Why no Cannons on Police Helicopters?

In message , B2431
writes
From: "Paul J. Adam"
As a firearms enthusiast, Jim, you might be familiar with the phrase
"going off half-cocked".

Paul, that term comes from having an accident while stuffing one's side arm
into the front waist of one's pants.

Sorry, Dan, but it dates back to the flintlock days: back when you'd
half-cock your firelock so you could charge the pan, and a
fumble-fingered soldier or one cursed with a badly-made weapon
(remember, this was before mass production and interchangeable parts)
could discharge his weapon at an inopportune moment.

And whether you call the relevant garment pants, shorts or trousers, I
was only sticking a loaded and ready firearm in there if there was a
proper holster ready to receive it

--
When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
W S Churchill

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk

"Paul J. Adam" wrote:

In message , B2431
writes
From: "Paul J. Adam"
As a firearms enthusiast, Jim, you might be familiar with the phrase
"going off half-cocked".

Paul, that term comes from having an accident while stuffing one's side arm
into the front waist of one's pants.


Dan may have been joking a little Paul

Sorry, Dan, but it dates back to the flintlock days: back when you'd
half-cock your firelock so you could charge the pan, and a
fumble-fingered soldier or one cursed with a badly-made weapon
(remember, this was before mass production and interchangeable parts)
could discharge his weapon at an inopportune moment.


That might have been so too , but modern weapons have that 'half
cock' feature, it's done to keep the hammer off the firing pin,
this position locks the hammer from being released by the
trigger, but you likely knew that already...now a question, do
you know how "flash in the pan" originated?





And whether you call the relevant garment pants, shorts or trousers, I
was only sticking a loaded and ready firearm in there if there was a
proper holster ready to receive it

--

-Gord.

In message , "Gord
writes
"Paul J. Adam" wrote:
Dan may have been joking a little Paul

Yes, he said so too - my mistake for being too literal.

now a question, do
you know how "flash in the pan" originated?

Matchlocks and flintlocks again: the priming fires but doesn't ignite
the charge in the barrel (blocked vent, for instance). So you get the
flash in the pan, but no shot.

Me gun nut, me know these things Even if my sense of humour
occasionally needs recalibration when reading Americanese

--
When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
W S Churchill

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk

From: "Paul J. Adam"


In message , B2431
writes
From: "Paul J. Adam"
As a firearms enthusiast, Jim, you might be familiar with the phrase
"going off half-cocked".

Paul, that term comes from having an accident while stuffing one's side arm
into the front waist of one's pants.

Sorry, Dan, but it dates back to the flintlock days: back when you'd
half-cock your firelock so you could charge the pan, and a
fumble-fingered soldier or one cursed with a badly-made weapon
(remember, this was before mass production and interchangeable parts)
could discharge his weapon at an inopportune moment.

And whether you call the relevant garment pants, shorts or trousers, I
was only sticking a loaded and ready firearm in there if there was a
proper holster ready to receive it

--

I keep forgetting some things don't translate into Brit. It's an old joke,
sorry.

I have shot matchlocks, a wheel lock, several flint and percussion weapons as
well as modern. I know what a half cock is.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

In message , B2431
writes
From: "Paul J. Adam"
Paul, that term comes from having an accident while stuffing one's side arm
into the front waist of one's pants.

Sorry, Dan, but it dates back to the flintlock days

I keep forgetting some things don't translate into Brit. It's an old joke,
sorry.

Right - got it on the second try. Cheers.

--
When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
W S Churchill

Paul J. Adam MainBoxatjrwlynch[dot]demon{dot}co(.)uk

Paul J. Adam wrote:

In message , B2431
writes

From: "Paul J. Adam"
As a firearms enthusiast, Jim, you might be familiar with the phrase
"going off half-cocked".

Paul, that term comes from having an accident while stuffing one's side arm
into the front waist of one's pants.

Sorry, Dan, but it dates back to the flintlock days: back when you'd
half-cock your firelock so you could charge the pan, and a
fumble-fingered soldier or one cursed with a badly-made weapon
(remember, this was before mass production and interchangeable parts)
could discharge his weapon at an inopportune moment.

Apparently, firing off ramrods, particularly in the excitement
of battle, was another fairly common error.

There doesn't seem to be an idiom derived from it, so I suppose
it must have been a much less common event than "going off
half-cocked".


SMH