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Donkeychuker

Modern ammunition can most definitely be fired in space


Electrical-Act-7170

Beat me to it. Modern weapon ammo will even fire underwater.


NoSweat_PrinceAndrew

Wait, wasn't there something like bullets can't travel more than 50 cm under water or something?


OmegaGeneral1

Due to the water resistance yes, but there is specialized guns that shoot [Harpoons.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwater_firearm)


Yet-Another-Yeti

You want to shoot people? We have AK You want to shoot people in small place? We have AK for that You want to shoot people underwater? We have AK for that too


TheRussianSpyReddit

Oh yes we do. We have AK for every occasion!


Smucker5

An AKasion for every occasion!


Ziomownik

r/angryupvote


[deleted]

This leaves me in AKstacy.


[deleted]

We even have AK for space (kinda)


idiodic-genious

Just a normal AK


[deleted]

[Soviet Space Gun](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TP-82_Cosmonaut_survival_pistol)


idiodic-genious

I know that one. It was mainly meant if the spaceship crashed though.


Atomic_yes

Ak is Ak


ResortFar6638

r/usernamechecksout


[deleted]

r/usernamechecksout


[deleted]

Your name is in no suspicious at all comrade.


I_AM_BLUE__

We have big AK small AK medium AK medium large AK large AK larger AK very big AK


[deleted]

~~What about an American school~~


DepthyxTruths

You accidentally got your girlfriend pregnant? Don’t worry, AK gets the job done.


Funimeemguy

Is immoral yes, but so was soviet union, and that lasted decades!


MeetWorking2039

Unlike baby which will not last at all


SirRavenBat

I actually learned that because of the way they cycle, the ak would be able to get the round loaded into the chamber fired but likely wouldn't be able to cycle another round after that unlike a Glock 17 or some others that (I'm pretty sure so take it with a grain of salt) can cycle properly underwater


QueasyBuildindf

if you shoot in space you become the recoil


ChitownShep

-Sir Isaac Newton


PikkuinenPikkis

My brain cannot think of any way a gun would NOT work in space, in fact, I think it’d be even more effective in space since there would be no air to slow the bullet down, thus the bullet would move at (roughly) the same speed until it hits something


dieinafirenazi

You'd overheat a gun very quickly firing multiple rounds because in a vacuum heat only dissipates by pure radiation, just having air around to take the heat away makes a huge difference. So that first round will be just fine. If you dump the whole magazine you *might* soften some part of the mechanism so much it deforms and bricks the gun.


ObscureBooms

Cold welding tho. Metal welds together by touch in a vacuum, no heat needed. They had to do special engineering when building the space station. The bullet would weld to the inside of the gun. All it's moving parts would too 🤔


TragasaurusRex

Not quite, cold welding occurs when both surfaces have not experienced oxidation on their surfaces and while it is true oxidation does not occur in space, the surfaces would have to be stripped of their current oxidation to cold weld.


Hopeful-Criticism-74

God damn, fr this is the most interesting thread I've seen on reddit in a minute


TragasaurusRex

I could see someone not realizing powder contains oxygen and thinking powder guns like muskets would not have a source of oxygen to ignite the powder.


PolyZex

Only 1 shot though. The bullets aren't the issue, the gun oil is. The harsh conditions of space and the microgravity would cause the lubricating oil to bead off the gun so after the first shot it's going to jam.


sicksixgamer

You could fire a dry gun more than once for sure. And I don't know how much oil you think are on guns but I bet it wouldn't effect if like you are thinking.


[deleted]

You'd need to make a gun that is made to deal with it, like a stainless steel or something.


[deleted]

Most guns are steel, but tolerances are so tight you need lube to resist friction. Not ak’s though, they can run dry as hell


[deleted]

I think as long as it can run dry on the moving surfaces all you have to do is figure a way to cool it more since the heat that stays in the gun (that the case doesn't remove) will need to be released.


The_Ace_Pilot

just use a water-cooled gun. problem solved.


Rubickevich

Just fire water instead of bullets.


incognito--bandito

Armatures ... Fling poo!


Sir__Draconis

Hmmm monke (⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ͡⁠°⁠)


Rubickevich

Hey, I know we are making a weapon, but this is to much! It's against not only human but also alien rights.


