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A gun is a weapon that propels projectiles such as bullets. The projectile is generally fired through a hollow tube known as the gun's barrel. The barrel's diameter, the distance between the two sides of barrel, is measured in inches or millimeters. The diameter determines the size of the bullet needed. Differing from the musket, most modern guns are rifled, with a series of grooves spiraling along the barrel; exceptions include smoothbores on shotguns, tanks, AFVs and some artillery.
Terminology
The use of the term "cannon" is interchangeable with "gun" as a words borrowed from the French language during the early 15th century, from Old French canon, itself a borrowing from the Italian cannone, a "large tube" augmentive of Latin canna "reed or cane".
In military use, the term "gun" refers to artillery an ordnance that fires projectiles at high velocity, such as naval guns which in the modern navies are not called cannons, or the tank main gun. In military use, mortars and all hand-held firearms are excluded from the meaning of guns because they do not require the accurate gunnery data calculations and training when engaging targets. Two exceptions to this include: the shotgun, which is a smoothbore hand-held firearm that fires a load of shot or a single projectile known as a slug, and the machine gun, which is a fully-automatic weapon mounted on a tripod or wheeled carriage and is almost always operated by a crew of two.
The word "gun" is also applied to some more or less vaguely gun-like or gun-shaped tools such as staple guns, nail guns, and glue guns.
In a gun-type fission weapon the "gun" is part of a nuclear weapon. The projectile is fissile material that is fired and captured inside the device. In the case of nuclear artillery, it should not be confused with the gun that fires the whole warheads. In a captive bolt gun the projectile is also caught within the mechanism. Such captive piston guns are often used to humanely stun farm animals for slaughter.
A gunner is a member of the team charged with the task of operating and firing a gun.
Types of guns
Military and civilian handguns
Military firearms
Machine guns
Autocannon guns
Artillery guns
Tank guns
Hunting guns
Guns for training and entertainment
See also
Citations and notes
- Online Etymological Dictionary
- cannon, or autocannon is considered to be in the 20mm to 35mm calibre range, pp.34,93, Lee
- Captive Bolt Stunning Equipment and the Law - How it applies to you (pdf)
References
- Lee, R.G., Introduction to battlefield weapons, systems & technology, Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham, UK, Brassey's Publishers, Oxford, 1981
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