Does Hiding a Rifle You Plan On Leaving Anyway Really Make Sense?

[Mitch Todd]

If Norman hadn't been fantasizing about what he claimed that he had heard.....He should have heard

 BOOM---CLACK--- ( bolt opening)--- PING--- ( shell hitting the floor)--- CLACK ( bolt closing )---BOOM

FIVE separate and distinct sounds......

That would have been the sounds of the first two shots.......However , all of the witnesses said that the third shot followed the second without delay....   

Mr Norman was lying....He never heard any such noises.....

The shells probably hit the boxes along the sniper's nest before they hit the floor, and that's going to make a more of a "thwack."  Anyway, based on my not-inconsiderable experience at gun ranges, empty shells don't really make a "ping" sound when they land on a hard surface. It's more of a skittering sound, for lack of a better term. That's because they tumble and roll when they hit the floor.

[Walt Cakebread]

The shells probably hit the boxes along the sniper's nest before they hit the floor, and that's going to make a more of a "thwack."  Anyway, based on my not-inconsiderable experience at gun ranges, empty shells don't really make a "ping" sound when they land on a hard surface. It's more of a skittering sound, for lack of a better term. That's because they tumble and roll when they hit the floor.

I simply selected the word "ping" to demonstrate that the shells would have made a noise when they dropped onto the floor, You can use any word you like .... ( aside from a loud crash)

I had hoped that an alert and astute researcher would have rebutted me, by saying that Norman testified that he had heard the shells hitting the floor above his head....   If that was the truth....Then why didn't he include the sound of the shells hitting the floor when he spouted the BOOM   Clack ....clack....BOOM     Bull stuff?

[Mitch Todd]

I simple selected the word "ping" to demonstrate that the shells would have made a noise when they dropped onto the floor, You can use any word you like .... ( aside from a loud crash)

I had hoped that an alert and astute researcher would have rebutted me, by saying that Norman testified that he had heard the shells hitting the floor above his head....   If that was the truth....Then why didn't he include the sound of the shells hitting the floor when he spouted the BOOM   Clack ....clack....BOOM     Bull stuff?

Yeah, you selected a very specific term to describe the sound to describe some generic noise that the shell would make. Because you're the resident forum firearms expert. 

And...so you now admit that Norman had described hearing what he believed were the cases hitting the floor in December '63.