How Does it Work: Blowback Action

[@erik9036]

After being mocked for my lack of gun knowledge (zero gun home) I tried to learn the basics on my own. A video like this would have been a godsend instead of watching old 40s wartime instructional videos. Much appreciated Ian and keep it up!

[@Gabrong]

I suppose you are American. can't imagine another country where you could be bullied for this reason.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

Anyone in your position today should definitely use Wikipedia. It is a surprisingly concise source of general firearms information, such as operating mechanisms and ammunition types.

[@paulshayter1113]

Erik Jonsson, Were you mocked or were a bunch of friends of yours giving you a good ribbing?

[@doejohn8674]

Theory is one thing, but nothing beats practice, go to a range and take a first beginner training/course! You will see, practice is very fun!

[@richardbell7678]

@@Gabrong I can. In any country with universal conscription or mandatory military service, not knowing at least one firearm, inside and out, implies that something is wrong with you.

[@agate_jcg]

Hi, physics professor here. Great video, with one important mistake: recoil depends on conservation of *momentum*, not energy. Your explanation is perfect, you're just using the wrong word in this situation. Momentum is simple to understand: it's literally mass times velocity. So if the slide weighs, say, 50 times as much as the bullet, it will move 50 times slower. And so in the time it takes the bullet to go 100 mm down the barrel, the cartridge goes back 2 mm. Kinetic energy is also a combination of mass and velocity, but a different one, and it's not equal between gun and bullet. The bullet gets a lot more energy than the gun, unless they weigh the same.

[@jonasstrzyz2469]

And what is recoil?

[@MrS22222]

@@jonasstrzyz2469 momentum transferred to your hands then to the ground.

[@KaletheQuick]

Gonna need some equations to back that up. Could you make a cool video about it?

[@andrewhoughton8216]

So what exactly is momentum if not a form of enery? I thought everything is basically energy in different forms.

[@MPI1000]

+Andrew Houghton Momentum is the amount of force over time an object has had applied to it, that has accelerated it. That's literally it. To involve energy is just confusing things.

[@RockIslandAuctionCompany]

Love this series! Keep 'em coming.

[@PonzooonTheGreat]

Newton's third law isn't about balancing the energy (J) but the force (N)! The force applied to the bullet and slide are equal and so the momentum (m x v) of the bullet and the pistol are equal. The slide and bullet don't end up with equal kinetic energy (0.5mv^2) because the bullet is much faster.

[@billyoung5245]

was just looking for this minor correction, good job with the physics

[@primarchlion]

Yup, conservation of energy is a thing but that will be the chemical (potential) energy of the propellant prior to ignition and the kinetic energy (including heat) after ignition. In this case it's sum of momentums = zero. Good video though.

[@PonzooonTheGreat]

Thanks. Looks like high school wasn't a total waste of time then.

[@dino.antares]

Cool! Are you bringing more videos of this type?

[@MindjackPWNS]

Yup, he will be. There's more on his Patreon page that are not available on KZbin yet.

[@johnm3907]

Well delayed blowback still has to come.. maybe gas piston operation and direct inpingment too id be thinking

[@piltdownhoax4184]

Shiladitya Talukder

[@ROTHGLUT]

@@MindjackPWNS So Patreon is a device to delay blowback videos?

[@johndavies6253]

Ian has an incredible gift for explaining technical principles clearly, if he was a teacher, none of his students would fail! Thank you sir!!

[@capitanesejapitalism1679]

These videos are exactly what I wanted. Most descriptions of these gun mechanics are either too broad or way too specific. You strike the perfect middle ground, thanks for all your work. In Australia it's hard to be much more than a casual gun fan :P these have already helped me to 'get' some of the more complex gun mechanics you have gone over. You're a legend, mate! PS best firearm channel on youtube by a mile

[@briansteehler843]

Ian, I’m so glad you are doing these videos. My friend said to me yesterday that he likes your videos but wished he knew more about the terms and systems of firearm operation. You have a great teaching style, a good method of demonstrating the material, and excellent editing of firearms in operation. Please keep it up.

[@andrewwicks8352]

The 'How Does it Work' series is easily my favorite, or at least the one I find the most consistently interesting. Just because I'm not always interested in every type of gun or every book, but the mechanical principles that are getting explained keep showing up again and again.

