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Discussion » Questions » Science and Technology » What is the diff between a semi-automatic and fully automatic weapon in terms of how many rounds per minit? ?

What is the diff between a semi-automatic and fully automatic weapon in terms of how many rounds per minit? ?

Does fully automatic kill twice as many twice as fast as semi? Arithmetic or geometric progression? Are there double fully automatic weapons? Gun-ignorant folks wanna know these things.

Posted - October 6, 2017

Responses


  • 44647
    Semis can only fire as fast as you can pull the trigger. Fully auto varies from weapon to weapon. The military has Gatling guns that can fire thousands of rounds per minute. Scroll to 1:20. They are much louder when you are nearby. We had two on my second ship.


    This post was edited by Element 99 at October 7, 2017 3:07 AM MDT
      October 6, 2017 12:37 PM MDT
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  • Technically speaking gatling guns aren't fully automatic. 
      October 6, 2017 3:20 PM MDT
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  • 44647
    Enlighten me.
      October 7, 2017 6:21 AM MDT
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  • From a technical standpoint they aren't considered such because they are basically a series of straight pull bolt actions that are rapidly fired in succession by external energy rotating them.  A full-auto action uses the excess energy ( be it from tapping some of the gas, recoil, or blowback etc, etc) to cycle the action of the gun. 

    By rotating the crank by hand or motor each individual barrel,bolt, firing assembly is being manually worked.
      October 9, 2017 5:59 PM MDT
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  • 44647
    Thank you...I am enlightened. They sure do kick some ass, though.
      October 9, 2017 6:07 PM MDT
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  • Yeah.  I saw one at a machine gun shoot down south once.  It's like this white noise of mayhem when the trigger is pulled.
      October 9, 2017 6:09 PM MDT
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  • 2500
    Not so good with an approaching Exocet missile fired from a Falcon 50 sporting Iraqi colors, is it? (I know, it was "off line" then because of its unreliable operating characteristics). Long live the USS Stark!
      October 6, 2017 5:34 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    THOUSANDS of rounds  per minit? Oh my gawd! That would shred a person into tiny bits! Did you guys have to wear earplugs Ele? I mean such loud noises could damage your hearing for sure. I'm trying to grasp what "thousands of rounds per minute" is. I cannot. How can anything operate that quickly? War is He**. That is where fully automatic weapons belong. In war. Not on the streets of Nevada in the hands of maniacs.  Sigh, Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday!
      October 7, 2017 3:10 AM MDT
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  • 44647
    I sounds like a gigantic swarm of bees. Only those very close needed hearing protection. We had a nickname for them...R2D2.
      October 7, 2017 6:26 AM MDT
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  • I don't have any guns of my own all I know is what I've seen on TV and I saw that a semi automatic rifle can fire a round every time you pull the trigger.
    As fast as you can pull the trigger it will fire clips of 30 bullets or more depending on clip I guess!
    A semi automatic rifle can be easily converted into a fully automatic rifle with an accessory that you buy online.
    Once it's fully automatic you just pull the trigger once and BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG......

    It will fire so fast that there's no escape.
      October 6, 2017 12:38 PM MDT
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  • 6023
    You don't even need to buy an accessory.
    There are YouTube videos on how to do it with just a belt ... or even without anything, just by holding the firearm a specific way.
      October 6, 2017 3:28 PM MDT
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  • Wow, that's scary.
      October 6, 2017 4:15 PM MDT
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  • Not entirely true.  Not all semi's can be converted to full-size and even ones that can aren't always easy to convert with appropriate kits.  Depends on the design.
      October 6, 2017 3:32 PM MDT
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  • True enough.
    I was just referring to the rifle that's so commonly used in these shootings, but I don't want to go into too much detail about these guns on here.
    Gives people bad ideas
    Thanks.
      October 6, 2017 4:23 PM MDT
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  • 2500
    So, you've seen an M1 carbine? That's the only weapon I know of that uses a "clip". All others use magazines. And bullets? I've got a couple of boxes in the garage. They're about as dangerous as a bag of small stones, other than the possibility of getting lead poisoning from eating a handful.