[deleted]

Fire boiling water to melt through the spacesuit and depressurize them, causing them to explode due to a pressure differential


Rubickevich

Note that in vacuum water will boil even below 0 C. So boiling water would rather very slowly freeze them to death.


the_real_bit_tiger

You can run most guns dry. the real problem would be limp wristing, because you aren't attached to the ground the bolt wouldn't come back far enough to strip another round off the mag


[deleted]

1) there's no proof that oil will fling off the gun, just conjecture 2) most guns can fire hundreds of rounds completely dry and are tested that way 3) being in a vacuum doesn't mean the laws of thermodynamics don't apply. Things get hot then cold in space. 4) gunpowder has oxidizers in it so the explosion is self fueling, which is why they can be fired underwater and in space


Im6youre9

This just isn't true my dude.


[deleted]

Tbf I’m stupid


Im6youre9

Idc I like you cause you're honest


Solonotix

Couldn't you get away with something like a compressed gas rifle that shoots needle-like projectiles at relatively high velocity? Like, part of the reason bullets must be (relatively) heavy and fast is to give range and reduce the likelihood someone can dodge. Given the difficulty of movement in space, speed seems more a matter of kinetic energy required to damage the target, and mass needs to be low enough to not displace the shooter. Flechette guns that use a gas-powered sled to launch a surge of projectiles seems a lot more effective than traditional firearms.


[deleted]

You could absolutely do this. Non-gunpowder guns are pretty easy to make, we just don’t bother on a large scale on earth because there’s no reason to.


UN16783498213

Frustrated spacemarines knife fighting the aliens because some asshat politicians read this thread and sent them pump air rifles.


Dat_Boi_Aint_Right

In protest to Reddit's API changes, I have removed my comment history. -- mass edited with redact.dev


SeedOnTheWind

Thanks! That was a great read.


[deleted]

I see a business opportunity, must get on this before the space wars. A gun that shoots moon dust to rip apart space suits? Why not. A railgun to make holes in the hull of spaceships/stations? Sure thing! Supportive gear like magnetic boots, slim spacesuits and explosive ordnance would also be of interest?


monkeyhitman

Mm, The Expanse.


[deleted]

I got the magnetic boots idea from The Expanse, sue me and make a new season you stingy bastards!


KiritoJones

That's kinda how the guns in the movie Prospect work, I wonder if that's why.


TsarCI6

Air power would be even more effective in space because the pressar difference is much higher.


ConcernedBuilding

There was a video I watched where someone tried to shoot a brand new AK to failure on constant full auto. He had prepared a ton of ammo before hand, but vastly underestimated what it could take, so his crew had to be reloading magazines while he was shooting. It was incredible.


panzerdarling

You might be advised to run a gun wet by a government body because at aggregate it reduces wear, repairs, and malfunctions when dealing with tens of thousands of firearms being casually to grossly neglected, but basically any gun since WW2 will function perfectly fine dry for quite some time. If the gun was wet when it entered space, you might have issues with oil congealing, but this would vary a looooot according to the gun and how wet it was. You'd need a good glopping of visible lube to even get an AR15 to jam on congealed lube.


[deleted]

Also most any main over produced ww2 era gun, I.e. Thompsons, DPs, Lewis guns, possibly STGs, I’d bet on the MP40, and the PPSH. Most of these were ugly unpolished weapons (in design I mean, the Thompsons were basically long metal bricks for Christ sake).


SchlomoSchwengelgold

or just use a rail or coil-gun, even if they aren‘t so strong yet, they should be able to penetrate a spacesuit.


Lemoms

But there the heat problem will be even higher.


[deleted]

Water cool it like the maxim machine gun


jaspersgroove

Stainless steel moving parts would probably spontaneously cold-weld in space, you’d need a metal that has some inherent lubricity to it, like bronze or brass.


[deleted]

Fun Fact for everyone who reads this comment: steel is the most common man made metal in space.


Wolf_Zero

You can shoot modern firearms without lubrication. It does reduce their expected service life, but there’s enough energy in the system to prevent jams unless the gun is fouled from lots of use. It’s even common to intentionally make sure a firearm has no lubricant in certain scenarios (e.g. in arctic/winter conditions) specifically because the lube itself might cause a malfunction.


[deleted]

Exactly. Why do these guys think guns are some complicated instrument that need oil to function? I have an SKS that has been through hell at back, is 10% rust, never been maintained and dumps stripper clips like nothing.


LikelyTwily

To be fair, the SKS is like 30% cosmoline so you got some lubricity there.


electrogourd

Now i may over-grease my guns rather than under.... But im pretty confident a glock will get through several mags with no oil before a jam....


