BINARY SUNSET,

As someone who writes fics with action sequences and the use of guns, I thought maybe it would be helpful to pass some things on. Even though I’ve done lots of research and talked with family members (I live in WI which is a big hunting state and we have lots of guns), I still catch myself making mistakes with specific terms and their usage. Reading more James Bond fics lately, I catch others making mistakes also. So here is a little guide to help writers. 

A ‘clip’ is something that stores multiple rounds of ammunition. It is not what you would insert into a handgun to load it. Clips make loading into a magazine easier because they simply store the rounds. It helps with organization. 

A magazine is what feeds the ammunition into the barrel. Magazines vary in capacity. They, unlike clips, are spring-loaded, which helps the ammunition move in the gun. So, when you want a character to reload, they would use a pre-loaded magazine, NOT a clip. 

A silencer is really a suppressor. ‘Silencer’ is a word that’s used in media to refer to a suppressor that doesn’t exist in real life. Guns that are suppressed will still be loud and have a sound. This is because compressed air will still leak out of the end of the barrel, you can’t silence a bullet moving extremely fast through the air, and you can’t silence the mechanical parts on a gun. There will be a noise, but it just won’t be as loud or more importantly, alert people in a nearby area that a gun was just fired. SO suppressor is a much more accurate term technically speaking. 

There are different kinds of suppressors. One important kind suppresses the muzzle flash. It’s likely a sniper would use this more than they would want to use a sound suppressor, as the muzzle flash more easily enables you to be spotted when you don’t want to be. These are simply referred to as flash suppressors. 

After a handgun runs out of ammunition, the slide will lock back into place and you will know that it is out. There is no 'click’ signifying an empty weapon that is so dramatized in movies and tv. A more likely scenario that would prevent a gun from firing would be a jam. Or programming the gun to recognize certain palm prints. 

A great place for writers, in particular fanfic writers, who want information on guns is imfdb. You can find out what guns are used in movies and shows, and what guns characters use. You can also just search for guns. 

If you want to get really specific, check out YouTube. There are users who will post reviews of guns on there, which can be really helpful if you want to see how a particular gun looks or how to shoot it. 

@finaljedi​  :  ❛ i need to go alone. ❜  (  oh luke in RoTJ? )

          he wants to argue. to tell luke to ‘shove it where the suns don’t shine’ if he really thinks that biggs will allow HIM — his best friend — to surrender to the emperor and his lackeys. and for what? to save his father? claims of ‘good’ in vader are scoffed at ; his contempt at the idea clear. how could there be anything good in someone like him? vader was a monster. any good he’d had surely went to luke. 

          luke with his infallible trust in his friends. with his want to do good even at his detriment.

           ❛ fine. ❜

          biggs wants to argue but doesn’t ; knowing well that once luke’s made a plan he’ll keep going. this wasn’t tatooine and they weren’t bright eyed boys making plans on the back of his skyhopper. this was war. and if luke truly thought this was the best course of action then what could he do? still , biggs can’t help but call out when luke turns to walk away.

          ❛ luke? ❜ there’s a tightness to his voice that he doesn’t like. a shake in his hand that he stops by clenching down. reality settles and the idea that this could be the last time that either son of tatooine will see each other scares him. the breadth of what he wants to say is…nearly immeasurable. painful even. he wants to argue but all he can manage to say is: 

—

with  the  last   star  wars  :   the  rise  of  skywalker   having  come  out   ,   i  figured  i’d  make  a  meme  out  of  it.   i  can’t  promise  these  are  spoiler  free   ,   but  luckily   ,   it  won’t  spoil  that  much.   feel  free  to  change  pronouns  if  needed.