Handgun Information Page - Lots of articles and information on guns, cartridges and weapons in general.

Revolver Cartridges - A bit of information on them.

List of Cartridges by Type - A great list with lots of info on different cartridge types.

A great page for pictures and cutaways as well as descriptions of bullet types:

http://matrix.dumpshock.com/raygun/basics/bullets.html

I tend to use a lot of fan fiction terms here, and if there's any new fan fic authors around, I'm sure it's confusing. So I've created a little fan fic terminology dictionary. Some of them are more common to other fandoms, but I included them anyway.

( Click here for Fan Fic Dictionary )

Here's a brief guide to fiction length, so you know what you're reading.

Micro Fiction - less than 100 words (1 page)
Drabble - A story that is exactly 100 words (definition often varied)
Flash Fiction - 100 - 1000 words (1-2 pages)
Short Short - 1000 to 2500 (3-9 pages)
Short Story - 2500 - 7500 words (10 - 22 pages)
Novelette - 7500 - 20,000 words (22 - 61 pages)
Novella - 20,000 - 50,000 words (66 - 175 pages)
Novel - 50,000 - 100,000 words (over 175 pages) average novel is 80,000 words
Epic - Over 100,000

Fiction under 500 words is sometimes called a Vignette. Chapters in a novel are usually at least 2000 words each.

And some lengths for different genres of original fic:

Picture Books - Up to 3,000 words (ages 6 and under)
Chapter books - 5,000 to 20,000 words (ages 6 to 8)
Juvenile books - 25,000 to 50,000 words (ages 9 to 12)
Young Adult books - 30,000 to 80,000 words (13 and above)
Detective novel - 70,000 to 85,000 words
Thrillers - 70,000 to 100,000 words

Types of Firearms

There are several broad categories of firearms. The first is handguns, which are designed to be held in one hand, and include pistols, semiautomatic handguns, machine pistols, revolvers and derringers.

Another broad category of firearms is long guns (shoulder guns), which include rifles and shotguns.

The last category of weapons are ones that are normally rested on the ground or mounted on a tank, vehicle etc. These would be large machine guns, anti-aircraft guns etc. Anything mounted and over .50 calibre would more properly be called a cannon.

Handguns (aka pistols)

As far as handguns go, there are 2 types; semi automatic and revolvers. The Team used both regularly and Face seemed to like revolvers over semi-autos. Revolvers have a revolving chamber that can hold between 5 and 10 bullets depending on the gun. They do not eject shell casings when they fire. Semi automatic guns have a magazine that fits into the handle and holds the bullets, up to 15 for some guns. They use energy from the firing of each cartridge to eject the empty case and insert the next cartridge into the firing chamber. They fire faster, but are less accurate than a revolver.

Rifles and Assault Rifles

A rifle is designed for two handed use and has a barrel over 18" long, and a stock that rests up against the user's shoulder. This helps steady the gun so it can be aimed more accurately. The interior of the barrel is rifled, to make the cartridge spin when fired, allowing for more accuracy.

The Team uses assault rifles almost every episode. They resemble regular rifles, but are made to fire rapidly, either semi-auto, burst, or full auto. Semi-auto means you have to squeeze the trigger for each fire, while full auto you can squeeze and hold the trigger to fire the bullets in succession. With burst guns, they can be set to fire in 3 round bursts, meaning that one squeeze will automatically fire 3 bullets, but then you have to squeeze again to get 3 more. Assault rifles are military weapons.

Shotguns

A shotgun is a long gun that looks somewhat like a traditional rifle, but is used to shoot a packet of shot, which resemble little beads. Shot guns spray the shot over a wide area when fired. They can be single or double barrelled, allowing for one or two shots to be fired at a time. They must be reloaded after firing.

Machine Guns and Submachine Guns

A machine gun is a fully automatic rifled gun, meaning it shoots cartridges rapidly, as long as the trigger is held. A machine gun rifle that shoots cartridges of calibers that are normally used in handguns is called a sub-machine gun. Many machine guns are belt fed, meaning the cartridges and attached to a belt and fed into the weapon, allowing for many rounds to be fired without reloading. A fully automatic handgun is usually refered to as a "machine pistol" (IE an Uzi)

Firearm Actions

The term "action" refers to the method of firing cartridges and the way the weapon loads the cartridge into the firing chamber and the empty cases removed. Some of the type of actions are: single action, double action, bolt, pump, semi-automatic, lever and automatic.

