How do guns work?

Question

Can anyone explain or give a link that shows how a gun works?

Answer 1

Great website, very informitave, and some great flash animations.

Answer 2

When you pull the trigger, a firing pin (loaded with spring tension) is released and strikes the end of the bullet cartridge on a piece known as the primer. The primer gives a hot discharge that lights the gunpowder. The gunpowder explodes causing heat and a pressure increase. The pressure builds up behind the bullet and starts pushing it down the barrell. Some bores are smooth (shotguns) and the bullet goes straight down the barrell. Some barrels have ridges cut on the inside in a spiral pattern that grip the bullet and put a spin on it. This increases distance and reduces the effects of wind. The bullet continues to accelerate down the barrell to the muzzle. At the muzzle, the bullet has its maximum velocity as the pressure that has built up during the gunpowder explosion is no longer confined by the barrell and the bullet, it gets released to the atmosphere. The bullet will then travel on a trajectory that depends on its weight, initial angle of travel relative to the horizon, and muzzle velocity. There is a whole science dedicated to this field of study called ballistics. In general terms, the bullet will start sinking as it leaves the gun but its forward motion is much greater than its downward motion so the first couple hundred yards of a high powered hunting rifle is hardly noticable and just a couple inches. However, as the bullet travels further, the atmosphere slows it down in the horizontal direction but gravity speeds it up in the verticle direction and it starts to sink faster and faster until it hits a target or the ground.

Answer 3

the gunpowder igniting causes a rapid increase in temperature. this causes a large gas expansion . the gas has only one direction to go..out the barrel, this propels the projectile at high velocity

Answer 4

Hmm... I'm not sure if this is a good idea or what you'd need it for, but here it is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firearm