Page 126 - How It Works - Book of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, 12

� AMAZIG ANSWERS TO CURIOUS QUESTIONS -------------------

12
What

happens

wlien a istol PISTOL KEY: 8 Firing pin
Single action (SA) trigger/double action
1
Breech
2 (DA) trigger 9 10 Extractor
Disconnector (engaged in semi-automatics)
3 Sear 11 Chamber
4 Safety grip 12 Barrel rifling
(must be depressed or gun will not fire)
13 Slide
is fired. 5 6 7 Magazine/Magazine spring 14 Top locking lugs
15 Recoil spring
(holds upwards of 15 rounds or more)
Centerfire cartridge
16 Link
Hammer
17 Muzzle
The colourful profile of the semi-automatic weapon continues to shape
public opinion, but there is more to its substance than style alone
he semi-automatic pistol is a mechanically engaged. Separation of the two loading and firing. Though its function is
functionally different animal to the typically allows the breech to open as the slide distinct from its ancestors, the triggering
T romanticised revolver of the Wild West. carries on, self-loading and cocking the gun in mechanism of semi-automatics such as the US
The motivation for semi - and for that matter, the process. Army's M1911 mean they can only discharge
full -automatics derive from energy generated With blowback the barrel and slide are not one round for every reciprocal pull of the
by the firing process to self-load and prime a wed. The barrel is typically fixed to the frame trigger. This differentiates them from full
new round. This comes in a variety of flavours, with the shunting force of the exploding automatics which utilise a trigger
including recoil, blowback and gas. cartridge operating against the breech face mechanism that actuates a continuous
Recoil is the gun's kick-back, balancing the itself and forcing the slide to the rear. The self-loading/firing cycle until a gun's clip is
bullet's forward momentum - or as Newton infamous AK-47 is a further example of a system spent or triggerreleased.
says, with every action must come an equal and that siphons gas drawn from the fired cartridge Due to the unwieldy nature of full
opposite reaction. Here, the opposing recoil explosion to cycle the self-loading process. automatic pistols, semi-automatic variants
force drives the gun backwards, initiating Despite these distinctions, the term are now common throughout the military and
momentum in the 'slide' and barrel that are automatic is often clouded with reference to the police.
l. Cock 6. Up and out
The weapon is first primed by The breech opens; the extractor and
What is the firing cycl manually racking the slide, ejector take turns to draw and kick
out the spent chambered cartridge.
which cocks the hammer
and chambers the round. The slide continues passing over and
recocking the hammer.

3 .. . .fire! 4. Shots away!
The primer explodes the Combustion gasses provide
gunpowder, sheaving the bullet muzzle velocity upwards of
from its case. Expanding gasses 250m/s; in turn the slide
force the bullet down the barrel recoil is locked to the barrel
past helical grooves that impart by 'lugs'. As the bullet exits,
spin to improve accuracy in flight. bore pressure falls.
2. Squeeze 5. On the slide
At this point the 'link' pivots the
The hammer is held by a small notch
Auto fire or 'sear'. Upon pulling the trigger the Auto fire disengage; the slide continues to
barrel out of lock and the lugs
sear moves and spring·loaded
stage 1 hammer slips free, striking the firing stage 2 compressing the recoil spring.
retreat under conserved momentum,
pin which in turn hits the primer.
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