Single action - In a revolver, the rotating cylinder is moved into position to fire the next cartridge by pulling back ("cocking") the hammer. In semi-autos it means that it has to be manually cocked for the first shot (usually by pulling the slide), and for any shot after, the cocking is done automatically.

Double action - The cylinder is moved into position by the first part of the trigger pull, which also cocks the hammer. In semi-autos it means that the hammer is cocked by the trigger pull for the first shot only, the rest are done in single action mode. Many semi-autos are Double action only, but many have the option of being either. DA revolvers are fairly slow. When you pull the trigger, it has a long and heavy pull because you are working against the spring to cock the weapon. You generally only get that with the first shot from a semi-auto.

Bolt action - Many rifles and some shotguns use this. The "bolt" is a rod that fits behind the firing chamber. The bolt pushes the cartridge into the chamber and is then locked in place. Unlocking it and pulling it back pulls out the cartridge or empty case. A small handle at the rear of the gun controls the bolt.

Pump action - Some rifles and shotguns use this. The pump is under the barrel in front of the trigger when nothing is being moved. To eject the cartridge or casing and load the next, the pump is pulled back towards the rear of the gun and then pushed back frontwards.

Lever action - Mostly used on rifles, but also on some shotguns. The lever is under the trigger and a little behind. To empty a casing the rear handle of the lever is pushed forwards. Bringing it back loads a cartridge and cocks the hammer so it is ready to fire again.

Cartridges (aka Bullets)

There are many different calibre of bullets (size). Some are measured in calibre (hundredths of an inch), while others are measured in millimetres. The larger the calibre, the more damage the bullet does. This doesn't mean a .22 is less dangerous however. Since they are smaller and lighter, they often don't have the power to exit the body. A .22 or other small calibre may ricochet in the body and cause massive damage, where a higher calibre may pass right through.

The small calibers are less than 8mm (.32), medium caliber is 8mm (.32) to 10mm (.40) and large caliber is 10mm (.40) and higher.

There are also different types of coverings on bullets, from rubber police bullets, to full metal jacket. Some bullets have a hollow point, which means they will stop in the body and cause more damage. Some are made to spray open in the body causing massive damage, and others are designed to tumble out of the gun to cause damage. Some of the popular calibres are:

.22
5.56mm (equal to .223 caliber)
.25
7.62mm (equal to .30 caliber)
.32
.357
.38
9mm
.40
.44
.45
.50

Magnum bullets are often longer bullets of a specific calibre. (ie. .357 Magnum). The 7.62 and 5.56 are mostly military issue calibre. The higher the calibre, the more recoil you will get from the weapon. Recoil is the amount the weapon "kicks back" - smaller people and those without a lot of handgun training can have trouble shooting higher calibre. Most people learn on small calibre and move up. Magnum weapons can have more recoil than non-Magnum.

Guns are also loud. On TV people get into gun fights without any hearing protection and are fine. In real life, a .38 calibre gunshot for instance, would leave a person with ringing ears for hours, and higher calibres could cause some deafness if no hearing protection is worn. This is never reflected on TV though.

The A-Team Guns:

Various guns were used by the A-Team and the bad guys on the show. Their main weapons were the AC556.

• Ruger K-Mini14-F
  
  
  This was the weapon of choice for the team. It has an aftermarket stainless steel flashider added. It's a 5.56mm, 5, 10, 20 or 30 round magazine.


• M16A1
  
  
  5.56mm, 30 rounds. These were standard military issue in Vietnam. Now the military uses the M16A2. The MPs used these, and the Team did on occasion (mostly 1st season). This would've been their military issue rifle during the war. Most of the MP's on the show carried these, usually with a smaller magazine for some reason.


• Hechler and Koch MP 5
  
  
  9mm, 10mm and .40. 15 to 30 rounds. This one has an internal silencer, as well as a pull out (telescope) sock. It's used by anti-terrorist forces around the world.


