Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

swiftsilentdeadly.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 122 posts

Re: Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

#41

Post by RayeEvtuch »

542458 wrote: post #22
defrost wrote: post #3

(28th June 2021) .. and I didn't find a Mistakes: Long Gun Edition.

I'm not a deep-in-the-weeds expert, but if I had to put together an "obvious long rifle mistakes in fiction" article, it’d probably be: * People pumping shotguns after every round, or unnecessarily cycling the bolt after every round * Wrong action type for the gun * Wrong shotgun ammo for the context * Wrong safety type for the gun (most long guns have safeties, but they are operated in a variety of ways) * Magazine…

Many long guns are not semi-auto and have to have their action cycled after each round. that's super common.

Re: Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

#42

Post by rayiner »

doikor wrote: post #37

One thing I have noticed messed up in a lot of fiction (written/tv/movies/etc) is how loud guns actually are. Scenes of multiple people without any hearing protection emptying their guns that doesn't have any kind of supressors/silencer multiple times in a closed space (usually a single room) and then just casually chatting with each 5 seconds later. In general the sounds of guns are very bad in most movies/tv shows…

I wonder if part of this is also failing to consider the acoustic effect of loud sounds in enclosed spaces. Guns don’t sound nearly as loud if you only shoot outside.

Re: Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

#43

Post by rjsw »

dullcrisp wrote: post #24
adjejmxbdjdn wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dogs kill about 30-50 people in the U.S. every year. Intimate partner gun violence alone leads to about 700 women being killed every year. So by your logic, if you’re a woman and your partner has a gun, and is walking towards you and you can’t clearly tell that they don’t have a gun on them, “they just want to give you a kiss before leaving home” isn’t an argument. They’re vermin that can kill you and you’re absolute…

Cars kill 40,000 people I just shoot for the tires though.

There are cartridges specifically designed for shooting cars.

Re: Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

#44

Post by cenamus »

alias_neo wrote: post #34
kriro wrote: post #29

I guess my pet peeve of "firing an arrow" is also a gun mistake of sorts. It can be found in many fantasy books. A bow is not a gun, there's no gunpowder involved. If a commander orders his archers to "fire" what should they do, set their bows on fire?

What's the correct term? Loose? I'm sure I've heard that before. I know nothing about arrows except to identify the pointy end.

Shoot?

Re: Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

#47

Post by EdwardDiego »

defrost wrote: post #19
unpopularopp wrote: post #4

[flagged]

There are many guns in Australia (the country that, according to the US NRA, "banned" guns) where they are tools with an application that require a licence to use (just like explosives, dangerous chemicals, lasers above a certain oomph level, cars, giant trucks, etc)

Not handguns though. Well, not legally.

Re: Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

#48

Post by nkrisc »

kriro wrote: post #29

I guess my pet peeve of "firing an arrow" is also a gun mistake of sorts. It can be found in many fantasy books. A bow is not a gun, there's no gunpowder involved. If a commander orders his archers to "fire" what should they do, set their bows on fire?

This is a good example of movies using inaccurate depictions that audiences will easily understand instead of accurate depictions that may confuse them.

Just think of it as a translation.

Re: Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

#49

Post by EdwardDiego »

short_sells_poo wrote: post #11
unpopularopp wrote: post #4

[flagged]

There are plenty of countries aside the US where citizens can and do own guns. E.g. gun control is strict in most of Europe compared to the US, but it's entirely attainable to most people without a criminal record to own firearms.

Yes, but typically not handguns, the prevalence of them in the US is unusual compared to other Western countries.

Re: Gun Mistakes in Fiction Writing: Handgun Edition

#50

Post by defrost »

EdwardDiego wrote: post #47
defrost wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many guns in Australia (the country that, according to the US NRA, "banned" guns) where they are tools with an application that require a licence to use (just like explosives, dangerous chemicals, lasers above a certain oomph level, cars, giant trucks, etc)

Not handguns though. Well, not legally.

Yes, handguns - police, military, some security, and gun clubs all have hand guns.

Steps you need to take to legally obtain a handgun (in Australia) - https://www.ssaa.org.au/?ss_news=handgun-ownership-facts-in-...

Post reply on HN