Will it float? ( a military rifle, that is... ) SMLE?

That first pic shows a Quackenbush safety rifle, a Sharps carbine, a Daisy Red Rider...one can only imagine the seriously collectible guns that went over the side that trip.

In the early 1970's, A few miles of the coast of my home town, there was dumped at sea, several hundred Lithgow No1mk111's (and large amounts of mil 1950's Aust made Mk7 ball - purported to be 50,000 rounds plus) - told to me verbally by long past old timer

None ever washed back up to shore :crying:

I heard a fair bit of gear went into a deep sea trench West of Rottnest as well, as for the Mk III floating it will not float in water sea or fresh but it will in outer space, so ponder this can a rifle be fired in outer space! I reckon it could because the propellant supplies the reaction to push the projectile. Now going into Peters realm of I guess Applied Physics the equal and apposing forces rule by Einstein would that mean the astronaut being propelled backwards by the recoil forever and would the projectile go forever or until they both hit something.:dunno::confused:

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Originally Posted by CINDERS

so ponder this can a rifle be fired in outer space! I reckon it could because the propellant supplies the reaction to push the projectile. Now going into Peters realm of I guess Applied Physics the equal and apposing forces rule by Einstein would that mean the astronaut being propelled backwards by the recoil forever and would the projectile go forever or until they both hit something.

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Dude, you just blew my mind. :runaway:

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Originally Posted by butlersrangers

Guns didn't float in 1913 New York!

Attachment 77045Attachment 77046

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Photo proof that NY always sucked....

My brother made a wooden replica of an Owen Gun when we were kids, it floated..... and my eldest sun made a replica SMLE out of balsa, it floated.:dunno:

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Originally Posted by CINDERS

the astronaut being propelled backwards by the recoil forever and would the projectile go forever or until they both hit something.

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Yes...

MikeVee, do you have any idea yourself as to the answer to the question that you asked in Post 1?

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Originally Posted by CINDERS

I heard a fair bit of gear went into a deep sea trench West of Rottnest as well, as for the Mk III floating it will not float in water sea or fresh but it will in outer space, so ponder this can a rifle be fired in outer space! I reckon it could because the propellant supplies the reaction to push the projectile. Now going into Peters realm of I guess Applied Physics the equal and apposing forces rule by Einstein would that mean the astronaut being propelled backwards by the recoil forever and would the projectile go forever or until they both hit something.:dunno::confused:

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Can a rifle be fired in space, yes, I wonder what difference a vacuum would make to muzzle velocity .. bet Peter's got the answer!

It will give the astronauts something to do on route to Mars I guess.

Perhaps if MikeVee has a a SMLE MK III in full trim he could hurl it in a lake or their pool if they have one and report his findings pretty sure we all know the answer so Mike if you do not have a Mk III throw any rifle you have into the drink and report back oh do not forget to close the bolt would not want any water to get into the barrel would we now............................!!!:madsmile::p