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Mr_Otis
@cableone.net

Mr_Otis

Anon

Misnamed

Aren't all guns 'semi-automatic'? At least, all those that are not machine guns? Pull the trigger, gun fires. Pull the trigger, gun fires. Semi-automatic.

kdwycha
join:2003-01-30
Ruskin, FL

kdwycha

Member

said by Mr_Otis :

Aren't all guns 'semi-automatic'? At least, all those that are not machine guns? Pull the trigger, gun fires. Pull the trigger, gun fires. Semi-automatic.

I believe a one shot musket would be semi-automatic as well considering you can reload it with powder, place the ball inside and fire it at a rate of about 1 shot every minute. So I guess no muskets are allowed to be displayed or pointed on TWC commercials either.

(Well maybe not considering the definition is b of a firearm : able to fire repeatedly but requiring release and another pressure of the trigger for each successive shot)

jseymour
join:2009-12-11
Waterford, MI

jseymour to Mr_Otis

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to Mr_Otis
said by Mr_Otis :

Aren't all guns 'semi-automatic'? At least, all those that are not machine guns? Pull the trigger, gun fires. Pull the trigger, gun fires. Semi-automatic.

No, they're not. There are single-shot firearms of various kinds; single-action revolvers; magazine-fed bolt-action, pump and lever action firearms, etc. Double-action revolvers could be thought of as "semi-automatic," in that they operate as you describe, but they're not regarded as such.

Jim

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop to Mr_Otis

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to Mr_Otis
Single Action Revolvers, Lever Action, Black Powder, and Pump Shotguns are not Semi-Automatic.
battleop

battleop to kdwycha

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to kdwycha
Not true. If the ONLY action needed to reload and shoot again is pulling the trigger then it's Semi-Automatic. If you have to do anything else between rounds then it's not Semi-Automatic.
Terabit
join:2008-12-19

Terabit to kdwycha

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to kdwycha
I see what your mean. One shot every 60 seconds versus the 30 rounds Lanza fired off in 27 seconds.
Wilsdom
join:2009-08-06

Wilsdom to battleop

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to battleop
And the AR-15 isn't an "assault rifle". Regulators make up their own definitions.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

1 recommendation

battleop

Member

But they are black and scary looking....

zitch
join:2002-07-08
Lafayette, LA

zitch to Mr_Otis

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to Mr_Otis
To be technical, the term "automatic"* in firearms refers to the how it loads the next cartridge** into the chamber. I believe it's short for "automatic loader", basically, most automatics (semi or fully) use either the recoil (most handguns and submachine guns) or taps into the hot gasses in the barrel (most automatic rifles) to mechanically eject the spent case and load the next cartridge into the chamber.

By this definition, a revolver is not "semi-automatic", as a revolver actually has multiple chambers (6 seems to be the most common) in a cylinder. Each shot happens because the next chamber is rotated into place behind the barrel before firing (usually is linked into the trigger, usually where pulling the trigger will bring back the hammer and turn the cylinder to line up the next chamber before dropping the hammer). In a revolver, each chamber has to be loaded "manually".

Other loading mechanisms, like lever- and pump-action, require manual operation to eject the spent casing and load the next cartridge from the magazine.

* Keep in mind that when I am referring to the term "automatic", I mean both semi- and fully- automatics. There is very little difference between the loading mechanisms between semi and fully automatic versions of the same weapon.

** "Cartridge" refers to the bullet/shots/slug, smokeless powder, primer, and the case holding the rest all together to be fired.

dnoyeB
Ferrous Phallus
join:2000-10-09
Southfield, MI

dnoyeB to jseymour

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to jseymour
probably any gun that uses the power of the charge to assist reloading is semi-automatic?

Just wondering. Don't know much about guns.
Kearnstd
Space Elf
Premium Member
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ

Kearnstd to Mr_Otis

Premium Member

to Mr_Otis
Semi-Auto just means you have to pull the trigger again to shoot again. fully-auto is your basic bullet fire hose. However unlike Hollywood, you cannot fire a typical non mounted machine gun for a minutes. If I remember correctly, most fully automatic weapons will burn up a full mag in seconds.
Terabit
join:2008-12-19

Terabit to Wilsdom

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to Wilsdom
Who cares what's its called, it fires 5.56 mm rounds and is magazine-fed.

NormanS
I gave her time to steal my mind away
MVM
join:2001-02-14
San Jose, CA
TP-Link TD-8616
Asus RT-AC66U B1
Netgear FR114P

NormanS to Mr_Otis

MVM

to Mr_Otis
said by Mr_Otis :

Aren't all guns 'semi-automatic'?

No.

At least, all those that are not machine guns? Pull the trigger, gun fires. Pull the trigger, gun fires. Semi-automatic.

I've got some firearms which will fire on the first trigger pull, but not on subsequent trigger pulls; not without some manual action between the trigger pulls.
NormanS

NormanS to Terabit

MVM

to Terabit
said by Terabit:

Who cares what's its called, it fires 5.56 mm rounds and is magazine-fed.

And that is important ... how?

What about 7.62x63mm and clip fed?

What about 7.62x51mmR and magazine fed?

EGeezer
Premium Member
join:2002-08-04
Midwest

EGeezer to Mr_Otis

Premium Member

to Mr_Otis
said by Mr_Otis :

Aren't all guns 'semi-automatic'? At least, all those that are not machine guns? Pull the trigger, gun fires. Pull the trigger, gun fires. Semi-automatic.

Try that with a single shot, lever or bolt action, or a single action revolver.

Semi-automatic means self-loading and self-cocking after firing a round.
Expand your moderator at work
tigerda
join:2013-01-25

tigerda to EGeezer

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Re: Misnamed

Verify it on a different service for the needed site... enjoy and I refer this from Google.com .
TheRogueX
join:2003-03-26
Springfield, MO

TheRogueX to kdwycha

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to kdwycha
Uh, well no, muskets aren't semi-automatic. And a good musket marksman can easily fire 3 shots in 1 minute.