For Book: Gun Question

[TromboneAl]

I want the murderer in my book to use a pistol that's illegal. I'm considering this one, which is illegal in California:

https://www.full30.com/watch/MDExOTkx/sites-spectre-think-of-it-as-an-smg-not-a-pistol

The thing is: it weights six pounds, and the murderer is a petite woman. But she's very strong.

Would it be silly to have a woman use such a heavy pistol?

 

[erkevin]

Because California has an "approved" firearm list and that list is pretty short when compared to all of the firearms manufactured, you have many choices of illegal firearms.
Does the firearm have to be illegal only in Cali or in the US?
My opinion on your current choice is that it is not readily concealable and probably not the first choice of a female (but you will need a female opinion on that)

https://www.oag.ca.gov/firearms/certguns

 

[MRG]

Because California has an "approved" firearm list and that list is pretty short when compared to all of the firearms manufactured, you have many choices of illegal firearms.
Does the firearm have to be illegal only in Cali or in the US?
My opinion on your current choice is that it is not readily concealable and probably not the first choice of a female (but you will need a female opinion on that)

https://www.oag.ca.gov/firearms/certguns

+1

Most any high capacity weapons are illegal due to their magazines.

 

[OldShooter]

9mm Uzi smg/full auto

 

[ckelly78z]

How about a Glock 18 9mm machine pistol for stealth lethality.

Glock 18 Automatic Pistol | Military-Today.com

 

[Mdlerth]

Elementary, Watson. The bullet was first rubbed on an arrow poison frog

If you want to toss in an element of illegality, suppose it's not the gun that's naughty but the ammunition? Armor-piercing or explosive bullets are outlawed most places, but could be fired from a variety of handguns. That gives you more flexibility in choosing a pistol suitable for a diminutive female shooter.

 

[erkevin]

Mdlerth,
Very clever idea!

 

[LimaPop]

If you want to toss in an element of illegality, suppose it's not the gun that's naughty but the ammunition? Armor-piercing or explosive bullets are outlawed most places, but could be fired from a variety of handguns. That gives you more flexibility in choosing a pistol suitable for a diminutive female shooter.

Great idea.... or perhaps just any old police revolver with its serial numbers ground off....

 

[strobot]

Also, check out the laws on 3D printed pistols. They call them ghost guns because there is no serial number on them, which essentially makes them illegal everywhere. I think that would be an interesting twist to a story!

 

[bigcmagor]

If you want to toss in an element of illegality, suppose it's not the gun that's naughty but the ammunition? Armor-piercing or explosive bullets are outlawed most places, but could be fired from a variety of handguns. That gives you more flexibility in choosing a pistol suitable for a diminutive female shooter.

There you go Al, a derringer shooting explosive rounds!

 

[ChiliPepr]

If it is a full auto, it is probably illegal for a not regulated person to own. But it is also a 30 year old pistol/sub machine gun. Most guns are illegal in California. All guns are illegal for her in California if she does not have a valid license.

Part of the question is when she would use it is how is she using it and how is she transporting it? It is harder to conceal then a normal pistol.

 

[Car-Guy]

I want the murderer in my book to use a pistol that's illegal. I'm considering this one, which is illegal in California:

The thing is: it weights six pounds, and the murderer is a petite woman. But she's very strong.

Would it be silly to have a woman use such a heavy pistol?

There's nothing more dangerous than a PO woman, petite or not. And someone with her intentions probably isn't going to care if the gun is illegal or not.

 

[Gumby]

Maybe a TEC-9? Illegal in California (and several other states), but widely available (used) elsewhere in the US. Weighs less than 3 lbs empty, half the weight of the Spectre M4. Both use 9x19mm parabellum rounds in large magazines and are capable of throwing substantial amounts of lead downrange in short order.

 

[W2R]

Or, you could check your local news for stories about women murdering people using illegal guns, and use the same model as they actually use in real life.

If news stories like that are difficult to find, then possibly a similar fictional story would seem quite unrealistic. You could have the female murderer use some other method such as killing the victim with kindness... or with outstandingly bad cooking... food poisoning maybe?

 

[erkevin]

A different twist on a murder weapon.....

https://throwflame.com/

Legal in CA

 

[Curmoodgeon]

Also, check out the laws on 3D printed pistols. They call them ghost guns because there is no serial number on them, which essentially makes them illegal everywhere.

This is just wrong, they are perfectly legal in the US. They are called 'ghost guns' because people who want to take away guns always try to play the 'fear' card by making up scary terms to justify doing so, and 'home made gun' just doesn't sound scary enough.

 

[Gumby]

This is just wrong, they are perfectly legal in the US. They are called 'ghost guns' because people who want to take away guns always try to play the 'fear' card by making up scary terms to justify doing so, and 'home made gun' just doesn't sound scary enough.

Soon to be illegal in Connecticut (as of 10/1/19). Don't know about any other states.

https://apnews.com/4547476e46f746d29ffccb3ea9cca0d9

One measure signed by Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, bans guns that do not have serial numbers. So-called ghost guns are typically sold in parts that can be assembled at home and have not been required to have serial numbers, making them difficult to trace.

 

[jim584672]

.38 auto would be a much smaller gun for realism.

 

[ChiliPepr]

But please, whatever you do, don't put a silencer on it and let her shoot it and the person that is 10 feet away hears nothing.

 

[TromboneAl]

But please, whatever you do, don't put a silencer on it and let her shoot it and the person that is 10 feet away hears nothing.

Looking back, I've had suppressors in three of my books, but they are never silent.

"The shot wasn’t totally silent, even with the suppressor, but there was some kind of electrical motor running down in the basement. They wouldn’t have heard anything."

 

[TromboneAl]

An Uzi seemed like too much of a cliche.

I'll look at the other suggestions, thanks.

I'm liking this gun because the woman can say, "Of course that's not my gun. Would a woman choose such a big, clunky gun?"

One of the bullets has to stay in the victim's head.

Another problem is that the murderer is slow to throw away the gun. I'm thinking that it has sentimental value, she's had it for decades, or it would be hard to replace.

 

[TromboneAl]

Or, you could check your local news for stories about women murdering people using illegal guns, and use the same model as they actually use in real life.

But I would have wait, like, days, for that to happen here.

 

[ownyourfuture]

Patty Hearst carried something similar, & she only weighed 87 pounds when she was arrested
Of course she had a little support.

 

[MRG]

There you go Al, a derringer shooting explosive rounds!

I love it. An antique murder weapon that has sentimental value to the killer. Obsolete low power weapon and ammunition makes the killer reach out to folks who can handcraft lethal rounds.

 

[ChiliPepr]

Looking back, I've had suppressors in three of my books, but they are never silent.

"The shot wasn’t totally silent, even with the suppressor, but there was some kind of electrical motor running down in the basement. They wouldn’t have heard anything."

Think about clapping two pieces of 2x4s together, not super hard, but solid. That is about how loud a good silencer is.