There has been a lot of discussion about the way auto pistols work, and the term "blowback" is often used. OK, we have all seen blowback pistols, usually .22, .25, or .32 calibers; blowback is rarely used for guns over .380 ACP, for reasons I won't go into here.
But how about blow FORWARD? There were such guns and here are a couple of the relatively common (but still quite rare) blow forward Model 1908 Schwarzlose pistols, in .32 ACP.
There are two pistols; the one with the WAC grips was imported by Warner Arms Corp sometime before WWI; it has a push button type magazine release, apparently to cater to American tastes. The other is the European model, with the typical magazine release at the bottom of the grip. Both have the Schwarzlose machinegun trade mark. After the start of WWI, Warner Arms Corp could no longer import the Schwarzlose pistols, so they had pistols made in the U.S., using a design by a man named Davis. These are the famous (or infamous) Davis-Warner pistols. I will have some pics of those in the next posting.
The guns work in the reverse of the conventional blowback. The breech, which contains the hammer, remains stationary, while the barrel moves forward from the pressure. The cartridge case, held by the extractor, is pulled out of the chamber, and a stud on the barrel extension kicks it free. Meantime, a projection at the bottom of the extension pulls the next round forward out of the magazine, and positions it to be chambered when the barrel returns to battery.
A spring loaded sear on the barrel extension cocks the hammer, using the force of the recoil spring, as the barrel comes back into battery. Pulling the trigger moves the sear outward, releasing the hammer. The last picture shows the barrel, upside down, with the sear and the projection that pulls the round out of the magazine.
Disassembly is by pulling forward on the recoil spring guide (it has a crosswise hole for the purpose) and locking it into a notch in the frame. That gets it out of the way of the barrel and the barrel can be moved forward and off the frame.
Jim
But how about blow FORWARD? There were such guns and here are a couple of the relatively common (but still quite rare) blow forward Model 1908 Schwarzlose pistols, in .32 ACP.
There are two pistols; the one with the WAC grips was imported by Warner Arms Corp sometime before WWI; it has a push button type magazine release, apparently to cater to American tastes. The other is the European model, with the typical magazine release at the bottom of the grip. Both have the Schwarzlose machinegun trade mark. After the start of WWI, Warner Arms Corp could no longer import the Schwarzlose pistols, so they had pistols made in the U.S., using a design by a man named Davis. These are the famous (or infamous) Davis-Warner pistols. I will have some pics of those in the next posting.
The guns work in the reverse of the conventional blowback. The breech, which contains the hammer, remains stationary, while the barrel moves forward from the pressure. The cartridge case, held by the extractor, is pulled out of the chamber, and a stud on the barrel extension kicks it free. Meantime, a projection at the bottom of the extension pulls the next round forward out of the magazine, and positions it to be chambered when the barrel returns to battery.
A spring loaded sear on the barrel extension cocks the hammer, using the force of the recoil spring, as the barrel comes back into battery. Pulling the trigger moves the sear outward, releasing the hammer. The last picture shows the barrel, upside down, with the sear and the projection that pulls the round out of the magazine.
Disassembly is by pulling forward on the recoil spring guide (it has a crosswise hole for the purpose) and locking it into a notch in the frame. That gets it out of the way of the barrel and the barrel can be moved forward and off the frame.
Jim
. I am better informed.
