In a scene in my book I'm thinking of having a character shooting a zombie at point blank range, while they are in a really narrow stairwell. What are the effects of a gunshot in such a small space?
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asked Nov 10, 2019 at 6:18
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1$\begingroup$ You might incorporate the "stun" effect of a close quarters loud noise in a reflective environment - on the one who wields the gun - see flash-bang on how it affects the sense of balance. Voting to close as off-topic NAW. (From review). $\endgroup$– Escaped dental patient.Commented Nov 11, 2019 at 3:41
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$\begingroup$ Thanks sorry I am new here ^_^ $\endgroup$– StupidzombietCommented Nov 18, 2019 at 21:13
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2 Answers
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It might get really loud, but otherwise nothing is going to be different than in open spaces. Depending on how close the character is to the zombie, he/she could get a contact shot. If you are thinking about ricocheting bullets of the wall, it works best, if the target is close to the ground/wall, and the character manages to hit the surface (must be hard) on a flat angle - in a tight space I think only possible if the distance to target is very short.
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1$\begingroup$ The bullet won't ricochet off the zombie, unless it is a very unsusal zombie. The bullet might stop int he zombie's body or go go through it, perhaps slowed a lot, and then hit a wall at some angle. The bullet might lodge in the wall or shatter into fragments spraying in all directions or ricochet around. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 10, 2019 at 17:41
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$\begingroup$ That's what i thought. Now reading again, I should probably rephrase it. $\endgroup$– G. B.Commented Nov 11, 2019 at 18:17
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The noise of the gunshot will be contained inside the area of the stairwell, and thus be much louder than normal for the shooter. When you consider that hearing protection is required even on open air ranges for firearms, this should give you an idea of how loud the sound will be for the character doing the shooting.
If the stairwell is dark, the muzzle flash may also become an issue, especially if the character's eyes are dark adapted or if they are wearing light amplification equipment such as NVG's or using a night-sight on the weapon itself.
Probably more worrying is the possibility of being splashed by bodily fluids from a close or contact shot, which leaves the character much more open to being infected by the Zombie virus and turning themselves.
The last issue to consider is just what sort of weapon is being used. In a narrow stairwell, it would be much better for the character to use a short weapon, like a pistol, sawed off shotgun, submachinegun or PDF, simply to be able to manouevre in the confined space. If they are carrying a rifle or other long-arm, then it would be slung in such a fashion that it would not impede movement. This is important when looking at how much noise/flash would be generated, and possible efects such as splash, ricochets or penetration of the wall materials. A sawed off 12 gauge shotgun in confined spaces like that would have an absolutely devastating amount of noise and flash, while a .22 calibre pistol with a suppressor, such as an SoF operator might use, will generate very little sound or flash.
answered Nov 11, 2019 at 2:16