According to the FBI, more than 200,000 background-check requests associated with the purchase of a firearm were submitted to the agency on Black Friday 2019, marking the second-highest gun-sales day ever. The previous record was set on the day after Thanksgiving in 2016. In all, the bureau posted 202,465 checks Friday, an 11% increase from last year and falling just short of the single-day record of 203,086 in 2017. This year’s rising monthly volumes are approaching the one-year record of 27.5 million in 2016. While background checks are not a measure of actual gun sales, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System is a way to gauge market demand. The number of firearms sold is likely higher because multiple firearms can be included in one transaction by a single buyer.
Underwater bullet? A new line of specialized bullets could allow U.S. special forces personnel to shoot their weapons submerged, engaging other divers and their underwater vehicles. While traditional bullets are ineffective underwater, the new bullets work by forming a bubble of air around a bullet, allowing the bullet to travel with fewer physical restrictions.
DefenseOne.com reported, “How does it work? The tungsten-tipped CAV-X bullet from Virginia’s DSG Technologies has a nose that creates a small air bubble as it moves through the water. The bubble greatly reduces drag on the bullet, a supercavitation effect that has been part of torpedo design since World War II and is now a feature on some types of boats.”
According to DSG’s website, its “Multi Environment Ammunition projectile is effective against submerged targets and targets in the air. Depending on the weapon and the used loading variant, this ammunition is suitable for use in partial or fully submerged weapons, regardless if the target is in water or on the surface.”
The Norwegian company’s projectiles may be offered in two loading variants, A2 and X2, where both enable swimming capabilities. The A2 load is shot from the air and is suitable for patrol boats, machine guns, coastal guards, and dedicated marksmen that would engage multi-environment threats. The X2 load is designed for combat swimmers and SOF personnel who operate submerged.
I have seen plenty of videos online that show regular bullets being fired into water and being fired underwater, and it is vastly amusing to see the bullets spend themselves and fall to the bottom of a pool. That may change now — no more harpoons, Mr. Bond!
