How Guns Work
A gun uses the force produced by an explosive propellant to project a bullet at a high velocity. When a gun’s trigger is pulled, the hammer strikes a small charge at the end of the shell, also known as the ammunition. As a result, this charge ignites the gunpowder packed behind the bullet.
The burning gunpowder produces gas that expands very rapidly, creating extremely high pressures. These high-pressure gases then exert forces on the back of the bullet and on the gun. Because of the way a gun is designed, the only way for the gas to escape is to push the bullet through the end of the barrel. This is how a bullet is fired from a gun.
How do automatic guns work?
An automatic firearm, such as a universal machine gun, differs from a semi-automatic firearm because the gun will continue to fire rounds as long as the trigger is being pulled and there are rounds in the chamber or magazine. They are strictly regulated in the United States due to lethality, so it’s very difficult (and expensive) to purchase one on the open market.
What type of metal are guns made of?
The earliest guns were made of bronze and brass in the early 13th Century. By the late 15th Century, they were being composed of wrought iron or a steel and iron combination. Today, several alloys are used to make guns, including a mix of manganese, chrome, carbon, nickel, vanadium, aluminum, and other synthetic fibers to make the firearms you see today.
