GUN / WEAPON Manufacturing process and PRODUCTION Line [Ammunition / bullets factory]: USA and Russia factories. How it's made and built in army plant?

#gun #army #production #weapon

00:00 Gun Production line
00:22 AKM rifle Factory
06:29 Gunmaking process
14:16 Bullets Manufacturing
20:28 Shotgun Shells Production

First part of gun production is called Forging
This is one of the older iron working processes known to man. It was used by ancient blacksmiths and the same principles apply to the present day, even if the tools used are different. Iron and steel pieces are heated to redhot temperatures, at which point they become soft and easier to shape. The redhot pieces are then hammered into the shape of the finished components and then cooled down. In many cases, a specially shaped die is used and the redhot pieces are placed into the die and hammered to their final shape. One of the advantages of the forging process is that it compacts the metal and makes it stronger.

These days, we have large forging machines that can hammer out larger components, such as receivers and barrels of rifles easily.

Second part of gun production is called Casting.
Casting is a process where a mold of a desired shape is initially prepared, then molten metal is poured into the mold and allowed to solidify. Casting is also an ancient metalworking processes and has been used in history to make intricate shapes as well as large objects. While a cast metal part is not as strong as its forged equivalent, it is often used to make complicated shapes which would be uneconomical to make with any other technique. One more advantage of casting is that many parts may be cast at the same time.

On the flip side, cast parts may have microscopic cracks and flaws due to factors such as uneven cooling, lack of proper venting etc.

Third part of gun production is called Machining
After a part is forged or cast, it is usually close to the required dimensions, but not precisely so. It may also have tiny burrs and surface imperfections on it. This is where the task of machining comes in: to size the part to the proper dimensions and polish it as needed. Machining the parts to greater precision also makes parts interchangeable. Machining is also needed to cut rifling in the barrel.

There are various machining operations: cutting, turning, drilling, polishing, grinding etc. and there are specialized machines to perform each task.

Fourth part of gun production is called Stamping.
Stamping is the process of cutting and shaping parts out of sheet metal. Unlike forging, stamping is usually done to cold metal. Stamping is typically used for parts that don't take as much heavy load, for instance, a trigger guard or a magazine. With modern technological improvements, stampings can be used to also manufacture upper and lower receiver parts for some submachine guns and battle rifles.

Stamping is also used to put serial numbers on various parts of a rifle.

Fifth part of gun production is called Woodworking.
Back in the days when stocks were made of woods such as walnut, beech, ash, myrtle etc., the art of woodworking was used heavily in the gun trade. A skilled woodworker would take a block of wood and using various tools such as lathes, chisels, planers etc., would carve out gun stocks, to which the barrel and firing action were fitted. On more expensive models, craftsmen would engrave patterns, crosshatches, inlay precious metals etc. into the stocks.

These days, stocks are made of other materials as well (e.g.) plastic, fiberglass composite, metal etc., where woodworking skills are not as important. However, some of the finest shotguns and rifles still feature wooden stocks carved by very skilled craftsmen.

Sixth part of gun production is called Metal Treatments.
The various metal parts of the firearm may be treated via chemical processes, to add a thin coating that prevents rust and also may be wearresistant. Some parts may also be hardened after machining, so that they can bear the stresses of normal usage better. We studied many of these treatments earlier e.g. case hardening, bluing, parkerizing, tenifer, melonite etc.


Seventh part of gun production is called Assembly.
After the parts of the firearm are manufactured, they still need to be put together to make a functional firearm. The process of putting the parts together may involve tasks such as riveting, welding, gluing, tightening screw threads, lubricating etc.

Eight part of gun production is called Testing.
After the parts are put together, the firearm needs to be tested to make sure that it is functioning accurately and reliably. In some countries, there are standard tests that are enforced by the Government and any firearm marketed in these countries is required to pass the standard tests before it can be sold. All reputable manufacturers also run various tests during various stages of the manufacturing process, to catch any problems as soon as possible.