16||0|904|0|yes
0|0|0|||1||Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|Laudre||01:12:03|07/19/2002|[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-19-02 AT 01:12 AM (EDT)]Backstory part%3A%0D%0A%0D%0AOkay%2C last year when I moved to Greensboro%2C NC%2C I befriended local and fellow Rabid Crack Weasel TRB%3B over the course of the year%2C he%27s awakened dormant gun interests that%2C I suppose%2C come from my Southern breeding or somesuch.  %28My father%27s from Arkansas%2C a state where you%27re born with a .378 in your hand.%29  Anyway%2C a few weeks back%2C when my prior accomodations ceased to exist%2C I moved into his house%2C and have become passingly familiar with his gun collection%2C including two pieces that he%27s planning on selling%3A a Heckler %26 Koch VP70Z and a CZ-75.  Now%2C I%27m very seriously considering buying one myself%2C so%2C this morning%2C I took the two guns out behind the house for some target practice.%0D%0A%0D%0AAfter putting twenty rounds %289mm Luger%2C 115 grain FMJ stuff made in Russia%2C gotten on the cheap%29 through the CZ-75 and thirty-something rounds through the VP70Z%2C I decide to call it a morning and head back inside.  Now%2C at this point%2C the VP70Z has clicked on an empty chamber%2C and the slide on the CZ-75 is locked back after firing the last round in the second magazine worth of rounds.  I put the guns down on the washing machine in the kitchen%2C go to check my email%2C take a shower%2C and whatnot%2C and when I come back out%2C I go back to the guns%2C to release the slide on the CZ-75 and decock it.  I pick up the CZ-75%2C glance down inside the chamber to visually confirm that it%27s empty%2C release the slide%2C and%2C after discovering that I%27m not yet sure how the decocker works%2C I pop out the magazine%2C and end up putting it back in%2C and just decide to dryfire it to drop the hammer.%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bb%5DBOOM.%5B%2Fb%5D%0D%0A%0D%0AFirst thought%3A okay%2C somehow I missed there being a round in the chamber or in the magazine... but the slide had been released %5Bb%5Dbefore%5B%2Fb%5D I pulled the magazine.  And I cleared the gun %5Bi%5Dtwice%5B%2Fi%5D -- once%2C outside%2C after the slide locked back%2C and again before doing what I thought was a dryfire.  I visually inspect the wall the gun had been pointed at%2C and there%27s no bullet hole%3B furthermore%2C no shell casing was ejected.  TRB%2C having heard the report and %28as I had%29 assuming that it was an AD%2C comes out and asks%2C and I explain what happened... and he doesn%27t have any idea%2C either.  He visually inspects the area%2C as well%2C and we can find no indication that a round has been fired anywhere in the area.%0D%0A%0D%0AIn other words%2C apparently the hand of God came down and loaded a blank into the CZ-75.  TRB asked about it on a couple of gun forums%2C and the general response seems to be that we%27re on some combination of hallucinogenics and psychotropics%2C as it%27s apparently something outside the experience of even veteran shooters.  %28That it happens to me the second time %5Bi%5Dever%5B%2Fi%5D I fire handguns is only typical of my life.%29%0D%0A%0D%0AWe%27ve got a couple of really hazy theories%2C but given the number of gunbunnies on this forum%2C I figured I%27d throw it out here and pick their collective brains about what exactly happened.  Though I%27m going to make a policy of making sure the guns click on empty chambers %5Bi%5Dbefore%5B%2Fi%5D I bring them back into the house henceforth and heretofore%2C I%27d still like to know exactly what %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D explode.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Sean -- %0D%0A%5Bb%5DRabid Crack Weasel %2342%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true%27.%22  -- Terry Pratchett %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.drelau.com%2F%7CDrelau Productions%5D %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.livejournal.com%2Fusers%2Feva_densetsu%2F%7CFollow my creative process%5D %0D%0A