• M60
  
  
  belt fed machine gun, 7.62mm. It can be stood on a tripod, as above, or held like a regular gun. Hannibal has used one on occasion called Baby. They can also be mounted on vehicles.


• Ingram MAC 10
  
  
  9mm or .45. Intended as a compact weapon for urban use, and for use with a silencer. Ingram became involved with various US goverment agencies in Vietnam until bankruptcy in 1975. Hannibal uses one in The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas when they're in the car chase.


• Micro Uzi
  
  
  Can be chambered for a 9mm or .45 calibre bullet. 20 to 32 rounds for 9mm, 10 to 16 for .45.


• Intratec TEC 9
  
  
  9mm, 36 rounds, ranges from 10 - 50 rounds. Can take laser sites and other attachments.


• Browning Hi Power
  
  
  One of Hannibal's guns. A 9mm which can also be chambered for 7.65mm and .40. 13 round single action.


• Smith & Wesson 439 - A gun Hannibal used, it's an aluminum alloy, 9mm, 8 round.


• Smith & Wesson 39-2
  
  
  Another of Hannibal's guns. A post WW2 semi auto, discontinued since 1980. 9mm, 8 round magazine. He had this both in nickel plated and blued steel.


• Smith & Wesson Model 19
  
  
  .357 Magnum, nickel plated, 6 round, double action revolver, 6" barrel. Face carried a gun like this in The Taxicab Wars, but it was blued steel. Face also used a chromed .45.


• Colt 1917
  
  
  .45 calibre 6 round magazine revolver. Used by the US Army.


• Sig Sauer P210
  
  
  A single action 8 round 9mm or 7.65mm (also chambered for .22 long). Used by the Danish, Swiss military and German border patrol. One of the most accurate military pistols ever made. Face uses this in Bend in the River.


• Colt M1911-A1
  
  
  .45 calibre, 7 rounds. Can be carried "cocked and locked". A single action pistol used by the US Army.

Notes on weapons and gunfire:

• The Team never seemed to have a problem hearing after all the gunfire. In reality, the sound of a gun blast would cause a lot of ringing in the ears and render you hard of hearing for at least a day.


• The Team didn't seem to have or feel much recoil from their weapons. When you fire a gun, it kicks back a bit due to the power of the firing. Higher calibre weapons will give a larger recoil.


• When people get shot, they don't spin around or get knocked down by the force of the bullet. With adrenaline running, it's possible a person might not even feel it. The A-Team episode Without Reservations was very accurate with Face's reaction after he got shot. He was still on his feet and slowly sunk down once he saw what happened.

A list of fake names and disguises used by each team member in every episode, including Murdock's strange personas. Most of the names are ones used during scams by Face and Hannibal, and occasionally Murdock.

