Comprehensive Guide to Firearms

[Vincent1966]

Hello, I am trying to find a comprehensive guide to firearms, namely the more modifiable and customizable AK, AR, Mx, and 1911. I'll be the first to say I have NO IDEA of what that means.

Some of the stuff I'd like to know:

1. the difference and history between an AR 10/15/xx and M4/Mxx (and variations)
2. the difference and history between an AK 47 and an AK 74 is (and variations).
3. the history, modifications and variations of the 1911 (eg 1911 M1A)
4. I want to know what the twists in AR barrels mean and which one is more suited for one situation versus the other.

This might be too tall an order, but any insight (comments, advice, links) will be appreciated.

Thanks,

MC

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

Probably the best place to start for your first 3 questions is simply Wikipedia:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-15
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_carbine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR10

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-47
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AK-74

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1911_pistol

4. As far as twist rate, that has to do with stablizing different bullets.

Those links should give you a starting place to dive deeper if you are so inclined.

 

[Vincent1966]

Thanks Jorg! I spent the past hour going over the 1911 information. Very helpful.

 

[Sam1911]

I'll add to Jorg's suggestions that http://world.guns.ru/ tends to have very good, concise but thorough explanations of the histories of almost any cartridge-firing weapon fielded by a military, anywhere, from the beginning of the 20th century up to today.

Look to the left-side menu and pick what type of weapon (AR and AK will be under Assault Rifles), then select by country, then model.

If you need more information than provided there, I'd look into a book on each specific firearm. (Suggestion: C.J. Chivers The Gun for AK information.)

The last question is pretty simple. Twist rate is how fast the gun's rifling will spin a bullet. Shorter, lighter bullets become stable (and hence, accurate) at relatively slow twist rates. (Might be as slow as 1 twist in 10" or 12" for a 50 gr. .224" bullet.) Heavier, longer, more aerodynamically efficient bullets need a faster twist rate to stabilize. (So a 1 turn in 9,8, or even 7" for big, long 80 gr. bullets in an AR.)

To complicate that, part of the wounding mechanics of some 5.56mm loadings comes from the bullet becoming unstable and yawing, then breaking up (fragmenting) once it hits a soft target. That is helped by the bullet being just barely stabilized by a just-fast-enough twist rate. "Over" stabilizing the bullet may make it "too" stable and it may not yaw and/or fragment when it hits, but just plow on through.

This is an issue with some FMJ military bullets, but not with the soft-point expanding bullets a civilian may use.

 

[mljdeckard]

I have used world.guns.ru for a lot of things, I find they are a bit opinionated but their facts are pretty good.

I would get a few books about these guns, there is no shortage of historical and technical books about them, look on amazon.

 

[Ryanxia]

+1 for wikipedia. It is especially helpful if you want to look up some ballistic information (velocity, energy, range, etc.) real quick on a particular caliber.