It might seem daunting to take a quick tour of a gun shop that stocks today’s semiautomatic pistols. This is especially true when it comes down to understanding the mechanism. A quick glance through firearms history can help you sort things out.
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Let’s take a look back at the 1100s when the first man-portable “firearms” were invented. It didn’t take long before the Chinese discovered that gunpowder could be stuffed in a bamboo tube and ignited by rocks. This would send the projectiles further and faster than any human power could. We move quickly to the middle of the 19th century when firearms were developed. They were still essentially igniting black powder by stuffing rocks into tubes and lighting them.
19th Century
Hugo Borchardt was not satisfied with the six shots offered most revolvers. He patented his C93 selfloading pistol with the help of Georg Luger. Borchardt’s ego kept him from making any changes to his design, which was the first mass-produced magazine-fed self-loading pistol. The German military asked Luger for some modifications. He agreed and the P-08 Luger was born in 1908. It fired the 9x19mm Luger cartridge.
John Moses Browning, America’s most prolific firearms inventor was the one who patented his first firearm design. He did so in 1885. His self-loading automatic machine gun designs were the result of his discovery of the waste from burning powder gases. These designs quickly evolved into semi-automatic pistols by 1899. His designs improved over time, but his original design, which included a barrel enclosed by a shroud and created the first pistol “slide”, is still the most common semi-automatic pistol design that uses a recoil-operated slide. Browning also created some of the most well-known pistol cartridges, including the.25 ACP and.32 ACP as well as the.380 ACP and.45 ACP.
How semi-Automatic Pistols work
Knowing how pistols work will help you to safely and effectively handle them.
How a Bullet Comes Out of a Gun
The primer ignites the powder charge, and the expanding/burning gas pressure pushes the bullet down the barrel when a gun fires. The rifling spins the bullet, which helps to maintain the bullet’s direction of flight. This increases accuracy. The bore is cut in a spiral fashion by rifling. Grooves are the raised parts of rifling, and lands are the metal ridges between the grooves.
What does “Caliber” mean?
Understanding the size of semi-automatic pistols’ bores and bullets is an important part of understanding how they work. “Caliber” refers to the size of a handgun’s bore and the bullets that are suitable for it. Caliber is the diameter of the bore. It can be expressed in millimeters, thousandths, or hundredths. A.357 caliber handgun bore is 0.357 inches in size. It is possible to get confused if there are no standards for defining caliber. Caliber can be used in some cases to indicate the diameter of the bullet, or something similar to the bore diameter or bullet diameter.
Every pistol is made to fire a particular cartridge. Make sure the ammunition matches the data stamped on the firearm. Also, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding power rating. Some pistols are stronger and can fire +P ammunition. This ammunition is loaded for greater power. This ammunition is too powerful for less-powerful designs.
Basic Components of Semi-Automatic Pistols
Modern handguns are made up of three basic parts: the trigger group, frame, or barrel.
The trigger group is composed of the components that fire the cartridges. The frame is a metal case that can also be used as the grip (handle) of the handgun. It houses the trigger group. The barrel is the tube that the bullet travels through. A handgun barrel is shorter than a rifle barrel or shotgun barrel. This is because the gun is intended to be shot with one or two hands and not against the shooter’s shoulder. The function of the weapon can be described by the term “action”, or a noun that describes a specific part of the gun.
Revolvers and semiautomatics can hold more than one round in multiple handguns. Semi-automatic pistols use a removable magazine that is inserted into the grip. A revolver stores the ammunition in a cylinder.
Another confusion is the term “pistol”. Some assert that it describes the action type–that is, a distinction between the terms pistol and revolver–maintaining they are two handgun types. The term pistol refers to any weapon that can be fired with one hand. The primary category of handguns is the pistol, with revolvers being a subset.
Semi-Automatic Pistol Slides and Magazines
Semi-automatic pistols are equipped with reciprocating slides. The barrel is relatively stationary, but the slide moves back and forth. The slide’s travel extracts fired cartridges and loaded cartridges from the chamber, while the barrel stays stationary.
Some semi-automatic pistol designs from the beginning had magazines that didn’t detach. Most modern semi-automatic pistols use a detachable magazine, however. This allows you to carry multiple preloaded magazines for quick reloading. Semi-automatic pistols equipped with detachable magazines have a button, latch, or lever that opens the magazine to allow it to be removed. Semi-automatic pistols have two main advantages over revolvers: faster reloading speed and increased ammunition capacity.
What “Action” means for Semi-Automatic Pistols
Every firearm has an action type. This is the grouping of moving parts that controls firing and operation. Semi-automatic pistols also incorporate several action types, including single-action, double-action, striker-fired, double-action-only, and double-action/single-action. These are the most popular action types, but others might expand the list.
A novice might think double-action means that a gun can fire in two directions, or make similar assumptions about the other types of action. The easiest way to determine which type of action is to count the number of actions that occur when the trigger is pulled. The gun is considered a single action if the trigger releases only a pre-cocked, hammer. If the trigger is pulled simultaneously, the hammer is drawn to the rear and released, firing the gun. However, if both actions are possible–cocking the hammer manually or pulling the trigger and drawing the hammer to the rear–it’s a double-action/single-action.
Modern designs include internal striker-fired pistols. The firing pin is partially cocked as the slide is pulled back. It’s fully cocked and released once the trigger is pulled.
Handgun Safeties
There are many ways to add manual safety to semi-automatic pistols. Some pistols have multiple safety features, while others use a passive two-part trigger lever. The lever is located on the slide or frame’s rear. Some safety levers can also be used as decocking devices.
Grip safety features can also be included in the design. The shooter must squeeze the grip to depress it before firing. One of the three safety mechanisms on the Colt Model 1911 is the grip safety. The thumb safety and hammer must be cocked prior to firing.
One caution about safety: Some models have a key-lock safety that prevents unauthorised people from firing the gun. These safety devices can fail due to the wear and tear of firing, leaving the owner with a gun that doesn’t work. Some models also have an internal safety that engages when the magazine is removed. This design has the downside of making the trigger press more difficult and less smooth.
Now that you are more familiar with semi-automatic pistols, you can confidently go to the range.
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Personal Defense World published the article How Semi-Automatic Pistols Works.