[@BarcelPL]

As far as I remember, momentum is conserved, not strictly energy (because there are instances that momentum is conserved but energy is not)

[@dertomtom39]

Energy Conservation is already there - just has nothing to do with it. What applies here is that the total momentum stays the same - that is 0. The momentum of the weapon is then m1 * v1 the momentum of the bullet is m2 * v2. So m1 * v1 = m2 * v2. Since m1 >> m2 follows v2 >> v1. But since the energy is 1/2 * m * v² the bullet also gets more energy als die Pistole

[@jasondoe2596]

dertomtom39, yeap. I understand that Ian didn't want to get too technical in this video, but unfortunately the wording he chose is _totally wrong_ from a physicist's perspective...

[@RD-ht6go]

Momentum is conserved, and so is energy. We don't take energy into consideration because there's a lot of energy converted into the heat, but the amount isn't calculable. But momentum is only affected by mass and velocity, and cannot be converted to something else like energy does, making it easier to calculate.

[@whitenoise1119]

Energy is only not conserved on quantum scales

[@Paelorian]

I love this video series. Having basics clearly laid out is extremely valuable. These are just the sorts of concepts that people often neglect to fully comprehend, because they've never seen an explanation they've understood. Thank you. Even as a "gun nut" I expect to have my understanding simplified and enriched by this series.

[@zaikoji]

As someone who knows practically nothing about firearms but also loves your content, these basic explanation videos are a lifesaver! Thanks as always.

[@bobsmoot2392]

Simple instruction on simple blowback. Thank Ian. Well done.

[@Hybris51129]

Even though I have known about these sorts of things since I was 6 or 7 years old I love just how clear and simple you explain these basic concepts.

[@braedengriffiths4249]

Ian I think you’ll kill it if you turn this into a full series. As an engineering student this is invaluable!

[@stho93]

It's insane to me how simple the physics but ingenious the application of this system is.

[@Maratusvolans]

- How does it, em... how does it work? - I know not, my liege. - CONSULT THE BOOK OF ARMAMENTS!! - Armaments, chapter 2, verses 9 to 21: - And saint Karl raised the gun up on high saying: "Oh Gun Jesus! Bless this Thy blowback-gun, that with it thou mayst blow thy enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy!!"

[@vaclav_fejt]

First, thou shalt take out the holy magazine. Then you proceed to fill it with seven rounds. Seven shall be the number of rounds and the number of rounds shall be seven. Thou shalt not put in eight. Thou shalt not fill with six, unless you then proceed to seven. Nine is right out. Then you insert it in the gun, rack the slide, and point at thy enemies, who, being naughty in my eye, shall snuff it as soon as you pull the trigger.

[@loddude5706]

All is Palin comparison . . .

[@nickbeckwith6211]

@@loddude5706 Well Played.

[@somedayreadings846]

Amen.

[@JackToeRip]

"The Book of Armaments" is the greatest name of the Bible of gun Jesus I've ever heard.

[@Raptor747]

Despite loving the engineering behind guns a whole lot, I never really grokked blowback action until this video. Thank you so much!

[@jonasstrzyz2469]

I like these videos and hope that you continue this series. I would also appreciate more in depth videos (once the basic action types are covered) on how the different mechanical parts operate and interact with each other, as well as their function for the intended action type. And what parts are common for or essential for a specific action. Regardless, if you happen to read this comment than I would like to thank you for all of the documentation of rare, usually, quirky and interesting guns that you have made. I hope you never run out of such firearms.

[@000Mazno000]

I kind of wish I had these kinds of videos three years ago or so when I started watching your videos... Then again, I don't regret any second of learning all of this and more over time by watching your content!

[@harrychung433]

These short info videos (or would that be infomercial) are just the right touch, Ian. Not a full blown lecture, but enough to satisfy your curiosity. Thanks, Ian

[@lacolimba2777]

I dont know anything about this and I find it very useful Ian, I've been watching your videos for almost 3 years now without understanding half of your videos. Now I will enjoy them much more, thanks for this content Ian, keep it up, proud of you

[@stevesmith149]

Im really glad to see you taking the time to explain these core firearm technology concepts. You would be shocked to know how many people I talk to who have zero knowledge in this area. Even people who own and shoot guns regularly.

[@Calum_S]

I like these newbie videos. They're handy for people like me with no firearms experience.

[@burkeysvids]

I like this new format for these sorts of subjects Ian. And it looks like many others thing this - at this point, 431 likes, no dislikes!

[@Haploanddogs]

Momentum is balanced, not energy. The bullet has far more energy than the gun. Their momentum is equal.

[@CzornyLisek]

Energy cannot change in a system it can only change form It's law of conservation of energy.

