# Some questions about guns **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 12, 2015, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-guns/724929 "2015-07-12T10:01:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-guns/724929/61 "2015-07-16T16:02:31Z")
Since I also know nothing about guns can I add my own question please? Recently a British gangster was murdered by shotgun. The case earning some notoriety since the police initially assumed the guy died of natural causes! > **[Notorious gangster John 'Goldfinger' Palmer murdered with a silenced shotgun](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/john-goldfinger-palmer-notorious-gangster-6007698)** > > As police continue their investigation, there is increasing suspicion that he was taken out because he was about to become a supergrass The report mentions the weapon was a shotgun with a silencer. It also suggests ‘specialist’ ammunition was used to inflict maximum damage. My question is, bearing in mind the (unidentified) specialist ammunition, how would the police know a silencer was used on the shotgun? As far as I am aware the murder weapon has not been recovered. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-guns/724929/62 "2015-07-16T17:07:09Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > 1. Cocking a pistol: Okay, first of all, you don’t cock a pistol, you cock the hammer. You dont turn a _car_, you turn the steering wheel, right?:dubious: Is the pistol cocked or uncocked after you cock the hammer? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-guns/724929/63 "2015-07-16T17:18:03Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > My question is, bearing in mind the (unidentified) specialist ammunition, how would the police know a silencer was used on the shotgun? As far as I am aware the murder weapon has not been recovered. > > TCMF-2L sounds like that police department has a Jump To Conclusions mat. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-guns/724929/64 "2015-07-16T18:32:29Z")
All the press reports I’ve noticed specifically mention it was a silenced shotgun. My guess was they could tell it was a shotgun from the pellets in the body and, presumably, no one heard anything so an assumption it must have been silenced. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-guns/724929/65 "2015-07-18T13:45:57Z")
Difference between machine guns and automatic cannons in air to air warfare. MG’s fire small anti-personnel cartridges that have inert lead slugs. Cannons have explosive slugs. Both guns have rifling. MG’s are multi-role, meaning you can find the same weapons carried and fired by infantrymen, or mounted on various land vehicles. Auto cannons 20 to 40mm bores are basically anti-material weapons, mainly againts aircraft. They’re mounted either on planes for air to air combat or on ships or land vehicles as anti-aircraft weapons. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-questions-about-guns/724929.md?page=3)