Courtesy of Breach Bang Clear
Language Lessons: Overgassing
Alexander Crown
TERM: Overgassing
AKA: More Blowback, “Ouch my face/eyes”, “I can’t breathe”
APPLICATION OF USE: Referring to guns that operate via a gas system when there is too much gas. Very significant with regard to the use of silencers.
DEFINITION: The term overgassing describes the effect of gasses being expelled from a firearm to the point of the shooters impairment or to the detriment of the weapons itself.
INTO THE WEEDS: Almost all modern weapons operate via some type of gas system, some more efficiently than others, and some that are overgassed from the start to insure reliability. One of the most common forms of overgassing, besides too much Taco Bell, comes from the use of silencers. A silencer’s job is to capture gasses in order to quickly cool them and not allow them to explode into the air making a loud noise. When a silencer does its job it can force the gases back into the host weapon.
The best and most common examples of this are short barreled AR15s. Silencers increase the gasses going back into the gas tube, causing excessive wear on the gas rings, firing pin retaining pin, and buffer, among other parts. This wear is noticeable over a period of time but more immediate signs can be seen in increased dirtiness on spent brass and magazines.
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