logoalt Hacker News

15155yesterday at 8:26 PM4 repliesview on HN

> metal detectors are kind of the primary way we try to find guns on people

What are bullets and shell casings made out of again?


Replies

Kirby64yesterday at 8:33 PM

More importantly, what is the barrel made out of? Yes, I know there’s some fully printed guns… but my understanding is that those are basically 1-time use and even then it’s questionable how reliable that single use actually is…

If you want something resembling an actual gun (more than one shot, won’t blow up in your hand, some reasonable chance of accuracy, etc), then you’re going to be using multiple metal components (including the bullets of course) all of which would show up on a metal detector.

trollbridgeyesterday at 8:40 PM

And I'd argue that shell casings are probably harder to manufacture than a fully working firearm. The equipment needed to manufacture working ammunition end-to-end is pretty serious.

show 1 reply
captaincrispyesterday at 8:34 PM

And importantly the barrel. Plastic cannot contain the pressure required to fire a bullet.

michaeltyesterday at 9:22 PM

In the movies, you hide the bullets in a pen or something, and it bypasses the metal detector along with the keys, phones and watches.

show 1 reply