š Nedās in the House
Actually Iām not. I have a nice little condo surrounded by
š alligators šin sunny Florida. Funny enough, itās shotg*n style.
But Iām hardly ever home.
This weekās topic: shotg*n gauges, because letās face it, size Isn’t everything. But also because I need a break from all the blood, and strangling, and assortments of people who really should have better alibis.
Gauge is one of those measurements that makes perfect sense right up until you try to explain it.
š Gauge: Because Numbers Like to Be Complicated
Shotg*n gauge refers to the number of lead balls of the shotg*nās bore diameter that would weigh one pound. That means the system works somewhat backward: the smaller the gauge number, the larger the bore. So a 12-gauge has a larger bore than a 20-gauge.
In other words, a 12 is bigger than a 20. If that seems backward to you, you’re not alone.
But thatās only a description of the size of the bore. If a crime scene investigator finds a shotg*n or ammunition, gauge and bore can give them useful information about what they’re looking at. š
So the next time you see a number stamped on a shotg*n, remember: one little number can tell investigators something. It just can’t tell them everything.
Well folks, back to the investigations. See you in Florida. Or Alaska. Or somewhere in between.
Stay sharp!
ā Ned
šš§Ŗ Crime Scene Tech Tip:
Gauge can tell investigators what size of shotgun they’re dealing with, but it doesn’t tell them which shotgun fired the shell. That’s where the finer detailsāand the forensic firearms examinerācome in. One number can narrow the field. The microscopic evidence can tell a much more interesting story.
šµļøāāļø Ned wants to know:
Here’s a question that trips up a lot of people: Why does a 12-gauge shotgun have a larger bore than a 20-gauge?
A. The gauge number is based on the number of lead balls of bore diameter that equal one pound
B. The gauge number is based on the shotgun’s overall length
C. The gauge number indicates the weight of the shotgun
D. The gauge number indicates the number of pellets in a shell
Ned wants to knowā¦ What do you think? Leave your evidence below. šµļøāāļø