The Day of the Jackal

[Derelan]

I was wondering about this book/movie, specifically the gun in question used. Does anyone have any idea what caliber/type of bullet was used in this story? All i know was that it was drilled at the tip, half filled with mercury, then soldered off at the tip again.

Some pics of the disassembleable mini-rifle in the movie version:

The bullet was subsonic when fired at level range, but almost supersonic at the assassination attempt at a downward angle. It took a couple seconds for it to hit a 400m target.

 

[Kibbles-N-Bits]

I don't recognize the gun in question. It looks like something prototyped for the movie. Maybe a bizarre .22 rimfire? Those are subsonic.

As for the timespan... I think that the time differential is just an effect of the movie, I think. 400m is not a large distance at all. Even a subsonic round (travelling <340m/s) will cover that in just over a second.

As for the use of mercury in the tip of a round, supposedly by hollowing the tip of the bullet, adding a drop of mercury and leaving a small airspace when re-sealing, it increases the amount of kinetic energy released into the target.

What I have read is that when the round is fired, the mercury is slammed towards the rear of the projectile, and upon impact, moves forawrd and causes the projectile to fragment. This releases most, if not all, of the energy into the target: preventing over-penetration and causing more tissue damage.

Not to mention it looks badass in a movie about an assassin! Whether all that is actually true or effective, well, I haven't tested it obviously.

 

[Derelan]

I don't recognize the gun in question. It looks like something prototyped for the movie. Maybe a bizarre .22 rimfire? Those are subsonic.

The gun in question is a custom designed to disassemble into almost everything and be concealed.

As for the timespan... I think that the time differential is just an effect of the movie, I think. 400m is not a large distance at all. Even a subsonic round (travelling <340m/s) will cover that in just over a second.

Thats what the book said, about a second. I agree the movie was a bit off.

As for the use of mercury in the tip of a round, supposedly by hollowing the tip of the bullet, adding a drop of mercury and leaving a small airspace when re-sealing, it increases the amount of kinetic energy released into the target.

What I have read is that when the round is fired, the mercury is slammed towards the rear of the projectile, and upon impact, moves forawrd and causes the projectile to fragment. This releases most, if not all, of the energy into the target: preventing over-penetration and causing more tissue damage.

That sounds exactly like what the book said, did you quote it?

Not to mention it looks badass in a movie about an assassin! Whether all that is actually true or effective, well, I haven't tested it obviously.

The book and movie are both true stories.

 

[keihaswarrior]

The bullet was subsonic when fired at level range, but almost supersonic at the assassination attempt at a downward angle.

That doesn't sound at all possible. The bullet's maximum velocity is just after exiting the barrel, from then on it is always losing speed.

There is no way that the bullet accelerated to supersonic speed after exiting the barrel of the gun.

Searching for the actual bullet or rifle used seems impossible when there are so many technical errors and things simply made up to sound clever. Whatever the assassin used in the story might be completely fictious, rendering the effort to research the exact bullet/rifle used pointless.

 

[BobTheFearlessFish]

not to mention mercury is poisonous. getting it smashed into your skin is not advised.

 

[Derelan]

That doesn't sound at all possible. The bullet's maximum velocity is just after exiting the barrel, from then on it is always losing speed.

There is no way that the bullet accelerated to supersonic speed after exiting the barrel of the gun.

Thats true, but it is common sense to know that it will be travelling faster if it has less resistance due to gravity in the entire firing process. Which is why snipers adjust their sights up a notch when they are upground, since they don't need to worry about ballistic drop as much

Searching for the actual bullet or rifle used seems impossible when there are so many technical errors and things simply made up to sound clever. Whatever the assassin used in the story might be completely fictious, rendering the effort to research the exact bullet/rifle used pointless.

Spoiler

Probably not documented because the assassin missed his shots.

 

[Cap'n Beeb]

If I recall correctly, the whole mercury thing is nonsense, as it reacts to lead in such a way it'd render such OMG APPLY +3 MERCURY FOR 25% DAMAGE INCREASE attempts useless.

But it still sounds neat.

 

[ravens_hawk]

I don't think mercury reacts with lead, it would seem they both have positive oxidation states (ie they both tend to lose two electrons.) Of course this is for pure lead and mercury, if they're in someother compound when making the bullet it would be different. But in theory it sounds like it would work, maybe not leave the 5" holes some people suggest but...

As for speeding up past the speed of sound, no, just no.

 

[DEFkon]

Oh unless it was a neutron bullet, in which case it'd accelerate after being "shot", and then would declerate, and then accelerate, and over and over and over again, till it made the planet look like swiss cheese and finally came to rest at it's core.

 

[Nightmare]

You don't need neutron bullets for that. The one they killed JFK with would be enough.

 

[Hadmar]

You don't need neutron bullets for that. The one they killed JFK with would be enough.

I tell you that's the same one that travelled back in time to kill the dinosaurs.

 

[Derelan]

If mercury reacts with lead then he may have used bismuth instead of lead.

 

[GenoOfTheCrayon]

As for speeding up past the speed of sound, no, just no.

I believe he said almost supersonic.

 

[Harrm]

JFK, the Dinosaurs, hell, that magic bullet even killed all the oranges in my fruit drawer.

Mmmm...them bullets is mighty tastey.

--Harrm

 

[Keganator]

Mercury is extremely toxic, but it is fun to play around with if you ever get a chance in a chemistry lab or something.

Reminds me of an interesting chemistry story. In high school, our surly and sarchastic chemistry teacher was asked to catalogue all the dangerous chemicals in the chemistry room by our new principal. He went and grabbed the latest inventory sheet and turned it in, explaining that everything, in the correct doses, would be toxic. The principal learned his lesson, and never asked the teacher for another favor again.

 

[Derelan]

A non-toxic alternative to playing with mercury is Gallium. Just clench a lump of it in your hands and it will melt

Or alloy it with tin, and its a liquid above 20*C.