[@jackroutledge352]

Was going to post this as well. It’s momentum that needs to be balanced. The equations are similar, but momentum is directly in proportion to velocity, rather than velocity squared, as is the case for energy

[@TheXeldrak]

Jup, was just about to post this. Other than that - great video.

[@user-YuHaoHuang]

@@CzornyLisek while energy is indeed conserved, that doesn't mean the energy provided backward(to the slide)=energy going foward(in the bullet) here it just means kinetic=chemical

[@1ohtaf1]

@@CzornyLisek Yeah, some of the chemical energy in the form of the propellant is transformed into the kinetic energy witnessed in the bullet and the slide, but the law does not dictate that the bullet and slide must have the same amount of energy, not in the slightest.

[@daveshrum1749]

I love your basic series here. There's a lot of basic gun stuff that casual gun people might not know. And while they could pick it up over time just watching the regular series I think it would be faster for a lot of them with stuff like this. Thanks Ian been watching your show for a couple years now love it.

[@andydufresne3635]

While I have both military and law enforcement background, I'm not exactly a firearms enthusiast. I enjoy your videos for the in-depth analysis of the mechanical aspects. Thanks for the content.

[@KriticalKoitus]

And here I thought a blowback was a refund from a prostitute.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

I thought that was a species of whale.

[@daveshrum1749]

Lol nice

[@jasonarmstrong5750]

Why would a prostitute give you a refund? I don’t think refund is in their vocabulary

[@demonprinces17]

Never going to happen

[@sixstringedthing]

Hi, I'm new... can someone explain how this blowback thing works? Do you ask for a refund if she makes you come too fast? Or too slow? Is she says yes to a blowback... do you ask her to leave and come back in 30 minutes? Or just book it in for next evening? Is there paperwork involved? Because I could have some issues there.

[@tenlittleindians]

What I find more interesting are the various methods used to delay momentum until chamber and barrel pressure have been reduced enough for safe cartridge extraction. The Broomhandle was one of the first to deal with higher powered cartridges. It's delay method is similar to the 1911 designs still being produced today. The .17 caliber rimfire is a great example of a cartridge not suitable for direct blow back without delay.

[@Black_06_Ranger]

These videos really help explain how certain guns work without me having to show someone with a firearm in my hands, keep em comin!

[@rinflame44]

This series is amazing, hope there is more to come!

[@trailertrashtactics]

This was very helpful! I've been searching the difference between blowback and piston operated firearms and every time you end up with DI vs piston with no mention of blowback

[@jamps_tv8778]

Already know how it works, still always love your content no matter what you upload :D

[@Felenari]

Really, really good watch. Best explanation I've had of that mechanism in a while without a ton of technical jargon. More plz.

[@Shoffield]

Keep theese videos coming! I'm no weapon expert, but i love your videos. These videos make your other videoes easier to understand!

[@Hdarg]

Great videos! After two years following the channel, I had already learned most of this info, but it would have been beneficial when I was a beginner, keep em coming!

[@kyotra]

Excellent, now I have something to point people towards when this kind of stuff needs explained. Keep 'em coming!

[@loquat4440]

One thing to mention, perhaps when doing the follow up video is the contribution that the cartridge case makes to blow back systems. There a limited amount of resistance to the rear ward movement of the slide or bolt. This has been exploited in some designs with a shallow ring in the chamber. not to be confuse with the fluting found in the G3 family of roller locked delayed blow back designs.

[@loquat4440]

Here is an example such that did not work. ''The J. Kimball Arms Company of Detroit introduced a semiauto pistol in 1955, chambered for the .30 Carbine cartridge - what better companion for the tactical uber weapon of the day, the M1 Carbine? Kimball’s pistol was styled heavily after the High Standard, and it looks good and handles well. The .30 Carbine cartridge is too powerful for a blowback pistol, however, and so Kimball needed some type of locked breech or delaying mechanism. He chose to cut an annular ring in the front of the chamber - the mouth of the brass would expand into this ring upon firing, and the force required to press it back down to the diameter of the chamber body would force the slide to remain closed long enough for pressure to drop to a safe level. However, the system was not adequate for the cartridge. The slide velocity was high enough that the guns very quickly battered the slide stop block. The would peen and deform at first, then crack, and eventually either bend to the point that the gun would not cycle, or break off and allow the slide to come right off the back of the frame. I can’t find any documentation of anyone actually injured in this way, but that was obviously the concern. Only between 250 and 300 of the pistols were made before the company went bankrupt and closed. There had been plans to expand the line to include gun in .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and .22 Hornet, but none of those went any farther than prototypes.

