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Bullets fired from a rifled firearm should NOT tumble in flight. If they do so, it is a sign of problems.

This may be caused by different matters that all relate to the rifling in the firearm, and the bullet.

First is rifling is badly worn, if the bore is oversized for the bullet, or if rifling is badly fouled with lead/ jacketing metal/powder deposits, the bullet will not be gripped by the rifling and spun, and may not be stable in flight (tumbling) Try cleaning the bore properly, and check for excessive wear at the muzzle.

The second condition is the wrong weight/length of bullet for the rate of twist of the rifling. A fast rate of twist, combined with a very fast bullet, MAY result in the bullet "stripping", and not being spun by the rifling. Or a very heavy, slow bullet may not be spun fast enough to stabilize the bullet. Most .22 rimfire rifles are rifled to shoot 40 grain bullets accurately. If loaded with a 60 grain bullet, such as the Aguilla 60 gr SSS, the bullet will not be stabilized, and may tumble in flight.

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Does a bullet shot from a gun undergo any acceleration after it leaves the barrel?

No- or minimal at best. Acceleration of the bullet comes from gas expanding inside the barrel, pushing the bullet. Once it leaves the barrel, (or within a VERY short distance) gas is no longer pushing, and acceleration stops, and bullet begins to slow from air resistance.


Why does a bullet rotate?

A bullet rotates in flight due to the rifling inside the barrel of a gun. The rifling creates grooves that grip the bullet and cause it to spin as it travels down the barrel. This spin stabilizes the bullet's trajectory and improves accuracy.


Why does a bullet have less momentum fired from a short barrel vs long barrel?

At the instant the gun fires, the bullet is at rest- speed zero. As the expanding gasses from the burning gunpowder reach the bullet, they begin pushing the bullet up the barrel. It's speed is increasing- and the longer the push, the higher the speed. There IS a point of diminishing returns- where a barrel LONGER than the perfect length begins to slow the bullet- you have used all the expanding gasses, and now friction is slowing the bullet. If you had a barrel 20 ft long, the bullet would not make it all the way up the barrel, it would stop.For barrels on any realistically-usable weapon, a longer barrel will provide more momentum to the bullet than a shorter one. In addition, longer rifled barrels will also impart more spin, which will increase accuracy.


What happens to a bullet as it moves down the barrel of a firearm?

As a bullet moves down the barrel of a firearm, it gets propelled by expanding gases from the ignited gunpowder. The rifling inside the barrel causes the bullet to spin, improving its accuracy by stabilizing its flight. The bullet gains speed and energy as it accelerates down the barrel before exiting the muzzle.


What makes a bullet spin?

The barrel of the gun has lands and grooves (grooves and ridges) cut in a spiral. The bullet molds to these and starts to spin as it moves down the barrel. The bullet just continues to spin after it leaves the barrel.Correct. The ridges are known as 'lands'. It is possible to calculate how fast a bullet will spin if you know the twist rate of the barrel and the velocity of the bullet. My AR15 has a twist rate of 1-in-8 ie for every eight inches the bullet travels down the barrel, the bullet is rotated once. It fires a .223 round at approx 2,800 feet per second so... The formula is (bullet velocity x 720)/twist rate so... (2,800x720)/8 is an incredible 252,000RPM!

Related Questions

What does the rifled musket do?

It improves that accuracy and distance of the bullet by causing the bullet to spin not tumble like a smooth bore barrel musket.


Does the spiraling barrel of an m-16 cause the bullet to tumble?

This spiraling is called rifling. This imparts a stabilizing spin to a projectile. The M16 has a very tight spiral, but the bullet shouldn't tumble until it hits a target. If you picture a bullet, when the narrow tip first hits a target, it will cause the rest of the bullet to tumble, end over end, and often fragment as well.


What causes a bullet to spin when fired?

Rifling in the barrel is actually grooves cut into the barrel by the manufacturer to cause the bullet to spin as it leaves the barrel. Before rifling the bullets would tend to tumble when they left the barrel causing them to have shorter range and be less accurate.


Does a AK-47 bullet flip?

If by flip you mean tumble in the air then it depends on the type of AK that is being fired. If the AK is cheaply made and has a low quality barrel then the bullet may tumble in the air. Quality AK47s do not have this problem.


What part of the gun is a barrel?

The gun barrel is the metal part that the bullet comes out of.


What is the barrel on a center fire rifle?

The part which the bullet comes out of....


How heavy is a 5.56mm bullet?

The 5.56 NATO comes in 55gr, 62gr, 72gr and 77gr. Bullet weight should be matched to barrel twist.


Where is the muzzle of a gun?

It's at the end of the barrel where the bullet comes out. It's at the opposite end of the butt of the gun.


What part of gun is the barrel?

It's the pipe-looking thingy pointing forward that the bullet comes out through.


Does caliber refer to a bullet or barrel?

bullet


What is th purpose of rifling a gun barrel?

Rifling a gun barrel causes the bullet to spin when it comes out. This makes the bullet fly more straight and greatly improves accuracy. Much like a spinning football spirals.


What does a barrel assembly do on a rifle?

The barrel guides and accelerates the bullet out of the rifle, and imparts spin to the bullet to stabilize the bullet in flight.