Types of Firearms/Ammunition

Ballistics unit 1

Three types of handguns

single shot, revlolving, self-loading

self loading pistol

ammunition is in spring loaded and removable magazine that sits inside hand grip -pulling back motion allows top round to go into rear of barrel

revolving pistol

revolving cylinder containing a number of chambers that house rounds

single shot

barrel is hinged at frame and needs reloading after each shot

types of rifles

single shot, bolt action, self-loading, pump action

bolt action

turning bolt slides in barrel to push bolt into battery with breech end and cock firing pin

self-loading rifles

locked-breech type and similar to self loading pistols

pump action

breech block is attached to moveable fore-end and moves cartridge in and out of chamber

Pin-fire system

pin comes out and hits primer -first to loaded from breech

rimfire system

edges compressed and hollow rim of firing pin -still breech and today only 0.22 shotgun

Centre fire system

fire pin hits back of bullet where primer cap is located at center of cartridge head -mainly today

calibre

diameter of bullet

propellant

chemical mixture that produces gas when ignited and propels bullet (missile)

round of ammunition

single, live, and unfired cartridge with bullet, primer, and cartridge case

primer

means for igniting propellant

percussion weapons

small cup similar to primer cap containing primer and fits into hollow nipple screwed into breech end of barrel

cartridge case

does not include bullet, primer and ammunition case

pellets

single/many shotguun ammunition

shot

term for lead/steel ball of shotgun ammunition also “pellet”

blank ammunition

no bullet, case mouth is sealed with crimped metal/wax/paper disk -training/theatrical purposes

dummy cartridge

no primer or powder and painted silver -weapon function test/ practice safe loading

snap cap

dry firing, rubber/hard plastic in place of primer -practice firing with no damage to firing pin/lock mechanism

round-nosed bullet

cannelure for case/mouth with crimping or lubricant

wadcutter bullet

sharp edges cut holes in target -for target practice

jacketed bullet

lead core and exposed lead

semi-jacketed hollow-point bullet

bullet widens after hitting target and has lead core and cavity

bore size

shotgun term, number of ead balls inside barrel

nontoxic shot

lead free shots, soft steel replaced with deforms less -US 1991

black powder

mechanical mixture of KNO3, S, charcoal

Nitrocellulose

basis all modern propellants

8 step cycle of firearm operation

1. feeding 2. chambering 3. locking 4. firing 5. unlocking 6. extracting 7. ejecting 8. cocking

matchlock

slow burning cord that was manually lit used to ignite priming charge

wheellock

cord was no longer manually lit and made ambush possible

flint lock

lock plate priming pan covering

pin fire

1st to have loaded form of breech, no more manually loading each bullet