Tapering (firearms)

In barrels, this centralises mass to the operator, not only to reduce perceived weight due to center of mass, but also to improve accuracy/acquisition and stabilise the balance handling of the weapon. In addition, a tapered barrel means that chamber pressures are higher, leading to increased round velocity.

In cartridges, this usually helps in chambering/unloading the weapon. This differs from shouldering/bottlenecking^[5], which only refers to the case head of the cartridge that holds the projectile, whereas tapering usually refers to the angled sides of the cartridge.

• Squeeze bore
• Built-up gun
• Fluting (firearms)