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Slingshotgun
A postapocalyptic firearm that uses a slingshot to replace trigger and hammer. | |
In the postapocalyptic new world replacement hammer and trigger mechanisms will be in short supply, and these are the first to wear out in constant intense fire situations. A Slingshotgun uses a conventional slingshot to launch a firing pin to strike the primer of a bullet.
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Will there be a collector's limited edition model, personally signed by Mel Gibson? |
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Tricky. Easier to make a zip-gun.
A ballistic slingshot is just too cool not to (+) though. |
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Hammers and triggers are widely known to be the flimsiest
part of any firearm. The hammer on the M1911, for
example, is on careful examination revealed to be nothing
more than a cleverly bent paper clip, and on many
triggers parts of the “Coca-Cola” logo are still quite
noticeable. Even on the venerable M1 Garand the trigger
mechanism was commonly stamped out of sliced and dried
corncob—ostensibly to allow for easy field replacement,
but in fact the contractors saved literally pennies per rifle
produced by utilizing such “recycled” materials. |
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In order to avoid confusion between the rubber-band and the whirl-about-your-head models, I propose that the former be reclassified as an "organic crossbow". |
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//parts of the “Coca-Cola” logo are still quite noticeable// And yet I've never had a trigger or hammer break. Hmmm. |
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Okay, fine, I don't know what parts of a firearm are statistically most likely to fail first, probably jamming the action, but I don't know. I wanted to emphasize how much firing would be done in the postapocalyptic new world, is that wrong? Also the claim is about the postapocalyptic new world, shouldn't that suggest that the following statements are going to be somewhat stupid, or at the very least unconfirmable. |
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Instead of focussing on the literal presentation of the idea, think more about the aesthetics of the hybridization of slingshot and firearm. How beautiful would it be to use the outstretched band to pivot and aim the weapon , expressing your intent to maim and kill by releasing the firing pin, and an instant later discharging your weapon into the delicate bodily tissues of your opponent. For shame, 21quest, for shame! |
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//And yet I've never had a trigger or hammer break.
Hmmm.// |
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Actually, the triggers stamped out of Coke cans are
surprisingly reliable. It's the ones made from cheap
store
brand soda cans (“Mr. Pep”, “Misty Mountain”, etc.)
that
you really have to keep an eye on. |
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//I *have* an M1 Garand, and the trigger hasn't failed
yet.// |
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It's almost certainly not an original Garand then (you
can
tell by the word “replica” stamped on it, usually on
the
cycling cog or near the middle receiver hinge). The
original Garand was so prone to failure that more
kills in
the first year of its use in WWII were attributed to
using it
as a club than as a rifle. The use of corncob parts
actually
gave rise to the word “corny”, in the original sense.
To this
day, if you tell a WWII veteran that something is “as
corny
as an M1 Garand”, he will just smile and nod
knowingly. |
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Wikipedia's article on improvised weapons includes, "A rubber band provides the power for the firing pin, which is pulled back and released to fire." And I know I've seen pictures before of rubber bands cupping a little metal ball, mounted on the back of a pistol-like device. |
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Of course, spring power is often used to chamber rounds and to accelerate the firing pin. An elastic band is just another type of spring. This idea differs because the full functionality and appearance of the slingshot, including aiming, stabilizing the weapon, and launching the projectile, now the firing pin, is still intact. There is also no trigger mechanism on the weapon itself. |
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Not wanting to refer to halfbakery rules, but doing so against my own will the halfbakery is not purely for orginal inventions, but also inventions that are not widely known to exist. Thus the halfbakery becomes a place for curiosities conjured by the minds of those not completely grounded in reality. It can be expected that some things that might exist a little bit in reality would appear on the halfbakery. |
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I've seen pictures of zip guns constructed in this fashion
(usually built for small handgun calibers, however). |
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// I don't know what parts of a firearm are statistically
most likely to fail first // |
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Given the wide and diverse array of designs, it's difficult to
point to any one part or mechanism, but in my experience
the most frequent breakages and wear-failures involve
sears andor springs, firing pins, and extractors. Others may
not agree. |
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The most frequently disfunctional component of any
firearm, systemically speaking, is the user. |
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Reminds me of the saying the part most likely to fail on a motobicycle is the nut that connects the handlebars to the frame. |
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Are we talking about the same nut here? I always check to see if it's tight before I ride. It's called the steering stem nut. |
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When I worked in tech support the most common
problem was with the loose nut at the end of the
keyboard. |
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// Surely its the nut that connect the handlebars to the
seat. // |
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I believe he means the rider. At the risk of exposing myself
to a fresh round of ridicule, I must agree that the rider is
the weakest component of any motorcycle; it is the most
complex component and contains the most moving parts, it
is the part that is most vulnerable to impact, and it is
arguably the most prone to decalibration, especially after
the inadvisable application of various chemical additives. |
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// I don't know what parts of a firearm are statistically most likely to fail first // |
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What if rubber bands get to be in short supply? Ozone is tough on rubber bands and there will probably be enough ozone to turn your hair glass-clear. Those postapocalyptic mutants are going to laugh (or whatever that sound is that they make) when you try to rig your slingshot with a used prophylactic you found. |
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But I wonder ... could you grow your fingernail (or a well placed wart?) such that a hard flick could set off that bullet/shell? |
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With modern ammunition, no. Primer caps are built with
thick casings to prevent accidental discharge. To set one
off, you need something that can literally put a good dent
in the metal face of the cap. |
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But with postapocalypic appendages, yes. |
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