Lots of my neighbors proved they don't have sense enough to come in out of the rain last night. Raining cats, dogs and buckets, and they spent 4-5 hours out setting off fireworks. Sheesh.
Happy New Year to one and all!
Sue

Celebratory gunfire is a class I misdemeanor in Virginia.  If convicted, one would face up to 1 year in prison and up to a $2500 fine, but if an injury is proved, it becomes a felony.  Sadly, every year there is celebratory gunfire and few, if any arrests, and there is usually property damage and a pretty good chance someone will be injured or killed.  I don't think anyone has actually been convicted on such a charge as it requires someone to witness the firing and turn in the suspect.  I live south of Richmond, VA, there were 6 people in Richmond struck by falling bullets and several homes and vehicles were damaged in the first few minutes of 2022.

Before reading this topic, the only place I'd heard of with celebratory gunfire was at wedding celebrations in rural Afghanistan but maybe it was common in the old Wild West.

5 minutes ago, dmwalker said:

but maybe it was common in the old Wild West.

In western movies it is quite common as the gangs ride through town firing into the air.  How real that was back then none of us really know.  Our vision of the old west is Hollywood's vision of the old west.

But it is quite common out here in the new west on New Year's Eve and on the 4th of July.

Noel

A company I previously worked for used to manage a Gulfstream G-IV owned by a mining company based in Cleveland. The company had cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and once per year the aircraft would fly to Africa so that executives could visit their holdings.

It was always a stressful trip for all involved, because the Congo is not a particularly safe place. There is a lot of violence perpetrated by various rebel factions in the country. The airport (Lubumbashi) was in a part of the country that was relatively quiet, but it was still a trip where they tried to get in and out as quickly as possible. 

On the return flight to the US after one visit, the pilot was using the aft lav while crossing the Atlantic, and noted a whistling noise coming from a ceiling panel in the back of the main cabin. We investigated when the aircraft got home. When we took the ceiling panel down, we found a bullet in the fiberglass insulation, with a hole in the roof panel directly above where the bullet was found.

We sent the bullet to the NY State Police ballistics lab who determined that it had come from a Kalashnikov rifle. For the bullet to have struck where it did, (on top of the plane) it would either have to have been fired straight up and hit the plane when in fell back down, or someone fired at the aircraft when it was climbing steeply after takeoff.

 

I was pleasantly surprised this New Years Day when I only heard one gun firing two mags worth of rounds.  That was it!  🙉

Lucky you Father Bill.  I heard it for about a half hour all quadrants.  If I weren't so old I go up on the roof and check for damage.

Noel

2 hours ago, birdguy said:

Lucky you Father Bill.  I heard it for about a half hour all quadrants.  If I weren't so old I go up on the roof and check for damage.

Noel

no need  to go to the  roof  just wait  for it  to  rain 🙂

I shouldn't be too complacent. Maybe the tradition is creeping into Canada:

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/01/02/opp-charge-17-with-weapon-related-offences-after-shots-heard-in-melancthon-township.html

....sorry about the double post of the TBM with the bullet hole posted first by Rob  and  then by me...  somehow I missed Rob's post.

I can't edit or delete my post now...  maybe locked in after a certain time.

If a moderator could please remove my posts and save my embarrassment.... thanks

3 hours ago, dmwalker said:

Maybe the tradition is creeping into Canada

Gosh, I hope not. I haven’t heard of any other similar news items on Canadian news media.

Come to think of it … I’m wondering if it was something like target shooting or some other type of horsing around, given the gunshots were heard around 6 pm and the location was a “large field” on a “rural property.”

4 hours ago, aerostar said:

remove my posts and save my embarrassment.

too late  for  that 🙂 not  quite  sure  think  you got  4  minutes  before it  locks  out  on you

Edited January 3, 20224 yr by pete_auau

On 1/1/2022 at 6:05 AM, martin-w said:

 

Crazy stuff. I recall if the trajectory is above 45 degrees it loses the velocity of the shot and falls under gravity so less dangerous. Below 45 degrees and there's still sufficient velocity to kill.

 

SImple physics.  If you throw something in the air at 10fps it will hit the ground AT -10FPS neglecting air resistance and the angle of launch does not matter.  Still deadly.

5 hours ago, harrry said:

SImple physics.  If you throw something in the air at 10fps it will hit the ground AT -10FPS neglecting air resistance and the angle of launch does not matter.  Still deadly.

 

No that's not correct Harry. The flight path angle of the projectile is important in regard to the energy the projectile will have upon impact.

If less than 45 degrees the projectile still retains a significant percentage of the energy/velocity from the original propellants detonation, thus is more deadly.

On the other hand, a flight path angle greater then 45 degrees, means the projectile will expend its energy reaching a peak altitude at which time much of the velocity from the original shot will be depleted. It will then fall purely as a result of gravity at terminal velocity (minus any air resistance). Injury can still occur and can be deadly but less energy than a lower trajectory.

The other factor is bullet tumble. A projectile falling under gravity will tumble increasing air resistance.

The bottom line is don't fire rounds into the air at any angle. 

Edited January 3, 20224 yr by martin-w