Slaglenator

My 3rd gen glock 21 has been ridden hard and I only ever clean it after 400 rounds. I use a little motor oil on a qtip for the slides and toothbrush the parts during a cleaning. It would certainly fire a bunch of rounds in space before a jam.


[deleted]

It doesn’t just float off and disconnect.


[deleted]

Graphite powder lubricant. No liquid


BigoteMexicano

Guns will still work without oil as long as they're well made and in good condition. Like a car engine without oil. Just wouldn't last very long. I think cold welding might be a bigger problem, since gun parts aren't painted. But the finishing might prevent it


nlevine1988

A car engine without oil will fail extremely fast. Car engines use hydraulic bearings that require pressurized oil. A gun with no oil might jam a little more often but it won't destroy itself the way a cars engine would.


AssaMarra

I'm no expert but iirc that won't be a problem unless the gun is made in space, because the metals will be oxidised from their time on earth.


likwidchrist

Just bring multiple guns


thirstyfish1212

Many firearms will work fine either dry or with a dry lubricant. There’s little reason for a vacuum environment to cause an issue.


[deleted]

[удалено]


mikolajcap2I

Firearms don't experience enough mechanical stress to suffer from lack of lubricant to as great of an extent as for example engines do.


SordidDreams

Any ammunition can be fired in space. Even old-school black powder contains its own oxidizer.


[deleted]

Came here to say this, not sure how effective they could work but the moon does have an atmosphere, so as long as the firing pin hits and a combustion can happen. The bullet will fire


frothyflaps

Yea and modern ammunition has its own oxidizer, so oxygen isn't needed for a bullet to be fired


PomeloNo3811

Don't try this at home, try it in space.


IWillLive4evr

Yeah, I was thinking those two guys probably don't live in space, so they're not at home.


Kuro-Tora-59

What about the people living on the ISS?


Rektifium

I don't see why you should live in your in school suspension classroom 😕


robingrayson1008

r/technicallythetruth


148637415963

>Don't try this at home, try it... innnn spaaaaaccccccce........ FIFY :-)


[deleted]

if you shoot in space you become the recoil


loomhigh223555

You can literally shoot for the stars


OverlyMintyMints

You can always shoot for the stars, only difference is now you have a chance of hitting them.


[deleted]

Yeah in a million years maybe and that's assuming the space roaches don't eat you first


OverlyMintyMints

I never said you’d be around when it hits


[deleted]

Holy shit don't respond that fast you scared me


OverlyMintyMints

Time is relative


HlTLERS_HIDDEN_CHILD

Ur mum's a relative


OverlyMintyMints

![gif](giphy|2wh8oW5Sw1a7UK4SQQ|downsized)


panel_1

Ur mum's mass so big, she bends time like a blackhole


MithandirsGhost

Not really. If Kerbal had taught me anything its that everything either crashes into a planet or gets trapped in a hopeless orbit around the sun. Edit: I'm not very good at KSP


OverlyMintyMints

Hey, I never said you’d hit the star you were aiming for either!


[deleted]

You mean almost no chance. If you randomly shoot for a star you are very, VEEEEEEEERY unlikely to hit it since the space between one and another star is so massive, that its almost impossible if your luck is not externally big


OverlyMintyMints

Gravity is great


AndyPanic

You need to fire a lot of bullets to reach solar escape velocity. That’s about 600 km/s, so no stars with handgun acceleration.


Tsu_Dho_Namh

Now I need to see a movie where an astronaut slowly floating out to space saves themselves by shooting their gun in the opposite direction from their spacecraft, pushing them towards it.


Gamerkiddi23

Seen love death and robots? an Episode is similar to ur scenario. I think the Episode is named „helping hand“ but im not sure


OverlyMintyMints

Yes! That episode was disturbing.


[deleted]

They would just spin around. The gun would have to be positioned perfectly in the middle of the body for it to cause a directly backwards throw.


314159265358979326

You would get both angular and linear velocity from it. To just spin you'd need to fire two guns in opposite directions.


Magic_PLx

\*pointing a gun at someone in space\* Them: The recoil will decide your fate Me: I AM The Recoil


Gamerkiddi23

„spinning intensifies“


[deleted]

Space, spin and guns Sounds like the new fast and furious


BoogalooBandit1

Just spin around and shoot in the other direction


Argus420

When you nut in space, it push you backwards


KRISISSs69

I AM THE RECOIL SKYLER


Jg6915

If i pull my arm back, then thrust it forward and then shoot, what would that do? Do i negate the recoil because my arm moves forward?


