By Terry C. Misfeldt
Disclaimer: This blog is about writers using weapons for the characters in their stories. It is not advocating violence of any sort but sharing of wisdom about weapon use.
Over the last three weeks, we’ve covered the use of weapons for provision (supplying food to feed people), protection, recreation, and today’s post is about their use by an aggressive character. That intimates a character who is intent on using a weapon to kill someone. There is a hidden implication here that the character has no remorse for murder and cares not about the consequences.
Allow me to start with one of the world’s most feared aggressor: the sniper. Assassins such as a sniper like to shoot from distance, often from a lofty perch like the roof of a tall building. In combat, however, a sniper may lie on the ground concealed by a ghillie suit. The most feared sniper weapon is a high caliber rifle such as a .30-.06 bolt rifle with high powered scope. It is an accurate weapon in that it propels a bullet at high velocity through a long barrel and often a considerable distance from the target.
The formula: Power plus barrel length equals accuracy over distance is a sniper’s forte.
Most military grade weapons are designed for attacking an opponent. Sub-machine guns, grenades, carbine rifles and bayonets are meant to kill. However, a high caliber pistol or revolver can also prove deadly but are less accurate due to a shorter barrel length. Even a smaller caliber weapon such as a .22 caliber firearm can be used to kill.
The list of deadly weapons — beyond firearms — include spears, knives, throwing stars, axes and hatchets, swords, machetes, and numerous other devices. Many of these are meant for close, often hand-to-hand combat, such as batons and chains.
What every writer must remember is that the aggressive character intent on murder will somehow have to deal with the consequences of their action. Some snipers have been known to die at the hands of another sniper. Some slayers commit suicide while others are captured and prosecuted to the full extent of the law and sentenced to prison or death. What they leave behind is not only a dead body but families that are destroyed by violence. Consider the members of the military wounded or slain during conflicts.