12 ms·

GR-1 Anvil – world’s first handheld Gauss Rifle

48 points by graderjs 5y ago

hprotagonist 5y ago
86 Joules at the muzzle: in context, about half the energy of a 40 grain .22LR.
- graderjs 5y ago
  However the Joules are tunable. You can dial up and down, I believe.
  - GravitasFailure 5y ago
    To a point. Once the magnetic field gets to a certain strength, the projectile magnetically saturates and the only way to really get more kinetic energy into it is to make the barrel longer. If they can demonstrate this firing the equivalent to a .22LR, it would be really amazing. Edit: They claim "up to" 75 ft-lbs muzzle energy, which is in the realm of .22LR. Check out this chart: https://www.mcarbo.com/22LR-Ballistics-Chart https://www.mcarbo.com/22LR-Ballistics-Chart
    - graderjs 5y ago
      Awesome, this is why I come to HN, for comments like this; to learn. (aside from the dopamine hits from posting...)
    - amluto 5y ago
      Doesn’t saturation of the projectile mean that further increases in field strength increase acceleration roughly linearly instead of quadratically?
      - GravitasFailure 5y ago
        Yes, but it also means an already inefficient system takes an absolute nosedive in efficiency.
- motohagiography 5y ago
  Non-firearms guy reading, was just looking at muzzle velocity, ~245fps (75m/s), where a .45ACP round goes ~500fps. - but joules would be the way to compare the physics. In terms of energy/silence, for hunting, it seems like you can buy more powerful crossbows at a camping store. Additional energy just seems like an optimization problem that could be solved with an external power pack source. However, the real game changer may be in the economics of EMP shielding and weapons, where if all legal civilian firearms are electronic, they are also remotely manageable via DRM and less user servicable. The analogy could be like what electronic fuel injection did to carbeurators and the autonomy of drivers to service their own vehicles. This rifle seems like a bit of a gimmick, but from a political perspective I could see some people saying, "let them hunt with coilguns, nobody needs gunpowder anymore," which will be a new leverage point on 2A limitations whereby this product is a managed substitute. Independent of where one stands on that issue, the product is a technology that could change the dynamic of that discussion.
  - graderjs 5y ago
    interesting diverse take, particularly about EMP, DRM and R2R. i appreciate the political/2nd-order effects perspective!
  - nradov 5y ago
    I don't know where you're getting those numbers but nominal .45ACP muzzle velocity is more like 800fps.
    - jakearmitage 5y ago
      Correct. Depends on ammo, though: https://www.federalpremium.com/handgun/premium-personal-defense/personal-defense-hst/11-P45HST2S.html https://www.federalpremium.com/handgun/premium-personal-defe... https://www.scribd.com/document/342603372/45-ACP-Ammunition-Velocity-Results-in-FPS-by-Gun#from_embed https://www.scribd.com/document/342603372/45-ACP-Ammunition-... So he could have sourced that info from a subsonic load out of a short barrel? But even then, it would be in 600 zone.
      - 5y ago
- beloch 5y ago
  More context: "The GR-1 is capable of accepting 3 different standard projectile lengths (32 mm, 42 mm, and 52 mm) with a unique variable magazine system" "Muzzle Velocity: 75 m/s." 75 m/s is slower than a lot of bows, and those are fairly big slugs, as compared to a .22 bullet. What you should expect with this gun is a very curved trajectory and, likely, low accuracy. At the very least, it will need sights similar to what's available for bows, since a few meters of distance in range will have a large impact on where the bullet lands. The large size of these bullets means they might actually not penetrate much, if at all. (I'd appreciate more spec's than just their length). Yes, they have half the kinetic energy of a .22 round, but that's going to be spread over a much larger impact area.
  - moftz 5y ago
    You could easily put a point on the slug and give it some penetrating ability. It might not blow a hole through you but could at least break a bone or puncture some blood vessels.
- rasz 5y ago
  Another comparison: the ballsiest Airsoft limit I know is set by Poland to 17 Joules, with something like Frances 2J at the other end of the spectrum.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Y_Y 5y ago
It would be great if they had a video of it in action. Also the ammo looks like you can make it yourself, that's cool. (Does it bother anyone else that they say "Gauss" to rhyme with "paws' instead of "mouse"? It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but in my experience it's one of the names even physicists will pronounce properly.)
- graderjs 5y ago
  Yes it bothers me. It should be "gowce" - rhymes with mouse. It's not gauze, obviously. This is not a Bunsen. ;p ;) xx
ceejayoz 5y ago
The video says "free of endless infringements" while showing what looks like a pile of pistol permit paperwork. The idea that the ATF is gonna shrug their shoulders and go "welp, not a firearm" seems... iffy.