1|1|0|||||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|TRB||01:28:42|07/19/2002|%3EI%27d still like to know exactly what %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D explode. %0D%0A%3E-- Sean -- %0D%0A%0D%0AAs would I. Call it my need to know B-%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AAll I can think of%2C aside from weak theories about unburnt powder accumulating in the firing pin hole%2C is for one brief moment we made contact with a parallel universe where John Woo physics are in effect and we got a free round.%0D%0A%0D%0ATRB%0D%0A
2|2|1|||1||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|Laudre||01:30:29|07/19/2002|%3E we made %0D%0A%3Econtact with a parallel universe where John Woo physics are in effect %0D%0A%3Eand we got a free round. %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C that would be circumstantially substantiated by the lack of environmental damage %3A%29.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Sean -- %0D%0A%5Bb%5DRabid Crack Weasel %2342%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true%27.%22  -- Terry Pratchett %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.drelau.com%2F%7CDrelau Productions%5D %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.livejournal.com%2Fusers%2Feva_densetsu%2F%7CFollow my creative process%5D %0D%0A
7|3|2|||||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|Ebony||14:09:33|07/19/2002|%3E%3E we made %0D%0A%3E%3Econtact with a parallel universe where John Woo physics are in effect %0D%0A%3E%3Eand we got a free round. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EWell%2C that would be circumstantially substantiated by the lack of %0D%0A%3Eenvironmental damage %3A%29. %0D%0A%0D%0AOf course%2C over in the Wooniverse%2C some innocent bystander just got shot by a mysterious %22Phantom Gunman%22 and is bleeding to death amidst a cloud of doves ....%0D%0A%0D%0AEbony the Black Dragon%0D%0Aaka Draco Draconis Ebenium%0D%0Aknown to MPAA as Aaron F. Johnson%2C%0D%0ASenior Editor%2C Living Room Games%0D%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.lrgames.com%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Law of Conservation of Bullets%3A  Bullets do not miss%3B they must hit something.%29
3|1|0|||||Gun Safety%2C was RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost B|acarr||10:55:07|07/19/2002|%3Eafter discovering that I%27m not yet sure %0D%0A%3Ehow the decocker works%2C I pop out the magazine%2C and end up putting it %0D%0A%3Eback in%2C and just decide to dryfire it to drop the hammer. %0D%0A%0D%0AFirst of all%2C what were you doing with a weapon that you didn%27t know how to operate. You should have asked the guy for a quick demo. I could go into a rant about gun saftey and stuff%2C but I won%27t %27cause...%0D%0A%0D%0A%3E%5Bb%5DBOOM.%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%0D%0AThat was the hand of %24DEITY telling you that you messed up. You%27re lucky that no one was hurt.%0D%0A%0D%0ANext time%2C before you play with something that can and will kill someone if not treated with respect%2C %5Bb%5Dlearn how to use it%5B%2Fb%5D.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- %0D%0AAndrew Carr
6|2|3|||1||RE%3A Gun Safety%2C was RE%3A Mystery of the Gho|Laudre||12:32:37|07/19/2002|%3E%3Eafter discovering that I%27m not yet sure %0D%0A%3E%3Ehow the decocker works%2C I pop out the magazine%2C and end up putting it %0D%0A%3E%3Eback in%2C and just decide to dryfire it to drop the hammer. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EFirst of all%2C what were you doing with a weapon that you didn%27t know %0D%0A%3Ehow to operate. You should have asked the guy for a quick demo.%0D%0A%0D%0AThanks for the condescension -- I watched him operate the decocker the other night%2C after he brought the gun in question home%2C but obviously I%27d missed something.%0D%0A%0D%0AThere are a %5Bi%5Dlot%5B%2Fi%5D of guns in this house.  