The Chemistry of a Browning 9mm HI Power

Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components

The main chemicals in the Browning 9mm are steel, Fe3C and Brass, Cu3Zn2, Gunpowder/black powder 10KNO3+8C+3S=2K2Co3+3K2SO4+6CO2+5N2,bullet- copper (Cu), lead alloy , primer incandescent potassium carbonate.

Chemistry's Role

Steel is man made. The Iron ore is mined from the ground then smelted, melted to a liquid, in a blast furnace where impurities are removed and carbon is added. The steel is laid out into big slabs and cooled, then cut into smaller slabs and sold. To make the barrel of the gun they use “cold rolled steel”, really hard steel, and drill a hole for the caliber they want. When they do this it creates the rifling, which is the spirals going down the barrel use to give the gun its accuracy. This is all done in a machine.

Bullets are also man made. Bullets are made by starting with the brass. They use a brass tube and cut it to the caliber they need. Then the tube is rolled and tapered the end of the bullet tube on both ends. After, they drill a hole in the back end of the tube and crimp the edges around. They also cut the front of the tube and neck and rim the casing for the bullet to fit. On the back end of the bullet they put in the seat( the flat, back part), then insert the primer. They then measure the proper amount of gunpowder and put it in the casing. Finally, they set the bullet and crimp the casing around the bullet keeping it in the casing. The bullet is then cleaned and ready to shoot!

Background Research

When the components are put together you have a well functioning machine. The machine works in a step by step function that happens in a blink of an eye. At first shooting a gun seems pretty easy, you just pull the trigger right? There is so much more going on inside the gun that no one really thinks about when they shoot. When the 9mm is ready to be fired the hammer will be in a full cocked position, pulled all the way back. Then the trigger is pulled, when this happens the hammer is pulled forward and hits the striking match. The striking match hits the firing pin and in return hits the primer in the back of the bullet. When the primer is hit it sets off the gunpowder. When the gunpowder reaction happens the sufler lowers the ignition temperature starting the reaction. Then the potassium nitrate supplies the oxygen and the charcoal is broken down to provide carbon and other fuels for the reaction. The products of the gunpowder combustion are 56% solid product, 43% gaseous, and 1% water. The gunpowder heats and propels the copper, lead alloy (the bullet) down the barrel. The barrel of the 9mm and all guns have what is called rifling going down the barrel, this is a long groove cut along the barrel in a spiral. The rifling gives the bullet the accuracy. The top of the frame slides back, ejecting the bullet, and pushing a new bullet in.

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