A ball detent is a simple mechanical arrangement used to hold a moving part in a temporarily fixed position relative to another part. Usually the moving parts slide with respect to each other, or one part rotates within the other.
The ball is a single, usually metal sphere, sliding within a bored cylinder, against the pressure of a spring, which pushes the ball against the other part of the mechanism, which carries the detent - which can be as simple as a hole of smaller diameter than the ball. When the hole is in line with the cylinder, the ball is partially pushed into the hole under spring pressure, holding the parts at that position. Additional force applied to the moving parts will compress the spring, causing the ball to be depressed back into its cylinder, and allowing the parts to move to another position.
Ball detents are commonly found in the selector mechanism of a gearbox, holding the selector rods in the correct position to engage the desired gear. Other applications include clutches that slip at a preset torque, and calibrated ball detent mechanisms are typically found in a torque wrench. [1]
Ball detents are one of the mechanisms often used in folding knives to prevent unwanted opening of the blade when carrying. [2]
Ball detents were used in the Curta mechanical calculator to enforce discrete values.
The term "ball detent" is also used when referring to a mechanism in paintball markers designed to prevent the paintball from rolling out of the firing chamber before being fired. Some designs are similar to those outlined above, with a cartridge utilizing a ball bearing in a bore with spring pressure. The cartridge is installed perpendicular to the barrel bore axis, just ahead of where the ball rests before being fired. Other designs use elastic rubber protrusions that block the ball until it is pushed over it by the bolt. Some designs use precisely calibrated rings or "barrel sizers" that are selected to have a slightly smaller inner diameter than the outer diameter of the paintballs being used. They rely on simple constriction of the bore to prevent paintballs from rolling through them from the force of gravity. When the marker is fired, the air pressure pushes the ball through the bore, causing it to compress enough to pass through. Paintballs have varying diameters depending on a number of factors; this type of ball detent must be sized correctly to avoid compressing the paintball too much, causing it to burst. If too large of a sizer is selected, balls may roll through it.
The cartridge and elastic rubber protrusion-type detents are primarily used for open-bolt markers, or on closed-bolt markers to prevent double feeding (feeding more than one ball when the bolt is open for loading). Closed-bolt markers generally use the constriction method to prevent "roll outs", a malfunction where the ball completely rolls out of the barrel, causing no paintball to be fired when the trigger is pulled. A partial roll out is when the ball rolls partially through the barrel, causing reduced velocity.
A cartridge, also known as a round, is a type of pre-assembled firearm ammunition packaging a projectile, a propellant substance and an ignition device (primer) within a metallic, paper, or plastic case that is precisely made to fit within the barrel chamber of a breechloading gun, for convenient transportation and handling during shooting. Although in popular usage the term "bullet" is often used to refer to a complete cartridge, the correct usage only refers to the projectile.
An air gun or airgun is a gun that uses energy from compressed air or other gases that are mechanically pressurized and then released to propel and accelerate projectiles, similar to the principle of the primitive blowgun. This is in contrast to a firearm, which shoots projectiles using energy generated via exothermic combustion (deflagration) of chemical propellants, most often black powder or smokeless powder.
Tippmann is an American manufacturer of paintball markers and paintball equipment, including military simulation (MilSim) kits. Tippmann Industrial Products, a related company manufactures manual and pneumatic heavy-duty sewing machines primarily used for leather, other leather-related equipment, and some industrial products. Originally a family-owned business run from Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2004 Dennis Tippmann Sr. sold a majority ownership stake to Summit Partners, a private equity firm. Tippmann designed one of the first automatic markers, the use of refillable air systems in place of 12 gram cartridges, the "Cyclone Feed" system, the "Flatline" barrel, and the Tippmann C-3, the first propane-powered marker.
A gun barrel is a crucial part of gun-type weapons such as small firearms, artillery pieces, and air guns. It is the straight shooting tube, usually made of rigid high-strength metal, through which a contained rapid expansion of high-pressure gas(es) is used to propel a projectile out of the front end (muzzle) at a high velocity. The hollow interior of the barrel is called the bore, and the diameter of the bore is called its caliber, usually measured in inches or millimetres.
Internal ballistics, a subfield of ballistics, is the study of the propulsion of a projectile.
A shotgun shell, shotshell, or shell is a type of rimmed, cylindrical (straight-walled) cartridges used specifically in shotguns, and is typically loaded with numerous small, pellet-like spherical sub-projectiles called shot, fired through a smoothbore barrel with a tapered constriction at the muzzle to regulate the extent of scattering. A shell can sometimes also contain only a single large solid projectile known as a slug. The hull usually consists of a paper or plastic tube often covered at the base by a metallic head cover which retains a primer, and the shot charge is typically contained by a wadding/sabot inside the case. The caliber of the shotshell is known as its gauge.