- graderjs 5y ago
  Yes, unsure what they mean. For context it was developed in part by a guy from AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory[0]); maybe it's a commercialization of some of the miniaturized railgun/coilgun tech from the secret programs that were 'abandoned'? I'm thinking that's maybe what they mean by free of infringements; as in patent infringements, but I don't know. Your guess seems plausible too. [0]: https://www.afrl.af.mil/ https://www.afrl.af.mil/
- didgeoridoo 5y ago
  TIL the legal definition of “firearm” includes the stipulation that the projectile be propelled by “explosives”[0]. ATF probably would need to go to Congress to get the relevant section of law updated to be more tech-agnostic (maybe based on muzzle energy?) [0]: https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-verification-firearms-ammunition-gun-control-act-definitions https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-ver...
  - syedkarim 5y ago
    If muzzle energy was used in the definition of a firearm, then high-powered air rifles would get reclassified as firearms.
    - detaro 5y ago
      sure, why not?
      - bavell 5y ago
        Where's the "fire"?
bradhe 5y ago
> Free of endless infringements Woof. America...
- oneplane 5y ago
  Yeah, and the weird part is that somehow it completely misses the point that society might actually want 'infringements' (infringing on what?), and that most of the world doesn't like the idea of making it easy for people to apply violence to other people.
  - jakearmitage 5y ago
    What I find weird, and interesting, is that you seem to summarily correlate a weapon with applying violence to someone. Weapons are frequently used in self-defense, specially among minorities and women abused by their partners. Weapons create a balance to an otherwise unfair and cruel power relationship. As a matter of fact, those "infringements" already caused the death of an abused woman: https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases16/pr20160408a.html https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases16/pr20160408a.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Carol_Bowne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Carol_Bowne I invite you to broaden your perspective on the concept of gun ownership and the principles behind the 2nd Amendment. Black men and women bought 58% more guns in the first six months of 2020 than they did in 2019. Black women are being empowered all across America, along with another vast diversity of people, by the right to keep and bear arms.
    - bradhe 5y ago
      > Weapons are frequently used in self-defense To be pedantic, you're still applying violence in this case. It's just violence in the response to potential or actual violence.
      - jakearmitage 5y ago
        Touché. I wanted to understand the perspective and show a different one, though, not correct or debate his point. There are other uses which I could have presented to counter that point: sports, rehabilitation, recreation. However, I find that this would deviate from my point of trying to show the diversity of gun owners and the many uses of defensive gun use. Some stats on defensive gun use: https://datavisualizations.heritage.org/firearms/defensive-gun-uses-in-the-us/ https://datavisualizations.heritage.org/firearms/defensive-g... I do understand that different people from different upbringings, as well as different parts of the world, might have a difficult time seeing how a gun can be seen as a good thing. Which I why I'm trying to present different perspectives.
avereveard 5y ago
"gunpowder age is ended" seems a bit premature as a tech demonstrator is great, but we're a few technology generation away from replacing the good old rifle, both because of power density (40+ shots per charge so you're going to ferry a few of these and battery pack are heavy) and capacitor (2 seconds/round isn't stellar) given the coil/power constraint I think the natural evolution of this tech is probably going to remain a niche application for slow firing and high powered applications, not a tout-court gunpowder replacement; railguns seems to be a better candidate for rifle replacement.
- nradov 5y ago
  The US Navy has given up on railguns for now and will stick with chemical propellants. https://taskandpurpose.com/military-tech/navy-electromagnetic-railgun-dead/ https://taskandpurpose.com/military-tech/navy-electromagneti...
- graderjs 5y ago
  totally agree. that seemed like marketing schtick. we are still very much in the gp/chemtech age of ballistic propulsion. alternative propellant is not better than electric vehicles are to oil vehicles, for now... but i feel that with higher power density battery tech, warmer superconductors, stronger magnets, and metamaterials with exotic electrical properties, maybe this category isn't something we should totally write off for not just niche 'artillery' applications but something like this hand-held category but gamechanging?
- rapjr9 5y ago
