for the list of "no safeties" to help us non-shootists from looking like total dummies.

No problem.  It's funny to hear hammer cocking sounds on Glocks in supposedly realistic shows like "24."

Does a Desert Eagle have a safety?  "The science of ka-boom" is a personal favorite of mine...

The Desert Eagle is carried locked and cocked.  The switch is on the side, but many models have wonderful "pickaxe" heads that make them as natural as a Colt .45 auto.

If you were the world's highest paid hit man, what would your weapon of choice be?  Or, actually, three weapons--one that's easily concealed yet still has enough stopping power to take a target down at close range, another handgun for pure murderous energy and some sort of sniper rifle for long-range shots (and what's a 'long-range' shot, anyway?  Three hundred yards?  Five hundred?)

Thanks in advance.

Concealed with stopping power?
Revolvers: Ruger SP101.  It's a 5 shot .357 Magnum.  Smith and Wesson also makes several .357 Magnum, 5-shot baby guns, but those are just a little too light for comfort.  From Smith and Wesson, you want the 386 - seven rounds of .357 Magnum in a high-tensile strength frame with comfy comfy rubber grips.  Taurus has a seven shot Tracker with the same specifics.  No silencer for these, though.  For those expecting to suddenly be mugged by Godzilla in a dark alley, there's the Ruger Alaskan - available in .44 Magnum, .480 Ruger, or .454 Casull - the three previous owners of "world's most powerful handgun cartridge" title.
Silencer-equipped autos: The Glock 27 or 33.  .40 Smith and Wesson and .357 SIG are both a close second to the .357 Magnum, and you can get them suppressed.  The true professional's choice for stopping power AND concealment is the Colt Commander - a 1911 .45 auto with a 4 to 4.25" barrel.  With hollowpoints or hardball, it delivers sufficient power, and is flat and concealable.

Brutal overkill?
Sawn-off 12 gauge shotgun loaded with 1 ounce slugs.  Preferably with a folding stock, or an SAS style 3-point sling to stabilize on firing.  It puts a .72 inch hole in a man's chest, or can punch through a car door at up close ranges.  Google search the Serbu.  Best of its kind.
For pure power handguns? The Smith and Wesson model 629 .44 Magnum, the Ruger Redhawk/Super Redhawk, or the Taurus Raging Bull family.
The 629, the Raging Bull and the 4 inch barrelled Redhawk are both .44 Magnum wonderkinder.  All come with 4 inch barrels, enhancing concealability under a jacket. 
The Model 500 .500 S&W is also brutal power, but the Super Redhawk and Raging Bull come in the same calibers.  The real king of power is the S&W .460 XVR.  The .460 flies faster, but can use the .454 Casull (itself no slouch in SHEER power) and the .45 Colt (as the cowboys used it) as spare ammunition. 
The Desert Eagle is a wonderful gun, but only really worth it for the .44 Magnum, unless you want to spend a dollar a shot for your .50 AE Magnum.  A nice autoloader alternative is the Wildley Survivor or Wildley Predator.  Comes in .44 Automag (the mating of the .30-06 and the .44 Magnum), .45 Winchester Magnum, or the .475 Wildley.

A good rifle? 
The Winchester Model 70 in .30-06.  With an effective range of 800 yards in most hands, and up to twice that with a shooter who is a TRUE sniper, it's long range, sleek, elegant and capable.  Some folks like that rifle in .300 Winchester Magnum, or like the flat shooting 7mm Magnum, but a Model 70 in .30-06 has killed one of every creature on this earth up to elephant size.
The Heckler and Koch PSG-90 is a tarted up G3 rifle - ruggedly solid and reliable, but accurized.  The PSG-1 is the true urban target rifle, but it's superb accuracy comes at the cost of being a finicky beast.  20-shots of .308 Winchester helps if things get a little too close.  The Russian Dragunov SVD in 7.62mm x 54 Russian is the cold war equivalent, and it's just as powerful, just as accurate, and just as far reaching.

Long range for a rifle is one kilometer - 1000 meters.  However, most snipers do their work in the happy little envelope of 300 meters - close enough to minimize wind deflection, far enough to be out of sight.

And here is some seriously pimped-out kaboom...  The .50AE Desert Eagle with titanium gold tiger stripes!

You're either at the Zombiesquad board, or you've been to the Gun Thing.  The .50 I used was pure black and so accurate I got TWO heart shots on a target.  Titanium gold with tiger stripes, no one will ever think you're a cop with THAT bling.

[Lane Adamson]

And here is some seriously pimped-out kaboom...  The .50AE Desert Eagle with titanium gold tiger stripes!

