Making a black blade

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

The flaw, if we must have one, is that pun exists in English. Less likely that it's so in Gaelic -- but I don't speak it.

How about Danish? Is the name for "mercury" composed of words for "fast" and "silver"?

My dictionary tells me the English word actually goes back to Old English "cwicu" (alive) and "soelfer", citing a translation from Latin "argentum vivum". Interestingly, this is the sense of "quick" as "alive", as in "the quick and the dead". It'd be a good name for a dancing sword, too.

Yes, the only Danish daily use term is "kviksølv", whereas at best "quicksilver" in English is an archaic term that I imagine few people know (gamers being an exception, of course), with the daily use term being "mercury".

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by lwcamp

http://www.hurog.com/books/silver/silverbullets.shtml

A truly excellent article!

Whiek they didn't mention it they did put the last nail in the Lone Ranger's ammo making coffin.

If it takes 35,000 psi to obturate that BHN 24 soemthing silver you're not getting that in a .45 Long Colt. Max. pressure for that appears to be 14,000 psi. I suspect you can't get to 35,000 with black powder at all.

You're just barely within range for a 9mm x 19 Nato which I recall being at 39,0000 psi. According to Wikipedia 35,000 is exactly the limit for a 40 S&W.

With cast bullets you're probably better off in a revolver anyway. I know people who used to reload cast lead in .45 ACP but I don't know how well it _really_ worked for them.

357 and .44 Magnum have plenty of pressure, over 40,000. Apparently the .500 Magnum is rated for up to 60,000 though msot manufactuers don't load it that hot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.500_S%26W_Magnum

Oh well, maybe some time traveller gave the Lone Ranger a .454 Casull and kept him supplied with argentum ammo.

[Sam Cade]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I know people who used to reload cast lead in .45 ACP but I don't know how well it _really_ worked for them.

Just fine. The vast majority of .45ACP that goes downrange is cast lead.

Consider that Bullseye is the most popular shooting sport in the US and most everyone shoots a 1911 in .45 ACP with lead 185gr SWCs.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Yes, the only Danish daily use term is "kviksølv", whereas at best "quicksilver" in English is an archaic term that I imagine few people know (gamers being an exception, of course), with the daily use term being "mercury".

"Quicksilver" is neither terribly archaic nor little known in English. It's often listed as the common name for mercury, even in elementary level textbooks. It's often used for its "ooh! ahh!" factor in the classroom. I've not met many people over 18 who don't associate the two terms, Mercury and Quicksilver, as being the same thing.

[DanHoward]

In the case of mercury the word "quicksilver" uses the other meaning of quick. As mentioned above quick means "alive" not "swift/fast". In another language you should be looking for a translation of "alive silver" not "fast silver".

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

"Quicksilver" is neither terribly archaic nor little known in English. It's often listed as the common name for mercury, even in elementary level textbooks. It's often used for its "ooh! ahh!" factor in the classroom. I've not met many people over 18 who don't associate the two terms, Mercury and Quicksilver, as being the same thing.

Thanks for the information. I didn't know that.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

In the case of mercury the word "quicksilver" uses the other meaning of quick. As mentioned above quick means "alive" not "swift/fast". In another language you should be looking for a translation of "alive silver" not "fast silver".

Okay. The sword's magic makes it quick, though (think Extra Attack, in GURPS terms). It's not an autonomously fighting blade, as in Dancing Blade (IIRC GURPS and D&D both have those), although with the swift swings it may seem to be alive when wielded by a skilled or merely aggressive person.