Browning tilting barrel design

[olympicmotorcars]

Can anyone tell me why the Browning tilting barrel deIsign works like it does?
Does the barrel tilt to aid in the rounds feeding into it from the magazine?
Is this design inherently superior to the straight blowback design?
Why are the barrel and slide locked together for a short distance during recoil? It looks like the straight blowback design is usually only found on very small calibers, Is this correct?

I was just curious, cannot find anyone local to really give me a straight answer on this.

thanks, happy holidays everybody.

[JFootin]

I am not an expert, but I have some thoughts:


The barrel and slide stay locked for a while so the bullet has time to exit the barrel, along with the majority of the smoke and fire.
As the barrel drops, it redirects some of the recoil down where it is absorbed into the heart of the frame, greatly reducing recoil and muzzle flip.
Yes, the strait blowback design is used almost exclusively in smaller calibers, with the recoil spring and the inertia of the slide absorbing the recoil. A strait blowback gun in a larger caliber would be very unpleasant to shoot, with excessive recoil and muzzle flip.
And, yes, the tilt probably helps rounds feed into the barrel. Not absolutely necessary, as can be seen with strait blowback designs, but maybe it helps with longer high caliber bullets.

An incredible stroke of brilliance by John Browning. JMHO.

[OldLincoln]

If you take out the recoil spring and play with the action you will discover why it works this way. The barrel locks to the slide by lugs on the barrel (1911 style) or by the barrel hood (Kahr). The barrel needs to stay put to allow room for the spent shell to eject and a new one to chamber. To allow that the barrel unlocks by dropping down releasing the barrel lugs/hood from the slide then re-locks on the way back. It's straightforward and a pretty clever way of doing it.

[JFootin]

If you take out the recoil spring and play with the action you will discover why it works this way. The barrel locks to the slide by lugs on the barrel (1911 style) or by the barrel hood (Kahr). The barrel needs to stay put to allow room for the spent shell to eject and a new one to chamber. To allow that the barrel unlocks by dropping down releasing the barrel lugs/hood from the slide then re-locks on the way back. It's straightforward and a pretty clever way of doing it.

That's right, I forgot to mention that.

[TriggerMan]

This may add something to the discussion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recoil_operation

[DLButler]

Here is a sight with some very good illustrations for a couple different designs of guns. They can be animated or stepped thru and show exactly how the barrel action works.

http://www.genitron.com/Basics/P2Basics.html

[Micha2u]

Here is a sight with some very good illustrations for a couple different designs of guns. They can be animated or stepped thru and show exactly how the barrel action works.

http://www.genitron.com/Basics/P2Basics.html

This link is great...I especially liked the Glock version of this animation.

Thanks for posting this.

[DLButler]

I like them a lot. I just wish a graphic artist would do one for a Kahr.

[olympicmotorcars]

Very interesting fellows, thanks

[jlottmc]

That's weird. I had a post that just vanished into cyber space. It was here then it was gone. Nothing nefarious either.

[jlottmc]

Ok, all of the above is true. The reason it exists is to prevent excessive slide velocity and that in turn causes other bad things to happen. If it were not for the falling block, then our slides would be horribly heavy, and the recoil springs would be worse. Plus the gun would be top heavy, and feel like crap when fired. Hi-Point comes to mind. As far as helping to feed rounds, I think not so much. Take a look at a 1911 with a semi ramped bbl, and a rotating breech block like the full size Beretta PX4 Storm.

[JFootin]

That's weird. I had a post that just vanished into cyber space. It was here then it was gone. Nothing nefarious either.

You know, that has happened to me and I found out why. I would edit a post and then hit the Preview Post button. There it is. Looks good. Hit the previous screen button to go back to reading threads.... Duh! I forgot to submit the reply!

Thankfully, you can do next page and your edit session won't be erased. Just have to realize it before you click over to another thread.

[jlottmc]

I have no idea what happened. I usually just use the non-advanced post quick reply bit, and be done with it. Oh well, sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction.

[OldLincoln]

Ha, J, I thought I was the only one. You made my day but I probably ruined yours. Yes you are as bad as old Linc sometimes.

If you look at the Glock fire action you see the barrel unlock but you also see the barrel hood ride Lube Point 6 on the slide. That's why grease goes there.

Let's see now.... click Post Quick Reply..... damn! not again.....