Late 60's-early 70's automatic

mgoblue101415 · Jun 11, 2010

I don't want to just say, "He reached for the gun." I'd like to be able to say what kind of gun it was.

He would have bought it in 1970 after he returned from Vietnam. This is a guy who received an Expert Marksmanship Badge, so he's good with guns.

So what gun would he more than likely own? I'm going with an automatic, but it could be a semi-automatic or revolver if that fit better.

Stanmiller · Jun 11, 2010

M,
If he was in the Nam, he'll get the Colt 1911A1. He'll have it tuned by a gunsmith for reliable feeding of ammunition other than the 230 grain full metal jacket load (called 'ball' ammo in the military for the round bullet nose).

It's referred to as a Government Model, or 1911, or .45 auto, or just plain .45. All auto pistols are in fact semi-automatics, in that each shot requires a pull of the trigger. Any handgun size weapon that fires full-auto is called a machine pistol. If it a little bigger than a handgun, with a shoulder stock, it'll be a submachine gun. It takes special licenses for civilians to get full auto weapons so stick with the semi-auto.

--Stan

mgoblue101415 · Jun 11, 2010

Stanmiller said:
M,
If he was in the Nam, he'll get the Colt 1911A1. He'll have it tuned by a gunsmith for reliable feeding of ammunition other than the 230 grain full metal jacket load (called 'ball' ammo in the military for the round bullet nose).

It's referred to as a Government Model, or 1911, or .45 auto, or just plain .45. All auto pistols are in fact semi-automatics, in that each shot requires a pull of the trigger. Any handgun size weapon that fires full-auto is called a machine pistol. If it a little bigger than a handgun, with a shoulder stock, it'll be a submachine gun. It takes special licenses for civilians to get full auto weapons so stick with the semi-auto.

--Stan

Thanks.

And that would have been the same gun he was actually issued in Nam, as well, right?

And thanks for the clarification on the automatic/semi-automatic.

Stanmiller · Jun 11, 2010

Yep, he would have carried an GI model in combat. A lot of the 1911s issued in Nam had last been used in WW2 and weren't in the best of shape. Most combat units had at least a semi-official 'armorer' that could slicken one up pretty good. So he'd feel comfortable with one, and could have even 'lost' his issue weapon and shipped it back.
--Stan

Drachen Jager · Jun 11, 2010

Stanmiller said:
M,
All auto pistols are in fact semi-automatics, in that each shot requires a pull of the trigger.

--Stan

That's not true. The Glock 18, the Beretta 92FS and 93R are full auto pistols.

I'll give you that they're rare, but there are full auto pistols.

I agree with you about the Colt though, still one of the most commonly sold .45 designs in the world.

Drachen Jager · Jun 11, 2010

You should look up some of the aftermarket add-ons for the M1911, high capacity magazines (I believe the original only had 8 shots), muzzle brakes etc. Depending on the nature of your character you may want some of the extra bells and whistles.

Muzzle brakes make recoil more controllable by the way.

Also have a look on YouTube for videos, there's a lot of good video of gunfire out there to give you a bit of a feel for it. Or better yet, if you're serious go to a gun range where you can rent a firearm for a few hours, punch some holes in some paper, no better way to understand than to do it for yourself.

mgoblue101415 · Jun 11, 2010

Drachen Jager said:
You should look up some of the aftermarket add-ons for the M1911, high capacity magazines (I believe the original only had 8 shots), muzzle brakes etc. Depending on the nature of your character you may want some of the extra bells and whistles.

Muzzle brakes make recoil more controllable by the way.

Also have a look on YouTube for videos, there's a lot of good video of gunfire out there to give you a bit of a feel for it. Or better yet, if you're serious go to a gun range where you can rent a firearm for a few hours, punch some holes in some paper, no better way to understand than to do it for yourself.

Thanks for the info but the scenes with the gun... He never actually fires it in the story. Well, he fires the one he has in Nam but when he gets back... That one he just takes out occasionally and contemplates killing himself but never actually fires it.

So specifics on the gun aren't really important but I wanted to put in what kind of gun it was so I wasn't just using "gun" or "pistol" or even just "Colt".

Although since I know now that he'll have basically the same gun he had in Nam with the M1911, the first time he pulls it out I can do a nice scene with his familiarity with the gun and how comfortable it feels.

Stanmiller · Jun 11, 2010

Drachen Jager said:
That's not true. The Glock 18, the Beretta 92FS and 93R are full auto pistols.

I'll give you that they're rare, but there are full auto pistols.

I agree with you about the Colt though, still one of the most commonly sold .45 designs in the world.

And technically, those are machine pistols. But it's a terminology thing, and not worth arguing about.

RobinGBrown · Jun 13, 2010

Quick question to clear up an assumption.

I was under the impression that only US military officers (and maybe non coms) were issued pistols and that the privates only got rifles.

Would an ordinary serving soldier in Vietnam have had a pistol?

mgoblue101415 · Jun 14, 2010

RobinGBrown said:
Quick question to clear up an assumption.

I was under the impression that only US military officers (and maybe non coms) were issued pistols and that the privates only got rifles.

Would an ordinary serving soldier in Vietnam have had a pistol?

I'm not positive about Riflemen, but NCOs, Gunners, and Grenadiers were allowed to carry sidearms.

Hallen · Jun 14, 2010

RobinGBrown said:
Quick question to clear up an assumption.

I was under the impression that only US military officers (and maybe non coms) were issued pistols and that the privates only got rifles.

Would an ordinary serving soldier in Vietnam have had a pistol?

It depended on your position and what you were supposed to be doing. Aviators were given these horrible little .38 revolvers that you were better off throwing at the enemy rather than shooting. Most of those guys ditched the .38 and went with the .45.

An infantry soldier, private up to platoon sergeant, are not going to be issued a .45 normally. They might acquire one along the way, and I wouldn't doubt that many would. They would have all been issued the M16A1 .223 caliber rifle that was both semi and full automatic. But anyway, the M1911 .45 pistol was very common military issue and probably one of the easier handguns for an infantry soldier to get his hands on. He wouldn't have used it much though. It would have been strictly backup (again, unless he had a specialize job).

Late 60's-early 70's automatic

mgoblue101415

Existentialist

Stanmiller

mgoblue101415

Existentialist

Stanmiller

Drachen Jager

Professor of applied misanthropy

Drachen Jager

Professor of applied misanthropy

mgoblue101415

Existentialist

Stanmiller

RobinGBrown

New kid, be gentle!

mgoblue101415

Existentialist

Hallen

Mostly annoying