Elenco MultiBarrel Cannon User Manual download pdf (Page 10)

Glossary Words

HOW DO MACHINE GUNS WORK?

To understand how machine guns work, it helps to know something about firearms in

general. Almost any gun is based on one simple concept: Apply explosive pressure

behind a projectile to launch it down a barrel. The earliest, and simplest, application of

this idea is the cannon. A cannon is a metal tube with a closed end and an open end.

The closed end has a small fuse hole. The gunpowder and cannonball are positioned in

the breech, the rear part of bore, which is the open space in the cannon. To prepare

the gun for firing, a fuse is lit. The flame travels along the fuse, and finally reaches the

gunpowder. When gunpowder is ignited, it burns extremely rapidly and produces a

hot gas. The hot gas applies much greater pressure on the powder side of the cannonball

than the air in the on the other side. This reaction rapidly propels the cannonball out

of the gun.

Barrel – the discharging tube of a gun

Bore – the inside of a gun's barrel, through which a projectile travels when fired.

Breech – the part of a firearm at the rear of the barrel

Breach Bolt – A mechanism that opens and closes the breech in a machine gun and

designed to push a cartridge into the chamber using a sliding action.

Cannon – a large heavy gun usually mounted on a carriage

Cartridge Belt – a device used to retain and feed cartridges into a firearm

Hammer – a part of the action of a gun that strikes the firing pin to ignite the cartridge

Sear – the part of the trigger mechanism which holds the hammer or striker back until the

correct amount of pressure has been applied to the trigger; at which point the hammer or

striker is released to discharge the weapon.

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Elenco MultiBarrel Cannon User Manual Page 10