Flash CS4 using AS2: bullet issues

alright so i have two classes, character (instance name "man") and bullet (instance name "Bullet+_root.getNextHighestDepth") and what happens is if the player turns before his bullet is off the screen, the bullet changes direction as well. I know WHY this happens, i just don't know how i could solve it. My basic idea is to set a variable equal to the scale upon creation of the bullet, but i have no idea how i would do that. Here are my scripts for the character and bullet classes respectively

Code:

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class character extends MovieClip
{
        var jump
        var gun
        var shooter
        function onLoad()
        {
                jump = 0
                gun = 0
                shooter = 0
        }
        function onEnterFrame()
        {
            shooter += 1
            if(Key.isDown(Key.RIGHT)){_x += 5; _xscale = 100}
            if(Key.isDown(Key.LEFT)){_x -= 5; _xscale = -100}
            if(Key.isDown(Key.UP) && jump < 10){_y -= 20; jump += 1}
            if(this.hitTest(_root.wall0) || this.hitTest(_root.wall1)){_y+= 0; jump = 0} else {_y +=10}
            if(this.hitTest(_root.gun1)){gun = 2; _root.gun1._alpha =0}
            if(Key.isDown(Key.SPACE) && shooter > 5 && gun > 1)
            {
                shooter = 0
                var shot = _root.attachMovie("Bullet","Bullet"+_root.getNextHighestDepth(),_root.getNextHighestDepth())
                shot._x = _x
                shot._y = _y
        }
    }
}

---

Code:

---

class bullet extends MovieClip
{
    var dir
    function onEnterFrame()
    {
        if(_root.man._xscale > 0){dir = 1}
        if(_root.man._xscale < 0){dir = -1}
        if(dir > 0){_x += 10}
        if(dir < 0){_x -= 10}
        if(_x < -50){this.removeMovieClip()}
        if(_x > 700){this.removeMovieClip()}
    }
}

---

Try

PHP Code:

---

class character extends MovieClip
{
    var jump
    var gun
    var shooter
    function onLoad()
    {
        jump = 0
        gun = 0
        shooter = 0
    }
    function onEnterFrame() 
    {
             shooter += 1
             if(Key.isDown(Key.RIGHT)){_x += 5; _xscale = 100}
             if(Key.isDown(Key.LEFT)){_x -= 5; _xscale = -100}
             if(Key.isDown(Key.UP) && jump < 10){_y -= 20; jump += 1}
             if(this.hitTest(_root.wall0) || this.hitTest(_root.wall1)){_y+= 0; jump = 0} else {_y +=10}
             if(this.hitTest(_root.gun1)){gun = 2; _root.gun1._alpha =0}
             if(Key.isDown(Key.SPACE) && shooter > 5 && gun > 1)
             {
                 shooter = 0
                 var shot = _root.attachMovie("Bullet","Bullet"+_root.getNextHighestDepth(),_root.getNextHighestDepth())
                 shot._x = _x
                 shot._y = _y
                 
//Added this part to set the bullet's direction only once, right when it's created
                 if (_xscale > 0) {
                       shot.dir = 1;
                 } else {
                       shot.dir = -1;
                 }
        }
    }
} 


---

PHP Code:

---

class bullet extends MovieClip
{
    var dir
    function onEnterFrame()
    {
//I took out the first 2 if statements
        if(dir > 0){_x += 10}
        if(dir < 0){_x -= 10}
        if(_x < -50){this.removeMovieClip()}
        if(_x > 700){this.removeMovieClip()}
    }
} 


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I've never worked with classes in AS2 so the syntax might be wrong but this should give you a general idea.

sadly this doesn't work. I'm not clear on the details why, it just doesn't.