The Stoner 63 is a 5.56×45mm NATO modular weapon system. Using a variety of modular components, it can be configured as an assault rifle, carbine, top-fed light machine gun, belt-fed squad automatic weapon, or as a vehicle mounted weapon. Also known as the M63, XM22, XM23, XM207 or the Mk 23 Mod 0 machine gun, it was designed by Eugene Stoner in the early 1960s. Cadillac Gage was the primary manufacturer of the Stoner 63 during its history. The Stoner 63 saw very limited combat use by United States forces during the Vietnam War. A few were also sold to law enforcement agencies.
In current usage, a riot gun or less-lethal launcher is a type of firearm used to fire "non-lethal" or "less-lethal" ammunition for the purpose of suppressing riots or apprehending suspects with minimal harm or risk. Less-lethal launchers may be special purpose firearms designed for riot control use, or standard firearms, usually shotguns and grenade launchers, adapted for riot control use with appropriate ammunition. The ammunition is most commonly found in 12 gauge shotguns and 37mm or 40 mm grenade launchers.
A breechblock is the part of the firearm action that closes the breech of a breech loading weapon before or at the moment of firing. It seals the breech and contains the pressure generated by the ignited propellant. Retracting the breechblock allows the chamber to be loaded with a cartridge.
Accurizing is the process of improving the accuracy and precision of a gun.
Obturation is the necessary barrel blockage or fit in a firearm or airgun created by a deformed soft projectile. A bullet or pellet made of soft material and often with a concave base will flare under the heat and pressure of firing, filling the bore and engaging the barrel's rifling. The mechanism by which an undersized soft-metal projectile enlarges to fill the barrel is, for hollow-base bullets, expansion from gas pressure within the base cavity and, for solid-base bullets, "upsetting"—the combined shortening and thickening that occurs when a malleable metal object is struck forcibly at one end.
The Autococker is a closed-bolt semiautomatic paintball marker manufactured by Worr Game Products (WGP). It was one of the first paintball markers to be designed specifically for the sport, and has long been known throughout the paintball community for its popularity and customizability as well as its complexity. It is commonly believed that the closed-bolt design of the marker makes it inherently more accurate than its open-bolt counterparts, though this is disputed.
A paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, paint gun, or simply marker, is an air gun used in the shooting sport of paintball, and the main piece of paintball equipment. Paintball markers use compressed gas, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) or compressed air (HPA), to propel dye-filled gel capsules called paintballs through the barrel and quickly strike a target. The term "marker" is derived from its original use as a tool for forestry personnel to mark trees and ranchers to mark wandering cattle.
Paintball is an equipment-intensive sport and in order to safely conduct a game, every player requires a marker with propellant to fire the paint, a mask to protect the eyes and face, paintballs, and a loader to hold them. To ensure safety off the playing field, a barrel sock or plug for the marker is also compulsory.
The Automag is a paintball marker designed by Tom Kaye and produced by Airgun Designs, Inc. It bears the distinction of being the first semi-automatic marker ever to win a paintball tournament. Team Swarm used Automags in their victory at the 1990 International Masters.
Break action is a type of firearm action in which the barrel(s) are hinged much like a door and rotate perpendicularly to the bore axis to expose the breech and allow loading and unloading of cartridges. A separate operation may be required for the cocking of a hammer to fire the new round. There are many types of break-action firearms; break actions are universal in double-barreled shotguns, double-barreled rifles, combination guns, and are commonly found in single shot pistols, rifles, shotguns, including flare guns, grenade launchers, air guns, and some older revolver designs. They are also known as hinge-action, break-open, break-barrel, break-top, or, on old revolvers, top-break actions.
The CCI Phantom is a Nelson-based pump action paintball marker developed and produced by Mike Casady. Production began in 1987 after about six months of prototype work. The name for the marker was derived from the much more stealth-oriented and drawn-out style of play that was typical when the game was first developing. The Phantom was designed to be powered by a single 12-gram CO2 Powerlet, but larger tanks may also be used by removing the powerlet adapter or using a dummy powerlet. When first introduced the marker featured a fixed barrel assembly referred to as a "unibody" combined with a modified Crosman air pistol frame and brass bead sight. However, since roughly 1989 the body and barrel of the marker have been two distinct parts and no longer feature the bead style sight. The marker is also capable of supporting bulk gravity fed hoppers by using a different breach type. The Phantom is one of only a handful of readily available markers acceptable for use in the various forms of stock class paintball. However, because the Phantom is capable of auto-triggering and features barrel porting it is considered to be a modified stock class marker.
The following are terms related to firearms and ammunition topics.
The TPX/TiPX is a magazine fed paintball pistol made by Tippmann. New to the paintball pistol market, Tippmann released the TPX in 2009. This paintball marker uses an air system that allows for 12 gram CO2 cartridges to be placed underneath the barrel. This was meant to eliminate bulk in the grip of the marker caused by placing the CO2 cartridge in the magazines. In 2011,Tippmann changed the name of the pistol to the TiPX to market all the improved parts at that time, as well as differentiate it from the TPX baseball line by Louisville Slugger.
Recoil operation is an operating mechanism used to implement locked-breech autoloading firearms. Recoil operated firearms use the energy of recoil to cycle the action, as opposed to gas operation or blowback operation using the pressure of the propellant gas.