[@amigi968]

I am really liking this new take on the channel. Thanks for being you, Ian.

[@dermozart80]

Great explanation, Ian! Thank you

[@fogogin]

This is a really great direction for your channel. These are questions I've been asked that I cannot easily explain

[@MrBrown-br7sh]

I hope this series becomes popular and you keep making them. This is great!

[@HoRiGa94]

I appreciate how not a moment is wasted before the explanation starts.

[@javix473]

one of the best ideas on this Channel making this videos

[@ePiiCeaglepwner]

1:41 It's not energy that has to be balanced but momentum. Momentum: P=ma Energy: Ek = ½mv² If you look at the equation for kinetic energy you see it is equal to half of the mass * the square of the velocity and thus when you have 2 objects with the same momentum the lighter one (the bullet) will have more kinetic energy.

[@andrewjohnson3150]

Really excited to see more of this series, thanks for making it. I feel like I'm fairly knowledgeable about these things, but have learned something from both so far. If you're looking for ideas: delay mechanisms, sear designs, DI vs. Piston gas systems, maybe a bit on optics (paralax, focal planes, zeros related to trajectory). Thanks again!

[@JosephHarner]

At 1:40 you make an important misunderstanding of the physics equations: you have to balance force and momentum, not energy. P=mv for momentum, but k=1/2mv^2 for energy. Thus the bullet carries far more enery than the slide of the gun, despite having the same momentum.

[@shad8x936]

I love learning about history and background of guns but knowing how they operate is even more valuable knowledge, thank you for making these videos and more please :)

[@QUIROPTEROHOLLOW]

Thank you so much mate. I'm really interested in gun design and studying a lot of it. If you could like make a series about "How does it work", I would truly love it!

It is very nice that all those videos in the "How Does It Work" series is gathered together in a playlist. It would be good to have other educational / informative videos, like "Machine Gun Terminology" series and "Pronunciation" videos also have their own playlists.

[@ArmandKarlsen]

Excellent series! The only addition I can think of might be slow-motion cutaways and/or animations to help explain more complex machanisms.

[@weopenest23]

I love the simple explanation, I honestly never really gave it thought on how a blowback works. Though, I am just new to shooting so cut me some slack lol

[@Keeping_IT_Simple]

Great lesson. I finally understand ( at least in basic terms ) what blowback means Please do more of these lessons as it really helps those of us who are not so well informed understand more fully & enjoy the videos

[@johnjhp4482]

Love the slowmo you have in these types of videos. Keep them coming’

[@stuckincommiefornia]

Love this series. Easy to understand and fundamentally sound.

[@irishmhw]

Fantastic video! Your explanation of the physics in a short form is excellent. This series, if it is one will be great.

[@tritonum]

I had always wondered why there aren't many or at all blowback rifles. Thanks Ian.

[@scottadare4613]

I really appreciate this series. Keep it up!

[@Synochra]

last time I was this early the chinese were still trying to ingest gunpowder for eternal life

[@worldtraveler930]

I thought that it was mercury that they were into.

[@Synochra]

@@worldtraveler930 apparently they tried to brew some kind of health cocktail from gunpowder too at first

[@thenecromorpher]

Didn't the monks involved blow themselves up with it during the ritual or something?

[@marcelogonzalez8547]

This is learning and actually having fun while doing it. Keep these coming!

[@charleslindberg829]

This new how it works installment is awesome, keep making them? I really enjoy them.

[@CygnusGalactic]

I love those series of videos, they're fantastic! Keep it up, Gun Jesus!

[@macjameson1930]

Ian, thank you! I’m learning more about firearms than ever before!

[@JoachimElmesioo]

Seeing how much mass is usually put in to .45 or 9mm submachine gun bolts, is there a proportion to how much energy is in less powerful blowback handguns, or do they handle it in a different way? If the SMG bolts are proportionally heavier does it have an advantage?

[@SuperFunkmachine]

Submachine gun have the same level energy as a hangun per shot. A heavier bolt can slow down a Submachine guns fire rate. SMGs are better at managing energy, a SMG bolts can have a greater length of travel and bigger springs to absorb some of the energy.

[@Kingsquad2011]

@@SuperFunkmachine See the episode on the M1921 Thompson. There were complains with the original model of a too high rate of fire. Only thing tht needed to be done is to ake the bolt heavier

[@brucelee3388]

The longer barrel on a SMG requires the bolt to stay closed for longer or the case will rupture due to high chamber pressure as the bullet is still in the barrel, so a heavier bolt provides that delay and allows the bullet to exit and pressure to drop to a safe level.

