Do we have evidence that firefly guns are guns?

POSTED BY: dbsousa
UPDATED: Saturday, May 22, 2004 05:30
VIEWED: 17267
PAGE 3 of 3

PREV PAGE 1 2 3

CYBERSNARK

Tuesday, May 18, 2004 4:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by dbsousa:
When I get my own space western show, the guns will be gauss rifles and rail guns...

Gauss guns are/were in use on Andromeda. As far as we can tell, the "modern" Long Night-era weapons use conventional slugs. Before it collapsed, the Systems Commonwealth (as manifested by the Andromeda herself) had more advanced weapons, incorporating AI-guided nanobot colonies as bullets ("smart bullets from a smart gun"), and with a backup plasma gun (more ammo, more destructive but shorter range and accuracy).

Quote:
Originally posted by dbsousa:
(Actually on my Space Western, the guns will accelerate noble gasses to tremendous speeds, which will glow in the atmosphere, creating blasters whose ammo moves slow enough to trace...)

Which is what Star Wars uses. What, you didn't think those slow blaster bolts were actual lasers, did'ja?

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

SINGLETON

Wednesday, May 19, 2004 1:56 AM

OK, a few comparisons, it seems Mal's gun is more of a Frankenstein than we thought.
I made a few notes on the pic, but there's more I thought I'd put in here.
One of my arrows points out the back of the top strap of the Taurus, and indicates a similar point on Mal's gun. This is also where the rear sight is mounted.
The cylinder release is in the same position as Mal's "cocking switch/lever" that I mentioned in an earlier post. I know the SFX are added later, but the cocking sound coincides with Mal thumbing that thing, several times.
I'm guessing the hammer's been ground down a bit.
The grip on Mal's gun is fairly odd, because, in addition to resembling a S/A revolver's grip, it has a hole for a lanyard attachment.

As for the rest of the gun, still "collatin' data", as Patience would say. I'm convinved the gun is made up of parts of 3, maybe 4 guns, one of which (at least) is a rifle or submachinegun.

The reason I'm making such an issue is that I'm seriously considering making this a project. Probably along with a costume. I'll be doing conventions as much as I can, and I'd like to have an authentic piece on my hip.
If not, well, I'll cobble something interesting together. Need to design a ship, too, I think.
Thanks for the info!
Joe

Muscle.
Humor.
Thuggery.
Jayne.

SINGLETON

Wednesday, May 19, 2004 2:00 AM

Actually, I always figured the Star Wars blasters were laser guided particle beams, or somesuch. They seem to have no problem with microscopic megawatt power supplies, so almost anything is possible.
Joe

Muscle.
Humor.
Thuggery.
Jayne.

CYBERSNARK

Thursday, May 20, 2004 3:19 PM

The "lasers" in Star Wars are used to ignite the gas. The gas is a special type, that's specially treated, and is "mined" from gas planets --in fact Cloud City (seen in ESB) is a leading producer of this "blaster gas" --the carbon freeze platform where Han was freshness-sealed (and Luke and Vader had their duel) was designed to process the stuff.

Blasters do use power cells (basically "clips," carrying about 500 shots), but these only serve as a power source. The gas has to come from "authorized" sources. Just the sort of thing for upstanding "free-traders" like Han (or Mal) to carry in those "special" compartments.

Lightsabers, FWIW, aren't lasers either, they're arcs of plasma that're held together by magnetic fields (like an inverted "Jacob's Ladder")

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

PBI

Thursday, May 20, 2004 6:13 PM

Something else that may have limited things is the RL restrictions on using firearms. I seem to recall a few years ago that when the bans on assault weapons in the US were extended to Hollywood, that there was a lot of talk about how it would hurt the industry, as the FX folks would have to settle for using current inventories (no more 'futuristic' weapons), and that's why we see so many weapons in film and on TV that, well, look not quite new-ish.

Then again, it may also have just been part of the slightly behind the curve flavour Joss wanted for Firefly ;)

If you can survive death, you can probably survive almost anything.

FINN MAC CUMHAL

Friday, May 21, 2004 5:01 PM

The rail gun requires tremendous power to operate, as do lasers and other beam weapons. This technology is well within our grasps today; in fact much of it is old technology. Rail guns and lasers are 1960s technology. 40 years later we still don't have them operating because the tremendous power consumption needed to operate them.

Despite Firefly's frequent scientific misinterpretations, one thing that Firefly seems to have gotten right, albeit perhaps mistakenly, is that many of the futuristic weapons and propulsion systems that are taken for granted in other sci-fi shows require almost unattainable levels of energy to operate.

In the distant future will guns become a thing of the past? Obviously, our own military is moving towards a much more advanced and futuristic weapons. We are approaching the day when rail guns will be a reality mounted on massive nuclear US battleships. Of course, the ship won’t be able to maneuver while it is firing since all energy will be directed to the guns. Similarly, airborne lasers will soon become the weapon of choice on C-130 gun ships. But it will require constant maintenance and frequent “reloading trips” to allow the weapon to cool and recharge. Warfare for the US and Britain will change, but these are weapons that very few other nations will ever be able to afford.

Extrapolate this into the future, and someday shuttles and space stations may be equipped with rail guns and beam weapons. But very likely most soldiers will not carry these weapons on their person. Because no matter how advanced our technology becomes, the laws of physics will remain constant, and massive energy expenditures will always be needed for these kinds of weapons. There will very likely never be pioneers hunting alien turkey and pheasant with a rail gun. Even 500 years from now, the shotgun will in all likelihood continue to be a principal weapon. And the destructive power of a .308 rifle compared to its versatility, cheapness and ease of production will always make it a valuable weapon.

In the future, as today, the need for massive power generation will make certain weapons unattainable to those who do not have the ability to generate that power. And a combustion driver supersonic pellet of lead and steel will be as deadly tomorrow as it is today, at a fraction of the cost.

SINGLETON

Saturday, May 22, 2004 3:50 AM

Heh, so I'm bouncing around, the other day....and get to the thread on Mal's gun where someone has gone and solved the mystery. I was partly right, anyway, the basic gun in a Taurus revolver, with some mods. A new grip, other add-ons and voila! a whole new piece!
Ah well, too much work to build one, right now. Have to look for something else to be my sidearm, if I do a Firefly costume...
joe

Muscle.
Humor.
Thuggery.
Jayne.

TIGER

Saturday, May 22, 2004 5:30 AM

PREV PAGE 1 2 3