HOW-TO
How Autos Operate
Unlike a revolver, when you pull the trigger on an auto, the action’s just beginning. Here’s what happens.
Nearly every 9mm or larger semiauto, regardless of make or model, operates by a descendent or variation of the short-recoil mechanism developed by John Browning for the M1911. Smaller centerfires and rimfires generally employ a direct blowback action (although some also utilize recoil-operated mechanisms). In a blowback mechanism, energy produced by the cartridge simply pushes directly back against the mass of the slide/bolt, propelling it rearward against a compressing spring to extract the ...
How Autos OperateRecent Articles
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