[@jasondoe2596]

vendomnu, indeed, I believe there is _at least one_ such firearm with adjustable bolt weight to alter the rate of fire. It was presented in a Forgotten Weapons video ages ago, and unfortunately I don't remember any details :(

[@EdMan102292]

Handguns with full size cartridges (which includes 9mm parabellum or .45 ACP) use a different mechanism than simple blowback to lock the bolt and barrel together until chamber pressures drop enough to safely extract the cartridge.

[@alexv.d.h.7331]

Love this series! Please keep making more videos about specific operating mechanisms.

[@g.k.6913]

I know all of this but I still want to watch your videos. Great job.

[@coltsfan79]

I like your use of the Colt 1903. That was my dads concealed carry gun in .32acp

[@therugburnz]

Good work. I like the idea of how it works videos. Can't wait for rotary and more rotary actions.

[@littlerougue]

Ian I love these videos in the how it works series keep em coming

[@CHaas-bn3xi]

I absolutely love your videos, I always thought I new what blow back action meant and was kind of there, after watching your video I know now how it totally works thank you

[@greeka456]

I quite enjoy these "How it works" videos. Keep it up!

[@danduhman1955]

👍 GREAT JOB Ian. I understand the theory of most action operations, but can’t wait to see the rest of the series. Always learning. 👌🏻

[@kot1pelto]

Hey Ian just went by the RIA booth at SCI in Reno, NV and told them how you and your youtube channel brought me to them.

[@peterebel]

i absolutely love this series

[@simonmoberg8906]

Very well explained. Please do more like this. Very educational.

[@rskat501]

Really liking these educational videos, can't wait for more

[@theDitchdigger456]

I love these explanation style videos! you learn some things even when you think you know whats going on

[@neurotoksyn]

Simple is great, my favorite firearms are open bolt blowback smgs. They're like an expert class in how to make full auto fire as robustly no frills as possible. Simple trigger, simple mechanics, simple construction.

[@bubba200874426]

all the finesse of a brick, but all the reliability as well.

[@af22raptor23503]

Great Video! Outstanding description of the Operating system.

[@jonahmarlow3816]

Really liking this new series!

[@dhananjaychafale6545]

Very well explained and unquestionable . Really like it

[@korblborp]

Whatever questions were answered, you've raided the question of "what the heck has been done to that MAC?"

[@MasterOfHelium]

I wonder what's the pistol shown at 3:20, it resembles a Mannlicher M1905, but put into more square shapes.

[@voiceofgosh]

Really enjoying the how they work videos.

[@Mr.Autodelete]

EXCELLENT please please do this for every action type!

[@thecaitiff]

Love these videos and I am kind of surprised you had not started these a long time ago. For some of us, it's information we already know, but it's still valuable to the community to have it all on the same channel or site rather than saying "If you're interested in this sort of thing, check out X's video on the topic". Initially I used to think FW was just entertainment and cool guns, but I've come to appreciate the amount of education you are doing.

[@Treblaine]

Pressure must also be an important factor. For lower pressure pistol rounds, the pressure is low enough that the walls of the case can slip against the chamber so if the base of the case is pushed back 1mm then the walls of the case will follow it. With higher pressure rifle rounds, if the base of the case moves back 1mm then the walls of the case will likely still stick to the walls of the chamber and the case will split. Helps that pistol cases also just have less surface area than rifle rounds. The higher pressure of rifle rounds means a blowback action will be pushed open even quicker, due to all this, straight blowback is so much harder with rifle cartridges.

[@jannegrey]

Okay, as a gun newbie - though pretty good at physics, I appreciate You giving us lessons on how the guns operate - yes I'm from Europe, I didn't have opportunity to study those things, apart from theory. And I prefer learning from examples.

[@Moped_Mike]

I’m loving this series! Keep it up!

[@AlexP-ep9ud]

I like this series a lot! Good stuff

[@nathanricher1647]

Love this style of video Ian, I’d love to see one on roller delayed blowback designs.

[@Grishanof]

I'd watch that Beretta slo-mo again and again

[@cameronnedrow6017]

Thank you for the valuable knowledge Ian. Make videos like this one on roller delayed, DI, short stroke gas piston etc.

[@ThePablo1911]

How I love this section! Thanks.

[@garyneilson1833]

I like how Ian got his MAS 38 into this video.

