The Writer's Guide to Weapons · A Practical Reference for Using Firearms and Knives in Fiction by Sobieck, Benjamin -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Title Page Copyright Page Disclaimer Acknowledgments About the Author Foreword Introduction

Ten Golden Tips for Writing Weapons

Part One: Firearms

Firearm Safety Shotguns 101

Pump-Action Shotguns Semi-Automatic Shotguns Single-Shot and Double-Barrel Shotguns Sawed-Off Shotguns

Shotgun Ammunition

Shotshells Slugs

Rifles 101

Semi-Automatic Rifles Fully Automatic Firearms Bolt-Action Rifles Pump-Action Rifles Lever-Action Rifles

Handguns 101

Pistols Revolvers

Rifle and Handgun Ammunition

A Quick Word About “Self-Guided” Bullets

Holsters and Concealed Carry

Right- or Left-Handed? Types of Holsters Holsters for Women Ammunition Holsters Concealed Carry

Suppressors, Silencers, Scopes, and Sights

Suppressors and Silencers Scopes and Sights

Ballistics

The Life of a Bullet Straight as a Bullet? More Like a Softball Aiming Stopping Power: Making the Hit Ballistics Tables Other Factors Psst … Here’s the Shortcut Send in the Stick Figures What About Shotguns? A Quick Word About Bulletproof Vests

Other Common Firearm Accessories and Their Uncommon Uses

Bayonets Bipods and Tripods Camouflage Collapsible Stocks Flashlights Grenade Launchers Hollow Stocks Pistol Grips Slings Spare Ammunition for Shotguns Spare Ammunition for Rifles and Pistols Spare Ammunition for Revolvers

Improvised and Custom Firearms

Zip Guns Custom Firearms Plastic Firearms (Including 3-D Printed)

Must-Know Firearm Laws

The National Firearms Act (1934) The Gun Control Act (1968) The Firearm Owners’ Protection Act (1986) Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1994) Why These Laws Matter 1994 Assault Weapons Ban The Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground Laws Stop the Threat: Firearms and Self-Defense in General Warning Shots: Not a Good Idea Concealed Carry Laws Open Carry Laws

Matching a Firearm to a Character

1. Determine the Role of the Character 2. Identify the Physical Attributes of the Character 3. Assign a Firearm Type 4. Choose a Caliber 5. Select the Actual Firearm 6. Get the Specs Putting the Steps Together Remember the Escape Route

How to Kill a Character with a Firearm

1. How Far Away Is the Character? 2. Is the Firearm Used by the Shooter Effective at that Range? 3. Could a Shot Hit the Target in a Vital Area? 4. How Likely Is the Shooter to Hit the Character? A Quick Note About Moving Targets Example Scenarios A Quick Note About Death

Part Two: Knives

Knife Safety Knives 101

Switchblades Assisted Opening Knives Butterfly Knives Fixed Blade Knives Folding Knives and Pocketknives Kitchen, Butcher, and Steak Knives Survival Knives and Multi-Tools Machetes Throwing Knives Straight Razors

Knife Sharpening and Sheaths

Sharpening Is a Process Sheath Materials: Steel Ain’t It

Improvised and Custom Knives

Shivs and Shanks: Knives That Would Make MacGyver Proud (or Not) Disguised Knives: Probably Illegal, Definitely Dramatic Ballistic Knives: Just One Trip to the Hardware Store Away Custom Knives: Turning Trash into Talons

Must-Know Knife Laws

A Primer on How Knives Are Purchased Switchblade Laws Switchblades Are So Twentieth Century: Meet the Assisted Opening Knife Writers Aren’t Lawyers, so Why Do These Knife Laws Matter? Other High-Regulation Knives Pocket Clips Is There a Perfectly Legal Carrying Knife? The Perfectly Acceptable Response Knives and Self-Defense A Brief Word About Concealed Carry of Knives

Matching a Knife to a Character

1. What Is the Role of the Character? 2. How Will the Knife Be Used? 3. How Hard Will the Knife Be Used? 4. How Much Does Stealth Matter? 5. How Skilled Is the Character? 6. Choose the Knife Type Example Scenarios Take It One Step Further

How to Kill a Character with a Knife

Dissecting Knife Violence: The Three Purposes Think Quick, Knives Are Fast Fighters Know the Three Ways to Injure Knife Combat Essentials Where to Use a Knife on a Character: Kill-’Em-Quick Hot Spots Where to Use a Knife on a Character: Challenging Areas Where to Use a Knife on a Character: Painful, but Not Always Deadly How to Dismember a Character A Quick Word About Forensics

Part Three: Must-Know Weapons Info

Top Weapons Myths

1. Clip and magazine mean the same thing. 2. Bullet is the same as shell, round, or cartridge. 3. Pumping a shotgun heightens the dramatic effect. 4. The same goes for cocking the hammer on a handgun for dramatic effect. 5. Most rifles and all shotguns reload with a pump. 6. It’s okay to look down the barrel to see if it’s loaded. 7. The term assault weapon is a handy catchall term for any rifle with military-style features. 8. Semi-automatic and fully automatic are pretty much the same thing. 9. Fully automatic firearms are just as accurate as any other weapon. 10. Fully automatic firearms will fire continuously for minutes on end. 11. It’s easy to make a vehicle’s gas tank explode by shooting it. 12. A firearm’s rate of fire equals how many shots it can make in one minute. 13. Bigger knives are always badder. 14. Blood grooves (also called fullers) on a knife are named after the bodily fluid. 15. Dull knives are safer knives. 16. A gun is always more dangerous than a knife. 17. Switchblades are the most deadly kind of knives. 18. Suppressors (a.k.a. silencers) render a gun completely silent. 19. Sawed-off shotguns are far more powerful than their full-barrel counterparts. 20. The “smell of cordite” is in the air. 21. Tilting a handgun to the side to look cool is an effective way to shoot. 22. Being shot by a gun is like getting hit by a train loaded with concrete and circus animals. 23. Real-world gunfights can drag on and on. 24. Handguns go click-click-click when they’re empty. 25. Characters should shoot the locks out of doors to gain entry. Half-Myths to Keep in Mind One Final Point: It’s Not the Size of the Boat but the Motion of the Ocean

The Hit List

Top Firearms and Knives of Film and Fiction Top Shotguns Top Hunting and Sporting Rifles Top Fully Automatic Firearms for Military Characters and More Top Picks for Military Firearms of Yesteryear Top Sniper Rifles Top Revolvers for Private Eyes, Gunslingers, and More Top Pistols for Law Enforcement and Other Characters Top Handguns for Spies Top Switchblades, Automatics, and Assisted Opening Knives Top Folding Knives Top Fixed Blade Combat Knives Top Survival Knives and Multi-Tools Top Machetes Top Boot Knives Top Butterfly Knives

True Crime Stories from Real Crime Writers

What It’s Like to Be Shot What It’s Like to Be in a Gunfight What It’s Like to Be in a Knife Fight Imitating Hollywood Could Get Someone Killed

Tactics Used by Law Enforcement and the Military

Send in the SWAT Team Traffic Stops Stop and Frisk Making an Arrest and the Use of Force A Crash Course in Military Tactics

Glossary Bonus Download: Exhaustive Weapons Listings Bibliography Have a Question? Ask the Author Get More Maynard

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