I, too, agree completely. Chris knows how to present a subject, explain it, and answer the pertinent questions clearly and succinctly. He and Colion Noir should use their name and facial recognition to move into Republican politics in the generation behind Tim Scott and Tom Cotton.
great.. whats the difference.. the both use the guns recoil to chamber another round.. here's the types of operation. SINGLE SHOT, BLOWBACK and Gas operated. then again, I dont think he knows that :-(
@@cabotcat1 Notice that both of the straight blowback guns he showed have external hammers, but the Smith doesn’t. I wish he had mentioned this and explained why. I can’t imagine that’s not germane. I need to look that up and see why. I’m sure you engineering types already know the explanation. Anyway, the slide blows straight back on the blowback pistols whereas with the recoil pistols the barrel tilts. The latter isn’t possible with blowback.
This is a great video explaining the differences between straight blowback, and short recoil operation. If I may add, one little addition - in the early 20th century, there was actually a "blow forward" action, where the frame of the pistol stayed stationary, and the barrel moved forward upon the round firing, cycling the action. This was possible because of the enormous friction between the bullet and the rifling in the barrel. John Browning's short recoil operation makes use of this bullet / barrel friction in the same manner - in that, as long as the bullet is in the barrel of the gun, there is a forward acting force on the barrel. Simultaneously, there is a rearward force on the slide, from the pressure of the cartridge, which counters the forward force on the barrel. These two opposing forces briefly maintain the lock of a short recoil system, - until the bullet leaves the barrel and that forward acting bullet friction force disappears. It's a really ingenious system to keep the barrel and slide locked together until the moment the bullet leaves the barrel. Recoil springs can be made less stiff for larger calibers, making slides easier to rack. And the slide mass can also be drastically reduced. Thank you for putting these videos together -- they are entertaining and educational!
There are some awesome biographies out there on his life and inventions. Would highly recommend. His impact on firearms and in turn the world cannot be overstated.
Not a gun owner/user, but as an engineer, I absolutely love this channel. I learn all about guns, ammo, and uses. Thank you for explaining this to a non user!
Become a gun owner/user my good sir. Maybe you've changed your mind in the past couple years, unless you really don't pay attention to things nor think about things lol.
@@proto2580 I've always thought firearms designers were really fricking intelligent people. Like... that's quite a thing to do. I'm a software developer, I'd like to think I'm above average and would think my co-workers throughout my career would agree, but I think just about anyone can do that. If someone is willing to learn I could teach them programming, honestly I don't think it's that difficult (more mysterious than anything else). If you can follow a recipe to make a cake or dish of that complexity, you can write software. Anyway. Cool career big 🐕 I'm jealous.
@@clamum9648 Thanks! Your comments struck a chord with me. I have long though I should have become a coder. As a kid, I learned to code before most others. At 10 years old, I had a Commodore Vic20, but I didn't really get deep into coding as an adult. Software Dev pay is higher than ME, and you can work from home. A ME is a "traditional" engineer so we don't often get to work from home. Its also more hands on, so we are often required to be on-site and put hands on the stuff we design. However, I have friend who is a full time coder, and I know he's had some trouble in his career due to outsourcing to India. Meanwhile, for me, ME has been more steady. . Becoming a firearms engineer wasn't a conscious career choice-it was a job I needed at the time, and was years ago now, though last year, I did a consulting job where I designed another rifle. . Like any profession, the "cool" jobs pay less, as I am sure is true in coding. Designing firearms pays OK, but I make more money designing stuff in industries that are not well known or considered "cool". I make more money in industries that are considered "boring" by lay people, necessary/needed, and where talent is rare. . I recall running into a ME student back when I was working full time in firearms, and he didn't know that was a potential industry he could work in once earning his degree. He thought it sounded like the best job ever. For me, at the time, it was a job that paid the bills. .
When I first saw this channel I thought it was going to be an advertising shill but it has really good content. He is professional and gives me quality information without the drama.
Attention all YT gun channel owners: Please note the brevity and quality of Mr. Baker's exceptional video intros that don't force me to fast forward 30 seconds at the onset of EVERY video. Thank you, Chris. Excellent as always.
This is maybe the best informative gun channel on UA-cam. Technical enough explanations to make sense but doesn't try to be a college class. Thank you.
Highest compliments to you sir, for a superb video presentation. I am a professional video maker with a few years of experience (since 1970), and I consider this video to be the best technical and creative “training” video I have ever viewed - and I’ve seen a lot. I am not a firearms expert and thus do not speak to the “content”, but your team’s video craft is top notch. Lighting, sound, camerawork, animation, spokesperson “talent”, editing - all superb - thanks for making this available.
This helped tremendously. I own a S&W 380 ez and my wife just bought a Bersa Thunder 380. She is not that much into learning about guns so I needed a good way to explain the difference between the two. You do great work. Keep it up.
It is important to know the differences between the different operating systems/mechanisms: 1- Recoil Operated Weapons: 1- The barrel will move in all of these to ensure that the cartridge remains locked to the barrel till all the dangerous gases have escaped. 2- Delayed Blowback Weapons: The backward travel of the bolt is delayed, so the dangerous gases don't cause harm. 3- Gas Operated Weapons: The bolt is linked to a separate piston that moves it back. Whenever the the weight and the size permit, gas operated systems are the cleanest, the safest and the most reliable of all these systems, but they do have a slower rate of fire than blow-back systems. Recoil-operated systems are safe and cheap, whenever the weight and service don't permit gas-operated systems. Delayed blow-back systems are not easy to manufacture, so, i think, only HK manufactures them. The most recent HK system is also a gas-operated system despite over 70 years of experience with blow-back systems. The harder the steel, aluminum, or other metal, the lesser it will abrade when it rubs with softer metals. It will though wear the softer metal out, so some part has to wear out. If you use two hard metals, then they might abrade less, but both will abrade equally, so you might have to change both the parts eventually, but only if the usage is extensive. If a metal is too hard, it will break because it won't be even a little flexible. If it is too soft, it wear. Aside from wear, a metal needs to not expand too much with heat because this can also cause the parts to lock together and jam. Unless the metal expands a little, it might turn too hot, since it won't be a vert good dissipator of heat, and could cause premature ignition of cartridges. Most early blow-back weapons had cook-off issues, whereby the chamber would get so hot that it would fire the cartridges on its own, and only stop when it emptied the magazine or the belt. Blow-back systems also need thicker cartridge casings, so they don't rupture and explode. Early machine guns were water-cooled to keep the barrel cool. Now, all weapons are air-cooled, they just change the barrels on machine guns, whenever they get too hot. The barrels of all AK-47s expand after around 2 magazines of fully automatic fire, begin dropping the bullets at 50 to 100 yards, and lose all effectiveness. The American M16 uses the 7075 aluminum, which is very hard. The early Chinese copies used the softer 6000 aluminum. The best steel is 4150, but that is so hard that it needs very expensive machines and processes to cut and shape it, so, for small arms, most manufacturers use 4140 steel. Both polymer and aluminum reduce weight, and don't rust. Aluminum can get a patina, and even conducts electricity, but polymers can eventually degrade and crack. The dimensions are also important, because you need precise clearances or tolerances between the different parts, so they don't jam when they heat, yet, not so great to cause problems with the functioning of the mechanism. Stamped manufacturing is cheaper because it uses a press instead of labor. It can also be more uniform. Even most late WII weapons are stamped. The materials used in springs need specific coefficients of elasticity and precise turns/twists at precise angles, so they're neither too hard/soft nor compress/expand at the wrong angles. Most 3rd-world springing mechanisms will malfunction. The AK-47 is a Russian modification of the German Stg-44. The PPS 43 was a modification of the Finnish Suomi M/31, which itself was an iteration on the American Thompson SMG. The Mosin Nagant was an original Russian weapon designed by a consortium of Russian and Western designers hired by the Czar. The TT uses a Mauser cartridge with an iteration of the Browning mechanism. I don't think the Russians have very successful indigenous designs. The F-86 and MiG-15 aircraft were also very similar because both were iterations of German designs. Both American and Russian space and weapons programs employed German scientists and technology. Most weapons are different iterations of Mauser, Luger, and Browning designs, who were the pioneers.
