"Pete C." wrote in message
...
| carl mciver wrote:
|
| "Gunner" wrote in message
| ...
| SNIP
| | What's the thing called that's holds shot in a shell? I'm
drawing
| a
| | blank here. They use that to keep the pressure from destroying the
| pumpkin
| | before it can get very far up the barrel.
| |
| | You're looking for the word "wadding".
| |
| | Actually...in this case..its "sabot"
|
| That's it. I was starting to feel stupid there for a minute. Glad
to
| know I wasn't the only one drawing a blank!
|
| Would it not be correctly termed "wadding" if it is behind the pumpkin
| and serves to cushion the accelerating force on the pumpkin, vs. a
| "sabot" that surrounds the pumpkin on the sides as well and serves to
| seal and guide it in the bore?
|
| Pete C.

I'm obviously no expert, but two things: 1) the pumpkin will be
irregular in shape at best and it'll truly difficult to find pumpkins whose
profile will allow a precise fit, so a sabot's function sounds correct. 2)
the pumpkin's acceleration will obviously be so great that the pumpkin won't
stand the acceleration part of its ride before disintegrating, so wadding is
also necessary. The sabot on shotgun shells has a sort of wadding function
built in, so is it called a sabot or wad? Not something I'm gonna get
wrapped up over, that's for sure!