You're either at the Zombiesquad board, or you've been to the Gun Thing.  The .50 I used was pure black and so accurate I got TWO heart shots on a target.  Titanium gold with tiger stripes, no one will ever think you're a cop with THAT bling.

Actually, it's right off the Magnum Research webpage.  But that was just for fun.

So what about Mack Bolan's beloved (in the old days) .44 Automag ("Big Thunder," I think it was), 9mm Beretta ("Whispering Death"), and Weatherby rifle for sniping?  How do those hold up today?

[Doug (Ancient) Wojtowicz]

I do a lot of horror/western blends. I'm getting decent at knowing the differences in period rifles but am not really up on handguns. Can you point me to any background for popular calibers and models?

I'm particularly interested in information on a good what would have been a good .41 caliber pistol.

Oddly enough, the Colt Peacemaker in .38-40 was actually a .40 caliber handgun.  Very effective and well-liked.

There were derringers and other revolvers in .41 RF - rimfire - but they were anemic at best, barely able to burp out the equivalent kinetics of a Walther PPK. 

The Remington model 1858 was enormously popular.  It was a cap and ball revolver available in either .36 or .44 caliber and produced for 13 years, and HEAVILY copied.  When cartridge revolvers were developed and made reliable, several were converted and became the first widely used, popular .44 cartridge revolvers.

The aforemention Colt Peacemaker was also a heavily copied revolver.  It was available in .44-40 Winchester Center Fire (WCF) to allow cross-compatibility with the Winchester '73 lever action rifle (this model was called the "Frontier Six-Shooter" which was etched and later stamped on the barrel). Additional period calibers for the SAA included .41 LC, .38 LC, .38-40 WCF (with ballistics surprisingly similar to modern police .40 S&W semi-auto ammo), .32-20 WCF, .44 Russian and .44 Special. For the British market, Colt's offered .450 Boxer and Eley, .455 and .476 Eley. In 1875, a .44 Rim Fire variant was offered, serially numbered in a separate number range 1 through 1800, some revolvers were later converted to .22 RF. In the 20th century the SAA was sold in more modern calibers including .357 Magnum, .38 Special and .45 ACP.

Another popular revolver was the Model 3 Schofield.  It was a top-break revolver available in .44 Russian and .45 Schofield, which was a shorter edition of the .45 Colt, necessitating the unofficial change to .45 Long Colt, because it wouldn't fit into the Schofield. 

Also there is the Colt 1851 Navy, 1861 Navy and 1860 Army revolvers which were also popular in cap and ball form, or converted to .38 Smith and Wesson.  The Army revolver was a .44 caliber cap and ball, but that got converted to .44 Russian often.

[Doug (Ancient) Wojtowicz]

Actually, it's right off the Magnum Research webpage.  But that was just for fun.

Those get mentioned around the net.  Pure love and bling.

So what about Mack Bolan's beloved (in the old days) .44 Automag ("Big Thunder," I think it was), 9mm Beretta ("Whispering Death"), and Weatherby rifle for sniping?  How do those hold up today?

Big Thunder: The .44 Automag had a brief return in the 2000's.  For power, it was great, but it was counterintuitive - you had to thumb cock it before the first shot, not carry it locked and cocked.  However, Wildley has a safety lever like the Taurus and USP - can locked the hammer back, or safely lower the hammer, and it's double action.  And Wildley has had a lot of success in the .44 Automag, apparently.

Belle: Bolan's Beretta was the eight shot 1951 Beretta Brigadier.  It had a weird cross-bolt safety, but the gun is reliable, and still being built in Egypt as the Helwan, and is still popular in Israel.  Any Beretta since then is still reliable, accurate, and wonderful to shoot.

The Weatherby: The .460 Weatherby is the second most powerful rifle cartridge in the world, second only to the Ma-Deuce round.  Trouble is, a heavy bullet like that suffers a fast drop, but Bolan is a genius sniper, so he knows how high to hold the Weatherby Mark V to score those elusive headshots at hundreds of yards.  The Weatherby Mark V is also one of the most delicious hand-built rifles ever.  They're expensive, but every dollar is in the smoothness of trigger and elegance of stock.  It's one of the rifles that I'd bring to Jurassic Park, if there were another breakdown.

[john_sunseri]

I thank you, Doug, and I'm gonna use all your guns for my assassin.  Matter of fact, if you don't mind, I'm gonna have him use 'Wojtowicz' as one of his aliases...

[Doug (Ancient) Wojtowicz]

Thanks, John.