Always good to review the basics and I will not fault you for not doing a 1 hour video going over all of the locking mechanisms. I am interested in the gas delayed blow back systems. I have never fired one, but some say the recoil is managed very well by such systems.
In the past month, I have wondered about this very subject a couple times but forgot to look it up when I sat in front of the computer. The algorithm has blessed me this day. I liked and subscribed.
Yours is one of the very few channels on which I hit the Like button before I even watch the video. I know from experience that you will present an excellent and informative video; one that's worth watching. This one in exemplary.
Excellent, dude! The first vid I´ve found so far that actually explains which are the differences and, most important, WHY are those two widely uses designs different.
Best description for the majority of youtube watchers. In a matter of minutes, it was explained true, and I understood what all the other videos don't break down to a simple and clear point. Well done.
I already knew the difference, just wanted to see how your presented the information, and it was very well done. Great use of graphics and showing the inner workings of the gun. The frame by frams showing the barrel unlock was particularly cool.
Just for your edification. The barrel on a 1911 designed by browning does not tip up the barrel stays level the entire time. All true Browning clones retain the non rising barrel. There is a barrel bushing that keeps the barrel in alignment. That is the main reason why it is hard to get proper ammunition for a 1911. Of course there are 1911s that do have a rising barrel but lack a barrel bushing. Next, there are still many guns made with the blowback design. One in question is a Ruger mark 4 for 22 that is a blowback design. Ruger also makes the SR 22 semi automatic that is also a blowback design. And in lower pressure cartridges blow back designs are commonly used.
This was a really great explanation. Concise, clear, well illustrated, and accurate. As a side note, I took Geology of National Parks and Monuments to get science credits that wouldn't require math. I knew it was what I needed when I heard it referred to as "Rocks for Jocks."
fantastic video. My wife had an issue with her bersa "spitting fire" like she said. I tried to explain to her why it was different. I had her watch this video. She said it was a great video. explained it excellently. Keep making great videos like this. I'm subscribed.
Great use of graphics! Huge step up for the production quality for your channel! I had no clue that exploding gunpowder looked like the Walmart logo! 6:50 Hi-Point would like a word, sir. Also Walther, but mostly Hi-Point.
@UCb4OZy-q4DcRmijk4DVu_YQ i bought my wife a 2007 honda last year and i still think of it as essentially a brand new car. it's older than my first car was when i bought it lmao
Yours is the first video I've found that explains the difference between and reasons for blow-back and locked-breech pistols clearly. NOW I get it, thank you.
Liked before even watching because of the “big science words” part in the description. Too many pseudoscientists in the gun community like to explain things by saying “it’s physics” and using terms they themselves barely understand. Thanks for keeping it real Chris 👍
VERY well done. And, speaking as someone who knows a good bit about physics, your descriptions of the operation of the slide and the forces involved was both accurate and easy to follow. Again, well done!
Many thanks-- I was actually going to send an e-mail asking for a video on this subject after watching last week's video. I am recoil sensitive as a result of surgery and this is an important subject for me. I frequently read and see in videos that many people believe a fixed barrel semi-auto handgun is the more accurate of the two designs. This seems an important question in light of the fact that shot placement is a critical consideration when using lower caliber weapons, especially when we take into account your excellent series on on pocket pistols. I am a faithful subscriber and appreciative of the good work you do. Thank you.
Defensive accuracy isn't target accuracy. The shooter plays the biggest part in this. I wouldnt worry about how mechanically accurate a gun is, just how accurate you can shoot it.
If you're worried about accuracy with a handgun to the point where you're considering fixed barrel versus moving barrel, you're probably not a good enough shooter for the difference to matter. To be honest, unless you are a fixed mechanical rest or a robot, you are probably not a good enough shooter for the difference in a moving barrel to matter. Professional competitive shooters use mostly Browning-style tilting actions (most pro shooters use Glock pistols which are all Browning short recoil actions), which should in theory be less accurate than in-line Beretta-style actions, and pinpoint accuracy matters more for them than it ever will for an ordinary person.
Chris... you should use the archives to create a high school/college class such as: Firearms 101. Your explanations are so crystal clear, well organized, and very measured. I appreciate the references you provide as well. Last week, I picked up Tom Givens' book "Concealed Carry Class" and read it through. It is very basic and straight forward... I can see why you rec'd it so highly. Thanks and best regards.
I knew there was a difference between the two but never really looked into how or why they were different. As you stated, the Beretta PX4 Storm has a rotating barrel, both the full size and compact that is. The PX4 Storm Sub-compact, however, has a tilting barrel. I am guessing this is due to the limited space they had to work with on the sub-compact model compared to the compact and full size. Although, the one I own is in 9mm, so I cannot speak for the .40 caliber version. Awesome video, it's great to learn new things.
Lucky Gunner/Chris, you guys should make a video about the CZ 83. Lots of good things being said about it, including in your own online but text-only review of the gun.
Found my new Go-To place for info! To the point. Clear explanations. The visuals and cutaway diagrams were excellent. So many questions answered simply and straightforwardly. This is the kind of video I look for but have difficulty finding. It fills the gap between beginner level material (which is far too simple) and advancedtinkerer/gunsmith/armorer that is far too advanced for me. Sign me up! I am a new subscriber!
The only thing I can think of to add is regarding simple blowback pistols: the high pressure and heat in the barrel (once the ignition has begun AND while the bullet is still in the barrel) causes the cartridge case to expand. Most cases are brass and this causes some friction between the cartridge case and the inside of the barrel's chamber, which helps slghtly delay the rearward motion of the slide until the bullet exits the barrel and the pressure/friction reduces.
@@louiscatoire3269 Obturation is the technical term. There are one or two delayed blowback designs out there that actually try to harness case obturation to slow cycling, but they were never very successful.
@@ostiariusalpha You are correct. Obturation has a very minor, if any, effect on slowing the cycling. It depends on the pressures involved, the case material (aluminum and steel cases have even less effect than brass cases), and the roughness of the inside of the chamber. I've read some manufacturers even tried to make the chamber interior rougher to increase the effect, but brass cases are just too soft to make this a useful experiment.
What a great, educational video! Really enjoyed it, and although I had kindof always guessed at this about the difference between the two, it was great to see & hear it explained in much better detail. Good job all around, definitely glad you threw the slo-mo footage in there as well. Subbed. 👍
In the straight blow back, the case stays in the barrel until the bullet exists the gun. The reason is that the pressure in the case, and in the barrel, causes the case to swell. The swollen case is ceased in the barrel, and once the bullet leaves the barrel it will shrink enough to slide back out of the chamber. The Hornady reloader’s manual has a great intro that describes what happens to a case as a gun is fired. And a LOT happens!
Yes, the old Hornady manual has an excellent write up by the micro- second of what happens when the gun fires. Anyone interested in such things should read it, it’s most enlightening!
