Shooting Under Water

So you can only fire subsonic ammo? Isn't all ammo subsonic underwater since the speed of sound underwater is about 5 times faster than in air?

And also, how can you have the same velocity and energy in water as in air? (as one poster said)
 
Throttle monkey1,you can fire high velocity rounds underwater but your gun probably will not last very long.When I say "subsonic" I mean velocity measured above water.I don't know why somebody would want to fire a gun underwater anyway.Pressure generated underwater from a 9mm is substantial.Even for combatswimmers,there is no need to use a conventional gun underwater.Rainer
 
They tested a myth on "Myth Busters" once about shooting into the water which was very interesting, most of the super-sonic ammo broke apart once it hit the surface, although thats probably just because of surface tension. I guess that sort of thing wouldn't happen if you were shooting from underwater. Interesting results though, they found out if you were (I think) 5' or more below the surface you'd be safe for the most part.
 
wobbles99 said:
I'm not an expert by any means but I'd wager that a barrel full of water would cause an over pressure situation.
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This is exactly what would happen with a full barrel, any air at all would allow enough compression room to avoid catastrophic failure, but a completely full barrel will likely damage your weapon.
 
the guy on AR15.com said he fired once underwater, the AR functioned. when he pulled the trigger the second time it blew up. i guess that when the rifle cycled it injested water into the gas system. my guess is it blew up the same way en automotive piston engine does when it injests water.
 
Many years back Guns & Ammo magazine did exactly that, fire a series of guns under water. There was a full report done on it. Covered all the deteails and saftey issues. Bottom line was that bullets only traveled a few feet, and not very fast at that. If I get out a proverbial shovel, I've still got that issue somewhere in storage, along with about 5,000 more of it's buddies. Will see if I can find it.

Blaine.
 
Ok, in an artical I have about the Glock 17, it says:

"For evaluation by the U.S. Navy Seals, a modified firing pin assembly was fabricated for the Glock pistol to allow it to be fired underwater"

So what does the firing pin assembly have to do with it?
 
I would bet that the theory about the barrel needing to be full is for the same reason that if you shoot into water the bullet fragments on impact, if you have air in the barrel the same thing will happen when the bullet hits the water but since this will happen in the barrel it goes boom.

The guy from AR15.com, said it blew up on the second round, my guess is since after the first shot he effectively purged all the water out of the barrel and filled it with gas you would need to refill before the second shot ???
 
Ljungman said:
Ok, in an artical I have about the Glock 17, it says:

"For evaluation by the U.S. Navy Seals, a modified firing pin assembly was fabricated for the Glock pistol to allow it to be fired underwater"

So what does the firing pin assembly have to do with it?
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The modified Pin assembly makes use of the maritime spring cups which are suppose to prevent hydraulic lock in the fp channel when firing underwater. The maritime spring cups have considerably less material on them than the standard, so I wouldnt have any desire for them unless I was pretty certain that I'd really need them.

They use to sell them on Ebay. They are basically like regular spring cups, just with tiny eyelets through them vis a vis a solid piece.
 
High school level physics show that as long as the firearm is <completely> submerged it <should> work, it's all a matter of density of the medium, as opposed to the dreaded barrel obstruction. Probably would create <some> overpressure but modern barrels are built (and usually proofed) at much higher pressures than a regular round would generate, so I doubt that the barrel itself would fail. Single shot firearms or manual repeaters <should> have no problem handling it, automatics are another story.

Recoil-operated autos should fire but probably not cycle realibly due to the above-mentioned density of water being so much higher than air, it just takes a lot more force to move things around. Gas operated mechanisms on the other hand might be another story, the barrel should be fine but one would think that the gas tube <may> rupture due to the overpressure situation, as they aren't built nearly as strong as the barrels.
 
DOes anyone have a link to the guy off AR15.com who broke his AR underwater?

Also, Glocks and HK's have been known to fire underwated but ALL AIR NEEDS TO BE REMOVED from the barrel etc. It could be done with rifles but is a lot harder because of the smaller barrel diameter, longer barrel length. Also the higher velocities make it more dangerous.

Also, submerge your head when you are doing it and you fire there go your eardrums.
 
Reaper said:
Actually you can fire any firearm under water as long as the barrel is full of water with no air spaces and you do not go deeper than 30ft or 1 atmosphere of pressure (some say 15ft is the limit). You guys really need to research before posting.
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Research eh? Isnt it 33 feet is one atmosphere?:p Thats what we were told in Scuba Diving class. :D

Oh there was also a Russian designed gun to fire underwater.

http://world.guns.ru/assault/as69-e.htm
 
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Beretta's fire fine under water, with hollowpoints, as do Sigs, Glocks (without the silly spring kit), Taurus, Para, shall I continue? and it doesn't blow your eardrums out either, nor does it induce heart attack, strokes, embolisms, or zombification either. Been there done that, in spades.
 
i dont no what about a wet bullet i herd they will missfire and i have also herd that a bullet well only go like 3 feet in water so wouldent just the density of the water case the bullet to mushroom in the berral????
ttyal
Riley
 
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