# Pitting PKBites **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 4, 2021, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075 "2021-09-04T00:42:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/282 "2022-11-25T18:18:48Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I mean, this dude is probably going to get the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to humanity, amirite? Dude is certainly making a positive contribution to the current peak of multiple mass shootings every single goddam day, never mind the thousands of commonplace shooting deaths that never even make the news any more. > > Or maybe **PKBites** should get some sort of award for helping to cull the population, though he might face stiff competition from the COVID virus. There is a pertinent scene in the satirical film _Triangle of Sadness_ where one of the rich guys aboard a luxury yacht is an arms dealer. When pirates attack the ship, he and his wife are on deck and the wife casually picks up a live grenade that has fallen on the deck. “Winston, is this one of ours?”, she says, moments before it explodes. That would actually be entirely on-brand for Alfred Nobel. Know where the money for the Nobel prizes came from? Alfred Nobel was an arms dealer - or arms manufacturer to be more accurate. Most of his money came from [Bofors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel); > He embarked on many business ventures [with his family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_family), most notably owning [Bofors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bofors), an iron and steel producer that he developed into a major manufacturer of cannons and other armaments. The story behind his decicsion to create the Nobel prizes and launch the Orwellian rewriting of his legacy as a man of peace, which sadly like all good stories may be apocryphal goes as [such](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#Nobel_Prize): > There is a well known story about the origin of the Nobel Prize, which seems to be an urban legend. In 1888, the death of his brother Ludvig supposedly caused several newspapers to publish [obituaries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obituaries) of Alfred in error. One French newspaper condemned him for his invention of military explosives—in many versions of the story, dynamite is quoted, [although this was mainly used for civilian applications](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite#Non-dynamite_explosives)—and this is said to have brought about his decision to leave a better legacy after his death.[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-Brit1-4)[[37]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-HistC-37) The obituary stated, **Le marchand de la mort est mort** (“The merchant of death is dead”),[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-Brit1-4) and went on to say, “Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.”[[38]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-Nobel-38) Nobel read the obituary and was appalled at the idea that he would be remembered in this way. His decision to posthumously donate the majority of his wealth to found the [Nobel Prize](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize) has been credited to him wanting to leave behind a better legacy.[[39]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-39)[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-Brit1-4) However, there appears to be no evidence that the obituary in question actually existed, suggesting that the whole story is false.[[40]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-40) ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/283 "2022-11-25T18:32:53Z")
The AR-15 is actually the Perfect gun for a Vegan or Vegetarian, you sillies! You never miss and there’s really not much left to eat! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/284 "2022-11-25T19:35:49Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > You never miss and there’s really not much left to eat! An AR-15 is semiautomatic; pull the trigger and it shoots one bullet. It’s not a rapid fire weapon. I don’t think a single shot would cause a deer to explode or anything. (Unless you stuff it with explosives first, but that seems an odd way to hunt.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/285 "2022-11-25T20:15:50Z")
That’s kind of irrelevant to my point. Robber barons like Rockefeller and Carnegie also tried to rehabilitate their image through philanthropy. The criminal ways they made their money doesn’t make (for instance) the several Carnegie foundations and endowments, Carnegie Hall, Carnegie-Mellon University, or the Rockefeller foundations, endowments, and research contributions any less valuable or the Nobel prizes any less worthy of respect. All that **PKBytes** has done is engage in gun proliferation for profit, and for that he gets exactly the respect from me he deserves. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/286 "2022-11-25T20:18:06Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > An AR-15 is semiautomatic; pull the trigger and it shoots one bullet. It’s not a rapid fire weapon Unless you get one of many readily available kits for conversion, and which dealers will often be willing to tell you about, if they don’t already have a side business in. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/287 "2022-11-25T20:23:58Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > Know where the money for the Nobel prizes came from? Alfred Nobel was an arms dealer - or arms manufacturer to be more accurate. Most of his money came from [Bofors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel); > > > He embarked on many business ventures [with his family](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_family), most notably owning [Bofors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bofors), an iron and steel producer that he developed into a major manufacturer of cannons and other armaments. Well, yes, but then again no. Nobel owned Bofors from 1894-1896 (his death). His wealth came from explosives, mainly used for civilian purposes, most famously dynamite: > On 3 September 1864, a shed used for preparation of nitroglycerin exploded at the factory in [Heleneborg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heleneborg), Stockholm, Sweden, killing five people, including Nobel’s younger brother [Emil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emil_Oskar_Nobel).[[6]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-Gale-6) Fazed by the accident, Nobel founded the company Nitroglycerin Aktiebolaget AB in [Vinterviken](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinterviken) so that he could continue to work in a more isolated area.[[30]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-tekniskamuseet-30)[[31]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel#cite_note-31) Nobel invented [dynamite](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamite) in 1867, a substance easier and safer to handle than the more unstable [nitroglycerin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitroglycerin). He held 355 international patents. To say that he made his wealth as an arms dealer/manufacturer is simplifying things a bit too much. Yes, he did make money from arms, but the bulk of his wealth came from his patents. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/288 "2022-11-25T20:28:58Z")