I must confess, I've been around, and shooting different handguns, over the years, and, I wasn't sure about how to explain the differences. Thank you for explaining them. Btw, admitting not knowing something, is probably a good way to learn more about it. No one is an expert on everything.
Kudos for not saying the powder explodes to propel the bullet. So few people understand the difference between a burn and an explosion. Also well done explanation on the actual topic
Never bought from Lucky Gunner Ammo before today. But after watching these vid's, I pulled the trigger, & bought a 500 round, Span can, of Wolf ammo. Keep up the good works!!
hey guys! great video I've been trying to work out the difference between the two styles of operation for a while and the way you explain it in this video is perfect from a laymen's perspective. I'm confident that even most beginners in the shooting world would understand this easily and thats great because when someone is trying to learn about guns the styles of operation get thrown around a lot and it definitely can be confusing.
My guess on the difference in felt recoil: The blowback operated pistol has to have a stiff recoil spring, which means more of the recoil force is transmitted to the hand earlier. With the recoil operated pistol, the recoil spring can be much softer because it's job is mostly to push the slide forward again. That spreads out the recoil over a longer period of time.
This video is my introduction to your channel. Instant fan! Good info, no frills, just all around solid production. I also enjoyed the two demonstrations to show how exactly they all work
Congrats on the 500k big 🐕 What confused me about the two was that the names, and crap half sentence explanations I've heard before, made me think there were two different like... forces... being used to operate pistols using blowback and recoil operated. But I mean they *both* use "blowback" or "recoil" from the gun to operate them (as opposed to say gas siphoned off from the barrel like a rifle or the flaming Desert Eagle), it's just the slightly different manner in how that's done that's the difference between them. Blowback using the mass of the slide and power of spring and recoil operated using a locked breach, traveling with the barrel, until the latter has traveled a couple millmeters.
Brave man admitting you own Hi-Point pistols. I did that once in a comment section and was lambasted for weeks because I owned a pistol that was so inferior to everyone else’s thousand dollar handguns. I really don’t mind my Hi-Point at all. I kind of like it really. It puts a 9mm hole in anything I point it at, and it has a lifetime warranty.
I like the idea of the Wather CCP having a port to use pressure to prevent temporarily the movement of the slide by blowback. The spring as a result is much lighter and recoil manageable. It also is very accurate and easy to shoot up to 25 yards as a sub compact.
Much more informative than the wiki pages on firearm operation methods. And you're right, blowback firearms definitely have more felt recoil. I've shot the blowback-operated Bersa Thunder in .380, and the recoil-operated Glock in 9mm, and the Bersa's recoil felt so much worse to experience.
The first and only time I ever fired a .380 I was shocked at how sharp the recoil was. The only blowback guns I ever used long term were both delayed blowbacks---HK P7 and FN Five-SeveN.
As a layman just learning about handguns and other types of firearms more in depth (beyond the cool factor of seeing them in media) this was an excellent start. Very informative but not too overly complex. Nice introduction to the other types of barrel to slide mechanisms that I'll now research separately.
I think you did a really good job on this video I'm no firearms expert but I am fascinated by them and I've done a lot of studying as to how they operate and I've definitely learned from this video and you did a good job of explaining this in a way someone less knowledgeable about firearms would understand.
It should be noted that the forces applied as the bullet is travelling down the barrel are so massive the spring strength is irrelevant. Even an extremely powerful spring, a spring so strong you'd need a crowbar just to open the slide a millimetre would hardly slow down the slide at all in the moment. This is because the FORCE applied on the slide is huge, it's as large as the force pushing on the bullet but the other way. Pressure acts in all directions and the base area of the cartridge is about equal to the base area of the bullet. Any spring applying even a fraction of that force would be far too strong to open the action. This is what's important about inertia, high mass resists high forces with low acceleration but over a long period of time this acceleration will mean the mass will just keep going so this is only good for brief periods. Springs keep slowing down (and actually apply more force when compressed more) so springs are negligible in the moment of firing but hugely important once the bullet has left the barrel and the slide is now travelling at quite a high velocity. If the slide is 100x the weight of the bullet then it will be accelerating at 1/100th the rate of the bullet (force = mass X acceleration). Acceleration isn't constant as bore pressure (therefore "bolt thrust") will vary but it will vary equally for bullet and slide, over time they'll have the same ratio of acceleration. This means a slide that is 100x as heavy as a bullet will have a velocity 100th as fast as the muzzle velocity of the bullet. The distance an object travels under a given acceleration is directly proportional to its acceleration. So if a slide is 100x the weight of a bullet, then it will have travelled 100th the distance the bullet travelled within the bore (so not barrel length but barrel length minus case length). Slightly more as the bullet is slowed down by friction with the barrel. So a 100mm long (4 inch barrel) will logically only open 1mm if the slide is 100x heavier than the bullet. That's probably very little travel. The case could probably travel much more than 1mm out of the chamber before any real risk of case bursting. Remember, the inertia of the slide must equal the inertia of the bullet. This is where the spring actually helps, it doesn't help keep the chamber closed, but it works on the slide over the much greater distance and time period which is as the slide opens all the way, the spring (hopefully) slow the slide down steadily over time so by the time the slide hits the frame it isn't going quite so fast. A stronger recoil spring means more velocity will be taken out of the slide as it's travelling backwards. A light recoil spring will will barely slow the slide at all before it hits the frame and transfers all that remaining inertia into the frame in an instant. This transfer of inertia will be REALLY fast, faster even than the transfer of inertia from the bullet to the frame of a revolver. This is how some straight blowback pistols can be REALLY snappy. One thing that shouldn't make a difference is recoiling mass as whatever the mass is, it must equal the inertia of the bullet fired. Even on browning-style short recoil guns, the barrel and slide moving together isn't any different than a much larger and heavier slide moving backwards in terms of amount of inertial imparted from the bullet. The difference with an unlocking barrel is you have the inertial mass split in half and stopped quite separately in time. The first when the barrel unlocks the barrel stops very quickly, then the slide is slowed down by the return spring before it locks open and dumps any remaining inertia into the frame.
This is probably one of the most helpful vids I've ever seen about handguns. I always wondered why my handgun barrels tilt slightly upward when the slide is back. It's to release the barrel from the slide.
And let's not forget the Remington M51 pistol's hesitation lock, designed by John Pedersen. The man was another firearm genius, recognized and admire by JMB himself, but dang if all of his stuff wasn't super fiddly to just field strip for routine maintenance.
Yup, also does "how it works" short videos: Difference between the LOCKING SYSTEM and the OPERATING SYSTEM: ua-cam.com/video/JPuTx7NeBKE/v-deo.html How Does it Work: Blowback Action ua-cam.com/video/lXVPUxqbgII/v-deo.html and not blow-BACK but blow-FORWARD: ua-cam.com/video/rk8G5-cJvR8/v-deo.html
Thank you Chris. Third time I have watched your video on blowback vs. Recoil operated handguns. Very well done! Brain-damaged, not kidding one picture is truly worth a thousand words when trying to relearn things. I appreciate your effort very much.
I've always found it amusing that the "pinnacle" of firearms technology was reached 75 to 100 years ago... Time to switch to focused energy weapons...I guess it's time to go to my secret underground lair... ;>)
100+ years ago we weren't burried in thousands upon thousands of unconstitutional anti-gun laws that are crushing innovation on performance. Companies cant get sales high enough to be able to take risks, especially when most product changes have to prioritize conforming to thousands of Federal and State laws.
