Broadband Tech > General Questions > How do I tell the difference between fireworks and gunshots?

How do I tell the difference between fireworks and gunshots?

you cant reliable to the difference even police have trouble

the only way to really tell is to see ether the gun being shot or the firework itself (if you had a good trained animal they probably can tell a difference though)

unrelated note wearing a helmet outdoors at night would probably be safest way anyway you view it that way even if a bullet hits your head it wont likely kill you

(topic move) How do I tell the difference between fireworks and

reply to signmeuptoo

Re: How do I tell the difference between fireworks and gunshots?

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In the case of a bullet fired at a precisely vertical angle (something extremely difficult for a human being to duplicate), t bullet would tumble, lose its spin, and fall at a much slower speed due to terminal velocity and is therefore rendered less than lethal on impact. However, if a bullet is fired upward at a non-vertical angle (a far more probable possibility), it will maintain its spin and will reach a high enough speed to be lethal on impact. Because of this potentiality, firing a gun into the air is illegal in most states, and even in the states that it is legal, it is not recommended by the police. Also the MythBusters were able to identify two people who had been injured by falling bullets, one of them fatally injured. To date, this is the only myth to receive all three ratings at the same time.

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reply to signmeuptoo
Experience helps, but it not a sure thing. It really doesn't matter much, you won't be able to dodge the bullet if it has your name on it. You may not even hear it until after your hit.
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Chris
Living in Paradise!!

reply to signmeuptoo
The only difference I can tell you is if the gun has a recoil break (rifle etc.) the retort will be much sharper than usual. Otherwise I cannot tell the difference between a firecracker and a gun.

My father in law in a gun smith and can usually pick out if it is a firecracker, .223, 30-06, .22pea shooter, shotgun, etc. But he is ex army, and fires these guns all the time so he can tell the subtle difference.

I also know that shot locator's used by the police and sniper locator's used by the army etc. can tell the difference and can, not only pinpoint where it went off, but also what just went off and the direction the shot went. I believe you need 2 or more mics picking up the sound for best results.

reply to chrisretusn

Oh my, you've been hit??? God bless you!

reply to signmeuptoo
If you find yourself asking this question... it's time to move.

reply to Coma
Wow. That is, well, wow. Bless you.

reply to signmeuptoo
Well, there are areas that are worse, and possibly towns that are worse. We all do what we can, thanks for the answers guys. I think I will start pressuring politicians to get this area installed with those gunshot detection devices.

reply to Doctor Olds
Mythbusters isn't the end all be all. So try telling that theory to this little girls parents. »content.usatoday.com/communities···vt6D3qVo

Reading isn't the end all be all either it seems, since you know, they said the exact thing that happened in that news story could infact likely happen?

"However, if a bullet is fired upward at a non-vertical angle (a far more probable possibility), it will maintain its spin and will reach a high enough speed to be lethal on impact."

Simply reiterating the facts again. You see I was working the night they brought that little girl to MY hospital, I got to watch her die, not you, not Doctor Olds, but me.

And again, what does that have to do with Mythbusters being incorrect (even though in this particular case their findings are in line with the link you posted)?

reply to gillespie

quote:

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To date, this is the only myth to receive all three ratings at the same time.

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quote:

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Also the MythBusters were able to identify two people who had been injured by falling bullets, one of them fatally injured.

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reply to gillespie
FTA: "A teenage Amish girl shot on the way home from a Christmas party in her horse-drawn buggy was apparently killed by a stray bullet fired by a man cleaning his rifle 1.5 miles away, an Ohio sheriff says."

How is it that the Mythbuster's findings would not apply to your example?
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I do not, have not, and will not work for AT&T/Comcast/Verizon/Charter or similar sized company.

reply to signmeuptoo
"How do I tell the difference between fireworks and gunshots?"

When you hear the noise look down at your chest if there is no blood it's fireworks, if it's a gunshot you most likely are dead!

reply to signmeuptoo
You can tell the difference but there's no real way of explaining it without hearing the sounds. It all has to do with the powder.

A rifle/handgun round is designed to burn a small amount of powder extremely fast. By the time the powder has turned to gas and has exited the gun (after the bullet) it has cooled down and lost a lot of its pressure. Now to doesn't have the "oomph" to create much more noise. It will sound like a sharp crack that quickly dissipates much like the cracking of a whip.

A firework on the other hand is meant to either create noise or put on a light show, sometimes both. The small firecrackers have a sharp sound similar to a firearm but aren't as loud. The louder fireworks tend to use a slower burning powder that gives them a booming sound closer to that of thunder