Hi Ray. I enjoyed the posts about beer and balls. Regards.
Max. K 4 O D S. Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Boyce, Ray" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 5:45 PM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] How Is a Revolver Made > Hi Dave > I try to come up with different topics which I hope makes reading them > interesting and takes the list members out of the square. > From some of the past posts recently some of them are finding them ok > and that gives me a lot of pleasure. > You can not please everyone as we have both found out but I am glad I > found this list some years ago and I have made a really good friend in > meeting you. > > Regards > Ray > > > ________________________________ > > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David & Patricia > Ferrin > Sent: Tuesday, 5 June 2007 21:28 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] How Is a Revolver Made > > > > Well this will sure add another degree of difficulty all right, and > sited people are afraid of us using power tools. Ray my friend you have > got the gift for research above anybody else I know. I'm just lad you're > on our side. > David Ferrin > http://www.jaws-users.com <http://www.jaws-users.com> > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Boyce, Ray > To: [email protected] > <mailto:blindhandyman%40Yahoogroups.Com> > Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 11:04 PM > Subject: [BlindHandyMan] How Is a Revolver Made > > Hi All > Anyone tried to make there own Gun? > How is a revolver made? > > Background > > The term "handgun" refers to any small firearm intended for use with one > hand only. Currently, the two most important types of handguns are > revolvers and > automatic pistols. The key distinction between the two is that the > former contains a cylindrical magazine (the firearm > compartment > from which cartridges, or bullets, are fed into the barrel) with > multiple chambers that enable the shooter to fire repeated shots without > pausing to > reload. > An automatic (self-loading) pistol feeds cartridges into the barrel from > a detachable magazine that is inserted through the bottom of the butt > (the gun's > handle). This type of pistol utilizes some of the > recoil > force from each cartridge firing to feed the next cartridge into its > single chamber. As the two varieties differ widely in design and > production, this article > will concentrate on the revolver. > > The earliest firearms ensued from the invention of black powder, a > precursor of gunpowder developed in China during the ninth century A.D.; > among other > things, the Chinese apparently used their invention to propel primitive > rockets. The recipe and uses for black powder were eventually > transmitted to Europe > by Mongol conquerors, and it was the Europeans who perfected the > substance during the fourteenth century. Within one hundred years, the > first small arms > were being developed. However, early handguns remained > troublesome > for several centuries. For one thing, very few people could shoot them > accurately (sighting targets proved easier with the long barrel of a > musket > to serve as a guide). Another problem was that their > firepower > had to be minimal if soldiers were to fire them with one hand. Until the > mid-eighteenth century, most handguns could hold only one cartridge at a > time, > and this had to be loaded through the gun's muzzle (barrel). > > The handgun became > vastly > improved in 1835, when Samuel Colt patented the first > workable > revolver, which became known as the cap-and-ball. Although Colt's > handgun > still had to be front-loaded, its revolving cylinder contained five or > six chambers, and the shooter advanced it automatically by cocking the > hammer (earlier > models had required shooters to align each chamber and depress the > hammer separately). Later improvements yielded a cartridge revolver that > did not have > to be loaded through the muzzle, better ejection designs, and > double-action cocking mechanisms. > > By the end of the nineteenth century, when handguns incorporating these > innovations were being mass produced, the revolver had reached its > mature form. > It remained the weapon of choice for military personnel until the second > decade of the twentieth century, when it was replaced by automatic > pistols. Although > many predicted that the advent of the automatic model would render the > revolver obsolete, it has remained popular. Today, revolvers continue to > be used > alongside automatic pistols by police officers, members of the armed > forces, and target shooters throughout the world. > > Design > > To understand how a revolver is made, it is important to know how each > subsystem functions within the weapon. A revolver contains four main > subsystems: > the Frame Group; the Cylinder, Extractor, and Crane Group; the Barrel > and Sight Group; and the Trigger, Timing Hand, and Hammer Group. > > The Frame Group consists of the main frame, the trigger guard, and the > hand grip. Its purpose is to provide a strong frame to contain the > powerful force > of the cartridge discharge, position the shooter's hand correctly, and > insure that the trigger functions precisely. Designs vary slightly due > to manufacturers' > patents, but the operation is basically the same. Some frames have a > removable sideplate that provides access to the trigger group, while > others insert > the trigger group as a separate assembly though the bottom of the frame. > All modern revolvers utilize a frame design incorporating a solid top > strap > that connects the top of the grip area to the barrel mounting area, > reinforcing the structural integrity of the frame. > > The Cylinder, Extractor, and Crane Group consists of the cylinder > itself, the shaft upon which it rotates, the extractor, the extractor > shaft, a return > spring, and the crane. The cylinder commonly contains six chambers for > six cartridges of the correct > caliber > arranged in a circle. The rim, or outer edge of the cartridge base, > rests upon a > semicircular > ledge formed by the extractor, which contains six small depressions in > the center. The outside of the cylinder has six corresponding