120: Chapter 120 Hand-operated Revolver

Zhao Fusu fixed the steel cylinder onto the lathe and used a turning tool to cut grooves into it.

Next, he placed the grooved steel cylinder under the drill bit of the steam-powered machine tool, using the rotating bit to drill six clean holes through it.

These six holes were the chambers for the ammunition.

A hole also needed to be drilled through the center of the steel cylinder to install a pin.

This device not only secured the cylinder to the frame but also facilitated the quick extraction of spent casings later on.

The cylinder was thus completed.

Throughout this process, he used the vernier calipers attached to the steam lathe to make precise measurements and prevent any errors.

After finishing the frame and the cylinder, he needed another steel rod to craft the barrel.

Still using the turning tool on the steam lathe, he processed the steel rod, cutting out the sights and the barrel itself.

Next came the creation of the seamless steel tube.

Crafting a seamless steel tube would be very difficult for an ordinary person.

However, since Zhao Fusu had obtained the Level 8 Fitter certification, using the drill columns on the lathe to create a seamless steel tube posed no difficulty for him.

The barrel wasn't finished yet; he still needed to carve rifling into its interior.

Rifling consists of spiral grooves forged into the inner wall of the barrel, made up of lands and grooves; its main purpose is to impart spin to the projectile, improving shooting accuracy and range.

Zhao Fusu used a boring tool on the steam lathe to machine right-hand rifling.

During the process, the barrel rotated while the boring tool moved axially, gradually cutting out the shape of the rifling.

Zhao Fusu looked at the barrel he had machined with great satisfaction.

If this were his past life and he made something like this, he'd be invited for tea by the 'Uncles in Hats'!

Zhao Fusu smiled and continued his work.

There were threads carved into the frame, and the end of the barrel had a corresponding protrusion that could be screwed right into the frame.

Once assembled, Zhao Fusu aimed the gun to see if the sights were accurate.

He still needed to hand-craft components like the trigger, firing pin, ratchet, pawl, and small springs.

The ratchet is connected to the cylinder, usually a disk or ring with teeth; the movement of the trigger or hammer drives the ratchet to turn, thereby achieving the rotation of the cylinder.

The pawl, also known as a sear, is a component that works with the ratchet and is usually controlled by a spring. When the trigger is pulled, the pawl pushes the ratchet to rotate by a certain angle, moving the cylinder to the next chamber; when the trigger is released, the pawl catches on the ratchet's teeth to prevent the cylinder from reversing, serving to position and brake it.

After producing all the necessary parts for the revolver, Zhao Fusu began assembly.

To improve the feel, Zhao Fusu specifically found some wood for grips and installed them onto the handle.

Even though Zhao Fusu had hand-crafted the revolver, one cannot make a meal without rice.

He had no bullets.

Having just the revolver wasn't enough.

He still had to hand-craft the bullets!

Zhao Fusu scratched his head and first crafted the casings and the projectiles.

Once he prepared the primers and smokeless powder, he would just need to load them to create real bullets.

It wasn't that Zhao Fusu had never fired a handgun before.

For instance, he didn't even know how many Yellow River, White Box, or Black Eagle models he had worn out.

His shooting skills were also quite superb.

After adding a hop-up device to the barrel, he could accurately hit targets thirty meters away.

For a plastic gun that starts veering off after ten meters, this was an incredibly impressive result.

As for the 'real steel' ones, Zhao Fusu truly had never played with them before.

He looked forward immensely to seeing how the 'real steel' he created would perform.

Zhao Fusu suppressed his internal excitement and looked over the bullet schematics and detailed manufacturing guide.

A bullet generally consists of several main parts: the projectile, the casing, the propellant, and the primer.

The projectile, or the bullet head, is the core of the bullet and the component that directly causes damage or destruction.

Depending on different uses and designs, the shape, material, and structure of the projectile vary.

Commonly, there are ordinary projectiles used primarily to kill living targets; these usually consist of a lead core and a jacket. The jacket is generally made of metals like copper or steel, enveloping the lead core to increase the projectile's hardness and penetration.

Zhao Fusu's resources were limited; copper was expensive and he couldn't afford it. Therefore, he could only use steel for the projectiles.

The casing, also called the cartridge case, is usually made of metals like brass or steel; it is cylindrical and used to hold the propellant, primer, and projectile, serving to seal and protect the internal charge.

The bottom of the casing has a primer pocket for installing the primer; its sides and inner walls must be smooth to ensure that the gases produced when the propellant burns do not leak, while also allowing the projectile to be pushed smoothly out of the casing.

After firing, the casing usually remains in the chamber and needs to be removed by an extraction device.

The propellant is the source of energy that launches the bullet.

Zhao Fusu would use smokeless powder for the loading.

This smokeless powder had a huge difference compared to ordinary black powder.

Besides being relatively weak, ordinary black powder produces a large amount of smoke during ignition, which significantly affects the barrel.

After firing a few shots, you might have to clean the barrel.

While you are cleaning the barrel, an enemy might take your life.

Furthermore, black powder burns relatively quickly.

Anyone who has set off firecrackers knows that the fuse burns very fast.

In addition to producing no smoke when ignited, smokeless powder also burns relatively slowly.

A slower burning speed makes it less likely for the barrel to burst, enhancing the gun's stability.

The primer is located in the primer pocket at the bottom of the casing; it is a small, sensitive device usually composed of a priming charge, an initiator, and a reinforcing cap.

When the firing pin strikes the primer, the priming charge inside is ignited, which in turn detonates the initiator; the resulting flame enters the interior of the casing through the flash hole, igniting the propellant. The role of the primer is to reliably initiate the combustion of the propellant, making it a key link in the bullet's firing process.

Zhao Fusu intended to use mercury fulminate as the primer for the bullets.

Through a check-in, he had just happened to obtain the detailed manufacturing guide for mercury fulminate.

Zhao Fusu began using the steam lathe to craft the bullet casings.

The caliber of the bullets used for this revolver was 9.07mm, which had strong stopping power and penetration, suitable for hunting or self-defense.

The bullet casing length was 57mm, the shoulder diameter was 10.95mm, the base diameter was 11.94mm, and the rim diameter was 11.95mm.

It used spitzer bullets with a projectile weight of 10 grams, and the bullet's muzzle velocity exceeded 600 meters per second!