Last week I posted a thread as seen [url=http://www.bungie.net/7_How-dangerous-is-an-Ammunition-Cook-off-Firearms-K/en/Forum/Post?id=62378197]>>Here[/url]. It was about the dangers of ammunition cooking off in a firearm.
Today I bring you two topics. Corrosively primed ammunition and Suppressors. Both will just be general knowledge. I do not claim in depth knowledge of either, just basic information.
Corrosively Primed Ammunition:
Corrosive Ammo is ammo that when fired will cause corrosion of the chamber, bolt, and bore of a firearm. You tend to see corrosive ammo only in military surplus. What makes the ammo corrosive is not the bullet, nor the powder. It's the primer which ignites the powder. The primer which is struck by the firing pin in order to ignite the gunpowder in the cartridge. In many old surplus boxes of ammo the primer also contains a salt which acts as a preservative. This protects the primer for long term storage. Coupled with wax around the neck of the cartridge where the projectile is seated, as well as a wax seal on the primer itself. This ammo is also generally stored in sealed containers such as this [url=http://truthaboutguns.zippykid.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/a762x54rlb1.jpg]7.62x54r 'spam can'[/url].
But why use Corrosive ammo? Well, because it's cheap, incredibly cheap, like 19 cents a shot cheap. The corrosive nature of the primer isn't an issue with proper maintenance and care, and the salts are easily removed. Basically, when you shoot corrosive, clean your firearms when immediately when you get home. Hoppes 9 will neutralize the salts, as well as a hot water and windex mixture. To be perfectly honest there are many ways to remove the salts, but since Hoppes 9 should be in your standard cleaning kit, that should be all you need. Really, you just have to take a little extra care when cleaning. Make sure you scrub the bore, and the chamber, and clean your bolt really good.
Don't be afraid of corrosive ammo. It's certainly a whole helluva lot cheaper to shoot than newly manufactured cartridges. For my Mosin I can choose Mil-surp corrosive for 19 cents a shot, or brand new name brand ammo for a dollar a shot. See why many choose mil-surp?
Suppressors:
Now this is even more basic. I just aim to dispel some of the myths surrounding suppressors. I am by no means an expert on suppressors, nor do I even own one (lol California.)
A suppressor is an attachment for a pistol or rifle (or in some crazy cases shotgun) that reduce the noise of a shot being fired. They do not silence the firearm, just reduce the noise.
They work is by slowing down the gasses before they are released. They achieve this by creating paths for the gasses to expand and curve around before exiting, [url=http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/11/08/11/s_4285.jpg]like this.[/url] Of course designs differe between company, caliber, and even nation. But they all work on the same basic principle
Even when a firearm is suppressed, there is still factors that can give away the shooter. One of the biggest is using standard ammunition with a suppressor. Ammo that is traveling at supersonic speed will crack as it passes you, this is of course a sonic boom. Even with a suppressor there will still be a crack from the shot. Thus comes Cold Loaded ammo, which is loaded to fire at subsonic speeds so the crack is no longer there. Problem with cold loaded ammo is that range is greatly reduced as a result. A slower round will not fly as far as a faster one, pretty simple.
This is why .45acp has become an increasingly popular suppressed round. .45acp is subsonic out of the factor, so it retains it's standard ballistics, but is far quieter when suppressed.
Suppressors are becoming increasingly popular among Pig hunters in the US. Suppressors allow you to down as many pigs as possible before they scatter. This is not so much for sport as much as it is for eradication. Pigs are a destructive invasive species.
Suppressors are also becoming popular for general target and competition shooting. Little known fact, guns are loud. A suppressor reduces the sound of the gun going off and will go a long way in protecting your hearing from permanent damage. You know, that dreadful, "eeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" that people get, also known as Tinnitus.
Hopefully you guys enjoyed this. I plan on doing some sort of Gun guide each week on fridays.
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Excellent stuff man. I'd love to see this done every week or so