There%27s also a bullet hole that passes through one of the living room walls and finishes trajectory elsewhere in the same room%2C from what is generally called an Accidental Discharge and is really a Dumb-Ass Discharge %28the gun fired because of lack of thought on the activity%3B it happened before I got here%2C so I don%27t have the full story%2C just that it scared the shit out of the guy who was sitting in the living room at the time%2C since it went through the mirror%2C causing it to explode outward%3B I think we%27re leaving it unrepaired%2C as well as keeping the bullet around%2C just as stark visual reminders of exactly what guns do%29.%0D%0A%0D%0ASee%2C as far as I can determine%2C I did nothing wrong -- I cleared the gun twice%2C as I%27ve stated%2C and it was pointed at a blank wall when I pulled the trigger%2C behind which was empty air and%2C eventually%2C a tree.%0D%0A%0D%0A1%29 Never point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to kill and%2For destroy.%0D%0A%0D%0A2%29 All guns are %5Bb%5Dalways%5B%2Fb%5D loaded %28and shit like this%2C as inexplicable as it apparently is%2C is why%29.%0D%0A%0D%0ACorollary to the above%3A if at any point you pull the trigger%2C do so as if you expect the gun to fire.%0D%0A%0D%0AThe point is%2C there shouldn%27t have been anything in the gun to fire%2C and the only evidence that there was a discharge was the smell of cordite hanging in the air afterward %28and the report%29.  We%27re trying to figure out what the hell %5Bem%5Ddid%5B%2Fem%5D explode.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Sean -- %0D%0A%5Bb%5DRabid Crack Weasel %2342%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true%27.%22  -- Terry Pratchett %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.drelau.com%2F%7CDrelau Productions%5D %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.livejournal.com%2Fusers%2Feva_densetsu%2F%7CFollow my creative process%5D %0D%0A
8|3|6|||1||RE%3A Gun Safety%2C was RE%3A Mystery of the Gho|Gryphon||14:38:51|07/19/2002|%3EThe point is%2C there shouldn%27t have been anything in the gun to fire%2C %0D%0A%3Eand the only evidence that there was a discharge was the smell of %0D%0A%3Ecordite hanging in the air afterward %28and the report%29. %0D%0A%0D%0AThis is the part where Zoner mentions that Cordite hasn%27t been used as an ammunition propellant since the First World War%2C and as such is unlikely ever to have been burned anywhere in your vicinity%2C so%2C just to save him the trouble%2C I%27ll do it.%0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor in Chief%2C Netadmin%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0A
9|4|8|||1||RE%3A Gun Safety%2C was RE%3A Mystery of the Gho|Laudre||14:56:16|07/19/2002|%3E%3EThe point is%2C there shouldn%27t have been anything in the gun to fire%2C %0D%0A%3E%3Eand the only evidence that there was a discharge was the smell of %0D%0A%3E%3Ecordite hanging in the air afterward %28and the report%29. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EThis is the part where Zoner mentions that Cordite hasn%27t been used as %0D%0A%3Ean ammunition propellant since the First World War%2C and as such is %0D%0A%3Eunlikely ever to have been burned anywhere in your vicinity%2C so%2C just %0D%0A%3Eto save him the trouble%2C I%27ll do it. %0D%0A%0D%0AAlright%2C metaphorical cordite%2C then.  Suffice it to say that it%27s the smell of burned propellant%2C something that%27s quite distinctive and that I%27ve become familiar with.%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Sean -- %0D%0A%5Bi%5Ddoesn%27t feel like googling for whatever the powder composition in modern cartridges is%2C since he has to leave for work and really just stopped back at the house for some change%5B%2Fi%5D%0D%0A%5Bb%5DRabid Crack Weasel %2342%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true%27.%22  -- Terry Pratchett %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.drelau.com%2F%7CDrelau Productions%5D %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.livejournal.com%2Fusers%2Feva_densetsu%2F%7CFollow my creative process%5D %0D%0A