  So how much do batteries have to improve to make small electric energy based weapons practical? If Li-Ion could store double the energy in the same weight and volume would that change the nature of small guns? Just wondering how close we are to a major change in weapons technologies if it all depends on batteries. Maybe there is a certain limit beyond which batteries should start becoming controlled technology? Even current lithium batteries of all kinds are close to being explosives (at least chemically) which is an indication of how much energy is stored in them.
h2odragon 5y ago
see also https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41872/preorders-for-this-electromagnetic-rifle-are-being-taken-for-3775 https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41872/preorders-for-th... 20lb. ouch Stick a couple prongs off the front hooked tot he capacitor bank, and it could be dangerous.
- webmaven 5y ago
  Hah. A cattle prod in place of a bayonet!
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
dionian 5y ago
https://web.archive.org/web/20210727051112/https://arcflashlabs.com/product/gr-1-anvil/ https://web.archive.org/web/20210727051112/https://arcflashl...
Gys 5y ago
> which allows the GR-1 to fire up to 20 rounds per minute (at full power) or up to 100 rounds per minute at 50% power. Huh? EDIT: Aha, I thought it meant battery power, but this is more likely the applied power for 'slinging' each 'bullet'.
L_226 5y ago
Site returns 500 for me. But this reminds me of my own coilguns I made as a kid. Disposable camera flash circuits connected to a set of solenoids wrapped around a thin pvc pipe. Accelerated using a cascade triggering of each solendoid in series. Contact pairs directly in the pipe to close the next solenoid circuit when the metal slug reaches them.
- adamrezich 5y ago
  that sounds like a ton of fun!
webmaven 5y ago
The server seems to be suffering from the hug of death, here is a recent archived snapshot of the page: https://web.archive.org/web/20210727051112/https://arcflashlabs.com/product/gr-1-anvil/ https://web.archive.org/web/20210727051112/https://arcflashl...
boboche 5y ago
3000$ for 200fps? Am I missing something? Maybe I just played too much Instagib and have impossible expectations when I see gauss rifles or railguns?
- h2odragon 5y ago
  Look into "Varmint Shooting" stuff; they make stuff like .17 caliber with a muzzle velocity of 5k+ fps... About as close as we get under tank or battleship sizes.
lm28469 5y ago
The video looks like a parody but I'm sure the creators feel like real manly men and are dead serious about it...
- graderjs 5y ago
  I also got that vibe. The video is not great production values, and it's unclear to me how much they really took it serious and thought "fuck yeah! this is awesome!" and how much they thought they're doing it ironically or satirically while still projecting "tough" (which is a trope in amateur 'tough guy' antics, sorta like humble bragging). But in general I think that incorrect conflation of 'real manly men' and guns is wrong, because, first you got the stereotype of 'real manly men' you shouldn't pigeonhole people like that, and second, if anything guns are much more feminine because of how relatively asymmetrically they can empower women. So paradoxically, a really feminine man can benefit more from a bun (edit: heh, 'bun', ie, man bun?--typo, meant gun, but leaving it ;p ;)) than a 'manly man', which makes it quite weird the association we have in the discourse. Also, we might be able to establish guns' femininity from a purely cis-hetero point of view: the gun is a phallic metaphor, priapic and ejaculatory, so it's "natural" that all these women want to run around clutching them, as that's what they do in heterosexual life anyway, but it's funny that all these cis-hetero men want to do so, unless we either consider it is an "acceptable" expression of "latent homosexual desires" (maybe we're pushing it too far, here), or if we view the gun as only superficially masculine, but somehow deeply feminine, which would explain man's loving care, attention and desire to run around clutching them under their arms. How might a gun be deeply feminine? In the same way that you can see all weapons as deeply feminine from the point of view of feminine being openness, vulnerability (in the true strength sense), permeability and being receptive. A gun, or any weapon, acts as a propagator of these "permeability values" by perforating its targets making them more perforated, permeable, and vulnerable and open, if not in the "psychological" sense, then definitely in the gross anatomy sense. So a weapon is nothing more than a physical manifestation of the enforcement of feminine values, an instrument to aggressively spread feminine values around the world: turning otherwise obdurate and resistant flesh into flesh which is permeable, vulnerable, perforated and open. Pretty fucking weird when you think of it like that, but I think there's something to it, especially if you want to take other critical and sociological theory ideas seriously, then there's something to this, too.
junon 5y ago
I'm just annoyed the narrator pronounced it "Gawss".

