Is something that is very dangerous and should not be attempted ever.
Also known as "celebratory gunfire," happy fire is something that is popular in the Balkans, the Middle East, and parts of Russia, and also in the rural United States. Usually at weddings or at New Years parties. It is basically where someone carries out the following steps:
- Obtain automatic or semi automatic firearm.
- Put onto full auto if applicable.
- Insert magazine, preferably with tracer rounds.
- Aim up into the air.
- RATATATATATATATATATATATATATA
- ???
- Profit...?
Needless to say, this is fantastically dangerous and should not be attempted ever, but people still do it. They, being fuckwits or having not paid attention in physics lessons in school, think that they're harmlessly discharging their load into the air where it won't hit anyone. Well... no. You see, there is an equation that says differently. KE=(mv^2)/2 is that equation, and basically it means that all things being equal, the kinetic energy of a projectile is equal to half its mass multiplied by its velocity squared. If therefore fired into the air, a bullet will have sufficient energy to continue travelling against the pull of gravity until it reaches a given height. Then, it will start to fall, accelerating at 9.8m/s^2, until it hits the ground again. At this point, the equation PE=mgh becomes relevant, because all that kinetic energy didn't go anywhere, it turned into potential energy. That energy starts to act on the bullet and as it accelerates it gains all the kinetic energy it had back until, because bullets are small and pointy and aerodynamic and thus subject to limited air resistance in the grand scheme of things, it will hit the ground with almost as much speed as when it was fired. If it hits someone on they back down, it is likely to maim or kill them.
There's a whole litany of people who have killed others through negligence during happy fire for this reason. But people still insist on doing it.
I tried to get to the bottom of why people engage in happy fire. I think it's a combination of being full of alcohol at a party, and as such believing that their access to guns makes them Big and Clever. I've also heard that in the former Yugoslavia, it was done as a warning by one ethnic group to other ethnic groups not to think they can sneak an alert posture at a wedding or a party or similar because they've got guns as well. I don't know how true that is, but it makes sense what with such an area being known for ethnic strife since time immemorial.
Like I said. This is not something to do under any circumstances.
(IN24/18)