For the gun to fire the gunpowder needs to burn; assited by spark, fuel and oxygen. Primer provides spark and gunpowder provides fuel, so all that is needed is oxygen (which is lacking on the Moon).
So the gun may only fire if the primer or gunpowder contained enough oxygen or other oxidizer to burn the gunpowder. If the shell was sealed and was able to contain its own oxidizer then yes (rockets carry their own liquid oxygen to burn fuel - fine aluminum powder and/or hydrogen).
Short answer (normal earthly gun and bullet) - No, gun will not fire; the bullet would leak any oxygen in the low pressure (i.e. vacuum) of space. No oxygen, no bang!
I am not sure the specific formulation of the primer and gunpowder, maybe?
For the gun to fire the gunpowder needs to burn; assited by spark, fuel and oxygen. Primer provides spark and gunpowder provides fuel, so all that is needed is oxygen (which is lacking on the Moon).
Are there any astronauts on INGO willing to give this a go?
Guns work in space. The gunpowder does not need air to ignite.
I do wonder about the lack of atmospheric pressure on the outside of the barrel, though.
I wonder what would happen if you were in orbit. Would the bullet not leave the gun?
I wonder what would happen if you were in orbit. Would the bullet not leave the gun?
It will leave the barrel, but depending on YOUR reference point and if they fired with or against the speed of travel will determine the reference speed. For instance if you have a Pitcher on a train and he throws a ball at 100 mph off the back of a 100mph train it will drop to the ground. If he throws it off the front it will measure 200 mph from the ground.
-.00000000000000000000001 for ignoring relativistic effects.
(geek humor)