if self.parent == nil then
   mo = MovableMan:GetMOID(self.RootID);
   if mo and mo:IsHDFirearm then
      self.parent = ToHDFirearm(mo);
   end
end

if self.parent == nil then   -- if self.parent isn't defined

   mo = MovableMan:GetMOID(self.RootID);
   if mo and mo:IsHDFirearm then
      self.parent = ToHDFirearm(mo);
   end
else   -- if self.parent exists

   if self.parent:IsActivated() then   -- if trigger is held down
      print("activated");   -- placeholder console spam
   end

   if self.parent.Magazine then   -- if a magazine is attached to the gun

      if self.parentAmmo then
      -- the parent gun's ammo count from the perspective of this Attachable
      -- (this will be nil at the very first frame of this script)

         if self.parent.Magazine.RoundCount < self.parentAmmo then
         -- if there's a change in the ammo count since last frame

            print("fired");   -- placeholder console spam
         end
      end

      self.parentAmmo = self.parent.Magazine.RoundCount;
      -- set the actual ammo count at the end of each frame
   end
end

self:SetNumberValue("Anim", self.chargeDelay);

function Create(self)
   self.animation = false;      -- no animation on creation
   self.animTimer = Timer();   -- it's a timer!
   self.parent = nil;
end

function Update(self)

   if self.parent == nil then   -- if self.parent isn't defined

      mo = MovableMan:GetMOFromID(self.RootID);
      if mo then
         if IsHDFirearm(mo) then   -- if root ID is the gun
            self.parent = ToHDFirearm(mo);
         elseif IsAHuman(mo) then   -- if root ID is the actor holding the gun
            if ToAHuman(mo).EquippedItem and IsHDFirearm(ToAHuman(mo).EquippedItem) then
               self.parent = ToHDFirearm(ToAHuman(mo).EquippedItem);
            end
         end
      end

   else   -- if self.parent exists

      if self.animation == false then   -- animation not started
         if self.parent:NumberValueExists("Anim") then   -- if parent number value "Anim" has changed from 0 (signal to start animation)

            self.animTimer:Reset();   -- start timer from 0, naturally
            self.animation = true;
            self.Frame = 1;   -- first frame of the animation (second sprite)

            -- 0 = idle frame (sprite000.bmp)
            -- 1 = start of the charge (sprite001.bmp)
            -- ...
            -- n = last frame of charge
         end

      else   -- animation has started

         local delay = self.parent:GetNumberValue("Anim") / (self.FrameCount - 1);   -- math (frames are spaced out equally in the charge window)
                                       -- FrameCount minus 1 because idle frame (0) is not included
         if self.animTimer:IsPastSimMS(delay) then

            self.Frame = self.Frame + 1;   -- next frame
            self.animTimer:Reset();

            if self.Frame > self.FrameCount then --   the final frame has been passed (gun should be fired)
               self.animation = false;   -- animation is done
               self.parent:SetNumberValue("Anim", 0);   -- reset parent's number value
               self.Frame = 0;   -- back to idle frame
            end
         end
      end
   end
end

print("message here"); -- appears in the console, but might generate spam if it's something that happens every frame