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Firearms Examiner Training Module 3: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition…
Firearms Examiner Training Module 3: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development
EVOLUTION OF PROPELLANTS
a propellant is a substance or material that is able to store a large amount of energy and release it upon ignition
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The Chinese discovered that blending different components could produce a material that, upon ignition, would release enough energy to propel and object
propellants were generally a mixture of charcoal, sulfur, and an oxidizing agent (usually potassium nitrate)
different species of trees were used as sources of charcoal, which affected the propellant's ease of mixture, power, and cleanliness
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propellants were often used mainly for celebration, starting fires, and blasting materials
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Black powder ingredients must be finely ground before mixing, but this can lead to separation during transport
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a better solution was to add a small amount of water to make the mixture sticky, allowing a uniform distribution of ingredients that wouldn't separate
wetting the mixture (corning) made more powerful mixtures than dry milling, which forced improvements in gun manufacturing to withstand the increased power
grinding ingredients allowed different sized granules to be used for different purposes: small granules release energy very quickly for smaller caliber firearms while larger granules release energy at a slower rate
MODERN PROPELLANTS
black powder is still used today, but is volumetrically inefficient, creates a dense smoke cloud upon ignition, and is corrosive to steel, so new technologies have been developed to overcome these problems
Replica black powders such as Pyrodex, which are more efficient, cheaper, and non-corrosive, have been created to replace traditional black powders
newer propellants needed to eliminate inorganic materials and sulfurs to avoid corrosion: nitrocellulose, celluloid, plasticizers, nitroglycerin, and cordite were all used and experimented with during the 1800s
EVOLUTION OF FIREARMS
at the most basic level, a firearm requires a lock (a part to ignite the propellant), a stock (the frame/design of the firearm), and a barrel (the hollow tube where propellants and projectiles are held
the petard was likely the precursor to the barrel, where the bell-shaped device gradually formed hollow tubes
projectiles traditionally included arrow- and spear-shaped objects but gradually transformed into more spherically-shaped bullets, pellets, cannonballs, etc
ignition systems, rifled gun barrels, breech-loading systems, and repeating mechanisms were the most significant advancements in firearms technology that brought along the development of small arms
ignition systems evolved as a way to allow soldiers to fire their weapon with the use of one hand, eliminating the danger of carrying a burning match and pouring gunpowder
slower matchlock systems gave way to cock and trigger systems that were faster, required less maneuvering, and able to be used in wet conditions
wheel locks, which eliminated the need for a match, were devised but were too expensive for mass production, too complex for combat purposes, and sensitive to small particles; they were eventually seen more as a status symbol
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a flintlock was the next major development in small firearms and allowed the user to quickly and safely fire their weapon
rifling (spiraled grooves along the barrel) were manufactured to spin-stabilize the ball or bullet projectile and prevent slugging
firearms frames have evolved through the years to produce specialized designs: top break action, falling block action, rolling block action, bolt actions, Mannlicher action, Mauser action, etc
the introduction of repeating firearms allowed for firearms to carry a supply of ammunition in order to achieve high firing rates
PROJECTILES
early projectiles were ball-shaped and were often made of stone, iron, or lead
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metal jackets evolved from cloth and paper jackets as a way to preserve the physical integrity of the bullet, facilitate engagement of the rifling, and allow rapid fire of cylindrical bullets
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