Sometimes when purchasing firearms there comes the issue of maintenance and repairs. Or maybe one becomes bored of their firearm and needs something new. A possible solution to both of these problems is investing in new parts or accessories for their firearms.
There are several gun parts with significant roles in making a gun work. These include the trigger, safety, feeding mechanisms, magazines, muzzles and other accessories or parts. This article will inform one on gun components, and how one can purchase parts for themselves.
Trigger and Trigger Guard
In firearm terminology a trigger is a mechanism in a gun that actuates the weapon to fire. For most cases the trigger is a lever located underneath the gun in front of the grip also known as the “trigger blade.” Often pulling back these levers is the impetus to releasing a spring tension hammer which causes the gun to shoot.
Mechanisms may vary when it comes to firing, but generally the trigger functions the same way on all firearms. The trigger guard is part of the gun’s frame and loops around a trigger in order to prevent an unintentional discharge of a firearm. Trigger guards are all similar, with very niche guns having changes due to environmental conditions like cold winters which force people to wear large gloves.
This mechanism ensures that even if a firearm touches the ground, walls or other terrain, the trigger is not pulled unless intentionally done so by a human. Gun safety practices further push this by instilling trigger discipline in gun owners, making sure they keep their finger rested off of the trigger when they are not prepared to shoot.
Gun Safety Switch
Invented in the 1800s to prevent a firearm from firing when on, the safety switch’s widespread use became more popular in the 1900s. This piece interferes with the firing mechanisms of a gun, often the trigger itself, stopping the activation of the gun when not in use. This invention proved to be one of the most effective firearm safety measures of all time and is a staple in gun safety practices.
There are several other less used types of safety for guns including grip safeties and decockers. Nowadays it is essential to have an effective safety switch as it can render guns that aren’t in use to be nearly harmless.
Ammunition Feeding Mechanisms
For the common pistol, most have a mechanism called the slide, which uses the recoil of a pistol firing in order to feed ammunition back from the magazine into the gun. In this process the recoil causes the mechanism to slide backwards, ejecting the fired bullet casing, re-arming the firing pin or striker, and loading the next round into the chamber.
Bolt action rifles rely on the push feed and controlled feed systems, involving the manual reloading of the user to feed the ammunition. By sliding the bolt back, it ejects the previous chambered round, and pushes the next round into the chamber when slid forward.
Both feeding methods are generally similar, however controlled feed ensures there is no double feed malfunction as it ensures there is only one case in the chamber using an extractor claw. A push feed mechanism can be fired faster and is cheaper but can experience a double feed malfunction.
Automatic firearms continuously chamber and fire rounds when the trigger is active. This process is more reliant on the type of magazine and firing mechanism in the gun.
Firearm Magazines for Different Guns
Magazines are the storage and feeding mechanism of ammunition into many firearms. There are many shapes and forms of magazine ranging from detachable box magazines to drum magazines. The four main components of a magazine are the spring, spring follower, the body and a base.
Different guns often require different magazines as they use different ammunition or have federal regulations limiting the amount of ammo they can have in one magazine. With prep time magazines are critical to ensure that ammunition can be quickly reloaded, and quickly fed into a firearm.
Muzzles and Barrels
When firing, the barrel is what guides the bullet and the muzzle is the end of the barrel where the bullet exits. Barrels and muzzles can have a great impact on bullet velocity and the recoil of the gun. These attachments can affect guns in a similar way, and they can also reduce the sound or flash of a firing gun.
To an extent, longer barrels tend to increase bullet velocity and accuracy due to more time for the bullet to travel in the chamber. They can also reduce recoil with their counter weight. However this comes at the expense of weight, and mobility.
Grips and Other Gun Parts
All firearms have a grip where the gun is held, and can be fired from. This grip ensures a secure hold on the gun not allowing it to slip out of one’s hands.
There are many other gun parts including accessories. These can include visual optics like scopes and sights, for aiming at short, medium and far distances.
Stocks can be changed in order to help with mobility, recoil or storage of firearms depending on their use. Lasers can help with accuracy, showing if a user’s gun is properly aligned and on the desired target. There are also practical attachments like flashlights, ammunition storage, and grips for extra stability when firing.
When it comes to attachments the list goes on as there are many ways they can modify or enhance a gun.
Where Can Someone Buy These Parts and Accessories?
There are trusted retailers who offer a vast amount of gun accessories and parts online. These retailers allow you to easily repair or modify your firearm with their selection and convenient web design. They should have a large number of positive reviews from customers while also following federal and gun laws.
In Conclusion
Various components make up a gun and cause its function. Parts like the safety switch or trigger guard have made gun use safer for everyone. Improvements on the performance of a gun and maintaining its integrity can be done through replacing worn out gun parts. When someone takes the time to learn about the inner workings of their gun, they can provide proper care that will have their gun last multiple lifetimes.