48 points by graderjs 5y ago

hprotagonist 5y ago

86 Joules at the muzzle: in context, about half the energy of a 40 grain .22LR.

graderjs 5y ago
However the Joules are tunable. You can dial up and down, I believe.
- GravitasFailure 5y ago
  To a point. Once the magnetic field gets to a certain strength, the projectile magnetically saturates and the only way to really get more kinetic energy into it is to make the barrel longer. If they can demonstrate this firing the equivalent to a .22LR, it would be really amazing. Edit: They claim "up to" 75 ft-lbs muzzle energy, which is in the realm of .22LR. Check out this chart: https://www.mcarbo.com/22LR-Ballistics-Chart https://www.mcarbo.com/22LR-Ballistics-Chart
  - graderjs 5y ago
    Awesome, this is why I come to HN, for comments like this; to learn. (aside from the dopamine hits from posting...)
  - amluto 5y ago
    Doesn’t saturation of the projectile mean that further increases in field strength increase acceleration roughly linearly instead of quadratically?
    - GravitasFailure 5y ago
      Yes, but it also means an already inefficient system takes an absolute nosedive in efficiency.
motohagiography 5y ago
Non-firearms guy reading, was just looking at muzzle velocity, ~245fps (75m/s), where a .45ACP round goes ~500fps. - but joules would be the way to compare the physics. In terms of energy/silence, for hunting, it seems like you can buy more powerful crossbows at a camping store. Additional energy just seems like an optimization problem that could be solved with an external power pack source. However, the real game changer may be in the economics of EMP shielding and weapons, where if all legal civilian firearms are electronic, they are also remotely manageable via DRM and less user servicable. The analogy could be like what electronic fuel injection did to carbeurators and the autonomy of drivers to service their own vehicles. This rifle seems like a bit of a gimmick, but from a political perspective I could see some people saying, "let them hunt with coilguns, nobody needs gunpowder anymore," which will be a new leverage point on 2A limitations whereby this product is a managed substitute. Independent of where one stands on that issue, the product is a technology that could change the dynamic of that discussion.
- graderjs 5y ago
  interesting diverse take, particularly about EMP, DRM and R2R. i appreciate the political/2nd-order effects perspective!
- nradov 5y ago
  I don't know where you're getting those numbers but nominal .45ACP muzzle velocity is more like 800fps.
  - jakearmitage 5y ago
    Correct. Depends on ammo, though: https://www.federalpremium.com/handgun/premium-personal-defense/personal-defense-hst/11-P45HST2S.html https://www.federalpremium.com/handgun/premium-personal-defe... https://www.scribd.com/document/342603372/45-ACP-Ammunition-Velocity-Results-in-FPS-by-Gun#from_embed https://www.scribd.com/document/342603372/45-ACP-Ammunition-... So he could have sourced that info from a subsonic load out of a short barrel? But even then, it would be in 600 zone.
    - 5y ago
beloch 5y ago
More context: "The GR-1 is capable of accepting 3 different standard projectile lengths (32 mm, 42 mm, and 52 mm) with a unique variable magazine system" "Muzzle Velocity: 75 m/s." 75 m/s is slower than a lot of bows, and those are fairly big slugs, as compared to a .22 bullet. What you should expect with this gun is a very curved trajectory and, likely, low accuracy. At the very least, it will need sights similar to what's available for bows, since a few meters of distance in range will have a large impact on where the bullet lands. The large size of these bullets means they might actually not penetrate much, if at all. (I'd appreciate more spec's than just their length). Yes, they have half the kinetic energy of a .22 round, but that's going to be spread over a much larger impact area.
- moftz 5y ago
  You could easily put a point on the slug and give it some penetrating ability. It might not blow a hole through you but could at least break a bone or puncture some blood vessels.
rasz 5y ago
Another comparison: the ballsiest Airsoft limit I know is set by Poland to 17 Joules, with something like Frances 2J at the other end of the spectrum.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

Y_Y 5y ago

It would be great if they had a video of it in action. Also the ammo looks like you can make it yourself, that's cool. (Does it bother anyone else that they say "Gauss" to rhyme with "paws' instead of "mouse"? It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but in my experience it's one of the names even physicists will pronounce properly.)

