[email protected]

In a message dated 2/11/01 8:21:41 AM, pagan@... writes:

<< and a revolver
is a small black handgun like the FBI carry in films? >>

James Bond! <g>

A shotgun fires a bunch of little pellets (shot, like B-Bs [doh! if you
don't have B-B guns...]. There is a paper case/tube about the size of your
thumb, with a charge of gunpowder [anyone here should feel free to describe
this better] and it propels a number of little brass balls, way smaller than
marbles. The size of (although there are different sizes)... all my
examples are being for American things. Bigger than sand or salt. Barley
grains, if they were round. Rice. But round.

It might look like a rifle, but a rifle shoots a bullet--one pointy piece of
lead mounted in the end of a little shell (looks like a missile, the size of
your finger or smaller--a .22 shell is small like a...

********wait. this reminds me of when I tried to explain Cheetohs to someone
from New Zealand who wrote and asked what cheesiepoofs were.*******

So in the back end of the bullet is a charge of gunpowder which is set off
and propels the ACTUAL bullet (the shot, the lead) out. "Bullet" is for the
whole pointy missile-like thing, and also for the bit that leaves the gun.
The shell stays, like a rejected booster rocket.

This is the kind of (possibly faulty) learning that came from just being
around guns kinda vaguely. I've fired a rifle once (I was twelve or so, and
my parents wanted to see if I was interested and had me fire a hunting rifle,
but I got hit with the scope and had no further interest) and a B-B gun
several times, and I was done.

There are probably websites with illustrations, and there might be people
here who know where they are!

Sandra

Tracy Oldfield

Dunno, but I'm surprised Shyrley doesn't know what a
shotgun is, since it's used in one of the sports we won
a gold in at the Sydney Olympics *grin* hi, Shyrley...
I think 'skeets' are 'clay pigeons.' Anyone with money
can go and shoot game, though, and shotguns are usually
what farmers have. Revolvers are a type of handgun,
not the ones the FBI carry in films, but the older
'western-style' ones, they only hold 6 bullets, where
the other kinds hold 'clips' of 9 or so. Though you
wouldn't know this watching a film, cos sometimes they
just don't seem to run out...

Oh, have I warned you that in the town where BIL lives
(I hope youn were taking notes before, dear *grin*)
that if you walk anywhere you'll be seen as either a
bag-lady or an eccentric brit? They are at least used
to my mil walking around when she visits...

Now, to catch up on the hundreds of messages on the UK
list... see you there, Shyrley!

Tracy






There are probably websites with illustrations, and
there might be people 
here who know where they are!

Sandra