The George Floyd riots probably had a huge impact on new people buying guns and the ChinaVirus lockdowns led to hunting & target shooting being some of the few recreational activities people could do due to the inherent social[ism] distancing involved
I have bought ammo from your company great stuff, and I appreciate your videos I will continue to buy ammo from you from time to time when I need it in a large quantity it’s hard for me to justify the shipping expense with smaller quantities but I do think you got a great company and you guys are important to our industry
No, he was a brilliant designer at just the right time in firearms history. If he had been born later we would hardly know his name. There was also a learning curve with him also and he did a lot of experimenting before he got his designs right. His last design was finished after death by others at FN, that being the Browning High Power. His most lasting design is the short recoil system used in pistols. His browning auto 5 and Browning 50 Cal Machine are still in use as are many of his lever action rifles and his .22 semiauto take down rifle.
@@loquat44-40 The last design that Browning worked on was the Grand Rendement, a striker fired pistol that had the slide riding inside the frame rails as the SIG P210 and CZ-75 do. After he died, Dieudonné Saive continued development of it for a while, but he ultimately started over again and created the Grande Puissance/Hi-Power, which only kept the GR's simplified recoil lug (which Browning had come up with to replace the more complicated barrel link of the 1911) and Saive's double stack magazine.
@@loquat44-40 The whole project started with one of those long, drawn-out weapon acquisition programs, in this case an RFP concerning a new French service pistol that FN Herstal of Belgium wanted to submit a candidate for; this program dragged on from 1921 until actual weapon trials were held in 1935-37. FN wanted something brand new and cutting edge as their candidate, so they turned to their long-standing design partner, the aging but still vigorous John Moses Browning; but Browning knew that his patents on the 1911 were now the exclusive intellectual property of Colt, and he had to get creative to work around one of his most brilliant designs. French ordnance was divided on whether to use a milder cartridge or the more powerful 9mm Parabellum. JMB was aware that his experimental version of John Pederson's .30-18 Automatic cartridge had the keen interest of the French, so he came out with a straight blowback pistol that could easily handle such a mild round (though the prototype was chambered for the far more common .380 ACP). It was the 9x19mm candidate that seemed to provoke his greatest creative efforts though, the Grand Rendement was (by necessity) a fairly radical departure from his previous work; trigger, firing mechanism, and even slide & frame would all be new inventions that FN could hold the patent rights to. At the heart of the pistol would be a new magazine engineered by the gifted Dieudonné Saive, who was Browning's liaison at FN (and considered himself JMB's protege); it would be the first true double-stack, single-feed magazine. Then Browning very suddenly died of heart failure, and the whole development ground almost completely to a halt. After several years Colt's patents expired, and Saive completely reworked the gun using mostly elements from the 1911, with a few key holdovers from the 9mm Grand Rendement, to create the Grande Puissance. In the end, the French did decide to go with Browning's .30-18 Auto cartridge, and adopted it as the 7,65x20mm; but it was chambered in a French manufactured pistol.
Another excellent video that explains something I had a hard time grasping in every-day language. Thanks! Keep up the good work! The animation and videos help a lot.
J P so 9mm parrabelum is a standard 9 x 19 Luger bullet. So not sure why it would be so different from normal spec. The 9mm largo 9 x 23 is lower pressure case based on reading. So it wouldn’t make sense a stronger spring is needed. My guess is the stronger recoil spring kept it in place just a bit longer.
You said "lightning fast shipping at LuckyGunner.com", but I think the real world effectiveness of shipping velocity really depends on the mass and design of the shipment.
Why can't more videos be like this? He just gets right into the details. Short intro, short outro... Just a great video.
My thoughts exactly.
I, too, agree completely. Chris knows how to present a subject, explain it, and answer the pertinent questions clearly and succinctly. He and Colion Noir should use their name and facial recognition to move into Republican politics in the generation behind Tim Scott and Tom Cotton.
I feel that you may like the add-on called Sponsorblock, it has the ability to skip a LOT of other segments that you dont care for other than sponsors
"I took astronomy because they said there would be no math".
Stephen Arling I felt that when he said it
Same idea when I took Criminology.
LOL. I took geology and then meteorology for my sciences...little to ZERO math at all. No math astronomy...like farty said “I felt that” Is so true.
The notion that brought me into Psychology
@@billpojas7126 Good choice. There are reasons clinical psychologists generally eschew true outcome studies.
One of the best explanations of straight blowback vs short recoil/locked beach firing mechanisms I've ever watched... Thank you!!
Graeme I still don’t know what the difference is except one has a fixed barrel.
great.. whats the difference.. the both use the guns recoil to chamber another round.. here's the types of operation. SINGLE SHOT, BLOWBACK and Gas operated.
then again, I dont think he knows that :-(
@@cabotcat1 exactly! he didn't explained the difference
@@cabotcat1 Notice that both of the straight blowback guns he showed have external hammers, but the Smith doesn’t. I wish he had mentioned this and explained why. I can’t imagine that’s not germane. I need to look that up and see why. I’m sure you engineering types already know the explanation. Anyway, the slide blows straight back on the blowback pistols whereas with the recoil pistols the barrel tilts. The latter isn’t possible with blowback.
This is a great video explaining the differences between straight blowback, and short recoil operation. If I may add, one little addition - in the early 20th century, there was actually a "blow forward" action, where the frame of the pistol stayed stationary, and the barrel moved forward upon the round firing, cycling the action. This was possible because of the enormous friction between the bullet and the rifling in the barrel. John Browning's short recoil operation makes use of this bullet / barrel friction in the same manner - in that, as long as the bullet is in the barrel of the gun, there is a forward acting force on the barrel. Simultaneously, there is a rearward force on the slide, from the pressure of the cartridge, which counters the forward force on the barrel. These two opposing forces briefly maintain the lock of a short recoil system, - until the bullet leaves the barrel and that forward acting bullet friction force disappears. It's a really ingenious system to keep the barrel and slide locked together until the moment the bullet leaves the barrel. Recoil springs can be made less stiff for larger calibers, making slides easier to rack. And the slide mass can also be drastically reduced. Thank you for putting these videos together -- they are entertaining and educational!
Wow!!
Forgotten Weapons has an old video on the Schwarzlose 1908 that demonstrates this in slow motion for anyone curious like I was after reading this
Excellent video. John Browning was a genius.
Ditto on Browning!
There are some awesome biographies out there on his life and inventions. Would highly recommend. His impact on firearms and in turn the world cannot be overstated.
I agree. ua-cam.com/video/1nskycsatTY/v-deo.html
Gotta give a shoot out to Beretta for having unique alternative genius, as well.
John browning had a room full of works invented things he just had the money to patient them sorry. To bust your bubble.
Not a gun owner/user, but as an engineer, I absolutely love this channel. I learn all about guns, ammo, and uses. Thank you for explaining this to a non user!
Theres still time ti get a 🔫
As a firearms designer / mechanical engineer, I wills say that he did a decent job of explaining the 2 mechanisms.
Become a gun owner/user my good sir. Maybe you've changed your mind in the past couple years, unless you really don't pay attention to things nor think about things lol.
@@proto2580 I've always thought firearms designers were really fricking intelligent people. Like... that's quite a thing to do. I'm a software developer, I'd like to think I'm above average and would think my co-workers throughout my career would agree, but I think just about anyone can do that. If someone is willing to learn I could teach them programming, honestly I don't think it's that difficult (more mysterious than anything else). If you can follow a recipe to make a cake or dish of that complexity, you can write software.
Anyway. Cool career big 🐕 I'm jealous.
