Can a 2 Inch Gun Fire a 1 Inch Bullet? - 300,000FPS - The Slow Mo Guys

Summary

In this fascinating experiment by The Slow Mo Guys, Gav and Dan attempt to fire a full-size bullet using a much smaller 2mm pinfire gun. They explore how the bullet's percussion cap initiates the propellant and observe the unusual results in slow-motion. The video demonstrates how crucial the barrel of a gun is for propelling a bullet efficiently. Despite their efforts, the experiment reveals how small errors, like damaging the bullet's back, affect the results, leading to unexpected outcomes and insightful learning about gun mechanics and physics.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Slow Mo Guys experiment with a pinfire gun to see if a two-millimeter round can trigger a nine-millimeter bullet's propellant.
• 😀 They demonstrate the importance of a barrel in accelerating a bullet, as without one, the bullet's speed would be dramatically reduced.
• 😀 The nine-millimeter bullet is dissected to show the inner workings, including the primer and propellant that initiate the shot.
• 😀 Initial attempts to fire the bullet fail due to the lack of pressure to ignite the propellant, with only slight movement of the bullet inside the case.
• 😀 The percussion cap is ejected from the cartridge case, revealing how it functions to initiate the ignition of the propellant.
• 😀 They explore how the energy from the tiny two-millimeter bullet splits when fired, with the percussion cap being forced out and the bullet not igniting the propellant.
• 😀 Despite the failed attempts, they continue experimenting with different types of bullets and refine their approach to firing the rounds.
• 😀 The Slow Mo Guys use high-speed cameras (up to 300,000 frames per second) to capture the incredibly fast events as they happen in fractions of a second.
• 😀 After several misfires, a successful shot demonstrates that the two-millimeter round can indeed cause the bullet to exit the case, but without full ignition of the propellant.
• 😀 They explain the difference between a rimfire bullet (which has all components in one rear part) and a centerfire bullet, leading to more controlled ignition when firing.

Q & A

What is the main experiment discussed in the video?

The main experiment involves attempting to fire a full-size nine-millimeter bullet using a tiny two-millimeter pinfire gun. The goal is to strike the percussion cap of the nine-millimeter bullet and initiate the propellant inside.

Why do they refer to the experiment as a demonstration of the importance of a gun barrel?

They emphasize the importance of the barrel because the barrel accelerates the bullet. Without the barrel, the bullet wouldn't exit the case with enough speed or energy, as demonstrated in the experiment where the bullet barely budged.

What was inside the nine-millimeter bullet that needed to be ignited?

Inside the nine-millimeter bullet, there is a propellant, which is ignited by the primer or percussion cap at the back of the cartridge case. This ignites the powder, causing the bullet to fire.

What happened when they fired the two-millimeter gun at the nine-millimeter bullet?

The tiny two-millimeter bullet didn't have enough energy to ignite the propellant inside the nine-millimeter cartridge. Instead, it barely budged the bullet inside the case, with the percussion cap itself being blown backward.

How did the percussion cap behave after being hit by the two-millimeter bullet?

After being struck by the two-millimeter bullet, the percussion cap was ejected backward into the gun. This caused the propellant inside the bullet not to ignite, leading to a situation where the bullet's case was affected, but no actual firing occurred.

What did they conclude about the cause of the failure to ignite the propellant?

The failure to ignite the propellant was likely due to the percussion cap being damaged. Since it couldn't properly initiate the propellant inside the cartridge, the energy was dispersed without igniting the powder.

What is the significance of the 'rimfire' bullet in their second experiment?

The rimfire bullet in their second experiment has the percussion part integrated into the base of the bullet, unlike the nine-millimeter bullet with separate components. This means that if the rimfire bullet is hit, it can fire directly without damaging the back of the cartridge.

What was the result when they fired the two-millimeter gun at the rimfire bullet?

When the two-millimeter gun was fired at the rimfire bullet, it successfully ignited the propellant without causing the bullet to fall apart. The bullet exited the case with significant force, demonstrating a more effective outcome than the previous attempt with the nine-millimeter bullet.

How did the speed of the two-millimeter gun's bullet compare to the nine-millimeter one?

The two-millimeter gun's bullet was much slower than the full-sized bullet, yet still had enough force to ignite the propellant in the rimfire cartridge, showcasing the importance of having a properly contained explosion to propel the bullet.

What was the key takeaway from the experiment in terms of gun functionality?

The key takeaway is that a gun's barrel plays a crucial role in controlling the explosion and directing the energy efficiently to propel the bullet. Without the barrel, the energy from the propellant disperses randomly, and the bullet doesn't achieve the desired speed or trajectory.