A hammer hits a chemical {fulminate, material} that ignites on impact {gun}. Fulminate ignites gunpowder behind bullet {firing, gun}. Expanding gas pushes bullet. Bullet goes down tube {barrel, gun}, which has spiral grooves {rifling, gun} to spin bullet. Longer barrel is more accurate and gives more distance. Fulminate, gunpowder, and bullet can be separate. Bullet can be in shell filled with powder, with percussion cap containing fulminate on back {cartridge, bullet}.
Guns {riot gun} can have plastic or rubber bullets and low power.
Smoothbore guns {shotgun} can shoot pellets.
small American pistol {derringer}.
0.45-caliber pistol {forty-five}.
high-caliber pistol {magnum, handgun}.
0.38-caliber pistol {thirty-eight}.
0.32-caliber pistol {thirty-two}.
0.22-caliber pistol {twenty-two}.
pistol assembled at home {zip gun}.
Short muskets {blunderbuss} can have a wide opening, to shoot shot over a wide area.
In guns {breechloader}|, bullet and powder can be separately put into barrel back end {breech, gun}. It became obsolete after cartridges began.
In old muzzle-loading rifle {flintlock}|, using flintlock, hammer struck flint, sparks went through hole in barrel back, and gunpowder ignited. Alternatively, hammer with flint tip hit metal plate {frizzen}, and sparks exploded powder in pan [1600 to 1700].
lighted match explodes powder in pan [1350 to 1400], or muzzle-loading rifle using matchlock {matchlock}.
Rifles {musket} can have a long smooth-bore barrel.
Shooter pushes bullet and charge down muzzle to make it ready to fire {muzzleloader}.
repeating rifle or gun {automatic weapon}.
machine gun {burp gun}.
early machine gun {Gattling gun}.
Guns {semiautomatic weapon} can fire repeatedly or fire manually in single shots.
shoulder-fired machine gun {submachine gun}.
0.45-caliber submachine gun {tommy gun}.
Guns {air rifle} can use compressed air.
Clip, magazine, or belt can automatically feed cartridges to gun {automatic rifle}| {machine gun}. Automatic guns can shoot hundreds of shots {round, gun} per minute. Power of exploding powder ejects shell and inserts new cartridge.
short-barrel rifle {carbine}.
Guns {rifle, weapon}| can have long barrels and use cartridges. Cartridges load one at time.
Clip, magazine, or belt can manually feed cartridges into gun {Springfield rifle}|.
rifle-end knife {bayonet}.
A sliding bar {bolt, rifle} can eject an empty cartridge and put in a new cartridge.
gun barrel inside {bore}.
rifle or pistol handle {butt, rifle}.
gun-barrel inside diameter {caliber}.
sight horizontal and vertical strings {cross hairs}.
Bolt tip {firing pin} can hit primer.
small iron cannon balls {grapeshot}.
Triggers {hair-trigger} can fire with light touch.
barrel front {muzzle, gun}.
small metal ball {BB}.
cartridge with no bullet {blank}.
Small lead balls {buckshot} can be in shotgun shells.
Soft bullets {dumdum} can expand on contact.
Bullets {sabot} can be in plastic jackets.
Bullets {tracer} can have lights to show enemy positions.
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Description of Outline of Knowledge Database
Date Modified: 2022.0225