@@clamum9648 Thanks! Your comments struck a chord with me. I have long though I should have become a coder. As a kid, I learned to code before most others. At 10 years old, I had a Commodore Vic20, but I didn't really get deep into coding as an adult. Software Dev pay is higher than ME, and you can work from home. A ME is a "traditional" engineer so we don't often get to work from home. Its also more hands on, so we are often required to be on-site and put hands on the stuff we design. However, I have friend who is a full time coder, and I know he's had some trouble in his career due to outsourcing to India. Meanwhile, for me, ME has been more steady.
.
Becoming a firearms engineer wasn't a conscious career choice-it was a job I needed at the time, and was years ago now, though last year, I did a consulting job where I designed another rifle.
.
Like any profession, the "cool" jobs pay less, as I am sure is true in coding. Designing firearms pays OK, but I make more money designing stuff in industries that are not well known or considered "cool". I make more money in industries that are considered "boring" by lay people, necessary/needed, and where talent is rare.
.
I recall running into a ME student back when I was working full time in firearms, and he didn't know that was a potential industry he could work in once earning his degree. He thought it sounded like the best job ever. For me, at the time, it was a job that paid the bills. .
Not gonna lie, this channel is one of the main reasons I get my ammo at lucky gunner
Bishop M the prices aren’t always the best, but the channel and shipping are out of this world.
Same
@ Wrong. They ship to Illinois, just not Chicago or Crook County.
Ni Oxx *Chiraq
When I first saw this channel I thought it was going to be an advertising shill but it has really good content. He is professional and gives me quality information without the drama.
As an engineer, I think you presented the information phenomenally. The animation with cutaway was great too. Great video as always!
Attention all YT gun channel owners: Please note the brevity and quality of Mr. Baker's exceptional video intros that don't force me to fast forward 30 seconds at the onset of EVERY video. Thank you, Chris. Excellent as always.
This is maybe the best informative gun channel on UA-cam. Technical enough explanations to make sense but doesn't try to be a college class. Thank you.
Highest compliments to you sir, for a superb video presentation. I am a professional video maker with a few years of experience (since 1970), and I consider this video to be the best technical and creative “training” video I have ever viewed - and I’ve seen a lot. I am not a firearms expert and thus do not speak to the “content”, but your team’s video craft is top notch. Lighting, sound, camerawork, animation, spokesperson “talent”, editing - all superb - thanks for making this available.
Thanks, Greg! It's pretty much a one-man show here :)
This helped tremendously. I own a S&W 380 ez and my wife just bought a Bersa Thunder 380. She is not that much into learning about guns so I needed a good way to explain the difference between the two. You do great work. Keep it up.
I was wondering about that barrel design in Beretta M9A3. Now it is explained. Thanks.
It's always interested me all the engineering that goes into firearms.
Excellent. I learned something.
LoserJohnnyB...
You the man Johnny B!
Hey Johnny!
m.ua-cam.com/video/gVIvA5Exs28/v-deo.html
I had to do it, nobody else would
It is important to know the differences between the different operating systems/mechanisms:
1- Recoil Operated Weapons:
1- The barrel will move in all of these to ensure that the cartridge remains locked to the barrel till all the dangerous gases have escaped.
2- Delayed Blowback Weapons: The backward travel of the bolt is delayed, so the dangerous gases don't cause harm.
3- Gas Operated Weapons: The bolt is linked to a separate piston that moves it back.
Whenever the the weight and the size permit, gas operated systems are the cleanest, the safest and the most reliable of all these systems, but they do have a slower rate of fire than blow-back systems.
Recoil-operated systems are safe and cheap, whenever the weight and service don't permit gas-operated systems.
Delayed blow-back systems are not easy to manufacture, so, i think, only HK manufactures them. The most recent HK system is also a gas-operated system despite over 70 years of experience with blow-back systems.
The harder the steel, aluminum, or other metal, the lesser it will abrade when it rubs with softer metals. It will though wear the softer metal out, so some part has to wear out. If you use two hard metals, then they might abrade less, but both will abrade equally, so you might have to change both the parts eventually, but only if the usage is extensive.
If a metal is too hard, it will break because it won't be even a little flexible. If it is too soft, it wear.
Aside from wear, a metal needs to not expand too much with heat because this can also cause the parts to lock together and jam.
Unless the metal expands a little, it might turn too hot, since it won't be a vert good dissipator of heat, and could cause premature ignition of cartridges. Most early blow-back weapons had cook-off issues, whereby the chamber would get so hot that it would fire the cartridges on its own, and only stop when it emptied the magazine or the belt.
Blow-back systems also need thicker cartridge casings, so they don't rupture and explode.
Early machine guns were water-cooled to keep the barrel cool. Now, all weapons are air-cooled, they just change the barrels on machine guns, whenever they get too hot.
The barrels of all AK-47s expand after around 2 magazines of fully automatic fire, begin dropping the bullets at 50 to 100 yards, and lose all effectiveness.
The American M16 uses the 7075 aluminum, which is very hard. The early Chinese copies used the softer 6000 aluminum.
The best steel is 4150, but that is so hard that it needs very expensive machines and processes to cut and shape it, so, for small arms, most manufacturers use 4140 steel.
Both polymer and aluminum reduce weight, and don't rust. Aluminum can get a patina, and even conducts electricity, but polymers can eventually degrade and crack.
The dimensions are also important, because you need precise clearances or tolerances between the different parts, so they don't jam when they heat, yet, not so great to cause problems with the functioning of the mechanism.
Stamped manufacturing is cheaper because it uses a press instead of labor. It can also be more uniform. Even most late WII weapons are stamped.
The materials used in springs need specific coefficients of elasticity and precise turns/twists at precise angles, so they're neither too hard/soft nor compress/expand at the wrong angles. Most 3rd-world springing mechanisms will malfunction.
The AK-47 is a Russian modification of the German Stg-44. The PPS 43 was a modification of the Finnish Suomi M/31, which itself was an iteration on the American Thompson SMG. The Mosin Nagant was an original Russian weapon designed by a consortium of Russian and Western designers hired by the Czar. The TT uses a Mauser cartridge with an iteration of the Browning mechanism. I don't think the Russians have very successful indigenous designs.
The F-86 and MiG-15 aircraft were also very similar because both were iterations of German designs.
Both American and Russian space and weapons programs employed German scientists and technology.
Most weapons are different iterations of Mauser, Luger, and Browning designs, who were the pioneers.
Great literate and intelligently presented explanation, as always. You and Paul Harrell are the best IMHO. Thank you.
I agree 100%
9mmsmg is that you?
Add Forgotten Weapons to that, moderated by Gun Jesus in disguise.
Yes sir, you're spot on. This channel is fantastic and Paul Harrell is phenomenal.
@Fated Circles
Ain't that the truth. 👍🏼
Have used Lucky Gunner a lot
Have been carrying pistols for 40 years now and this old dog has learned something new. Well done
Always good to review the basics and I will not fault you for not doing a 1 hour video going over all of the locking mechanisms. I am interested in the gas delayed blow back systems. I have never fired one, but some say the recoil is managed very well by such systems.
In the past month, I have wondered about this very subject a couple times but forgot to look it up when I sat in front of the computer. The algorithm has blessed me this day. I liked and subscribed.
Yours is one of the very few channels on which I hit the Like button before I even watch the video. I know from experience that you will present an excellent and informative video; one that's worth watching. This one in exemplary.
Though I have shot for decades, I never understood the recoil vs. blowback dichotomy until seeing this. Love Lucky Gunner's videos.
Excellent, dude! The first vid I´ve found so far that actually explains which are the differences and, most important, WHY are those two widely uses designs different.
