General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 130 guns, 20,000 rounds of ammo found in foreclosed CT home [View all]Lurker Deluxe
(1,036 posts)A Hilti gun (just a brand name) is exactly like a gun. They label the parts a little different because they function a little differently but the fact is there is a chamber and a barrel.
The barrel in a Hilti gun is called a piston, the chamber is where the round goes. The chamber contains a firing pin just like any other gun. The load is a .22 round (charge) that has no projectile which is why the barrel is called a piston. When the Hilti is cocked the chamber opens, the round (charge) enters, and chamber closes with the firing pin "cocked". When the charge explodes it is contained in the chamber just like a regular gun, the only difference is there is no projectile, so the charge expands down the barrel (liner) driving the piston (bullet) to strike the object to be driven.
The only difference is the projectile does not leave the gun, it is contained within the devise ... making it a piston instead of a bullet.
Some Hilti guns, just an FYI, are also semi-automatic and have "clips" that can hold up to 100 rounds of ammo (nails).