Season 1	Face	Hannibal	Murdock	BA
Mexican Slayride	Priest (to see Magill) Lt. Blackman (Murdock scam) Joe Bob Mathison (plane scam) movie producer	Aquamaniac Wino Mr. Lee Andre Fisterman (movie scam) Mexican in cell	Buster Hawthorne (plane scam)
Children of Jamestown	Dwayne (store scam, Amy as Sue Ellen)
Pros and Cons	Dr. Dwight Pepper	His own agent Gay hairdresser	Mental Patient	Deaf mute boxer
A Small and Deadly War	Exterminator (with Amy)
Black Day at Bad Rock
The Rabbit Who Ate Las Vegas	Married couple (with Amy)	Bus driver Tony Vincent Black waiter	Bongo	Special Agent Jones
The Out-of-Towners	Nephew of German shop owner	Blind German shop owner
Holiday in the Hills	Priest
West Coast Turnaround	Sherrif	Sherrif Orderly	A horse lol Sherrif
One More Time		Old Lady (movie)	Bakery truck driver
Till Death Do Us Part	Caterer	Cab driver Caterer Telephone repairman	Caterer Bride	Caterer
The Beast From the Belly of a Boeing	Beller's VP	Edward Beller the 3rd
A Nice Place to Visit
Season 2
Diamonds 'n' Dust	Explosives inspector		English explosives inspector
Recipe for Heavy Bread	Mr. Tony (designer)
The Only Church in Town	Nun		Nun
Bad Time on the Border
When You Comin' Back, Range Rider?	Jerry Jamison (producer)		Range Rider
The Taxicab Wars	Nephew Harold	Clarence Wickersham III	Captain Cab Vern The Veterinarian Socky
Labor Pains
There's Always a Catch
Water, Water Everywhere	(water scam) (truck scam)		Corky Duke (water scam)
Steel
The White Ballot	war hero Joe Morgan	Herb the TV director	Brad the camera man	Sound guy
The Maltese Cow
In Plane Sight			Dick Nash (pilot scam)
The Battle of Bel-Air
Say It With Bullets		German sketch artist (client meet)
Pure-Dee Poison
It's a Desert Out There
Chopping Spree	car salesman
Harder Than it Looks
Deadly Maneuvers		cow salesman
Semi-Friendly Persuasion
Curtain Call	MP, bear hunter
Season 3
Bullets and Bikinis
The Bend in the River			A movie director
Fire
Timber!	Forest Service bug expert
Double Heat
Trouble on Wheels	Vending machine repairman		Crazy Willie Beano (scam)
The Island	millionaire playboy
Showdown!	Rodeo clown	Cowboy entertainer	Great Warrior Runnin' Round
Sheriffs of Rivertown		security guard (client meet)
The Bells of St. Mary's	Lonnie, Diamond's assistant	Danny Diamond, agent
Hot Styles	limo driver	fireman Coast Guard	Coast Guard
Breakout!
Cup A' Joe
The Big Squeeze		Sean O'Shea III	Head of bus boy union
Champ!	a doctor, TV repairman	Jimmy Pearl	Volcano's trainer	Volcano Johnson
Skins	British/Kenyan police		British/Kenyan police
Road Games	Russ Dorsett	A cowboy gambler A curly haired tux fitter	Cufflink salesman
Moving Targets
Knights of the Road
Waste 'Em!
Bounty
Beverly Hills Assault	Art dealer?	BA's NFL agent	a painter	NFL player
Trouble Brewing
Incident at Crystal Lake
Season 4
Judgement Day	a doctor	mobster		Mr. Allardyce
Where is the Monster When You Need Him?			Tommy Danger, Stuntman to the Stars
A Lease with an Option to Die
The Road to Hope	J. Petty Bing Ross (building scam) Father Mike Bing Foley (mission)	Jack Daniels (wino)	Preacher Harry Dean Hanover (mission)	Brother Ignatius (mission)
The Heart of Rock N' Roll	roadie for Rick James	roadie for Rick James	DJ	roadie for Rick James
Body Slam
Blood, Sweat, and Cheers	Figarotti racing rep		Gian-Carlo Figarotti (scam)
Mind Games			The Hunkman
There Goes the Neighbourhood
The Doctor is Out	An acting coach/director
Uncle Buckle-Up		Ruff the Bear
Wheel of Fortune
The A-Team is Coming, the A-Team is Coming
Members Only	Ashley Hemmings
Cowboy George	Cowboy George's booking agent	Cowboy George Harold (jail scam)	Cynthia (jail scam)
Waiting for Insane Wayne	Tully Radiation worker (scam)	Pecos Bob	Insane Wayne Radiation worker (scam)	Fat Rat
The Duke of Whispering Pines	computer guy		computer guy
Beneath the Surface
Mission of Peace			Daniel David Bowie Boone Murdock aka Pathfinder
The Trouble With Harry
A Little Town With an Accent			Carlos the drug dealer (scam)
The Sound of Thunder
Season 5
Dishpan Man
Trial by Fire
Firing Line
Quarterback Sneak
The Theory of Revolution
The Say U.N.C.L.E. Affair
Alive at Five
Family Reunion
Point of No Return
The Crystal Skull
The Spy Who Mugged Me			Logan Ross secret agent
The Grey Team
Without Reservations

The A-Team served in Vietnam. The country was divided in the '60s, into South Vietnam and North Vietnam. The North was under communist rule, and Ho Chi Minh wanted to unite the country. The Johnson administration sought
to prevent this, sending in advisors, and finally, the first combat troops arrived in 1965, and continued to fight until the war was declared over in January 1973 (for the US troops anyway...). South Vietnam surrended in 1975, uniting
Vietnam. For more information on the war, check out the timeline at PBS.

