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Cesium bullets

Cesium reacts explosively with water, we're 60% water.
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I had this idea independently, but a quick google search found that it had been around a while. Still, I thought that it could be interesting to see what the community thought. The idea is simply to have a bullet primarily loaded with cesium, with a thin jacket. The bullet would be made to fragment and send lots of tiny pieces of cesium through the body. The sudden contact with water causes quick production of hydrogen gas. Alternatives include using fine powder of a reactive metal such as cesium or aluminum, the fine powder would have more surface area, and react more violently. Cesium is pretty expensive for samples (30/g). But at a large level production I imagine the price would drop precipitously. Still this would only probably be useful for special situations like one shot stop terrorist situations.

Video of cesium in water: [link]

Tetra, Nov 05 2007

Cesium in bath tub http://video.google...2134266654801392897
[Tetra, Nov 05 2007]

Ultrasonic Celtic Spear Ultrasonic_20Celtic_20Spear
You will see in the annos that it was I who improved this concept by the liberal addition of francium. I should mention that this spear is 600 feet high, bright red and smells terrible. [bungston, Nov 05 2007]

Caesium thermal data http://www.webeleme...s/text/Cs/heat.html
Pretty hot room, [nuclearhobo] [neutrinos_shadow, Nov 07 2007]

[link]






       Not great for CSI: MIAMI, where humidity will play a great part in the correct holstering of your weapon. And before you go on about your thin veneer, mechanical failure should always be built into any design.   

       Reactive agents are not recommended for bullets, unless in closely guarded military environments.   

       There exists something called plausible deniability, which allows manufactures of cartridges off the hook for murders, this will void that.
4whom, Nov 05 2007
  

       Cool video.   

       Good point 4whom, it would have to be sufficiently covered to prevent anything but an extreme accident. On the other hand the military has rounds filled with nasty stuff as well (WP HE ect). There is a small danger, but unless the Cesium is actually inside the body I doubt that small an amount would cause more than serious burns in the unlikely event of a catastrophic failure. And yes, it would be almost certain to kill (or at least that's the point), which would violate Geneva for one thing.
Tetra, Nov 05 2007
  

       I'm struggling to give you the benefit of the doubt.   

       Did you just finish Gibson's latest, "Spook Country" ?   

       If not, it's an interesting read.
normzone, Nov 05 2007
  

       Can't say I have. Is he like Clancy?
Tetra, Nov 05 2007
  

       Not by my lights.
normzone, Nov 05 2007
  

       Kind of a miserable thing to want to do to someone.   

       bone. -
nomocrow, Nov 05 2007
  

       1: if you want it to explode, why not fill bullet with explosive?   

       2: if you are dead set on a reactive metal, why wuss around with cesium when there is francium to be had? An example of francium weaponry is linked, for your edification.
bungston, Nov 05 2007
  

       I'm pretty sure 1-hit KO weapons are outlawed, even if they do only run on a flimsy bit of science and a prayer. That is the reason why exploding bullets aren't widely used (that, and they're nearly impossible to produce.) Just throw a shoe.
Shadow Phoenix, Nov 05 2007
  

       @ bungston. I presume you are joking about 2, because francium is only existent in minuscule quantities.The reason for #1 is that for the quantity in the round cesium would provide more gas, and more energy. Also high explosive rounds don't reliably detonate on impact with flesh, and cause surface wounds when they do (so that they don't accidentally go off). @Shadow Phoenix: they violate Geneva, but this wouldn't be for frontline warfare anyway.
Tetra, Nov 05 2007
  

       I have never heard [bungston] joke about francium yet. I have heard rumours that demand for scarce commodity increases the price.... Also, why on earth couldn't it be a caesium blunderbuss? And does it have to kill people then explode them? It could have been a Happy Hippie Flower Power Blunderbuss of Peace and Love - that showers one with nice rose petals. "Chill bro" <Bang!>
the dog's breakfast, Nov 06 2007
  

       //the fine powder would have more surface area//
No need to make a powder. As cesium melts in your hand (if you could hold it, that is), it will be liquid as soon as the bullet leaves the gun. I'd expect it to have characteristics similar to a mercury filled bullet (which generally has only a small drop in the nose). The cesium filled bullet will explode, but unlike the mercury bullet, the reaction products will produce a non-toxic corpse.
ldischler, Nov 06 2007
  

       //As cesium melts in your hand// Cesium is a liquid at room temperature. This is a horrible idea, which means the US DoD would surely give you billions of dollars to develop it. [-]
nuclear hobo, Nov 06 2007
  

       [Tetra] Worse, francium is only existent as a decay product which is itself highly unstable - even if you had a big enough sample, seconds later you wouldn't have it any more.
david_scothern, Nov 06 2007
  

       You would, however, have major DNA damage. Hooray!
shapu, Nov 06 2007
  

       Good point Idischler, and also true david_scothern . Of course the bullet made with francium would be incredibly powerful for the few minutes you would have it...
Tetra, Nov 06 2007
  
      
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