ballistics

action

the mechanical apparatus of a firearm that loads, fires, and ejects the cartridge

ballistics

the study of how projectiles move through space

barrel

the metal pipe that guides the initial flight of the bullet

bullet

projectile fired from a weapon

caliber

diameter of the gun barrel in 1/100th of a inch

cartridge

ammunition made up of casing, primer, powder, wadding, and bullet

chamber

enclosure in a gun’s design that contains the cartridge when ready to fire

drag

the force that opposes the forward motion of the bullet created by air resistance

external ballistics

study of the bullet from the time it leaves the end of the gun barrel until it reaches the target

firearm

an assembly consisting of a barrel and mechanical action that allows a projectile(s) to be propelled forward through action of an extremely fast combustion reaction

gunpowder

an explosive chemical mixture of carbon, potassium nitrate and sulfur that undergoes a rapid oxidation reaction and is used to propel projectiles in firearms

hammer

the part of the action that drives the firing pin into the primer on firing

internal ballistics

the consideration of the part of a bullet's path that occurs within the guns itself

magazine

a device for holding and delivering cartridge

magnum

a cartridge containing more than the standard amount of power which delivers more power to the bullet

muzzle

the very end of the gun barrel where the bullet exits the weapon

revolver

a firearm in which ammunition is moved into a place for firing by means of rotating a cylinder that contains a number of separate firing chambers loaded with filled cartridge

rifling

spiral grooves inside of the gun’s barrel which cause the projectile to spin about its long x-axis

semi- automatic weapon

a firearm in which the energy released from one firing mechanically ejects the spent case and reloads the next fresh round into the firing chamber; one round is fired for each pull of the trigger

shotgun

a type of long gun without rifling that uses ammunition containing either many small pellets (shot) packed into a single cartridge or a single, solid projectile (slug)

shrapnel

fragments of metal from a bomb, shell or mine

sight

the device on top of a gun that improves aim and accuracy

silencer

a device, placed over the muzzle, that reduce the noise emitted by tiring a weapon

stock

frame that hold the barrel and action together to allow aiming and firing

straiation

tiny, random imperfection marks transferred between 2 objects that pass with direct contact