Hi, As usual, I am behind on email. but, my question as per How Is a Revolver Made is, how is a silencer made? At 10:04 PM 6/5/2007 -0600, you wrote:
>Yeah, we are glad you found this list all so. Are this list found >you smile. Thanks for sending. Don >----- Original Message ----- >From: Boyce, Ray >To: <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>[email protected] >Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 4:45 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: <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>[email protected] >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David & Patricia >Ferrin >Sent: Tuesday, 5 June 2007 21:28 >To: <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com>[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 ><http://www.jaws-users.com> >----- Original Message ----- >From: Boyce, Ray >To: <mailto:blindhandyman%40Yahoogroups.Com>[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] > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > >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 Thanks. Kevin Doucet [EMAIL PROTECTED] confuse as says Blind man with unmarked forehead has large belly!
