In the first article discussing the mechanisms by which a firearm locks its breech, we mentioned briefly two quantities that are important for small arms design: Pressure, and bolt thrust. The latter we’ll discuss in a later installment, but today we’ll [Read More…]
Previously in our introductory series on ballistics, we’ve discussed the concept of caliber, as well as ballistic coefficient and its close relative form factor. Today, we’re going to look at the concept of rifling, and how it relates to bullet stability. [Read More…]
In the second installment of Ballistics 101, we took a look at the concept of a “ballistic coefficient”, or a drag model based on an empirically tested projectile, against which other projectiles can be measured and compared. Mentioned in that post – [Read More…]
When a bullet flies through the air, forces called “drag” are exerted upon it. These forces slow down the bullet as it flies, but they don’t act the same way on every bullet. While the subject of aerodynamics is extremely complex, one way to account [Read More…]
“Caliber”. It can mean a lot of different things, but when we use it, what does it really mean, and what’s its significance? Title image: From left to right are the 7.65 Parabellum, 7.63 Mauser, .300 Blackout, 7.62×45 Czech, .30 Remington, 7.62 [Read More…]
There are a lot of new, first-time gun owners out there, and I thought I’d take a moment to make ballistics visualized to help new gun owners with explaining how ballistics work with an easy-to-see and do object lesson. This article isn’t exactly meant for our [Read More…]
Subsonic ammunition is a world unto its own when it comes to the firearms, loading techniques, and materials used in their design and manufacturing. Handloaders will know the hell that it is to get a loading right and it’s places like Discreet Ballistics and [Read More…]
A little over a year ago, we wrote about the Discreet Ballistics PopStop which is a barrel mounted valve and a CO2 cartridge system designed to inject a non-flammable gas into the suppressor replacing the oxygen inside the can thus eliminating the phenomenon of the [Read More…]
Welcome fellow NFA junkies, thank you for joining us for episode #40 of TFB’s Silencer Saturday, where we do our best to show you why all barrels deserve quality cans. Last week we talked about the next installment [upcoming] in the Build Your Own Silencer Series. To [Read More…]
Bushnell, an industry leader in high-performance sport optics, announces the release of a new Bushnell Ballistics Calculator App powered by the proven and powerful Applied Ballistics Ultralite Engine. The new Bushnell Ballistics App is a companion app to use with [Read More…]
The first entry in our coverage of automatic weapon operating mechanisms will be the humble straight blowback method. Conceptually simple, it is one of the most common systems, being applied almost universally to .22 caliber rimfire autoloaders the world over, as well [Read More…]
Several months ago, Tom R and I were approached by Clark Armory to conduct ballistic tests of several popular self-defense rounds. For testing, we were provided two of Clear Ballistics, 10% Ballistic Gelatin F.B.I Blocks. Key features of the 10% Ballistic Gelatin FBI [Read More…]
I love it when someone can take the time to break something down Barney-style. Stepping up to the plate to help confused shooters out is Guns and Ammo magazine which has published “Common Ballistic Terms You Should Know” complete with handy graphics (for the [Read More…]
Last year we blogged about Deborah Bay’s beautiful plexi-glass bullet impact photos and Sabine Pearlman’s bisected bullet photos. These two artists’ ammunition photos are being exhibited at the wall space gallery in Santa Barbara. Exhibition [Read More…]
At this point we’ve looked at the data for seven intermediate calibers currently on the market, each of which is – one way or another – influencing the discussion around the question of what next generation military rifle caliber will be. Those rounds [Read More…]
On my recent article “Ballistics 101: What Is Ballistic Coefficient?”, commenter Anthony asked for clarification on some points: Thanks for the info, but I don’t feel I know what ballistic coefficient is after reading the article. You state, “A [Read More…]
In a recent post, I discussed four ballistics myths that I’ve heard over the years, and why they are just that – myths. One of these was the myth that the momentum of a projectile is equivalent or otherwise indicative of the stopping power of that [Read More…]
Do we show too few shotguns in our Photo Of The Days? Well, here’s one in the hands of Private First Class Ariana Rittenhouse, a combat engineer with the United States Marine Corps using an M1014 shotgun to breach a fabricated door on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, [Read More…]
If you’re a gunsmith, armorer, historian, designer, or just a regular gun nerd that likes hi-res firearms photos, blueprints and schematics then you’ll be interested to hear that the digital version of the Firearms Guide 13th Edition is now available. [Read More…]
Welcome to TFB Weekly Web Deals 8. Skeet Shooting, 5 Stand, Trap Shooting, Sporting Clays, and more! Ever since the introduction of clay pigeons to replace real pigeons back in the late 19th century, shotgun sports involving the shooting of moving targets have grown [Read More…]
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This weekly series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its various firearms, sports, ammunition, and trends. Last week we talked about the oddball Magnum Research Mountain Eagle 22LR pistol. The [Read More…]
Welcome to TFB Weekly Amazon Deals 29. Long-range shooting is a discipline that for years was largely reserved for all but the most talented and dedicated shooters. With modern techniques, optics, and accessories, long-range shooting has become more accessible and in [Read More…]
Optics are a core part of any firearm build and the 12 Days of TFB Christmas is a great time to pick up a new optic for all those new rifles and pistols I know you have on your Christmas list. Hop of TFBTV and myself have been talking shop about the optics side of [Read More…]
Welcome to TFB Podcast Roundup 10. For our 10th roundup, we’ve got a really cool podcast I’ve recently come across called the Self Defense Gun Stories podcast. This podcast is much in the same vein as Police Activity or stuff you used to be able to find on [Read More…]
Austin Rex is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. Or maybe that is his beloved cat Bandit. Austin Rex is one of TFB’s most skilled long-range shooters and highly knowledgeable when it comes to some of his favorite subjects like reloading, ballistics, [Read More…]
Photo Of The Day: The SL40 grenade launcher is made by Steyr Mannlicher and was selected by Thales Australia as the preferred choice when the EF88 assault rifle was under development by the Australian Defence Force (ADF). Note that the soldier aims through what is most [Read More…]
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the advent of the laser rangefinder. As a special tribute to the technology, Bushnell has released their Fuxion X 10×42 rangefinding binoculars. The binoculars feature a one-mile ranging capability with a one-yard plus or [Read More…]
It’s Friday night and you know what that means. We are sponsored by ATN Corp, manufacturers of night vision and thermal optics like the THOR LT. As with all of our sponsored series, Friday Night Lights will continue to bring you unbiased news and reviews from a [Read More…]
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report. In this ongoing weekly series we discuss rimfire firearms and related subjects surrounding ammunition, sports, targets, practices and trends that are found within the rimfire world. This week we’ll be [Read More…]
FK Brno PSD Review: The Best BIg Pistol Yet? Truth be told, I am a bit of a hand cannon junkie. I love going out to shoot my .44 Magnum wheelguns, and always appreciate a range session with a friend’s .454, .460, .480, .500 and so on. While all these pistols [Read More…]
