It doesn't accelerate after leaving the barrel, but it doesn't break the sound barrier until after. Think of it this way:
(suppresed rifle fires here)------------(bullet reaches speed of sound here)---------(people here)
Therefore, people will only hear sound from the direction the bullet was at when it broke the sound barrier. With short range shooting, this is irrelevant, but with long range sniper situations, it comes into play. Especially in urban areas where there are structures to deflect the sound waves from the sonic boom.
Also, on the subject of 'tater guns and such... You're probably right, but I think that has to do with local ordinances. Last I checked, under U.S. _federal_ law, it is legal to build a weapon for personal use, as long as it isn't a "destructive device" or a full-auto or whatever.
In a sniper rifle, subsonic bullets wouldn't be a huge concern... the projectile breaks the sound barrier _after_ it leaves the gun, so they wouldn't hear the muzzle blast, just the sonic boom.
Oh, yeah! Also, it is perfectly legal in the United States to build a firearm for personal use as long as it isn't full-auto or you intend to sell it. But, as has been pointed out, I'm not even sure this would classify as a firearm.
Saturn V was a waste of money! If NASA had to move a barstool, they'd use a semi... What needs to be done is total and complete deregulation! Private companies could get us -- not the elite preppie-astronauts -- into space ten times better and cheaper than NASA!
The government needs to scrap NASA and get off the free-market's back.
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I thought the cat was in a lead box...?
"Sandrail with Gauss cannon mounted on it ownz ATF SWAT team. Pictures at 11." :-)
It doesn't accelerate after leaving the barrel, but it doesn't break the sound barrier until after. Think of it this way:
(suppresed rifle fires here)------------(bullet reaches speed of sound here)---------(people here)
Therefore, people will only hear sound from the direction the bullet was at when it broke the sound barrier. With short range shooting, this is irrelevant, but with long range sniper situations, it comes into play. Especially in urban areas where there are structures to deflect the sound waves from the sonic boom.
Also, on the subject of 'tater guns and such... You're probably right, but I think that has to do with local ordinances. Last I checked, under U.S. _federal_ law, it is legal to build a weapon for personal use, as long as it isn't a "destructive device" or a full-auto or whatever.
In a sniper rifle, subsonic bullets wouldn't be a huge concern... the projectile breaks the sound barrier _after_ it leaves the gun, so they wouldn't hear the muzzle blast, just the sonic boom.
Oh, yeah! Also, it is perfectly legal in the United States to build a firearm for personal use as long as it isn't full-auto or you intend to sell it. But, as has been pointed out, I'm not even sure this would classify as a firearm.
And, for the record... I WANT ONE!
--Another libertarian/anarchist "geek-with-a-gun"
Saturn V was a waste of money! If NASA had to move a barstool, they'd use a semi... What needs to be done is total and complete deregulation! Private companies could get us -- not the elite preppie-astronauts -- into space ten times better and cheaper than NASA!
The government needs to scrap NASA and get off the free-market's back.
I don't care who gets a moonbase first... I'm applying for a job! :)
I think that's incorrect... from what I've read, we could mine the moon for decades and you would still need a telescope to see the crater.