graderjs 5y ago
Yes it bothers me. It should be "gowce" - rhymes with mouse. It's not gauze, obviously. This is not a Bunsen. ;p ;) xx

ceejayoz 5y ago

The video says "free of endless infringements" while showing what looks like a pile of pistol permit paperwork. The idea that the ATF is gonna shrug their shoulders and go "welp, not a firearm" seems... iffy.

graderjs 5y ago
Yes, unsure what they mean. For context it was developed in part by a guy from AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory[0]); maybe it's a commercialization of some of the miniaturized railgun/coilgun tech from the secret programs that were 'abandoned'? I'm thinking that's maybe what they mean by free of infringements; as in patent infringements, but I don't know. Your guess seems plausible too. [0]: https://www.afrl.af.mil/ https://www.afrl.af.mil/
didgeoridoo 5y ago
TIL the legal definition of “firearm” includes the stipulation that the projectile be propelled by “explosives”[0]. ATF probably would need to go to Congress to get the relevant section of law updated to be more tech-agnostic (maybe based on muzzle energy?) [0]: https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-verification-firearms-ammunition-gun-control-act-definitions https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-ver...
- syedkarim 5y ago
  If muzzle energy was used in the definition of a firearm, then high-powered air rifles would get reclassified as firearms.
  - detaro 5y ago
    sure, why not?
    - bavell 5y ago
      Where's the "fire"?

bradhe 5y ago

> Free of endless infringements Woof. America...

oneplane 5y ago
Yeah, and the weird part is that somehow it completely misses the point that society might actually want 'infringements' (infringing on what?), and that most of the world doesn't like the idea of making it easy for people to apply violence to other people.
- jakearmitage 5y ago
  What I find weird, and interesting, is that you seem to summarily correlate a weapon with applying violence to someone. Weapons are frequently used in self-defense, specially among minorities and women abused by their partners. Weapons create a balance to an otherwise unfair and cruel power relationship. As a matter of fact, those "infringements" already caused the death of an abused woman: https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases16/pr20160408a.html https://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases16/pr20160408a.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Carol_Bowne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Carol_Bowne I invite you to broaden your perspective on the concept of gun ownership and the principles behind the 2nd Amendment. Black men and women bought 58% more guns in the first six months of 2020 than they did in 2019. Black women are being empowered all across America, along with another vast diversity of people, by the right to keep and bear arms.
  - bradhe 5y ago
    > Weapons are frequently used in self-defense To be pedantic, you're still applying violence in this case. It's just violence in the response to potential or actual violence.
    - jakearmitage 5y ago
      Touché. I wanted to understand the perspective and show a different one, though, not correct or debate his point. There are other uses which I could have presented to counter that point: sports, rehabilitation, recreation. However, I find that this would deviate from my point of trying to show the diversity of gun owners and the many uses of defensive gun use. Some stats on defensive gun use: https://datavisualizations.heritage.org/firearms/defensive-gun-uses-in-the-us/ https://datavisualizations.heritage.org/firearms/defensive-g... I do understand that different people from different upbringings, as well as different parts of the world, might have a difficult time seeing how a gun can be seen as a good thing. Which I why I'm trying to present different perspectives.

avereveard 5y ago

"gunpowder age is ended" seems a bit premature as a tech demonstrator is great, but we're a few technology generation away from replacing the good old rifle, both because of power density (40+ shots per charge so you're going to ferry a few of these and battery pack are heavy) and capacitor (2 seconds/round isn't stellar) given the coil/power constraint I think the natural evolution of this tech is probably going to remain a niche application for slow firing and high powered applications, not a tout-court gunpowder replacement; railguns seems to be a better candidate for rifle replacement.

nradov 5y ago
The US Navy has given up on railguns for now and will stick with chemical propellants. https://taskandpurpose.com/military-tech/navy-electromagnetic-railgun-dead/ https://taskandpurpose.com/military-tech/navy-electromagneti...
graderjs 5y ago
totally agree. that seemed like marketing schtick. we are still very much in the gp/chemtech age of ballistic propulsion. alternative propellant is not better than electric vehicles are to oil vehicles, for now... but i feel that with higher power density battery tech, warmer superconductors, stronger magnets, and metamaterials with exotic electrical properties, maybe this category isn't something we should totally write off for not just niche 'artillery' applications but something like this hand-held category but gamechanging?
rapjr9 5y ago
So how much do batteries have to improve to make small electric energy based weapons practical? If Li-Ion could store double the energy in the same weight and volume would that change the nature of small guns? Just wondering how close we are to a major change in weapons technologies if it all depends on batteries. Maybe there is a certain limit beyond which batteries should start becoming controlled technology? Even current lithium batteries of all kinds are close to being explosives (at least chemically) which is an indication of how much energy is stored in them.