Here are some of the big players in the Team's time in Vietnam, as well as a few notes about things they mentioned about the war and the people they served with.

Colonel Samuel Morrison

• He gave the orders for the Team to rob the Bank of Hanoi to help bring the war to an end


• The team did so, but that night, Colonel Morrison was killed, which was supposedly January 27 1971 (according to the episode Dishpan Man), during the Tet new year.


• In Sound of Thunder, Hannibal says that Morrison was killed in Phnom Penh (Cambodia). I suspect it was a writer's error.


• He was shown only in flashbacks in Season 5's trial episodes


• He was proven to be a double agent, who gave the Viet Cong information for money.


• A Viet Cong Colonel named Quyet testified at a US hearing that Morrison was a double agent.


• His aide was Captain Josh Curtis, who was presumed dead in the same shelling that killed Morrison.

The A-Team's Crime and Trial

Crime and First Trial

• The Team was accused of robbing the Bank of Hanoi of 10 million piasters (1 million dollars) on January 27 1971. The mission was supposed to help end the war by cutting off the money supply to the Viet Cong.


• Four days after the war ended they wandered out of the DMZ with the money according to the pilot. The problem with this is that the war didn't end for the American's until 1973, and as we know, the Team was imprisoned in 1972.


• The Team's orders were destroyed when the headquarters where their CO (Morrison) was was bombed in an artillery barrage that same night.


• The Team was "sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit". BA states that they had a trial in the 1st season episode Nice Place to Visit (he said Ray stuck by them during the trial), but the pilot Mexican Slayride says they escaped before their trial from Fort Bragg. Since they are tried in 1986 for the same crime, we have to assume they didn't have a trial in 1972, as you can't be tried twice for the same crime. The only other explanation is that they escaped during the 1972 trial.


• A trial is usually held where the crime occured. Seeing that it was a warzone, it is reasonable that their trial be held where their unit was usually stationed, which was Fort Bragg, NC.


• There was never any explanation of how the Team escaped from Fort Bragg. Colonel Lynch was in charge of the prison there.


• There was not much explanation of what the Team did after that, although the pilot discusses rumours about them doing the soldier of fortune thing - but there's no real date of when they began to help people, or even if they were together after their escape. The newspapers (Zach tells Amy) didn't even seem sure they existed.


• Murdock was in Vietnam in 1972 still, since he worked a mission for the CIA. So his discharge to the VA must have come after that, either sometime in 1972 or afterwards.

1986 Capture

• The Team is captured by Stockwell's men and put on trial in 1986. Previous to this, they had found Captain Josh Curtis, Morrison's aide who had presumably died in the same shelling, but alive, and working as a gun smuggler. He remembered them and said he'd testify that the Team had orders to rob the bank.


• Stockwell showed up and Curtis implicated the Team, because he hadn't wanted to be turned over to Stockwell.


• Stockwell has a video which shows their FBI file numbers as #451-5683 (and -1, -2 and -3 for Hanibal, Face and BA) and their Army JAG Code is 19A-51R and the file is A-557-9913 (Hannibal), A-557-9914 (Face) and A-556-9915 (BA). Their were charged under the UCMJ for Article 104 (Treason) and Article 122 (Robbery).


• It lists the team as going AWOL January 21 1971

1986 Trial, Execution and Escape

• They are held at Barrier Island, 30 miles off the California coast. Visitors have to be announced from Fort Owen.


• Their lawyer was named Benny Conway and Frankie hired him.


• They were accused of robbing the bank, treason, and desertion, and finally murder when it was revealed that Morrison was shot twice before the building was shelled. Since they were on trial for the bank job, this lends credence to them NOT having a trial in 1972, as they shouldn't have been tried for the same crime twice - unless they escaped during the trial.


• Colonel Decker testifies against the Team.


• The prosecution shows the orders for the mission, lost for all these years, and says they are a forgery, done by Face. Hannibal tells the lawyer that the orders were signed by Morrison in front of him.


