CVA Varmint .32

[Uncle Russ]

Well, I must be like that high altitude air, dense. I can't see the connection with a sudden change in air temp with helping to create a gun blast. I guess I'll have to come down out of the clouds. Thanks for trying.

Okay Hank ol'buddy, I think I see where your hang up may be....when you say, "I can't see the connection with a sudden change in air temp with helping to create a gun blast."

That temperature change does not help create a gun blast, but it is one of the determining factors in how you hear, or perceive to hear that gun blast....the pitch of the sound, the boom, the crack, or whatever the description of that sound one hears when that gun goes off.

It does not affect the actual ignition, or the gases rushing from the barrel, not until that ball is released totally from the barrel and enters into the atmosphere, where these forces immediately come into play....a time span of "Micro Millie fractions of a Second",  then the ambient temperature plays a roll in just how you hear the noise that was just made by that firing process.

Uncle Russ...

[Hank in WV]

BINGO!!! So it creates the sound wave and not the "explosion" itself. Seems I was making it a whole lot harder for myself than I had to. It must be the density altitude. After all, we are at over 600 feet here. 

[SharpStick]

All this talk about the noise of a gun blast and the speed of sound has got me thinkin.
I always noticed that a subsonic 22 LR shot in a long barrel rifle is quieter than a supersonic 22 LR shot in the same rifle short barrel. And a supersonic 22 LR shot in a pistol/revolver seems a lot louder than when shot from a long barrel rifle.

The difference between the subsonic and supersonic in the rifle is what (I think) is being discussed here.  The subsonic doesn't break the sound barrier so the only sound is from the very rapidly burning propellant and the resulting gases being expelled from the barrel. The supersonic adds in the sound of the bullet breaking the sound barrier, that is, the "crack".

But, why does the 22 LR in a handgun seem louder? The bullet is probably going slower due to the short barrel. If it doesn't make supersonic, the sound would be less. If it does make supersonic, it would seem the sound we be about the same.  Only, thing I can guess is the increased volume is due to the gases still moving fast when it reaches the end of the short barrel, possible even still burning (more muzzle flash) and that adds to the sound.

Now I have a homework assignment for all you muzzle stuffers.
Get a chronograph and decibel meter (there's probably an app for your smart phone), take 'em to the range and take a bunch of shots varying the amount of powder.  Vary the powder enough to get shots both above and below supersonic. Report back and tell us the powder amount, speeds and decibels and maybe how accurate the shots were.

Go ahead, do that! You were looking for an excuse to make smoke anyway 

[Winter Hawk]

(there's probably an app for your smart phone)

Not MY smart phone, it's one of those Dumb Phones which flip open.  I refuse to have a phone which is smarter than me!

~Kees~

[Uncle Russ]

(there's probably an app for your smart phone)

Not MY smart phone, it's one of those Dumb Phones which flip open.  I refuse to have a phone which is smarter than me!

~Kees~

Kees, does it look like mine??



Uncle Russ...

[Hank in WV]

I have a smart phone and it's still smarter than me.

[SharpStick]

(there's probably an app for your smart phone)

Not MY smart phone, it's one of those Dumb Phones which flip open.  I refuse to have a phone which is smarter than me!

~Kees~

Kees, does it look like mine??



Uncle Russ...

Let me rephrase that ...  take the smartphone, the app and your grandson ...

[Winter Hawk]

Kees, does it look like mine??



Uncle Russ...

Sorta - but mine's high-tech push button, not one of those old fashioned rotary dials... 

~Kees~

[Uncle Russ]

Kees, does it look like mine??



Uncle Russ...

Sorta - but mine's high-tech push button, not one of those old fashioned rotary dials... 

~Kees~

    

Uncle Russ...