Curiosity Question - semi auto vs revolver

[skseifert]

So, I was thinking as I was driving home today about something - I'm a technically oriented guy, so this may seem strange. Newtons law states that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. When you fire a round from a semi-auto, some of the reactive force is absorbed in the slide and mechanism to load in the next round, where as a revolver all of the force is extended to the round itself. So it would seem logical to me that the same ammo used in a revolver will have more velocity and force that one fired from a semi-auto.

Am I correct in my thinking, and if so, does it make much of a difference?

 

[Tryin']

There are many other factors; the gas loss from the use of a revolver is one. . .

 

[skseifert]

Can you explain that - the gas loss? Where is the gas loss?

 

[sjstill]

What Tryin' said. Gas loss between the barrel/cylinder gap on a revolver. That's why a revolver can't be 'silenced' like in the old gangster movies.


heheheh, I remember talking to an old (70+) fellow, and he asserted that even if someone was shot in the thumb by a .45ACP, they would spin around and go down like a sack O' potato's. I said, huh, when did Newton's Law get repealed? I got the blank look in return....

 

[skseifert]

Makes sense - thanks!

 

[sjstill]

There was pic floatng around a couple years ago of a gent who used a very thumb-forward grip with his S&W .460. Very thumb-forward, like right under the barrel/cylinder gap. The resulting mess was quite gross. Thumb looked like hamburger after.

 

[andyrping]

So, I was thinking as I was driving home today about something - I'm a technically oriented guy, so this may seem strange. Newtons law states that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. When you fire a round from a semi-auto, some of the reactive force is absorbed in the slide and mechanism to load in the next round, where as a revolver all of the force is extended to the round itself. So it would seem logical to me that the same ammo used in a revolver will have more velocity and force that one fired from a semi-auto.

Am I correct in my thinking, and if so, does it make much of a difference?

Not in a locked breech recoil operated design... The slide doesn't actaully cycle until the bullet exits the muzzle therefore no reactive forces from the bullet are absorbed by the slide action. However, the felt recoil will less because when the slide finally does cycle, a good bit of the engery will be absorbed by the slide spring. Now in a blowback design, you would be correct in a way, but the loss is typically negligeable.