Benjamin Sobieck's Blog, page 14

Using a Pillow as a Silencer

Silencers (aka suppressors) usually receive some goosing up in the physics department when they’re used in fiction. But what about the old pillow-as-silencer trope? Is there any truth to that? Short answer: no. Pillows do a bad job of containing the explosive gases released by a gunshot. Hell, they can barely contain snoring. Here’s an excellent […]

What are Those Wavy Things on that Knife Blade?

When researching knives for a story, you may come across wavy patterns on the blade that look like this: Without getting too technical, those waves are created by layering the steel used to make the blade. The result is called “damascus” steel. A wave pattern is just one of the shapes found in damascus steel. […]

How Loud is a Silencer?

Here’s a handy chart detailing the noise levels of silenced (aka “suppressed”) firearms. This is excerpted from an infographic from Silencerco. The takeaway: silencers/suppressors aren’t as convenient as fiction would like to think. Get creative in those stealthy scenes. What other ways are there to be silent but deadly? (er, wait…)   If you’re having […]

Guide to Knife Anatomy

These excellent illustrations and descriptions come from BladeHQ.   Anatomy of an Automatic Knife Automatic knives are designed primarily for Military, Police and EMT duty, these knives are simple to open in an emergency. This is done by pushing a firing button or pulling a lever. Check the laws in your area before purchasing an […]

Should Characters “Dig Out” Bullet Injuries?

Photo via Wikimedia TLDR: No. Not having been shot by a gun (thankfully), I’m a little naive in the department of gunshot injuries. However, a Facebook conversation the other day brought up the topic of characters treating gunshot wounds. Books, movies and TV shows will often depict a character “digging out the bullet” before wrapping […]

Should Characters Use Sugar to Heal Gun/Knife Wounds?

TLDR: Using sugar is old school, but it can be effective for minor injuries. Modern characters would likely use a commercial coagulent and antibiotics. A trick from back in the day involved packing a wound with sugar. Apparently, this came up in the movie Shooter, where an injured character dumped sugar into a wound. (I […]

The 6 Steps for Treating Knife Wounds

  The recent posts about characters “digging out” gunshot wounds and using sugar to treat injuries drew quite a few pageviews, which was nice to see, although I wonder about your guys’s safety. You do know this is for writing fiction, right? Or are your weekends really that rough? I figured I’d follow up with […]

Title Change: From “Weapons for Writers” to “A Writer’s Guide to Weapons”

Anything look a little unusual in this screen grab from my Writer’s Digest book’s page on Amazon?   There are two titles listed. As it turns out, Writer’s Digest will be changing the title from Weapons for Writers to The Writer’s Guide to Weapons. A lot of thought went into that decision, and I’m positive […]

Sneak Peek: TOC The Writer’s Guide to Weapons

Psssst…here’s a sneak peek at the table of contents for The Writer’s Guide to Weapons: A Practical Reference for Using Firearms and Knives in Fiction, coming in July from Writer’s Digest Books. Remember: You can get the best pre-order price when you buy the book directly from the publisher here. Filed under: On Writing Guns, […]

What’s a Good Cop Gun?

image via Smith & Wesson TLDR: There isn’t one “cop gun,” but a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol is a solid default choice for modern settings. One of the most common questions about assigning firearms to characters I’ve received through e-mail is, “What’s a good cop gun?” Although law enforcement officers use many types of firearms, […]