4|1|0|||1||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|PCHammer||11:14:56|07/19/2002|%3E%5B...%5DI%27d still like to know exactly what %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D explode. %0D%0A%0D%0AOh%2C that%27s easy.  If it%27s the Mystery of the Ghost Bullet%2C then it was obviously Old Man Dickerson running around in his Ghost Bullet costume%2C trying to scare everyone away from the land so he could pick it up cheap and lay claim to the yet-untapped gold vein buried beneath the house.%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd he would have gotten away with it%2C too%2C if it weren%27t for you meddling weasels.%0D%0A%0D%0A- Rord Rilrartello%21%0D%0A- Or maybe it was ... RED HERRING%21
10|2|4|||||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|Meagen||15:48:31|07/19/2002|%3E%3E%5B...%5DI%27d still like to know exactly what %5Bi%5Ddid%5B%2Fi%5D explode. %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EOh%2C that%27s easy.  If it%27s the Mystery of the Ghost Bullet%2C then it was %0D%0A%3Eobviously Old Man Dickerson running around in his Ghost Bullet %0D%0A%3Ecostume%2C %0D%0A%0D%0A Just to confirm it%2C wait until someone seemingly falls asleep and explains everything while talking with his mouth shut. Pay no attention to the cute lil%27 kid hanging out nearby.%0D%0A%0D%0AMeagen
5|1|0|||||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|Sinapus||12:04:53|07/19/2002|[updated:LAST EDITED ON 07-19-02 AT 12:07 PM (EDT)]Not much of a gun bunny%2C but I do know that Rule %231 in Gun Safety is%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%5Bh3%5DThe gun is always loaded.%5B%2Fh3%5D%0D%0A%0D%0ABut it looks like you obeyed one of the other rules and didn%27t have it pointed at anyone so no one was hurt.%0D%0A%0D%0A
11|2|5|||||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|TRB||21:27:37|07/20/2002|The thing a lot of people seem to be failing to get is that no one would have been hurt anyway%2C since apparently there was no frickin%27 projectile involved %0D%0A%28nor a spent casing%2C for that matter%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AGryphon%3A That%27s a pretty broad statement re%3A cordite. How do -you- know I don%27t have an old Enfield and some tins of %5Bi%5DAncient .303%28tm%29%5B%2Fi%5D around here%3F %0D%0A%28Admitedly%2C I don%27t%2C but that%27s not due to lack of availability%29 B-%29 %0D%0A%0D%0ATRB%0D%0A%0D%0A%3ENot much of a gun bunny%2C but I do know that Rule %231 in Gun Safety is%3A %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3E%5Bh3%5DThe gun is always loaded.%5B%2Fh3%5D %0D%0A%3E%0D%0A%3EBut it looks like you obeyed one of the other rules and didn%27t have it %0D%0A%3Epointed at anyone so no one was hurt. %0D%0A
12|3|11|||1||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|Gryphon||22:54:20|07/20/2002|%3EGryphon%3A That%27s a pretty broad statement re%3A cordite. How do -you- %0D%0A%3Eknow I don%27t have an old Enfield and some tins of %5Bi%5DAncient %0D%0A%3E.303%28tm%29%5B%2Fi%5D around here%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AI don%27t%3B that%27s why I said %22unlikely%22%2C not %22impossible%22.  It certainly wouldn%27t have been coming from your Cz75%2C though%2C either way%2C unless you happened to stumble across a lot of 9mm Luger ammo originally manufactured for the use of the Kaiser%27s officers... %0D%0A%0D%0A--G.%0D%0A-%3E%3C-%0D%0ABenjamin D. Hutchins%2C Co-Founder%2C Editor in Chief%2C Netadmin%0D%0AEyrie Productions%2C Unlimited  http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eyrie-productions.com%2F%0D%0A
13|3|11|||||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|Anpwhotep||02:48:30|07/21/2002|%0D%0A%3EGryphon%3A That%27s a pretty broad statement re%3A cordite. How do -you- %0D%0A%3Eknow I don%27t have an old Enfield and some tins of %5Bi%5DAncient %0D%0A%3E.303%28tm%29%5B%2Fi%5D around here%3F %0D%0A%0D%0AMMm....because your house is still attached to this planet%3F%0D%0A%0D%0AThe problem with that ancient propellant is that as it ages%2C it becomes less and less stable%2C until it can be set off with a cross look. For that matter%2C it doesn%27t need to be all that ancient. I remember some .30-30 I had that had aged a mere 4 or 5 years%2C been trucked across 4 states%2C stored in various less than perfectly climate-controlled places%2C and then taken out to the range. Thank goodness I was shooting a new Marlin - all that happened was the bolt got backed out of the chamber about a half inch when I pulled the trigger. Needless to say%2C I disassembled those rounds and disposed of that powder VERY shortly thereafter.%0D%0A