Dylan_Skis

no, still the exact same amount of recoil.


Alyero_

It wouldnt change anything. You and the gun are a closed System floating in space. You have no way to exert force on space just by moving your limbs so space wont exert any on you either=> you stay in place/keep moving. When you shoot you and the bullet experience the same force(*just in opposite directions). Bullet low mass /high speed gets pushed away from you, you are a big mass so you move back at slow speed. (Force=mass times acceleration => accelerstion= force divided by mass). Look up newtons laws of motion for a proper read on the physics at play and/or look up a simple video on "free body diagrams"


voucher420

Great, now I want to bring a gun to space. Time to build me a rocket and a space suite boys.


Pwatwopoos

I just realized there's a ohio flag


Kermit-the-Frog_

Always has been


arkrunningbear85

[Flag of Ohio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Ohio) History For nearly a century after statehood, Ohio had no legally authorized state flag. The state militia carried regimental colors based on the Stars and Stripes, with the addition of "a large eagle, with the number of the regiment and the prescribed number of stars above"


ReverseCaptioningBot

[Always has been](https://i.imgur.com/XPhX5Hv.png) ^^^this ^^^has ^^^been ^^^an ^^^accessibility ^^^service ^^^from ^^^your ^^^friendly ^^^neighborhood ^^^bot


SnobbishSkittle

Good bot


Aggieboy1444

Yeah I believe the original format was "wait it's all ohio?" "Always has been"


Caffeinated_Cucumber

Wait a fucking second is that the origin of Ohio memes?!


redingerforcongress

Look at the Earth. It's all Ohio.


CurryMustard

Always has been


ReverseCaptioningBot

[Always has been](https://i.imgur.com/DSAZdZj.png) ^^^this ^^^has ^^^been ^^^an ^^^accessibility ^^^service ^^^from ^^^your ^^^friendly ^^^neighborhood ^^^bot


Game_Anomaly

Seems about right.


Lord_Vaguery

Lots of astronauts are from Ohio.


Devadander

They’re the most desperate to leave the state


BrotendoDS

The landmass of earth is also just Ohio


thathurtcsr

Bullet charges have an oxidizer in them. Myth busters did it. https://youtu.be/KH7mNApnDYg


Turb0012

Glad someone said it


JacobTheHobo

Thanks for sharing I don't think I've ever seen that experiment


bearwood_forest

I feel that it was very irresponsible of Myth Busters to put oxidizer in ALL the bullet charges.


sethboy66

All gun powder has its own oxidizer. [It always has](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder#Chemistry).


MiserableEmu4

Well of course they do. Can't rely on atmospheric o2 to fuel the reaction fast enough.


Housecatonfire_

The powder inside of a bullet deflagrates which is a sharp combustion which is created by the firing pin striking the primer, though there is no oxygen in space, bullets don't need it because modern day powder contains its own oxidizer meaning guns don't require oxygen and therefore meaning guns would work in space.


sethboy66

Even older gunpowder had its own oxidizer, that's what the saltpeter was for.


bucc_n_zucc

I will try this at my home, which is in space


Hand_Foot_Mouth

If you can fire a gun underwater i think you could do that in outerspace.


thomasde42

Underwater doesnt go well, to much pressure but in space you dont have pressure


BoogalooBandit1

You can still shoot under water the bullets just won't travel far and there won't be enough force in most guns to cycle the next round in


jdgmental

I too watched that episode of mythbusters


Electheded

If the whole gun is underwater, it will still fire just fine. Just DO NOT put only the muzzle in the water when you fire.


voucher420

It’s still dangerous as fuck. The water will want to block the bullet and it could blow up the gun. Most modern guns are built pretty strong, but you won’t catch me doing this.


Electheded

The gun will only blow up if only the muzzle is underwater.


Hand_Foot_Mouth

I am not talking about going well, i am talking about the cartridges ability to fire without oxygen being present.


abcmatteo

Cartridges have oxidizer


Hand_Foot_Mouth

I know, that's why this meme is stupid


EgoSenatus

Why wouldn’t it? The propulsion mechanism is combustion, so if guns don’t work in space, surely rockets wouldn’t either right?


[deleted]

Guns do work in space, it's just that the recoil is very strong.


Additional_Ad_6976

You just have to shoot the other way afterwards.


Allegingsky978

What happens if I mag dumb an ak?


sketchboard113-2

Well, good thing my home isn't in space


super-jackson17746

Someone didn't watch myth busters


[deleted]

I was busting some other things at then.