> [@Charlie\_Tan](#): > > Yes, he did make money from arms, but the bulk of his wealth came from his patents. …many/most of which were for explosives and, to a lesser extent, arms. I suppose there’s a distinction to be made bewteen profiting directly from sales of explosives and arms vs patents for the same, but the way it was presented was a bit disingenuous. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/289 "2022-11-25T20:29:27Z")
Converting a weapon to have rapid fire capability is illegal, I have trouble believing most dealers are dumb enough to offer that to anyone who asks. And from what I’ve read (since I’ve never pursued it myself, I have no interest in being a criminal) these conversion kits are pretty hard to find since they’re illegal and the BATFE is always trying to get these weapons out of people’s hands and prosecute those with them. Though they do seem to be on the rise of late. But what you’re saying about their ubiquity is misinformation. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/290 "2022-11-25T20:36:13Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Converting a weapon to have rapid fire capability is illegal, I have trouble believing most dealers are dumb enough to offer that to anyone who asks. My perspective may be skewed by my surroundings. Though I was born in the Pacific Northwest, I spent my childhood in Arkansas and my adult life in Texas. And, yeah, it’s not hard to find the kits and firearm dealers (and sometimes law enforcement) will readily point you to where you can get them and/or sell themselves on the side. The obvious Feds are one thing but most people looking to ask are often clearly hobbyists or whatever. I mean each of my (legally required at the time but no longer) concealed handgun classes were run by instructors who were all primarily law enforcement officers but did the classes for extra money. They supplemented this by actively recruiting for the NRA in those classes and had choice words to say about liberals, the second Amendment, the need to defend your home, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/291 "2022-11-25T21:22:25Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > They supplemented this by actively recruiting for the NRA in those classes and had choice words to say about liberals, the second Amendment, the need to defend your home, etc. That’s fucked up, I’m very glad none of the courses I’ve taken have been like that. 😲 ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/292 "2022-11-25T21:24:27Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > That’s fucked up, I’m very glad none of the courses I’ve taken have been like that. 😲 Well, I don’t recommend Texas or most of the South, in that case. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/293 "2022-11-25T21:34:48Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > …many/most of which were for explosives and, to a lesser extent, arms. I suppose there’s a distinction to be made bewteen profiting directly from sales of explosives and arms vs patents for the same, but the way it was presented was a bit disingenuous. I’m not sure if you’re disagreeing or agreeing with me. My whole point was that he made his wealth came from explosives and to a lesser extent arms. Of course, dynamite can be used to blow people up, as well as things, but repeat customers so to say, are going to come from the mining industry, builders of infrastructure ASF. Making a blanket statement [paraphrased]: _Hur-dur, the money for the Nobel Prizes came from making guns_, is using a brush that is too wide only to make a cheap, and not particular valid point about a scumbag exploiting fear and selling guns that have no civilian use outside of a target range. Except for maybe Bambi fricassee. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/294 "2022-11-25T22:46:30Z")
I hope you’re not confusing an actual auto-sear, and the gunsmithing required for it to even fit and work, with the many gadgets that simulate (in a very realistic way) actual automatic fire. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/295 "2022-11-25T23:16:04Z")
My apologies, I wasn’t intending to distract from the deserved pitting of **PKBytes** actions, only to point out the dark humor of the fairy tale that Nobel created of himself after his death as a man of peace, when during his life he was known as a merchant of death for inventing and manufacturing better ways to kill people. So much so that the story of him I was told around high school or so was that he was a man of peace so who was so upset when he found out his invention of dynamite was being misused to kill people that he created the Nobel prizes, a fairy tale I imagine many people heard as it is still repeated today; google Alfred Nobel and the link answering the associated question of why did he invent dynamite leads to [this bit of nonsense](https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/39555.pdf) repeating said story and calling him a pacifist. It’d be more akin to Rockefeller or Carnegie being known today as champions of socialism. But again, my apologies, I didn’t intend any defense of **PKBytes** , and I’ll bow out on the topic. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2022, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/296 "2022-11-25T23:53:03Z")
Explosives can be used as weapons, but they can also be used for peaceful purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/297 "2022-11-26T08:01:57Z")
Indeed - much more proactive uses… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GhM-hrTyzJo/hqdefault.jpg "This is not the real Neil Sedaka - please read the message in 'More Info' ═════►") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhM-hrTyzJo) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/298 "2022-11-26T15:46:57Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > I didn’t intend any defense of **PKBytes** , I’m sure glad you guys aren’t talking about me. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/299 "2022-11-26T16:08:21Z")
fap fap fap fap fap ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/300 "2022-11-26T16:19:14Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > You forgot about the animals. I bet you shoot Bambi with your 30-06 from 400 yds and then talk about how you proved you’re a man when displaying his rack. How 'bout trying to fight him hand to hand and then claim how much of a man you are. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075/301 "2022-11-26T16:30:07Z")
You should talk to your bookmaker before placing such bets. True story: In September I had a stubby buck come on to our property and was drinking out of our water fountain. I threw some balled up rye bead out and he ate it, then he walked up a little closer and he took some more. Gotta fatten those bastards up before you shoot ‘em! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-pkbites/950075.md?page=16)