Best description for the majority of youtube watchers. In a matter of minutes, it was explained true, and I understood what all the other videos don't break down to a simple and clear point. Well done.
Yup, John Browning was a true genius! Good, simple explanation!👍👍
Im 52 and Ive been shooting for 32 years. This is the best explanation ever since.
I already knew the difference, just wanted to see how your presented the information, and it was very well done. Great use of graphics and showing the inner workings of the gun. The frame by frams showing the barrel unlock was particularly cool.
Just for your edification. The barrel on a 1911 designed by browning does not tip up the barrel stays level the entire time. All true Browning clones retain the non rising barrel. There is a barrel bushing that keeps the barrel in alignment. That is the main reason why it is hard to get proper ammunition for a 1911. Of course there are 1911s that do have a rising barrel but lack a barrel bushing. Next, there are still many guns made with the blowback design. One in question is a Ruger mark 4 for 22 that is a blowback design. Ruger also makes the SR 22 semi automatic that is also a blowback design. And in lower pressure cartridges blow back designs are commonly used.
This was a really great explanation. Concise, clear, well illustrated, and accurate.
As a side note, I took Geology of National Parks and Monuments to get science credits that wouldn't require math. I knew it was what I needed when I heard it referred to as "Rocks for Jocks."
fantastic video. My wife had an issue with her bersa "spitting fire" like she said. I tried to explain to her why it was different. I had her watch this video. She said it was a great video. explained it excellently. Keep making great videos like this. I'm subscribed.
Great use of graphics! Huge step up for the production quality for your channel!
I had no clue that exploding gunpowder looked like the Walmart logo!
6:50 Hi-Point would like a word, sir. Also Walther, but mostly Hi-Point.
@ The classic Walther PP series is blowback.
@ 90 years ago. But otherwise, I concur.
@UCb4OZy-q4DcRmijk4DVu_YQ i bought my wife a 2007 honda last year and i still think of it as essentially a brand new car. it's older than my first car was when i bought it lmao
Your explanation was clear, well thought out and easily understood by almost anyone. your communication skills are excellent.
Cool Video. Well explained. Greetings from Germany!
and New Zealand
Spain also!
Whats the story with A. Merkel is she a Communist ? Is it true some Muslim politicians are passing laws to remove Crosses out of Schools ?
@@MrLeo7627 Maybe and no.
@@MrLeo7627 she's not a communist. No major politician is a communist, they're just slightly different flavours of neoliberal
Yours is the first video I've found that explains the difference between and reasons for blow-back and locked-breech pistols clearly. NOW I get it, thank you.
Liked before even watching because of the “big science words” part in the description. Too many pseudoscientists in the gun community like to explain things by saying “it’s physics” and using terms they themselves barely understand. Thanks for keeping it real Chris 👍
Leaving out the math when doing general overviews is actually an excellent strategy for presenting something. Well done.
Great presentation, I have a couple of the CZ 82s. Very reliable and accurate. The 9X18 MAK is also suitable for personal defense in my opinion.
VERY well done. And, speaking as someone who knows a good bit about physics, your descriptions of the operation of the slide and the forces involved was both accurate and easy to follow.
Again, well done!
this video came out just after I purchased my first blowback pistol (a sig P230) today. Thumbs up as always.
P230 or P320? 🤔
@@d3ltaohniner261 P230 is a blowback pistol. The Sig p320 is recoil operated.
This is one of the MOST OUTSTANDING PRESENTATIONS that I have had the honor to receive! Thank you, so much! SO INFORMATIVE.
Many thanks-- I was actually going to send an e-mail asking for a video on this subject after watching last week's video. I am recoil sensitive as a result of surgery and this is an important subject for me. I frequently read and see in videos that many people believe a fixed barrel semi-auto handgun is the more accurate of the two designs. This seems an important question in light of the fact that shot placement is a critical consideration when using lower caliber weapons, especially when we take into account your excellent series on on pocket pistols. I am a faithful subscriber and appreciative of the good work you do. Thank you.
Defensive accuracy isn't target accuracy. The shooter plays the biggest part in this. I wouldnt worry about how mechanically accurate a gun is, just how accurate you can shoot it.
If you're worried about accuracy with a handgun to the point where you're considering fixed barrel versus moving barrel, you're probably not a good enough shooter for the difference to matter. To be honest, unless you are a fixed mechanical rest or a robot, you are probably not a good enough shooter for the difference in a moving barrel to matter. Professional competitive shooters use mostly Browning-style tilting actions (most pro shooters use Glock pistols which are all Browning short recoil actions), which should in theory be less accurate than in-line Beretta-style actions, and pinpoint accuracy matters more for them than it ever will for an ordinary person.
@@hirumaryuei 👍
Chris... you should use the archives to create a high school/college class such as: Firearms 101.
Your explanations are so crystal clear, well organized, and very measured. I appreciate the references you
provide as well. Last week, I picked up Tom Givens' book "Concealed Carry Class" and read it through.
It is very basic and straight forward... I can see why you rec'd it so highly.
Thanks and best regards.
I knew there was a difference between the two but never really looked into how or why they were different. As you stated, the Beretta PX4 Storm has a rotating barrel, both the full size and compact that is. The PX4 Storm Sub-compact, however, has a tilting barrel. I am guessing this is due to the limited space they had to work with on the sub-compact model compared to the compact and full size. Although, the one I own is in 9mm, so I cannot speak for the .40 caliber version. Awesome video, it's great to learn new things.
FANTASTIC, I'm so glad I watch the channel to be a better informed pistol shooter. Understanding the mechanics and dynamics is important to me.
Lucky Gunner/Chris, you guys should make a video about the CZ 83. Lots of good things being said about it, including in your own online but text-only review of the gun.
Best definition of Blowback v. Recoil pistols ever. A clear and concise explanation of the real meanings of two words that are not really the same.
.380ACP case rupture brought to you by Michael Bay Ha Ha.
Found my new Go-To place for info! To the point. Clear explanations. The visuals and cutaway diagrams were excellent. So many questions answered simply and straightforwardly. This is the kind of video I look for but have difficulty finding. It fills the gap between beginner level material (which is far too simple) and advancedtinkerer/gunsmith/armorer that is far too advanced for me. Sign me up! I am a new subscriber!
As a retired Professional Mechanical Engineer and an avid gun advocate for over 50 years, you did a great job explaining the differences. Great work!
The only thing I can think of to add is regarding simple blowback pistols: the high pressure and heat in the barrel (once the ignition has begun AND while the bullet is still in the barrel) causes the cartridge case to expand. Most cases are brass and this causes some friction between the cartridge case and the inside of the barrel's chamber, which helps slghtly delay the rearward motion of the slide until the bullet exits the barrel and the pressure/friction reduces.
@@louiscatoire3269 Obturation is the technical term. There are one or two delayed blowback designs out there that actually try to harness case obturation to slow cycling, but they were never very successful.
@@ostiariusalpha You are correct. Obturation has a very minor, if any, effect on slowing the cycling. It depends on the pressures involved, the case material (aluminum and steel cases have even less effect than brass cases), and the roughness of the inside of the chamber. I've read some manufacturers even tried to make the chamber interior rougher to increase the effect, but brass cases are just too soft to make this a useful experiment.
I am glad I watched this video . I always learn from The Lucky Gunner videos . Truth be told , I was absolutely glued to it .
