Muzzle flash

Muzzle Flash or Muzzle Flame. Flame that appears at the muzzle of a gun when a projectile leaves the barrel. See Flash Reducing (or Antiflash) Agents, Flash Reduction in Ger Projectiles, and Flash Reduction in Ger Proplnts, Vol 6, F96-L to F99-L... 

Ordnance propellants are required to give the minimum of muzzle flash, smoke and barrel erosion. All these objectives are assisted by adding to the propellant a proportion of nitroguanidine (picrite), made by treating guanidine nitrate with sulphuric acid and brought to very fine particle size by recrystallisation and disintegration. 

Double-based propellants are a mixture of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. This mixture increases the pressure of the gas inside the gun barrel. Double-base propellants are used in pistols and mortars. Some disadvantages of using double-base propellants is the erosion that this mixture causes to the gun barrel due to higher burn temperatures and the presence of muzzle flash. 

Triple-based propellants are mixtures of nitroguanidine, nitrocellulose, and nitroglycerine. The mixture reduces the muzzle flash observed with double-based propellants, reduces the burn temperature, which protects the gun barrel, and increases the gas volume. Triple-based propellants are used in tank guns, large caliber guns, and some naval weapons. 

It should be noted that both KNO3 and K2SO4 are useful additives for eliminating the luminous flame generated at a rocket nozzle and also for suppressing the formation of muzzle flash generated at the exit of a gun barrel. The potassium atoms generated in the gun barrel by the decomposition of these potassium salts are believed to act as a flame retardant. 

Muzzle flash, which is undesirable in gunnery because it discloses position, interferes with vision of gunners, and interferes with guidance and telemetry, is due to the combustion of product gases CO H2. Current US composite nonflashing proplnts are based on British ... 

Accdg to Tavernier (Ref 44, p 252), Rottweil Fabrik of Germany proposed vaseline with 1—2% Na bicarbonate as muzzle-flash suppressor. This was replaced in 1907 by soap or rosin... 

Flame, Muzxle. See Muzzle Flash, under Flash Reducing Compounds... 

Flash Hide r or Muzzle Flash Suppressor (Dampfer, in Ger). A metallic cone and/or flat disks which ate attached to the muzzle of a gun to conceal the flash when the gun is fired and to prevent temporary blindness of the crew while firing... 

Flashless. Said of a prop In t or propelling charge which does not produce a muzzle flash in the weapon for which intended Ref Glossary of Ordn(1959), 119 R... 

Flash Reducer. In US Ordnance, any material issued separately for use with a propelling charge to reduce its muzzle flash. Differs from "flash suppressor (qv)... 

There are several ways m which the muzzle flash can be reduced or even eliminated 11 Bv incortinratinff in the smokeless nrnnlnt... 

E) E. Saigger, GerP 636977(1936) 8c CA 31, 3280(1937) [Muzzle flash in firearms is reduced by placing at the base of the projectile one of the following salts of nitrated quinol salts (such as K Dlnitromechoxy-quinol nitrate, C7H qN306 ) or highly nitrated aromatic oompds)... 

Q) Anon, "Spectral Characteristics of Muzzle Flash", Army Materiel Command, AMCP -706-255(1967)... 

These propellants also contain nitroglycerine (NG) in addition to NC and the proportion of NG depends on the performance desired from double-base (DB) propellants. DB propellants are more energetic than SB propellants and have Q value between 3300 and 5200Jg 1. There are two disadvantages in the use of DB propellants higher erosion of the gun-barrel as a result of higher flame temperatures and presence of a muzzle flash which discloses the location of the gun. DB propellants are used in pistols, mortars, rockets and missiles. 

With the use of Gudol proplnt, the breech as well as muzzle flash were practically fill-minated and so was the smoke. The erosion of gun barrel was very low (Refs 1, 2 3 and Ref 4, p Ger 81)... 

Accdg to information published in Russian military journal Russkii. Invalid , such a gun was built and tried on a Norwegian polygon in the summer of 1903. It is not known whether the test was successful or not, but if successful, such gun would have the following advantages over conventional cannons noiseless shooting, absence of proplnt gases (usually accompanied by. muzzle flash or smoke) and only a very. 

As erosion of a gun wears away its rifling, the result is always unsatisfactory rotation of the projectile (spin) with associated fuze failure Particularly bad erosion was observed with high muzzle flash guns... 

Flash inhibitor Potassium sulfate, potassium nitrate, potassium aluminium fluoride and sodium cryolite Reduce muzzle flash... 

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