• Morrison is exhumed from Arlington and it is discovered he was shot twice in the back of the head before the shelling. (Why they never caught this before is a mystery)


• Captain Curtis testifies (and lies) that he heard Hannibal arguing with Morrison before the mission and right before the shelling began he saw a figure run from the building, which he said was Hannibal (who was really in Hanoi at the time so this testimony is a lie)


• It is revealed that a former Vietnamese Colonel living in the US, named Quyet, had testified at a congressional hearing that Morrison had been an agent for the Viet Cong during the war.


• Captain Curtis is killed by a hit and run driver during the trial, after giving his testimony against the Team, and before the Team's lawyer can recall him.


• The prosecution called Murdock up and was aiming to break Murdock down on the stand and indict him as a co-conspirator in the bank job.


• Murdock instead went "crazy" on the stand and his testimony was useless.


• It was revealed that Murdock was back at the headquarters after dropping the Team in Hanoi and was likely the last to see Morrison alive.


• The Team thought the prosecutors would point the finger at Murdock as the killer, as he was the last to see Morrison alive. On the stand Murdock says he was at the headquarters right before Morrison was killed, and the Team didn't know that.


• The Team pleads guilty half way through the trial, to take the heat off Murdock. The Team seems to wonder if Murdock did kill Morrison upon finding out he was a VC agent.


• Murdock tracks down Quyet, who admits to Murdock that the bank job was supposed to be a set up. The Team was supposed to get caught and it was to be an embarassment to the US government, but they couldn't get word to the Viet Cong in time to stop the Team.


• Murdock brings Quyet to testify, but he lies on the stand, saying the A-Team found out about Morrison working for the VC, and they killed him because of it.


• They are sentenced to death by firing squad on August 18 1986. This is wildly inaccurate - the US military since 1984 has used lethal injection as the method of capital punishment. Previous to this hanging was the official method. Only two states "offer" firing squad as a method of capital punishment - Utah and Idaho. The Team was held and tried in California.


• Murdock sneaks in as as priest, is found out, and Frankie replaces him as the "real" priest, slipping the Team drugs to slow their heart rates and blood packets to simulate blood during the shooting.


• Frankie switches the bullets for blanks.


• The firing squad was led by Captain Underwood.


• The Team is "shot", appears dead and are taken off the island by boat, in body bags. They wake up with Stockwell, Murdock and Frankie there.


• The Team was to have been buried at Forest Lawn cemetery.


• Stockwell says that the military will know the Team survived and escaped because the bodies will be missing from the morgue. (Yet the military never came after the Team in season 5, so Stockwell must've had something to do with that!)

Some of their Vietnam-era associates included:

• Ray Brenner - He was 5th Special Forces Major according to his uniform. Hannibal remembered when he came out of Special Forces training, so he may have been with the Team for quite awhile. Based on the fact he was a major when he died (in the 80's), he was probably a 2nd LT with the Team, most likely below Face. He appears to have a couple less unit ribbons than Face, but he has 13 medals, including a Congressional Medal of Honor. Ray never appeared on screen, as he died previous to the episodeI. His widow is named Trish and was pregnant with their first child when he was killed by local brothers who ran a service station. The Team attends his funeral. He once gave Face his helmet during a battle when Face lost his, and helped BA when he was shot in Vietnam. See the tag for "friends" for more info on Ray.


• General Ludlum - He was their CO during certain missions in Vietnam (according to One More Time). He threw BA in the brig after BA punched him in the nose for calling him a liar about not saluting him. The General said this occured March 15 1971 - in which case BA would've already been in jail since the bank job happened in January of that year. The team rescued the General and his daughter from Borneo.


• Reverend Taylor - Vietnam paratrooper, they helped him in Pure-Dee Poison. Hannibal remarks that Face knew the Reverend. BA took a liking to his daughter.


• Captain Fallone - He retired to work as a doctor on a small island kingdom. The Team saved him and the villagers from bad guys who were creating drugs in a lab on the island. He saved BA's life when he was in Vietnam.


• Sam Yeng - owns the Golden Pagoda restaurant in Chinatown in Los Angeles, he let the A-Team hide in the basement of his house in Saigon while mortars and shells were shot at them. He has a daughter named Sun.


• Hulk Hogan - served with BA in Da Nang, the