A. missile b. combat c. warhead d. mine

A. shotgun b. bomb c. mortar d. rocket

IV. Find the word in the text that has the similar meaning to the following:

Weapon

Fight

Embrace

Purpose

Missile

Molding

Produce

Fuel

V. Match the words with their definitions:

1) ammunition a) smth to be sent forward from a gun

2) combat b) smth to be aimed at in shooting practice

3) missile c) a container for bullets

4) target d) a case containing explosive with a bullet

Explode e) a shaped piece of lead fired from a rifle

Propellant f) anything that can be used in combat

Projectile g) fight, struggle

Cartridge h) to destroy

Bullet i) an object or a weapon that is thrown ( a stone), shot (an arrow),

Projected ( a rocket)

Case j) smth used to produce forward motion

VI. Are the following statements true or false? Correct the false ones with the right information and discuss your answer with your partner.

Ammunition is a tool used only in hunting.

In attack ammunition projects force against a target.

Modern ammunition includes mortars, smart bombs, shotguns and rockets.

Anti-personnel ammunition is designed to penetrate engine blocks, damaging mechanisms inside.

The term bullet is used to describe the cartridge.

A cartridge consists of a bullet, a case, a primer and propellant.

Bullets can be made by one process, by casting.

Copper plating improves bullets.

The most popular small arms ammunition cases are of brass alloy.

After assembly, the finished cartridge are stamped with information such as caliber and manufacture.

VI I. Work in pairs. Discuss which sentence in B best continues the sentence in A.

A B.

1) Ammunition is a) two metal parts and some explosive compound.

2) The purpose of ammunition is b) poured into the bullet mold cavity, cooled and extracted.

3) The components of ammunition c) formed from annealed sheet.

May be

4) Bullets are made of d) anything that can be used in a combat.

Cases are made of e) to project force against a selected target.

A piece of thick lead wire f) of brass alloy.

A brass case is g) explosives, projectiles and cartridges.

The molten lead is h) brass, steel, or aluminum.

Ammunition cases are i) a lead alloy.

A primer consists of j) cut and formed into a bullet shape.

VIII. What do these numbers refer to?

20, 22, 60, 0.125, 50

Talk about ammunition from memory using these prompts.

Used in combat

The purpose of ammunition

Modern ammunition

Components of ammunition

Bullets

Cases

Primers

Cartridges

Part II

You are going to read the texts about three different firearms. For questions 1–10 choose from the firearms (A–C). There may be more than one answer.

Which firearm

¾ is fired from the shoulder?

¾ is used in sports?

¾ is different from a rifle and a machine gun?

¾ is the simplest firearm?

¾ is the heaviest firearm?

¾ is popular among security guards?

¾ fires in quick succession?

¾ is mounted on a vehicle?

¾ is named after people?

Which article describes the development of firearms?

Text A

Revolver

 

A revolver is a repeating firearm that consists of multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. As the user cocks the hammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next round with the barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name. In modern revolvers, the revolving cylinder typically chambers 5 or 6 rounds.

A single action revolver requires the hammer to be pulled back by hand before each shot. In contrast, in a double action revolver, squeezing the trigger can pull back the hammer to cock the gun as well as serving to release the hammer. Most modern double action revolvers can also be fired in single action mode, which serves to improve the accuracy by reducing the force and distance required to pull the trigger.

Compared to autoloading handguns, a revolver is often simpler to operate (despite often being more mechanically complex) and may have greater reliability (depending on firmness of grip, ammunition or cartridge used, and degree of maintenance and lubrication provided to the firearm). Their lower ammunition capacities and relatively longer reload times compared to autoloading pistols are the main reasons for the switch over that occurred in the 1980s and 1990s. Revolvers still remain popular among American law enforcement officers and security guards. Also, revolvers are still common in the American private sector as defensive and sporting/hunting firearms.

As a general rule, revolvers cannot be equipped with a sound suppressor, as there is usually a small gap between the revolving cylinder and the barrel over which a bullet must backward to extract the fired case.

 

Text B

Rifle

A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. Rifles are used in warfare, hunting and shooting sports.