locking > grooves. The > cylinder rotates on the cylinder pin, which locks into the frame on one > end and the crane on the other end. While the inside of the frame > supports the > base of the cartridge, the forcing cone on the barrel helps the bullet > accurately jump the gap between the cylinder face and the barrel. > > The Barrel and Sight Group is very important to the accuracy of the > weapon. Threaded onto the frame, the barrel receives the bullet from the > chamber upon > firing. Inside, the barrel is rifled, or inscribed with a series of > grooves that > impart > a stabilizing spin to bullets as they leave the gun. The sights consist, > .of a Rear Sight with its groove or > notch > and a Front Sight which is typically shaped like a blade or post. The > notch and the top of the blade, which can be adjusted, are aligned to > help shooters > aim. Most high quality revolvers feature sights purchased from companies > whose specialty is fine mechanisms. Optical sights, low-and no-light > sights, and > lasers are also available. > > The Trigger Group is best explained by describing the firing sequence, > initiated when the shooter pulls back on the hammer spur. This action > compresses, > or cocks, the hammer spring and pushes the timing hand connecting the > hammer to the trigger group into an extractor depression, rotating the > cylinder to > align that chamber and the barrel. The trigger mechanism > latch > engages the locking grooves, stopping further rotation and securing the > cylinder for firing. At the end of the travel, the hammer is latched by > the trigger > sear > and held ready for firing. When the trigger is fully depressed, the > hammer unlatches from the trigger sear and is propelled forward by the > hammer spring. > This energy is transmitted to the firing pin, which strikes the > primer > of the cartridge, firing the weapon. This sequence of firing is called > single action. > > With the advent of the double action design, a connection bar was used > to allow the trigger to rotate the cylinder, > cock > the hammer, and complete the firing in one motion. This design promoted > an increase in rate of firepower and simplified the draw and fire > situation. Most > modern revolvers are of the double action design. After firing, the > shooter releases the trigger. The trigger spring then returns the > trigger to the forward > position and forces the hand and latch to > retract > within the frame in preparation for the next shot. Once the cartridges > have been fired, the cylinder latch on the side of the frame is pressed, > disengaging > the cylinder pin from the frame. This allows the entire assembly to > swing out of the frame on the crane for reloading. The extractor shaft > is pressed, > lifting the cartridge cases out of their chambers, after which the > cylinder spring returns the extractor to the cylinder. Live cartridges > are again loaded > and the cylinder is then simply pushed back into the frame, where the > cylinder pin spring latches it back into place. > > Raw Materials > > With the exception of the grips, which may be wood or plastic, nearly > all components of the revolver are metal. Steel was the primary metal > until changes > in its availability and advances in other metals rendered them more > desirable. For example, during the 1860s, the disruption in the steel > supply caused > by the Civil War led to the use of brass for revolver frames. During > World War II, the need for a lightweight weapon for use by aircraft > crews brought > about the use of a > aluminum alloy > frame. The > stainless steel > frame and barrel soon followed, improving > corrosion > resistance and reducing maintenance. > > The Manufacturing > Process > > Forging the components > List of 1 items > * The major components of most revolvers begin as a group of steel or > stainless steel blanks that are forged into close approximations of the > desired parts. > The basic shape of each part is formed by placing a heated blank of > material into a forging press and impacting it with several hundred tons > of force. > This impact forces the metal into the forging die, a steel block with a > cavity shaped like the part being produced. Sometimes, multiple strikes > by the > press are required, each with a more precise die than the previous step. > The resulting part is both extremely strong and very similar to final > shape. > list end > > Annealing and machining > List of 3 items > * After forging, the flow patterns of the metal must be stabilized by > heat treating. This procedure consists of > reheating > the parts in a controlled atmosphere to relieve internal stresses > without reducing the metal's inherent strength. > * Machining can now begin on the frame, cylinder, and other component > parts. Most modern revolvers are manufactured on automated, > computer-controlled machining > centers and lathes. However, a number of manufacturers have had such > excellent service and results with some of their machines that they > continue to utilize > fifty-year-old equipment. Regardless of whether older or modern > equipment is used, the basic process actions of milling, drilling, and > tapping are essentially > the same. The tolerances on this machining must be held within one or > two thousandths of an inch. All of the components, from the screws to > the trigger, > are machined using similar processes. > * To effectively machine the raw forging, a worker clamps it into a > holding apparatus that secures the part during machining. Properly > designed > fixtures > also contain tool guides and bushings to support the cutting tool and > increase accuracy. Many of the operations performed will require several > specialized > fixtures. Cylinders, screws, shafts, and barrels are made on lathes > while frames, sideplates, sights, and triggers are made on a milling and > machining > center. > list end > > Rifling the barrel > List of 2 items > * One of the most unique processes is the rifling of the barrel. Rifling > is essentially a series of grooves within the barrel. These grooves have > a precise > twist that, through contact with the bullet > circumference, > causes the bullet to spin during firing. This rate of twist is about 1 > turn