From: bercov@bevb.bev.lbl.gov (John Bercovitz)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Point blank - a definition please
Date: 7 Sep 90 18:22:11 GMT

In article <8615@orca.wv.tek.com> rdh@sli.com (Robert D. Houk) writes:
>Just what exactly is "point blank"? I have seen it used .......

"Point blanc" was the white point on the sighting device used on cannon
several hundred years ago.  The white point was set so that the sight
line was parallel to the bore centerline.  Since one must elevate the
rear of the sight line to hit something at a distance, use of the point blanc,
which results in what is known as "flat fire", is only useful close up.

Point blank range is the maximum distance at which flat fire is effective.
So if the kill zone is say, 16" high, and you aim at the center of it, then
point blank range is the distance the projectile has traveled when it has
fallen 8 inches under the influence of gravity.

Naturally, this terminology has lost some of its precision over the centuries
and now connotes many concepts other than those given above.


              JHBercovitz@lbl.gov