(DoD, NATO) Type of weapon operation in which the force of expanding gases acting to the rear against the face of the bolt furnishes all the energy required to initiate the complete cycle of operation. A weapon which employs this method of operation is characterized by the absence of any breech-lock or bolt-lock mechanism.
(DoD, NATO) Escape, to the rear and under pressure, of gases formed during the firing of the weapon. Blowback may be caused by a defective breech mechanism, a ruptured cartridge case, or a faulty primer.
(DoD, NATO) Escape, to the rear and under pressure, of gases formed during the firing of the weapon. Blowback may be caused by a defective breech mechanism, a ruptured cartridge case, or a faulty primer.
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). blowback. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/blowback/definitions/1960606 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "blowback" http://smartdefine.org/blowback/definitions/1960606 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, blowback, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/blowback/definitions/1960606>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "blowback" 4 April 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/blowback/definitions/1960606> |