in 16 inches (40.6 > centimeters). > To produce the rifling, a worker subjects the barrel to either the > cutting or the button rifling process. Cutting is accomplished by > drawing a broach-like > cutting tool through the barrel blank repeatedly, removing metal to > approximately .010 inch (.025 centimeter) deep. Cutting marks and other > scratches within > the rifling can impair accuracy by damaging the bullet, which throws it > out of balance. However, one advantage of these marks is that they are > different > in every gun barrel, producing unique rifling imprints on the bullets > they fire. This is how law enforcement specialists match bullets to the > gun that > fired them. > * Button rifling refers to an operation in which a > hardened > form tool is drawn through the barrel blank under high force, displacing > the metal in the grooves without cutting. This is similar in some > respects to the > forging operation, only it is done without heating the barrel. The > advantages of button rifling are increased production, no chip > formation, and improved > surface quality. > list end > > Applying protective coatings > List of 1 items > * After machining, the metal surfaces of most steel or aluminum weapons > receive a protective coating to reduce corrosion. Commonly referred to > as blueing, > this process entails submersing the parts in tanks of acid and other > chemicals. In these vats, the chemicals react with the metal to produce > a > durable > barrier against the elements. Chrome and > gold > plating, parkerizing, and > anodizing > (for aluminum) are some variants of the blueing process, while plating, > another means of applying a protective coat, is accomplished by setting > up an electric > current between the parts and the supply > anode, > which consists of another type of metal. The electrical path carries > molecules of the plating metal to the component, where they bond very > tightly to the > surface. > list end > > Assembly > List of 1 items > * The entire weapon is assembled by one person who fits all of the > components, many of them manually. While dimensional control has > improved significantly > over the past twenty years, the timing of the trigger and hand mechanism > and the crispness of the trigger pull are still set by hand. Most > manufacturers > have grades of fitting quality; for example, the trigger pull of a > service weapon that will be used by police is set heavier than that of a > target or specialty > handgun. One would expect to > exert > a more determined effort to discharge a weapon in a law enforcement > setting, while at the target range the lighter trigger pull is desirable > to increase > accuracy. Once the weapon has been put together, any necessary filing, > polishing, and turning will be performed before testing. > list end > > Quality Control > > After assembly and fine tuning, the weapon is dry fired (without > ammunition) and checked for function before being sent to the firing > line for proof firing. > The first phase of the proof firing process entails inspecting and > recording the gun's trigger weighting, sights, and cylinder spacing. > Next, the gun is > loaded with special ammunition and fired. Industry standards dictate the > types and relative power of the proofing cartridges. They are typically > heavier > charged than the service cartridge, assuring that any weakness in the > gun will be detected before it is placed into service. The gun is then > packaged and > shipped to law enforcement agencies, military contractors, and federally > licensed weapons dealers. > > The Future > > From the manufacturing > standpoint, > the handgun is still making use of new materials and processes, even > though the design is quite mature. With the advent of investment > castings, net shape > forgings, and lightweight alloys, revisions to the standard design will > continue. From a social perspective, the handgun has been the center of > increasing > debate since the 1960s. Many people have contended that limiting access > to guns and ammunition would reduce violence in the United States. > However, such > proposals have been counterbalanced by a popular interpretation of the > Second Amendment to the Constitution, which many believe guarantees > individual citizens > the right to bear arms. This debate continues in both the media and > various state and federal legislatures. As of today, revolvers remain > popular with > law enforcement officers and military personnel. In addition, ordinary > citizens can purchase and utilize them with relative ease, as the > constraints that > some states have recently imposed upon gun purchasers are generally > limited to mandatory waiting periods that enable salespeople to perform > background > checks. > > ********************************************************************** > This message and its attachments may contain legally > privileged or confidential information. If you are not the > intended recipient, you must not disclose or use the > information contained in it. If you have received this e-mail > in error, please notify the sender immediately by return > e-mail and delete the e-mail. > > Any content of this message and its attachments which > does not relate to the official business of Eraring Energy > must be taken not to have been sent or endorsed by > Eraring Energy. No warranty is made that the e-mail or > attachment(s) are free from computer virus or other defect. > ********************************************************************** > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html > or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ > > Visit the archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.9/834 - Release Date: 6/5/2007 > 2:38 PM > To listen to the show archives go to link http://acbradio.org/handyman.html or ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various List Members At The Following address: http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ Visit the archives page at the following address http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man list just send a blank message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! 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