Should Characters “Dig Out” Bullet Injuries?

A_bullet_in_the_base_of_a_brain,_viewed_through_x-ray._Photo_Wellcome_L0000624Photo 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 up the wound.

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What is an AR-15?

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Image via Colt

I was enjoying a novel the other day until a character switched an AR-15 (pictured above) into fully automatic mode and started blasting away at bad guys. Thing is, AR-15s don’t have a full-auto mode. It’s time to clear the waters, because this is only one of the misconceptions. Continue reading

Just Say “No” to Dramatic Pumping

Writerfolk, whenever you get the itch to write in a character dramatically pumping a shotgun in a story, stop. Come up with a different method of intimidation. I know you’ve seen it countless times in movies and TV shows, but as @abnersenires so eloquently stated on Twitter, it’s the wrong kind of smooth move.

On Writing Guns: Do All Revolvers Hold Six Rounds?

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The term “six shooter” is often used as shorthand for a revolver. But do all revolvers carry six rounds? Continue reading

Magazine vs. Clip: What’s the Difference?

Magazine or clip? Many writers, and people in general, trip up on this area. They almost always reference the wrong one – “clip” – to describe that detachable rectangle that holds ammunition.

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