I prefer to think that it is a replica of a cap & ball revolver, rather than an actual one. Mal is just trying to look extra cool with his funky sidearm.
Until I see him pressing the ball into the chamber on screen, I’ll just use this bit of fantasy to make myself happy.
No, you could do that and consult someone who knows about firearms.
Perhaps I have come to expect perfection from the silence in vacumn, ships not all “right side up”, and I’m too disapointed with needing air to fire and mixed technologies.
No, see, the Klingons had only gotten around to introducing ball and cap guns before realizing they were in the wrong universe…
As someone who knows nothing about firearms, I’m assuming that ball and cap guns were developed first, yes? Was this because they were somehow easier to produce or was there some logical reason why we developed them ahead of revolvers?
The firearms on Firefly/ do seem to be energy, rather than projectile, weapons. They make a humming “powering up” noise when pumped, loaded, or otherwise readied for firing, and don’t have the familiar “bang-bang” or cracking noise associated with gunpowder when fired. Also: Mal and the crew, while working on Book, never tried to find a bullet or fragments in the wound.
Stylewise, it’s a retro thing…like the new T-Bird, Beetle, or PT Cruiser…
What I like best is, in line with the laudable “There’s No Damn Sound in Space” doctorine being adhered to in this show, they’ve also adopted a “No Colored Energy Beam” stance (I assume), as you cannot see what they’re shooting at each other (as you can on some other space shows I could mention). Besides, as has been pointed out in this forum and others here on the SDMB, any projectile you can see coming, you could probably dodge, making them a worse weapon than a good 'ol sixgun. It may not be hard sci-fi, but a little reality dosen’t hurt.
The first revolvers did not use brass cartridges like we have today. Each of the 6 chambers was loaded with a percussion cap, powder charge and separate lead ball pressed into place with a lever on the gun itself. You can see this lever on Mal’s gun in the opening credits, it is below the barrel. (hoping i’m not putting my foot in my mouth…) This was an advance over the single shot cap and ball pistols used prior, but was still primitive.
With the invention of the cartridge, those three items were put into a single self contained unit, and the cap & ball models went quickly out of favor. It is much, much faster to reload using cartridges.
Ah, that would explain why Jayne has that funny looking forehead! Thanks, that explains quite a bit!
Cap and ball was the step after muzzle loaders. Each chamber is loaded with powder and a ball with an explosive cap stuck on for the hammer to hit and set off the gunpowder. The powder and bullet were wrapped in paper to make a primative cartridge which quick loading brass cartridges with a primer evolved from.
But hey, this Klingon explanation makes it all clear. Jayne thinks it dishonorable to fire a gun in a vacumn.
-and-
“A firearm you can load quickly? Ha! Cowards!”
Thanks again!
This show is indeed an amalgamation of many other shows/games. But it works.
The retro tech and low tech feel of the show are directly taken from the Traveler RPG universe. In the future not all worlds are going to have the latest in tech. In fact will end up being low tech out of poverty. If you colonize a planet with no rich resources or exportable goods how can you expect to have a prosperous economy. In Traveler you have worlds that span from the old west level of technology to ultra-high tech “Bladerunner” type technology. In Traveler guassian weapons are very common and many are made to look like reproduction old western pieces. Who’s to say ol Joss isn’t taking a sweep from that.
As for the ships, they look like they were taken right out of Independence War. As is the music. The lonely sounding violin is the stape of the IW soundtrack. I loved it there, and I love it here.
When it comes to Book, I have this feeling that he’s ex-Intel of some sort. Like an ex Cold War CIA agent. Maybe he new to much or saw to much and left the “family”. His being a preacher probably helps to cover why much of his past isn’t recorded. Besides, whos going to detain a man of the cloth. I don’t think he’s going to be the traitor though. To obvious. I’d bet on Irana. She made a huge deal out of getting the good doctor and his sister back in the last episode. Thats my WAG.
Boy was I wrong!
I love this show.
Semi-renewall info:
http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?28977
JD is doing ok, actually. It had been picked up for a full season and gets stronger numbers then Firefly (and has good critical reviews). JD is a potential Sunday at 9 show-- as Malcome is really mispalced being shown that late at night.