Why don't we just make bullets out of potassium and sodium?

>>34958227
because theyre retardedly unstable

>>34958227
Cost, ballistics (range, accuracy, penetration *giggity*, dynamics, etc.), forming the metal, etc.

>>34958227
'Cause they'd suck.

They wouldn't perform as well in tissue and the secondary effects aren't great enough to make up for the reduced primary effectiveness.
Also it's a huge fire hazard

>>34958227
They can violently react with air if the humidity is high enough. They are normal stored in oil to keep them stable.

>>34958227
Even if you could get past the chemical reactivity problems, sodium and potassium are soft as fuck. The bullets would liquefy/deform/break apart mid flight.

File: 10mm nd.webm (939KB, 490x320px) Image search: [Google]

939KB, 490x320px

Why don't we just make bullets out of volatile plutonium?

>>34958227
Reactivity issues aside, they'd melt.

>>34958249
>>34958747
Their reacivity is somewhat exaggerated in pop-science. On contact with air, usually a small film of oxidized metal will form (passivization) that prevents further reaction. Using it as a bullet would be highly ineffectiv, because due to the temperature it would immediatly oxidize, and you'd just be shooting salt.
On the other hand, why don't we just use WP-bullets? Oh right nevermind

>>34959416
WP rounds will be neccessary in the coming robot apocalypse

>>34959422
And how about ClF3 flamethrowers and canister-bombs?

>>34958227

Ability to carry energy. Same reason why we don't make bullets out of plastic, paper, styrofoam, or sheet metal empty inside.

Lead, tungsten, depleted uranium - locate these on the periodic table. Way down, dense as fuck. By keeping the bullet massive you make sure it loses least energy in flight.

>>34958227
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXaaybiRiYY

>>34958227
They are way to soft of a metal

>>34959433
I want this

>>34958227
Not dense enough, not hard enough, too vulnerable to getting wet.

>>34959367
...actually there was a good argument for radioactive Caesium bullets for assassination. The trick is that you need a really good Alpha emitter isotope so it's super lethal if you can get it under the skin. Plutonium could work if you've got the right isotope.

Do people die when they get shot with lead?
Yes?
Then why change it.

>>34958227
Vic is that you?

>>34963655
Well, people die if you strangle them too.
Why make complicated weapons if you can just kill them with your bare hands?

>>34963944
Because it takes three minutes to kill someone from lack of oxygen. Strangulation guns would be pretty gnarly though.

>>34959433
ClF3 is something i am truly terrified of. i love fire because controlling it sets mankind apart from animals. you can however, not control chlorine trifluoride. it and it's products are toxic and it sets everything it touches on fire. you can't even store it properly because although some materials can be pasivated, a scratch in that layer causes the container to burst into flames.
i would love to see testing of it tough because so far i only found one video showing the actual substance