From: malloy@nprdc.navy.mil (Sean Malloy)
Subject: Re: How do axioms really work?
X-Gated-By: The Black Marble Wombat@morticia.cnns.unt.edu
X-Gated-From: torg mailing list
Organization: University of North Texas
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Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 21:17:21 GMT

On Apr 7,  2:34pm, David Oakes wrote:
>  ! Again, no; you've already limited the maximum compressive force you
>  ! can get from wood; as long as it's consistently applied everywhere,
>  ! it's a _law_ of physics for that cosm. You can make gunpowder
>  ! functionally inert by placing an upper limit on the _speed_ of chemical
>  ! reactions; applied across the board, this is a consistent change,
>  ! establishing a _law_ of physics, and not only defuses the explosive
>  ! potential of other compounds, but eliminates the ability to get usable
>  ! power from fossil fuels as well as some exploitable oddities like
>  ! grain-dust explosions. 
> 
> again, acroos the board limits on CHEMICAL REACTIONS will hamper
> similar reactions in biological processes, and this is not a living problem
> (but then who's to say that life functions differently at TECH 7?)
> ("what do you mean the edinos as no internal organs?")

That's why I specified a limit on the _speed_ of chemical reactions;
organic reactions are significantly slower than those of explosives;
if the primer doesn't burn fast enough, it won't ignite the propellant
in a shell, and if the propellant doesn't burn fast enough, it won't
drive the bullet down the barrel -- at best, the bullet would tumble
slowly out of the barrel, followed by a brief tongue of flame from the
still-burning propellant.

>  ! A better example is firearms. At Tech 19, recoil-operated machine guns
>  ! are possible; submachine guns are not possible until Tech 20. You can
>  ! build a blowback-driven submachine gun identical in design to the
>  ! Tech 21 MP-40, but which fires Tech 19 ammunition; explain to me how
>  ! the _laws_ of physics permit a recoil-operated machine gun to
>  ! function, but prevent a recoil-operated _sub_machine gun from working.
> 
> the peopple at WEG dont know a f**king thing about guns?
> (and does the "tech 19" submachine gun just fire tech 19 ammo,
>  or does it use tech 20 machining and engineering as well?)

You can make a perfectly functional blowback-driven submachine gun
using Tech 18 manufacturing techniques and materials. In fact, if you
were willing to settle for a smoothbore weapon, you could make one
with Tech _10_ techniques and materials. What most people don't realize
is that it's a _lot_ easier to make a fully-automatic submachine gun
than a semi-automatic pistol. Basically, what it's made of is a
barrel and chamber, a spring-loaded bolt, a magazine just below and
behind the chamber, and a trigger mechanism. The bolt is pulled back
to cock the weapon, where the trigger mechanism holds it in place.
When the trigger is pulled, the bolt is released; it moves forward,
strips the top round out of the magazine, pushes it forward into the
chamber, and fires it with a fixed firing pin on the bolt. The recoil
force drives the bolt back, carrying the empty shell with it until the
extractor bar kicks the shell out the ejection port, and if not caught
by a released trigger mechanism, the bolt will return forward and fire
another round. Aside from the barrel/chamber, bolt face, and spring,
the remainder of the weapon can be (and was, during WWII) made out of
sheet metal. 

-- 
random sig #15:
Sean Malloy                                  | 
Navy Personnel Research & Development Center | Balance the budget -- declare
San Diego, CA 92152-6800                     | politicians a game species.
malloy@nprdc.navy.mil                        | 
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