What a great, educational video! Really enjoyed it, and although I had kindof always guessed at this about the difference between the two, it was great to see & hear it explained in much better detail. Good job all around, definitely glad you threw the slo-mo footage in there as well. Subbed. 👍
In the straight blow back, the case stays in the barrel until the bullet exists the gun. The reason is that the pressure in the case, and in the barrel, causes the case to swell. The swollen case is ceased in the barrel, and once the bullet leaves the barrel it will shrink enough to slide back out of the chamber. The Hornady reloader’s manual has a great intro that describes what happens to a case as a gun is fired. And a LOT happens!
Yes, the old Hornady manual has an excellent write up by the micro- second of what happens when the gun fires. Anyone interested in such things should read it, it’s most enlightening!
I have the PX4 Storm and surprisingly I have to explain the rotating barrel. Not very common but I like the gun. Fun to shoot.
I must confess, I've been around, and shooting different handguns, over the years, and, I wasn't sure about how to explain the differences. Thank you for explaining them. Btw, admitting not knowing something, is probably a good way to learn more about it. No one is an expert on everything.
Thanks for the informative video. Had always wondered how the slide moves after a round is fired.
Kudos for not saying the powder explodes to propel the bullet. So few people understand the difference between a burn and an explosion. Also well done explanation on the actual topic
Never bought from Lucky Gunner Ammo before today. But after watching these vid's, I pulled the trigger, & bought a 500 round, Span can, of Wolf ammo. Keep up the good works!!
I've wondered about this but never bothered to researched it. Now you made it easy. Thanks.
This information couldn't have been articulated any better. Great video!
hey guys! great video I've been trying to work out the difference between the two styles of operation for a while and the way you explain it in this video is perfect from a laymen's perspective. I'm confident that even most beginners in the shooting world would understand this easily and thats great because when someone is trying to learn about guns the styles of operation get thrown around a lot and it definitely can be confusing.
My guess on the difference in felt recoil:
The blowback operated pistol has to have a stiff recoil spring, which means more of the recoil force is transmitted to the hand earlier. With the recoil operated pistol, the recoil spring can be much softer because it's job is mostly to push the slide forward again. That spreads out the recoil over a longer period of time.
This video is my introduction to your channel. Instant fan! Good info, no frills, just all around solid production. I also enjoyed the two demonstrations to show how exactly they all work
So the common locked breech design combines the inertial mass of slide+barrel for the duration of the bullet's travel down the barrel.
super best explanation for anyone who is in love with guns but doesnt understand the mechanics.
Good animation, it helps explain that quite well. When I was in middle school reading Jane's, I would have killed for that.
Congrats on the 500k big 🐕
What confused me about the two was that the names, and crap half sentence explanations I've heard before, made me think there were two different like... forces... being used to operate pistols using blowback and recoil operated. But I mean they *both* use "blowback" or "recoil" from the gun to operate them (as opposed to say gas siphoned off from the barrel like a rifle or the flaming Desert Eagle), it's just the slightly different manner in how that's done that's the difference between them. Blowback using the mass of the slide and power of spring and recoil operated using a locked breach, traveling with the barrel, until the latter has traveled a couple millmeters.
Excellent video,without excessive verb-age. I buy all my ammo from Lucky Gunner.
Chris does a great job, I've been shooting for50 years and still learn a ton from his videos, thank U.
Thank you for explaining this. Being that I own Hi-Points, Berettas and S&W, I have a better understanding of the operations
Brave man admitting you own Hi-Point pistols. I did that once in a comment section and was lambasted for weeks because I owned a pistol that was so inferior to everyone else’s thousand dollar handguns. I really don’t mind my Hi-Point at all. I kind of like it really. It puts a 9mm hole in anything I point it at, and it has a lifetime warranty.
@@dozer1642 Exactly
I find myself coming back again and again watching your videos. Thank you for the great content.
Good stuff dude
I like the idea of the Wather CCP having a port to use pressure to prevent temporarily the movement of the slide by blowback. The spring as a result is much lighter and recoil manageable. It also is very accurate and easy to shoot up to 25 yards as a sub compact.
Thanks for the education. I honestly needed the lesson.
Much more informative than the wiki pages on firearm operation methods.
And you're right, blowback firearms definitely have more felt recoil. I've shot the blowback-operated Bersa Thunder in .380, and the recoil-operated Glock in 9mm, and the Bersa's recoil felt so much worse to experience.
The first and only time I ever fired a .380 I was shocked at how sharp the recoil was. The only blowback guns I ever used long term were both delayed blowbacks---HK P7 and FN Five-SeveN.
Crystal clear explanation with great supporting graphics - a very well done explanation even for duffers like me! Well done sir!
Great vid, as always. Wish You could deliver to Chicago but they like to compete with the NE and west coast to see who can limit the most freedom.
Way too true.
As a layman just learning about handguns and other types of firearms more in depth (beyond the cool factor of seeing them in media) this was an excellent start. Very informative but not too overly complex. Nice introduction to the other types of barrel to slide mechanisms that I'll now research separately.
Mechanical Engineer here... good job Chris :)
I think you did a really good job on this video I'm no firearms expert but I am fascinated by them and I've done a lot of studying as to how they operate and I've definitely learned from this video and you did a good job of explaining this in a way someone less knowledgeable about firearms would understand.
Thank you for the video. Your insight is very helpful. Keep up the great work!
This guy puts out so many informative and helpful videos that if I had to buy ammo I'd buy it from his store.
It should be noted that the forces applied as the bullet is travelling down the barrel are so massive the spring strength is irrelevant. Even an extremely powerful spring, a spring so strong you'd need a crowbar just to open the slide a millimetre would hardly slow down the slide at all in the moment. This is because the FORCE applied on the slide is huge, it's as large as the force pushing on the bullet but the other way. Pressure acts in all directions and the base area of the cartridge is about equal to the base area of the bullet. Any spring applying even a fraction of that force would be far too strong to open the action.
This is what's important about inertia, high mass resists high forces with low acceleration but over a long period of time this acceleration will mean the mass will just keep going so this is only good for brief periods. Springs keep slowing down (and actually apply more force when compressed more) so springs are negligible in the moment of firing but hugely important once the bullet has left the barrel and the slide is now travelling at quite a high velocity.
If the slide is 100x the weight of the bullet then it will be accelerating at 1/100th the rate of the bullet (force = mass X acceleration). Acceleration isn't constant as bore pressure (therefore "bolt thrust") will vary but it will vary equally for bullet and slide, over time they'll have the same ratio of acceleration. This means a slide that is 100x as heavy as a bullet will have a velocity 100th as fast as the muzzle velocity of the bullet.
The distance an object travels under a given acceleration is directly proportional to its acceleration. So if a slide is 100x the weight of a bullet, then it will have travelled 100th the distance the bullet travelled within the bore (so not barrel length but barrel length minus case length). Slightly more as the bullet is slowed down by friction with the barrel. So a 100mm long (4 inch barrel) will logically only open 1mm if the slide is 100x heavier than the bullet. That's probably very little travel. The case could probably travel much more than 1mm out of the chamber before any real risk of case bursting.
Remember, the inertia of the slide must equal the inertia of the bullet. This is where the spring actually helps, it doesn't help keep the chamber closed, but it works on the slide over the much greater distance and time period which is as the slide opens all the way, the spring (hopefully) slow the slide down steadily over time so by the time the slide hits the frame it isn't going quite so fast. A stronger recoil spring means more velocity will be taken out of the slide as it's travelling backwards. A light recoil spring will will barely slow the slide at all before it hits the frame and transfers all that remaining inertia into the frame in an instant. This transfer of inertia will be REALLY fast, faster even than the transfer of inertia from the bullet to the frame of a revolver. This is how some straight blowback pistols can be REALLY snappy.