[@stevej6991]

It occurs to me that the same cartridge fired from two barrels of significantly different length will raise chamber pressure to significantly different levels. So on that assumption, the recoil impulse/momentum would be different. Therefore, significantly different slide/bolt masses would be required to perform the same blowback damping function. It follows then that barrel length would be a major driver of bolt/slide design mass. Not something I would have immediately thought of. I presume a longer barrelled simple blowback rifle / submachine gun might therefore need a larger bolt/slide mass than a 9mm simple blowback pistol. Perhaps it also follows that we can reduce recoil impulse by cutting down the barrel to the point where the chamber pressure is reduced? On reflection, the recoil spring must be the next part of the overall equation which might facilitate the blowback mass to become lighter or heavier. I guess that best design practice is to start out with the stiffest spring possible, as long as we can still manually operate the bolt, to allow us to proportionally reduce the bolt/slide mass.

[@michaelblacktree]

Yes, barrel length does affect the cycling of a blowback operated firearm. But a longer barrel does not increase the chamber pressure. Actually, it makes the recoil impulse last for a longer period of time, which increases the amount of energy cycling the bolt. Aside from that, you seem to have a good grasp of the concept.

[@ThZuao]

It depends on the powder you use. Ever heard "do not mix shotgun powder with handgun powder"? Those weapons use different kinds of powder (which is often just the same substance ground finer). Generally, pistol powders have faster burning powders to make the best of the short barrel, with the internal pressure reaching peak shortly after ignition, whereas long guns have slower burning powders that reach their peak pressure later. Put exactly the same mass of propellant in a rifle cartridge, but with finer grains meant to be loaded for pistol cartridges, and you're at a very high risk of blowing your rifle up. That is to answer the question: Do longer barrels make the pressure peak higher? Not really. If you're using rifle powder on your pistol, sure, it will. But generally, pistol cartridges reach peak pressure while the bullet is still inside that short barrel. Else you'd be just wasting unburnt powder. The reason SMGs have such a massive bolt in comparison to pistols is because while the pressure peaks in a long barrel exactly as soon as it would in a pistol, it still remains at very high levels while the bullet is still in the barrel, where, of course, it remains for a longer period of time than it would in a pistol. That massive bolt is there to delay the opening of the chamber, allowing the pressure to drop to safe levels so it can safely extract the spent casing. What affects the pressure is, in order of importance, propellant type, ammount, grain size and bullet/barrel friction. The bullet crimp, weight and the primer size also affect burn rate to a much smaller, often negligible degree. Really, you'll only have to account for them in regards to the burn rate if you're designing one of those rail rifles. About the spring, yes, it does affect how heavy your reciprocating mass has to be for a straight blowback gun. However, the spring itself has momentum and mass. Te ideally stiff spring can be so heavy as to offset the weight saved on the bolt, so the best design practice is to find a midway between the bolt mass and the spring mass. It's the typical implementation (fixed) cost vs operation (variable) cost optimization problem, described by this graph: www.economicsonline.co.uk/Business%20economics%20graphs/AVC.png Only instead of cost, you have weight.

[@michaelblacktree]

The OP specifically said "the same cartridge fired from two barrels of significantly different length". So all that stuff about different powders etc was basically non sequitur.

[@stevej6991]

It's my understanding that for an identical cartridge, increasing barrel length from zero up to a given length proportionately increases projectile velocity. Up to the point where it plateaus, and the projectile reaches its maximum possible design velocity. For example, if we shoot a bullet from a two inch barrel, we will see significantly less velocity than from a twenty inch barrel. But then in a fifty inch barrel, there is no difference to the twenty - in fact it might even reduce the velocity due to barrel drag. Hence my theory on the chamber pressure behaving in the same way. Or I am wrong, and chamber pressure maxes out almost instantly, regardless of the barrel length.

[@Staingo_Jenkins]

Please keep making these informative videos on firearm mechanical principles!

[@hassenfepher]

Im liking this series. Its cool to have those quick and easy answers, to google up and hand off to noobs as resources. I cant tell you how many tines ive had to explain a concept at a bar to an anti. Can we please cover assault rifle? I know its a rough one, especially since federal, states, and media all define it differently. But it would make my life easier.

[@spencertracks2720]

Just thought I’d mention that the velocity of the slide is NOT proportional to the velocity of the bullet (based on weight). The formula for kinetic energy is 1/2 x mass x velocity^2. So, since the energy is equal, when the proportion of the slides mass to the bullets mass is taken into account, the velocity of the slide is more exponential than proportional.