Firing A Gun In Space

Firing a gun in space isn t all that far fetched as russian cosmonauts are sent into space with a gun in case it is needed for survival after landing on earth in a treacherous region.
Firing a gun in space. Well it would simply drift into the blackness forever alone while the galaxies around it sped further away. Direct sunlight might make the gun hot enough for the ammunition to explode spontaneously whereas a gun kept in the shade would eventually become so cold that the primer in the firing cap might not go. Modern ammunition contains its own oxidizer a chemical that will trigger the. What about firing a gun out in the middle of space.
By natalie wolchover february 22 2012 fires can t burn in the oxygen free vacuum of space but guns can shoot. Without the stabilising effect of the atmosphere the wide temperature variations in space might be a problem though. Those galaxies are travelling at around 200km s 124 miles sec as the universe expands whereas a travelling bullet can reach speeds of only 1km s 0 62 mile sec. Many of the world s greatest science fiction films depict massive battles in outer space between starships and even the actors themselves and while much of this takes place in the form of laser blasters or cannons as opposed older black powder muskets or modern semiautomatic pistols and rifles it still begs the question about what would happen if someone tried to fire a modern day gun in.