h2odragon 5y ago

see also https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41872/preorders-for-this-electromagnetic-rifle-are-being-taken-for-3775 https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41872/preorders-for-th... 20lb. ouch Stick a couple prongs off the front hooked tot he capacitor bank, and it could be dangerous.

webmaven 5y ago
Hah. A cattle prod in place of a bayonet!

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

dionian 5y ago

https://web.archive.org/web/20210727051112/https://arcflashlabs.com/product/gr-1-anvil/ https://web.archive.org/web/20210727051112/https://arcflashl...

Gys 5y ago

> which allows the GR-1 to fire up to 20 rounds per minute (at full power) or up to 100 rounds per minute at 50% power. Huh? EDIT: Aha, I thought it meant battery power, but this is more likely the applied power for 'slinging' each 'bullet'.

L_226 5y ago

Site returns 500 for me. But this reminds me of my own coilguns I made as a kid. Disposable camera flash circuits connected to a set of solenoids wrapped around a thin pvc pipe. Accelerated using a cascade triggering of each solendoid in series. Contact pairs directly in the pipe to close the next solenoid circuit when the metal slug reaches them.

adamrezich 5y ago
that sounds like a ton of fun!

webmaven 5y ago

The server seems to be suffering from the hug of death, here is a recent archived snapshot of the page: https://web.archive.org/web/20210727051112/https://arcflashlabs.com/product/gr-1-anvil/ https://web.archive.org/web/20210727051112/https://arcflashl...

boboche 5y ago

3000$ for 200fps? Am I missing something? Maybe I just played too much Instagib and have impossible expectations when I see gauss rifles or railguns?

h2odragon 5y ago
Look into "Varmint Shooting" stuff; they make stuff like .17 caliber with a muzzle velocity of 5k+ fps... About as close as we get under tank or battleship sizes.

lm28469 5y ago

The video looks like a parody but I'm sure the creators feel like real manly men and are dead serious about it...

graderjs 5y ago
I also got that vibe. The video is not great production values, and it's unclear to me how much they really took it serious and thought "fuck yeah! this is awesome!" and how much they thought they're doing it ironically or satirically while still projecting "tough" (which is a trope in amateur 'tough guy' antics, sorta like humble bragging). But in general I think that incorrect conflation of 'real manly men' and guns is wrong, because, first you got the stereotype of 'real manly men' you shouldn't pigeonhole people like that, and second, if anything guns are much more feminine because of how relatively asymmetrically they can empower women. So paradoxically, a really feminine man can benefit more from a bun (edit: heh, 'bun', ie, man bun?--typo, meant gun, but leaving it ;p ;)) than a 'manly man', which makes it quite weird the association we have in the discourse. Also, we might be able to establish guns' femininity from a purely cis-hetero point of view: the gun is a phallic metaphor, priapic and ejaculatory, so it's "natural" that all these women want to run around clutching them, as that's what they do in heterosexual life anyway, but it's funny that all these cis-hetero men want to do so, unless we either consider it is an "acceptable" expression of "latent homosexual desires" (maybe we're pushing it too far, here), or if we view the gun as only superficially masculine, but somehow deeply feminine, which would explain man's loving care, attention and desire to run around clutching them under their arms. How might a gun be deeply feminine? In the same way that you can see all weapons as deeply feminine from the point of view of feminine being openness, vulnerability (in the true strength sense), permeability and being receptive. A gun, or any weapon, acts as a propagator of these "permeability values" by perforating its targets making them more perforated, permeable, and vulnerable and open, if not in the "psychological" sense, then definitely in the gross anatomy sense. So a weapon is nothing more than a physical manifestation of the enforcement of feminine values, an instrument to aggressively spread feminine values around the world: turning otherwise obdurate and resistant flesh into flesh which is permeable, vulnerable, perforated and open. Pretty fucking weird when you think of it like that, but I think there's something to it, especially if you want to take other critical and sociological theory ideas seriously, then there's something to this, too.

junon 5y ago

I'm just annoyed the narrator pronounced it "Gawss".