14|1|0|||1||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|Matrix Dragon||01:23:37|07/23/2002|I found it%21 It%27s over in the Gundam Wing universe%2C or at least the version we got in Australia. In the last episode%2C Caines is telling the scientists to stop what they%27re doing or he%27ll shoot them...%0D%0A%0D%0A... But Doctor J. has already been shot. By a gun that never went off%2C never made a sound%2C and no one seemed to pay it any notice until J. is on the ground in pain. For a brief moment%2C your gun was linked to an alternate dimension. Cool%2C ain%27t it%3F%0D%0A%0D%0A%28Yes%2C I know that Cartoon Network just edited the first gunshot out%2C but I%27m in a weird mood today. And for the record%2C I%27m finding it bloody weird%2C and my old man doesn%27t believe you.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A---------------------------%0D%0AMatrix Dragon%0D%0ARabid Crack Weasel %23 123 %0D%0ADirector of the Okatu Intelligence Division%0D%0AApproach With Caution%0D%0A---------------------------
15|2|14|||||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|WengFook||04:40:53|07/23/2002|%3E--------------------------- %0D%0A%3EMatrix Dragon %0D%0A%3ERabid Crack Weasel %23 123 %0D%0A%3EDirector of the Okatu Intelligence Division %0D%0A%3EApproach With Caution %0D%0A%3E--------------------------- %0D%0A%0D%0Awell thats the Director of the Otaku Intelligence Division%0D%0Afor you.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahn%3F Okatu%3F%3F
16|2|14|||1||RE%3A Mystery of the Ghost Bullet|Laudre||16:22:08|07/23/2002|%3E And for the record%2C I%27m finding it%0D%0A%3Ebloody weird%2C and my old man doesn%27t believe you.%29 %0D%0A%0D%0AWell%2C it%27s dropped from about a seven to about a four on the weird-shit-o-meter%2C just because we%27ve established what exploded%3A primer.%0D%0A%0D%0APoorly crimped round.  Bullet falls out%2C along with most of the powder.  Resulting explosion%2C when the pin strikes the primer%2C looks and sounds like a gunshot%2C complete with a hell of a muzzle flash %28and I can vouch for it%29%2C but doesn%27t kick nearly as hard %28no Newtonian reaction from the bullet leaving the barrel%29.  I poked around yet again in the kitchen%2C and found the shell casing under the washing machine %28and it took some bizarre bouncing and rolling to get it under there%29%3B it%27s now sitting on top of my monitor%2C both as a monument to the surrealism of my life%2C and as a reminder of the incident.%0D%0A%0D%0AWhat my roommate and I are still mystified by is just where this casing was%2C that I could have missed it both in my initial check of the gun after firing %28look into the chamber via the open ejection port after the slide locks back on the last round%2C eject the magazine and check it%29%2C and the second time I cleared it due to it having been out of my sight and I was preparing for what should have been a dryfire.  There%27s not a great deal of room in one of these things%2C and with all the movement and manipulation%2C it %5Bb%5Dshould%5B%2Fb%5D have been ejected or just fallen out %28I was walking around with the slide locked back%2C meaning the ejection port was open%2C and there%27s nothing holding it in besides%2C you know%2C gravity%29.%0D%0A%0D%0AThat it didn%27t is both a mystery and an object lesson about %5Bb%5Dwhy%5B%2Fb%5D we have the gun safety rules we do.  %28Which is why the gun was pointed in a clear direction anyway -- all I have to do is ask myself if I want a bullet in whatever the gun is pointed at.%29  %28I%27ve also found out why the decocker lever didn%27t seem to work -- I just wasn%27t pushing it down hard enough.%29%0D%0A%0D%0A-- Sean -- %0D%0A%5Bb%5DRabid Crack Weasel %2342%5B%2Fb%5D %0D%0A%22All tribal myths are true%2C for a given value of %27true%27.%22  -- Terry Pratchett %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.drelau.com%2F%7CDrelau Productions%5D %0D%0A%5Blink%3Awww.livejournal.com%2Fusers%2Feva_densetsu%2F%7CFollow my creative process%5D %0D%0A