    And do you have a link to one of those "accessories" that you can buy on-line to convert a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon? I think that ATF wants to talk to those people, if you know what I mean. And on what TV source did you hear all of this nonsense? But no, you cannot easily convert a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon. Even the conversion kits that used to be sold to add a selective-fire trigger to the AR-15 require a skilled machinist and a fair bit of time to "install".  What a load of horse hockey. This post was edited by Salt and Red Pepper at October 6, 2017 5:27 PM MDT
      October 6, 2017 5:26 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    You pull the trigger ONCE and it's off to the races? The gun just keeps firing? Whoa! That's what the murderer used in Las Vegas. He had some of those conversion thingies (bump shots?) in the room with him along with lotsa weapons.  No escape. A weapon that should ONLY EVER  be used in wars in the hands of a maniac in a fancydancy casino hotel in Nevada. There are no words with which to describe such evil. SIGH. Thank you for your reply  Truthseeker and Happy Saturday!  :)
      October 7, 2017 3:15 AM MDT
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  • Thanks Rosie.
    Yeah he had everything he needed to kill all those people and then some.
    It's scary how easy it is for people to do that.
      October 7, 2017 4:37 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    I wonder if there are going to be some copycats who want to score higher in deaths/injuries? I mean this guy's name is now infamous so maybe there are others out there willing to die to become immortalized? I dunno. It just boggles the mind how evil/perverted some human beings can be. This guy was seemingly atypical and didn't fit the profile of a mass murderer. Could be your neighbor or supermarket clerk or gas station attendant. SIGH. Thank you for your reply Truthseeker! Sad, ain't it? :(
      October 7, 2017 4:41 AM MDT
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  • Yes, absolutely tragic.
    People will probably try to do worst than what he did otherwise no one will talk about it much if it isn't "The worst shooting ever."
    It seems to be all about attention whether it's terrorism or a mass shooting they want to be remembered.
    It's horrible and something's going to have to be done to make it harder for these people to take so many lives so quickly.
     
      October 7, 2017 4:57 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Unless the gun people have the will to change things there will be no way.  The gun people are very powerful Truthseeker! The NRA, all the gun manufacturers, all the folks who own gun stores, all the folks who exhibit at gun shows, all the 2nd Amendment aficionados. They are massive and intractable and will insist that guns are not a problem..people are and so they will fight to the death and kill (literally) to protect their right to own weapons that kill. That's the name of that tune and we all have to dance to it whether we want to or not. Thank you for your reply Truthseeker. Hate to be so depressing m'dear. SIGH.
      October 7, 2017 5:13 AM MDT
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  • You're completely right Rosie and it is very sad.
    I cried after Sandy hook for a long time and I still cried for a moment when I thought about those people in Las Vegas.
    It's just ridiculous already.

    This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at October 7, 2017 5:28 AM MDT
      October 7, 2017 5:23 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    You hear the same words from the same people in the same sequence after each "event". After Sandy Hook remember how the parents of the slain children went to Congress and stayed for days and days and days trying to lobby them to make changes? Week after week month after month with what results?  If the slaughter of 20 children isn't enough to move them the slaughter of 58 adults and hundreds of injuries to others won't move them. They are entrenched in self and have nothing left to care for others. SIGH. Thank you for your reply. As a parent you can only imagine the heartache of those parents who lost their children. So the heartlessness of politicians equals it. Sadly. :(
      October 7, 2017 5:35 AM MDT
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  • Yes and it makes me very angry at times.
    People are going to have to come together for the common good on this issue because it's not going away like they hoped.
    We have to show respect for the lives lost by doing EVERYTHING we possibly can to try to prevent at least some of these shootings.
    We should value life above all else in my opinion.



    This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at October 7, 2017 6:05 AM MDT
      October 7, 2017 6:01 AM MDT
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  • 13071
    Im not sure, i haven't looked. Mines in the shop.
      October 6, 2017 12:42 PM MDT
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