Meh, I'm confused

POSTED BY: Agehn
UPDATED: Saturday, September 25, 2004 01:54
VIEWED: 7771
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YT

Tuesday, September 21, 2004 4:26 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Michizure:
An all-electric firing "pin"

A more exotic possibility is a gauss weapon:

My favorite, though, is liquid propellant:

These are all cool technologys, but personally I don't have any problem hearing the sounds as a mistake, made by Zoic. The fringe where Serenity plies her trade is pretty lotek. To make this clear, several characters are clothed like folks from the frontier of the USA more than a century ago. It makes no sense to me that these same characters would use tools more complex, or needing more maintenance & supply, than those from a similar era, where available.

ShepherdQ earlier made a suggestion that makes sense to me in this context: they might use a technology that would reduce their dependence on another technology (precision metal forging & machining, to manufacture replacement gun barrels). 'course needing to replace a gun barrel means you've already spent a helluvalot on bullets so, that explanation is something of a reach.

Keep the Shiny Side Up

Wutzon: Phish, "Golgi Apparatus", from "Phish Live 8"

MICHIZURE

Tuesday, September 21, 2004 11:29 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by YT:
ShepherdQ earlier made a suggestion that makes sense to me in this context: they might use a technology that would reduce their dependence on another technology...

Cartridges for conventional slug-throwers require a fair amount of manufacturing (shells, powder, primer, etc.), and are specific to one size and type of firearm. I can see some minimum production on the frontier -- shotgun shells, perhaps, or reloading supplies -- but I suspect that most weapons and ammunition are manufactured on the core worlds and exported to the fringe.

Both gauss weapons and liquid propellant guns have the advantage that their "propellant" is generic (electrical power and liquid explosive, respectively), leaving only the bullet itself (which could be a simple slug) specific to the weapon. They also have fewer moving parts than a conventional slug-thrower and at least potentially a sealed action, and may therefore last longer in use.

If you want to assume that the sound effect is a mistake (which is fine), you still have to account for why Mal's pistol (for example) has no visible action -- no cylinder or slide.

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Kotoba yori tashika na koto michizure ni shite.

YT

Tuesday, September 21, 2004 4:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Michizure:
Cartridges for conventional slug-throwers require a fair amount of manufacturing (shells, powder, primer, etc.), and are specific to one size and type of firearm. I can see some minimum production on the frontier -- shotgun shells, perhaps, or reloading supplies -- but I suspect that most weapons and ammunition are manufactured on the core worlds and exported to the fringe.

Interesting point. I had thought that most ammunition would be reloads but, reloading took off in the twentieth century, while most ammunition used by individuals on the American frontier in the nineteenth was, indeed, manufactured back East. I overlooked the technology required to manufacture stable, predictable gunpowders & primers.

Quote:
Both gauss weapons and liquid propellant guns have the advantage that their "propellant" is generic (electrical power and liquid explosive, respectively), leaving only the bullet itself (which could be a simple slug) specific to the weapon.

Even better point.

Quote:
They also have fewer moving parts than a conventional slug-thrower and at least potentially a sealed action, and may therefore last longer in use.

That one's good, too.

Quote:
If you want to assume that the sound effect is a mistake (which is fine), you still have to account for why Mal's pistol (for example) has no visible action -- no cylinder or slide.

Uncle! I'm convinced.

Keep the Shiny Side Up

Wutzon: Garaj Mahal, "the Palladin", from "Live vol 2"

SHEPHERDQ

Friday, September 24, 2004 11:09 AM

Another thought struck me. ( Nope it did not hurt )
Vera needed air to fire... it bugged me at the time as normal guns of today do not need air. The gunpowder creates its own air with an oxident. It seemed odd we would have to dress up Vera but I figured, ok artistic license.
Perhaps the other reason for the electric firing system is the bullets now need the outside air to function. Not sure I can think of a good reason for THAT modifacation unless for some reason the oxident is hard to get now and it replaced with a design that sucks in or compress outside air for the combustion charge in the bullet.

The Journey is the worthier part.
www.southdownabbey.com

MICHIZURE

Friday, September 24, 2004 12:54 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by ShepherdQ:
It seemed odd we would have to dress up Vera but I figured, ok artistic license.

This is a topic that has been Done to Death (tm) in other fora. "Artistic license" is still the only explanation that makes any sense. I suppose it's possible to imagine a "carburetor" which uses outside air as an oxidant, but why bother? Chemical propellants with embedded oxidants have worked just fine for 500 years. The amount required isn't enough to matter (unlike combustion engines).

Mr. Whedon has proven to be a very smart man in general, but that particular business was just silly.

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Kotoba yori tashika na koto michizure ni shite.

GLICO

Friday, September 24, 2004 1:01 PM

Very very subtle brilliance, I tell you.

YT

Friday, September 24, 2004 7:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Michizure:
Quote:
Originally posted by ShepherdQ:
It seemed odd we would have to dress up Vera but I figured, ok artistic license.

This is a topic that has been Done to Death (tm) in other fora.

Forgive me if this is another repeat.

Quote:
"Artistic license" is still the only explanation that makes any sense. I suppose it's possible to imagine a "carburetor" which uses outside air as an oxidant, but why bother?

Never mind "bother". Jayne had to fire Vera with precision. How did he aim, with her in the suit? What effect would hitting the faceplate other-than-perpendicular have on bullet path? True, that would affect only the first shot but, then we're back to How did Jayne return to his aim point after recoil?

Quote:
Mr. Whedon has proven to be a very smart man in general, but that particular business was just silly.

Wanted to check the credits to make sure but, yup, that was Joss's fault. Distracting.

If he wanted to add some excitement to the scene, he could've had Jayne say that he'd never fired Vera in zero G, 'though he'd then have to @least introduce the concept of bullet drop (or lack thereof) in a non-clunky bit of dialogue. With Vera in the open, we'd have seen Jayne playing with the adjustment screws on the scope, maybe in Book's company, maybe with a pregnant comment.

Keep the Shiny Side Up

Wutzon: Santana, "Savor (Live from Woodstock)", eponymous

CAPTAINHARBATKIN

Saturday, September 25, 2004 1:54 AM

That sound is the sound of the fuelcell driving the mono-polar generator that powers the teensy rail gun that flings the ordinary lead bullet.

A supply of cast or extruded lead bullets of the proper diameter would be cheap and easy to make on a frontier world (mine the asteroid belt?), and these would be the heavy, expensive to transport items, so making them locally would be a good thing. While the fuel cells would be high tech, they would be long-lived, light and compact. Make sense?

Either that or it's just silly noises created in post-production.

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...they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their
clothing - and if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.
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