Okay, so, weird question, I know. But I'm making a fantasy world long after the apocalypse and it is a world where people are running out of ammo and a specific tribe has gunpowder but fails at actually making modern cartridges. They resorted to using a steel pipe as a barrel (preferably a plumbing pipe or something like that), a piece of leather (handle), and a (so far unknown) detonator for the other end. I know flintlocks exist but that seems cheap, any other ideas?
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1$\begingroup$ Are there remnants of developed technology? A piezo igniter that makes an electrical spark could work, if they can find some old bbq lighters. Otherwise look up other old musket mechanisms like matchlock and wheellock if you want something less generic than a flintlock. But the reason flintlocks became ubiquitous was that they're effective and simple, so if using something else you might need to think of a contrived justification $\endgroup$– sqekMay 31, 2022 at 13:33
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7$\begingroup$ "Flintlocks [...] seem cheap": A flintlock is actually a very sophisticated mechanism, which requires high-precision mechanics and good quality steel. There is a reason why flintlock guns only became popular in the 1600s, hundreds of years after the introduction of crude matchlock guns. (And the flintlock ignition system is really the best possible unless you have enough chemistry to make percussion caps.) (Oh, and I really don't understand what you mean by "making modern bullets". The bullet is really the easiest part to make. Did you mean to write "cartridges"?) $\endgroup$– AlexPMay 31, 2022 at 14:52
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$\begingroup$ i probally meant cartridges, thank you for the insight, I was thinking something like the percussion caps, ill have to experiment and do a little chemistry homework and I should be all set. $\endgroup$– EpicFortniteDubMay 31, 2022 at 15:00
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5 Answers
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Since this is post-apocalyptic and not historical, how about electric igniters?
- They can make black powder and lead bullets. They cannot make new cartridge cases unless a goldsmith does a single one by hand, and they cannot make the primer that is ignited by percussion of a firing pin.
- They can make sufficiently tough barrels, mostly closed at one end, but they have problems to seal a full-width movable breech.
So they insert a spark plug into the end of the barrel, powered by a magneto in the rifle stock.
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3$\begingroup$ very interesting, cars slipped my mind when I was thinking of this, ill have to draft a few ideas from this page specifically, I'm in school right now and my phone has died so when I get home ill get a few ideas on paper, or screen, for this matter, thank you. $\endgroup$ May 31, 2022 at 17:53
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a flint could be struck against steel or even another flint to create a spark. A battery could be used to create a spark. All manner of chemicals could be used, a match could be used, a flaming brand could be used, burning oil could be used. a sharpened stick with a rough surface could be rapidly rotated to create friction with a bow/string. A red hot iron bolt could be used. A magnifying glass could be used.
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$\begingroup$ i really like the battery idea, an idea i might have is possibly using the lithium metal on the inside as a spark and when mixed with water it can shoot, possibly by the soldiers spitting on the lithium. $\endgroup$ May 31, 2022 at 14:44
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This is post-apocalyptic. so there are literally millions of discarded used up cigarette lighters Zippos of all sorts littering the landscape. Flint wheels, Piezoelectric, electric arc...
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Burning glass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNuOcA3nh2U
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_glass
Burning glass technology has been known since antiquity, as described by Greek and Roman writers who recorded the use of lenses to start fires for various purposes.1 Pliny the Elder noted the use of glass vases filled with water to create a heat intense enough to ignite clothing, as well as convex lenses that were used to cauterize wounds.[2] Plutarch refers to a burning mirror made of joined triangular metal mirrors installed at the temple of the Vestal Virgins.
Your people have magnifying glasses, or maybe clear crystals or glass vases of water. They use those to focus the sun and light things on fire. This endeavor is not limited to firearms, which have a finite supply of powder. In contrast the glasses and the sun are not easily used up, and many other things can be lit on fire. There is not much on TV after the apocalypse and your people pass the time in the manner of Pliny the Elder, igniting clothing and cauterizing wounds.
The real challenge for these people is to make a glass big enough that they can also ignite things by the light of the moon. When your protagonist figures out how to do that, she becomes their Lunar Fire God Empress.
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$\begingroup$ i also heard of the greek magnifying glasses that literally set things in a blaze very quickly, thank you for reminding, possibly if I make this world in the early 2000s I could use a fresnel lens as a way like how you're saying, however, I don't know if these big things can be used for handheld firearms. $\endgroup$ May 31, 2022 at 17:50
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1$\begingroup$ I like the idea of the lens mounted on the gun so you can flip it up and it is in the perfect place to ignite the powder while you hold the gun steady. Flip position will depend on where the sun is, of course but once it is set that should be good for a number of shots. $\endgroup$– WillkMay 31, 2022 at 17:53
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$\begingroup$ okay, i see it know, thats actually ingenious, smaller glass lens for the handheld guns, bigger lens possibly for tool making, some fresnel lens can get as hot as 4000°C so metal working isn't too far off, plus, the problem of "you cant use the gun at night" isn't an issue because with no street lights, you probably cant see shit. i got to look and think about how society may react to this. $\endgroup$ May 31, 2022 at 18:00
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1$\begingroup$ "The real challenge for these people is to make a glass big enough that they can also ignite things by the light of the moon. When your protagonist figures out how to do that, she becomes their Lunar Fire God Empress." ... sounds awesome but you can't. See what-if.xkcd.com/145 $\endgroup$– KC WongJun 1, 2022 at 2:24
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The simple and crudest weapon would be a iron or steel pipe (lead is too soft and would deform. With a small hole (touch hole) that could be used to ignite the powder by touching it with a flame, perhaps the end of a burning branch.
Next were match locks which held a small length of smoldering rope is a spring controlled lock. The came wheel locks using friction and spinning metal wheels and flint locks you mentioned.
As sqek suggested in the comments old lighter mechanisms would also work.
Anything that creates a spark could be an ignition source including batteries.
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$\begingroup$ i believe i saw something similar to this before! i saw a old ass Chinese hand cannon on a pawn stars episode. that's most likely where i got my idea, i was probably trying to make an improv version of this. thank you for your help, i might make a lighter be stuck in the back of the pipe with some old washers and maybe some nuts to create this makeshift device, ill let you know if i made a prototype design for it :) $\endgroup$ May 31, 2022 at 14:42