Firearms

Firearms

Guns such as pistols or rifles that use explosives to shoot bullets. These are usually small arms as compared to big weapon systems such as artillery cannons or missiles.

Industry: Military

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Firearms

The status of a weapon before the action has returned to the normal firing position. The term originates from artillery, referring to a gun that fires before it has been pulled back into its firing ...

over-bore

Military; Firearms

Small caliber bullets being used in very large cases. It is the relationship between the volume of powder that can fit in a case and the diameter of the inside of the barrel or bore.

obturate

Military; Firearms

Obturation is the process of a bullet expanding under pressure to fit the bore of the firearm, or a cartridge case expanding under pressure to seal the chamber. See also swage.

parkerizing

Military; Firearms

A method of protecting a steel surface from corrosion and increasing its resistance to wear through the application of an electrochemical phosphate conversion coating. Also called phosphating and ...

percussion cap

Military; Firearms

A small cylinder of copper or brass that was the crucial invention that enabled muzzle-loading firearms to fire reliably in any weather. The cap has one closed end. Inside the closed end is a small ...

Picatinny rail

Military; Firearms

A bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform, similar to the weaver rail mount. The rail comprises a series of ridges with a T-shaped cross-section ...

tactical rail

Military; Firearms

A bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform, similar to the weaver rail mount. The rail comprises a series of ridges with a T-shaped cross-section ...