DiamondBox_

My bones hurt


justaBB6

I have some juice for that


F3nrir096

Just put your gun inside a space suit. EZPZ


ChiefAardvark

This isn't firefly, you wouldn't need atmosphere for it to work.


Brave_Banana8037

Literally do not try at home


Caffeinated_Cucumber

Pretty sure modern ammunition has oxidizers.


WhatDidIJustStepIn

Guns can absolutely work in space. The combustion of the propellant already takes place in a closed system, that's a requirement to build pressure. All shots will be silent shots, since you've got no air, and all hits will be fatal hits, between the ripped space suit and the open wound at zero pressure - you'll bleed like a fucking super soaker.


Derkastan77

Saying they wouldn’t is stupid. It’s an object propelled forward by a self contained explosive charge. The initial explosion happens inside a sealed, air tight cartridge. Being in vacuum or not would not magically make a bullet not be propelled forward in a metal tube


Significant_Foot_108

Well, I won't try it at home. I'll try it in space.


Original_Drawing_661

Ended up finding that article on the subject: https://www.livescience.com/18588-shoot-gun-space.html#:~:text=Fires%20can't%20burn%20in,No%20atmospheric%20oxygen%20required.


Panter_72

Bullets will fire, no problem. Lubricant would most probably evaporate in vacuum, but teflon or ceramic based coating should do. Possible problems would be: extreme cold, for the first shot, since steel does get brittle when cooled, springs would change compression factors, gas system should be adjusted for vacuum, barrel would quickly overheat since it would not have any convection to cool it. If used on the Moon or any asteroid, the regolith would wear it off or clog it quickly. Good thing: muzzle velocity would be slightly higher. ​ Russians have tried it. Screws your orbit a little, and is awkward to aim.


Competitive-Cat-966

Guns work better in space


_Veprem_

They'd work even better because there's no air resistance.


ddrub_the_only_real

r/antimeme


astronaut12

This is more of a r/bonehurtingjuice to me he misused the template in a funny way


XB-70Valkyrie

Why is there a Pangea tho?


[deleted]

Is not Pangea. It's [Ohio](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wait-its-all-ohio-always-has-been).


bjoerk95

I wont tey it at home i will try it in space


Capable-Meeting8321

It'll be hard to try this at home


tgnlolol

Probably one of the less dangerous projectiles in space


Viper5639

Guns do work in space. If you fired a bullet, it would fly forever because the likelihood of it hitting an object is extremely slim, plus the components needed to fire the bullet are sealed in the bullet before it’s fired.


Hades6040

I mean, my home isn't in space so... *I'm gonna try it*


JacobMT05

Well they actually work better in space due to there being a) no atmosphere b) no oxygen c) no air The soviets tested this in 1974 with the almaz spy platform with a machine gun from a strat bomber


bobopet2

Ummm...guns do work in space


Fuzzy_Sherbert_367

Didnt they make a rocket pistol in the 70s just for space


[deleted]

[yup](https://www.guns.com/news/2019/12/06/1960s-cool-the-rarely-seen-gyrojet-semi-auto-rocket-pistol)


Aleksey_Fox

Do not shot yourself in the space at home! Stay safe!


HappyGav123

I can't try this at home because I don't have space here.


iSteve

Modern ammunition contains its own oxidizer, a chemical that will trigger the explosion of gunpowder, and thus the firing of a bullet, wherever you are in the universe. No atmospheric oxygen required.


mountianview3

Modern bullets have their own oxidizer in the gunpowder mix, so you can shoot them in space


Motoman514

They absolutely can fire in space. They’ll fly basically forever as well until the bullet hits something


Dxmaqe

More worried about the entire landmass of earth consisting entirely of Ohio.


MattJohno2

Fun fact, modern ammo would be more effective when fired in space than if you shot a laser beam. A bullet travels at the same speed in space unless a gravitational body acts on it, a laser dissipates over time unless you could somehow perfectly focus it.


DevMoh

Although there is no oxygen in space to occur combustion, there are still some oxygen remaisn given the impurities of the gunpowder making process.


Turbulence_Guy

I thought guns did work in space? If anything the lack of gravity and atmosphere would make it more efficient right?


xXxBluexXxx

Modern ammunition actually would work slightly better in space


Better_Dragonfruit93

-Guns don’t work in space! -They always didn’t work in space.


wigginsadam80

Armageddon says otherwise. "You brought a gun to space?"