Typically, a bullet is propelled by an explosive compound. A rifle refers to any weapon that has a stock and is shouldered before firing. Rifles traditionally fired a single projectile with each pull of the trigger. Modern assault rifles are capable of firing in bursts or fully automatic modes, and thus overlap somewhat with machine guns. The difference between a rifle and a machine gun comes down to weight and feed system; rifles, with their relatively light components (which overheat quickly) and small magazines, are incapable of sustained automatic fire in the way that machine guns are. Generally the rifle is an individual weapon, while the machine gun is crew-served: that is, at least two soldiers are dedicated to carrying and operating it.

By the mid-19th century, however, manufacturing had advanced sufficiently that the musket was replaced by a range of rifles generally single-shot. Early military rifles, such as the Baker rifle were shorter than the day’s muskets. Until the early 20th century rifles tended to be very long. The demand for more compact weapons for cavalrymen led to the carbine, or shortened rifle.

Over the 19th century, bullet design also evolved, the bullets became gradually smaller and lighter. By 1910 the standard blunt-nosed bullet had been replaced with the pointed bullet, an innovation that increased range and penetration. Cartridge design evolved from simple paper tubes containing black powder and shot, to sealed brass cases with integral primer for ignition, while black powder itself was replaced with smokeless powder mixtures, propelling bullets to higher velocities than before.

Currently, rifles are the most common firearm in general use for hunting purposes (with the exception of bird hunting where shotguns are favored). Use in competition is also very common, and includes Olympic events. Rifles derived from military designs have always been popular with civilian shooters, and today semi-automatic versions of modern military rifles such as the AR-15 or AK-47 have become very popular in the United States for target shooting and sporting purposes.

Text C

Machine gun

 

A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rifle cartridges in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute. The first machine gun was the Maxim Gun, invented by Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884.

Machine guns are divided into submachine guns, machine guns, or autocannons. The distinction between submachine guns and machine guns is little, whether the ammunition is used in pistols (chiefly semi-automatic pistols) or rifles; the difference between machine guns and autocannons is based on caliber, with autocannons using calibers larger than 16 mm. Another factor is whether the gun fires conventional rounds or explosive rounds. Guns firing large-caliber explosive rounds are autocannons.

Unlike semi-automatic firearms, which require one trigger pull per bullet fired, a machine gun is designed to fire bullets as long as the trigger is held down and ammunition is fed into the weapon. Machine guns are normally used against unprotected or lightly-protected personnel, or to provide suppressive fire.

Although subdivided into “light”, “medium”, “heavy” or “general purpose”, even the lightest machine guns are much larger and heavier than other automatic weapons. A light machine gun requires one operator to carry ammunition. Medium and heavy machine guns are either mounted on a tripod or on a vehicle; when carried on foot, the machine gun and other equipment require additional crew members.

Automatic rifles such as the Browning Automatic Rifle were designed to be a high duty cycle arm for support of other troops, and were often made with quick change barrel assemblies to allow quick replacement of overheated barrels.

Heavy machine guns were often water cooled but air cooled MG have interchangeable barrels, which must be changed periodically to avoid overheating. The higher the rate of fire, the more often barrels must be changed and allowed to cool. To minimize this, most air-cooled guns are fired only in short bursts or at a reduced rate of fire.

Electronically controlled machine guns with ultrahigh rates of fire, like Metal Storm’s weapons may see use in some applications, although current small-caliber weapons of this type have found little use: they are too light for anti-vehicle use, but too heavy (especially with the need to carry a tactically useful amount of ammunition) for individual soldiers.

Modern machine guns are usually mounted in one of four ways. The first is a bipod – often these are integrated with the weapon. This is common on light machine guns and also medium machine guns. Another major way is with a larger tripod, where the person holding it does not form a “leg” of support. Medium and heavy machine guns usually use tripods.

Part III

I. Read the text. For questions 1–7 choose the answers (a, b, c, d) which you think fits best according to the text. Translate the text.

A weapon is

a) a tool to produce some equipment

b) a device that changes the direction of a vehicle

c) a tool that attacks in combat

d) a mechanism to hunt

Weapons can be as simple as

a) a club

b) a rocket

c) a ballistic missile

d) a rifle

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