Plugging a Gun???

[crouton1198]

Is anyone familiar with this (from the movies): Man A is holding a gun on Man B. Man B slowly works his way closer to Man A, while cleverly distracting him with small talk. Suddenly Man B plugs the barrel of the gun with his finger.

What would happen if Man A squeezed the trigger? Would the gun blow up? Would whatever is plugging the barrel be destroyed? The force of the explosion that propels the bullet must go somewhere.

 

[sunsplash1]

It gets messy at both ends...

 

[stu neville]

This was on Mythbusters IIRC a while ago - again, IIRC both parties would lose at least a hand. The bullet would still come out of the barrel, and some of the recoil gases would come out of the chamber poss blowing the gun up (depending on type of gun being used).

 

[dreeness]

It would have to be a big gun, or a skinny finger.

 

[wembley8]

Seem to remember this from James Garner in 'Support Your Local Gunfighter'?

Don't know if it work work at all, but it might make the person with the gun think twice because of the possible risk (only an idiot fired with an obstructed barrel) - and in that situation what do you have to lose?

But you'd have to be an optimist to expect to have much of a finger left.

It's cleverer to get your finger between the hammer and the firing pin...

 

[OneWingedBird]

Haven't seen the James Garner film but you might have had a better chance at this stunt in that era - a lot of the firearms then were very unreliable and poorly engineered by today's standards, and rather less accurate than portrayed in most western movies.

On a related note - what about the stunt that Jet Li does in Lethal Weapon 4, where he yanks Mel Gibson's gun a funny way and it dismantles in his hand - is that actually possible? Or did they make it up for effect?

 

[CoffeeJedi]

anyone see what happens to Benicio Del Toro in Sin City when someone does this? (albeit not with a finger) don't know how realistic it was, but it sure was funny!

 

[Anome]

Seem to remember this from James Garner in 'Support Your Local Gunfighter'?

Actually, what he did was more credible. He slipped a rod into the chamber next to the barrel of the gun, jamming the cylinder. As cocking the gun advances the cylinder, the gun couldn't be cocked, and so couldn't be fired.

[EDIT]Actually, he may have inserted the rod down the barrel, working on the premise that most people keep an empty chamber in the barrel to prevent accidental fires.

 

[Heckler]

On a related note - what about the stunt that Jet Li does in Lethal Weapon 4, where he yanks Mel Gibson's gun a funny way and it dismantles in his hand - is that actually possible? Or did they make it up for effect?

If you pulled the slide back (on an automatic) and pushed the slide release pin and pulled the slide stop forward then you could disessemble it the way Jet Li does it. Whether you could do it so fluidly or quickly I'm not sure, I guess with practice you could.

 

[AMPHIARAUS]

crouton:
What would happen if Man A squeezed the trigger? Would the gun blow up? Would whatever is plugging the barrel be destroyed? The force of the explosion that propels the bullet must go somewhere.

At a guess if it was a gas or recoil operated automatic the breech would unlock, the recoil block would move back and the gases would escape out the rear end of the barrel instead of the muzzle, possibly causing a heavier recoil than usual. I wouldnt want to put that theory to a test though.

Something with a fixed breech and thin barrelled - like double barrelled shotguns do swell and/or burst when blocked.

 

[dilligaf710]

with my Colt 1911a1, if the slide is moved back about 1/8" it can't be fired.
same with my G21. it's an internal disconnect.
not quite the same as plugging with a finger, but still worth a little note.

i've never heard of anyone actually plugging a barrel with a finger with any results. most of what i have seen are previously fired bullets obstructing the bore, packed with dirt, small stones, etc.

on another note, one handgun manufacturer has a few special replacement parts to allow underwater firing of their pistols.