Re: [DL] Gun + Water = ???(long)

[mark gerke <josephtalon@yahoo.com>]

     For simplicity sake, I have had a friend of mine
who knows guns like the backside of his hand.  He is a
good friend and a gamer as well.  He wrote this, I
didn't.  He also enjoys deadlands, but is not on the
list.  I can try and ask for some simple suggestion
answers from him.  You will get another essay, I
assure you.  
                        Mark
It would depend on brass case or cap and ball
ammunition.  If your talking deadlands, then your
talking brass cases.  They are more water resistant
than old style cap and ball.  Whether or not the
powder gets wet will depend on how tightly the bullets
are pressed.  If water can seep between the bullet and
the case, it will not fire properly.  Simple rain
probably wouldn't do it assuming whether they have the
firearms in a place where they wouldn't get wet, such
as under their dusters.  Assuming the bullets are
pressed badly(cheap/old)I would give a 1d6 chance of a
misfire after 5 or 6 rounds. To remove any modifier,
they must be dried out.  Water will not dilute the
potency of gunpowder, in fact in the 1800's gunpowder
was stored in glass jars full of water to keep it from
actually going off accidentally.  There was an article
in "Guns and Ammo" where a powder manufactuerer has
one jar and they dry some out every 10 years or so and
give it a shot.  It is still as good as the day it was
mixed. 

If the gun is completely submerged in water I'd say a
2/6 chance of a misfire.  Because of the greater time
the water has to seep past the seam in the bullets.  

Mud has less a chance to get powder wet.  The danger
there is clogging the barrel.  If a gun is fired with
a clogged barrel there is a good chance of very bad
things happening.  With the forward motion of the high
velocity bullet impeded it will distribute force other
places...  outward... into the gun...  Boom.  The odds
of an exploding gun killing someone is low, but still
very possible.  The bullet might also get lodged
halfway down the barrel.  If that happens a gunsmith
needs to remove the stuck slug before the gun is fired
again, or else... BOOM.  And the more common problem
with mud is getting gritty dirt/sand into the well
oiled mechanisms of the gun.  You can't shoot them if
you can't cock them...  

Which leads me to the final risk of rain/water/mud... 
Rust.  If your player doesn't say he is re-oiling his
guns, make him roll a secret gunsmithing or firearms
check (Higher tn for firearms) to remember to do it. 
Or else next time they need ol' smokey their trusty
side arm may be rusted tight.  Of course a gunsmith
can fix a rust seized gun with some time and sweat.  I
also would start raising TNs for people who don't
clean their guns regularly as lead will build up on
the inside of the barrel of a gun throwing off the
point of aim a bit.

Now, this is really only for GMs intrested in a more
realistic feel to the guns in their games (If they
were as simple as swords they wouldn't be guns).  I
have found trying to make guns 'realistic' in games
just doesn't work.  Guns are deadly.  Deadly can at
most times be no fun...  So don't stress the realistic
side too much, just enjoy the game and plug ol' Stone
once fer me pardner..
                                 Matt Howes
                                 aka John Bly
 Will answer short simple questions at
Dante_78@hotmail.com
> Folks,
> 
>   How water-resistant were old west firearms? Is
> heavy rain enough to
>   make six-shooter ineffective? How about immersion
> in water or mud?
> 
> -- 
> Yours Truly,
>   Tomasz F Misiorek                         

> 


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