One thing that shouldn't make a difference is recoiling mass as whatever the mass is, it must equal the inertia of the bullet fired.
Even on browning-style short recoil guns, the barrel and slide moving together isn't any different than a much larger and heavier slide moving backwards in terms of amount of inertial imparted from the bullet. The difference with an unlocking barrel is you have the inertial mass split in half and stopped quite separately in time. The first when the barrel unlocks the barrel stops very quickly, then the slide is slowed down by the return spring before it locks open and dumps any remaining inertia into the frame.
Thanks for the slightly more detailed and mathematical explanation.
This is probably one of the most helpful vids I've ever seen about handguns. I always wondered why my handgun barrels tilt slightly upward when the slide is back. It's to release the barrel from the slide.
There's also gas-delayed blowback pistols like the current Walther CCP, and the old HK P7's.
I ❤ my P7M8!!! 🥰 (But it sure does get HAWT...) 😉
Hey man take a look at Laugo Arms Alien. It's basically an upside down P7 internally, solving the heat issue I guess.
And let's not forget the Remington M51 pistol's hesitation lock, designed by John Pedersen. The man was another firearm genius, recognized and admire by JMB himself, but dang if all of his stuff wasn't super fiddly to just field strip for routine maintenance.
Steyr gb and laugo alien as well
Love my p7.
The Astra 400 is a blow-back pistol in 9x19 mm. It has a long, stiff recoil spring that is difficult to install.
Didn't Astra make that model in .40 S&W too?
@@j.james-88 They made it in 9 mm largo or Bergmann Bayard.
Forgotten weapons - he takes them apart and does a great job explaining the mechanics.
Yup, also does "how it works" short videos:
Difference between the LOCKING SYSTEM and the OPERATING SYSTEM: ua-cam.com/video/JPuTx7NeBKE/v-deo.html
How Does it Work: Blowback Action ua-cam.com/video/lXVPUxqbgII/v-deo.html
and not blow-BACK but blow-FORWARD: ua-cam.com/video/rk8G5-cJvR8/v-deo.html
Thank you Chris. Third time I have watched your video on blowback vs. Recoil operated handguns. Very well done! Brain-damaged, not kidding one picture is truly worth a thousand words when trying to relearn things. I appreciate your effort very much.
Recoil operated and gas operated: *talks in brass*
Blowback: I can’t understand your *_A C C E N T._*
Nice explanation, I’ve been around Guns for 42 years and have been a revolver guy for the most part, but I never knew this about pistols.
I've always found it amusing that the "pinnacle" of firearms technology was reached 75 to 100 years ago...
Time to switch to focused energy weapons...I guess it's time to go to my secret underground lair... ;>)
I want my BFG 9000
@@commie9740 - Holy Shit that was Awesome(!) ...BUT...they need to get it up to around 2800+ fps...then I'll take 10,000. ;>)
@@commie9740 - ikr
Well, they didn't have the direct impingement internal piston 75 years ago, so thank you Gene Stoner!
100+ years ago we weren't burried in thousands upon thousands of unconstitutional anti-gun laws that are crushing innovation on performance. Companies cant get sales high enough to be able to take risks, especially when most product changes have to prioritize conforming to thousands of Federal and State laws.
Just the most straightforward and simple explanation of the differences. Thank you!
I wish more ammo was available right now. Damn Covid-19 messing everything up.
So people bought ammo like crazy? Can you buy ammo online?
The George Floyd riots probably had a huge impact on new people buying guns and the ChinaVirus lockdowns led to hunting & target shooting being some of the few recreational activities people could do due to the inherent social[ism] distancing involved
Politicians make decisions for/against us. That is the cause of most everything in our lives.
I have bought ammo from your company great stuff, and I appreciate your videos I will continue to buy ammo from you from time to time when I need it in a large quantity it’s hard for me to justify the shipping expense with smaller quantities but I do think you got a great company and you guys are important to our industry
John Browning must’ve been a time traveler from the future
No, he was a brilliant designer at just the right time in firearms history. If he had been born later we would hardly know his name. There was also a learning curve with him also and he did a lot of experimenting before he got his designs right. His last design was finished after death by others at FN, that being the Browning High Power. His most lasting design is the short recoil system used in pistols. His browning auto 5 and Browning 50 Cal Machine are still in use as are many of his lever action rifles and his .22 semiauto take down rifle.
@@loquat44-40 The last design that Browning worked on was the Grand Rendement, a striker fired pistol that had the slide riding inside the frame rails as the SIG P210 and CZ-75 do. After he died, Dieudonné Saive continued development of it for a while, but he ultimately started over again and created the Grande Puissance/Hi-Power, which only kept the GR's simplified recoil lug (which Browning had come up with to replace the more complicated barrel link of the 1911) and Saive's double stack magazine.
@@ostiariusalpha Interesting. I would like to learn more. I really should not have expected anything less from the great man.
@@loquat44-40 The whole project started with one of those long, drawn-out weapon acquisition programs, in this case an RFP concerning a new French service pistol that FN Herstal of Belgium wanted to submit a candidate for; this program dragged on from 1921 until actual weapon trials were held in 1935-37. FN wanted something brand new and cutting edge as their candidate, so they turned to their long-standing design partner, the aging but still vigorous John Moses Browning; but Browning knew that his patents on the 1911 were now the exclusive intellectual property of Colt, and he had to get creative to work around one of his most brilliant designs. French ordnance was divided on whether to use a milder cartridge or the more powerful 9mm Parabellum. JMB was aware that his experimental version of John Pederson's .30-18 Automatic cartridge had the keen interest of the French, so he came out with a straight blowback pistol that could easily handle such a mild round (though the prototype was chambered for the far more common .380 ACP). It was the 9x19mm candidate that seemed to provoke his greatest creative efforts though, the Grand Rendement was (by necessity) a fairly radical departure from his previous work; trigger, firing mechanism, and even slide & frame would all be new inventions that FN could hold the patent rights to. At the heart of the pistol would be a new magazine engineered by the gifted Dieudonné Saive, who was Browning's liaison at FN (and considered himself JMB's protege); it would be the first true double-stack, single-feed magazine. Then Browning very suddenly died of heart failure, and the whole development ground almost completely to a halt. After several years Colt's patents expired, and Saive completely reworked the gun using mostly elements from the 1911, with a few key holdovers from the 9mm Grand Rendement, to create the Grande Puissance. In the end, the French did decide to go with Browning's .30-18 Auto cartridge, and adopted it as the 7,65x20mm; but it was chambered in a French manufactured pistol.
@@ostiariusalpha Thanks I saved that information for future reference
Another excellent video that explains something I had a hard time grasping in every-day language. Thanks! Keep up the good work! The animation and videos help a lot.
You didn't mention the Astra 400 and 600 pistols in 9mm Largo and 9mm Parabellum. Successful blowback designs that relied on massive recoil springs.
J P so 9mm parrabelum is a standard 9 x 19 Luger bullet. So not sure why it would be so different from normal spec. The 9mm largo 9 x 23 is lower pressure case based on reading. So it wouldn’t make sense a stronger spring is needed. My guess is the stronger recoil spring kept it in place just a bit longer.
Studying to be a forensic firearms examiner and this information was fantastic. Thanks a ton.
You said "lightning fast shipping at LuckyGunner.com", but I think the real world effectiveness of shipping velocity really depends on the mass and design of the shipment.
And how many tacos your UPS driver had that day.
It's about time someone explained it correctly. You've really stepped your game up. Great job.