-Action-The mechanism directly behind the barrel by which a gun isloaded, locked, fired, unlocked, extracted and ejected.
-Anvil-The surface of the primer against which the firing pin strikes.
-Autoloading-See Semi-Automatic.
-Automatic-A firearm that will insert, fire, and eject with a single continuous trigger pull.
-Ball-A round lead projectile fired by a smooth bore firearm.
-Ballistic Coefficient- A number which indicates how a bullets shape, length, weight, diameter, and nose design affect it�s stability, velocity, and range against air resistance.
-Ballistics-The study of what happens to moving projectiles in the barrel and in flight.
-Barrel-The metal tube through which the bullet or shot passes when the firearm is fired.
-Base Wad-The paper filler at the rear of the powder charge of a shotgun shell.
-Battery-The metal arm of a flintlock mechanism against which flint strikes.
-Beaver Tail-A wide flat fore-end of a rifle or shotgun.
-Bedding-The part of a stock into which a barrel fits.
-Belt-The narrow band around the rear section of a cartridge case just forward of the extractor groove.
-Black Powder-A finely ground mixture of three basic ingredients - saltpetre, charcoal, and sulphur.
-Blown pattern-A shot gun pattern with erratic shot distribution, generally caused by gas escaping past the wads and into the shot.
-Blueing-A process of treating metal gun parts in a bath of metallic salts and water.
-Boattail-The tapered rear end of a bullet.
-Bolt-A steel rod-like assembly which moves back and forth in a bolt action, sealing the cartridge in the chamber during firing.
-Bolt Face-The forward end of a bolt which supports the base of the cartridge and contains the firing pin.
-Bore-The tunnel down the barrel of a firearm through which the projectile travels.
-Bore diameter-The measurement form one side of the bore the other.
-Breech-The rear end of the barrel or the portion in which the cartridge is inserted.
-Breech Block-The part in the breech mechanism the locks the action against the base of the cartridge.
-Breech Loader-A firearm loaded through the breech.
-Buckshot-Large (lead, steel, tungsten, or bismuth) pellets use in shotshells.
-Bullet-A single projectile fired from a firearm.
-Butt-The rear end of a rifle or shotgun stock..
-Buttplate-A plate the covers the butt of the stock..
-Calibre-The diameter of the bore before the grooves and cut.
-Cannelure-A groove around the circumference of a bullet or case.
-Cant-To lean or tilt a gun to one side when aiming.
-Cap-See Percussion cap
-Carbine-A light short barrelled rifle.
-Cartridge-A case usually made of copper or brass, containing the powder charge, the primer and the bullet.
-Centerfire-A case in which the primer is contain in the center of the base.
-Chamber-The large portion of the barrel at the breech in which the cartridge is placed ready for firing.
-Checkering-The diamond-like pattern on fore-ands and grips of firearms.
-Choke-The constriction at the muzzle of a shotguns barrel by which the spread of the shot pattern is controlled.
-Clip-A detachable metal case designed to hold a number of cartridges for loading into the firearm.
-Cock-To set the action into position for firing.
-Comb-The upper edge of a rifle or shotgun stock where the cheek rests.
-Cone-The sloping portion at the front end of a shotgun chamber.
-Conical Bullet-A cone shaped bullet.
-Cordite-A double-base smokeless powder made of nitroglycerine and gun cotton.
-Core-The part of a bullet that is covered by a jacket.
-Creep-The movement of a trigger before it releases.
-Crimp-The portion of a cartridge case that is bent inwards to hold the bullet in place, or in the case of a shot shell, to hold the shot in place.
-Cross hairs-The sighting line in a telescopic sight.
-Deterrent-A material added to a explosive to slow its burning rate.
-Down Range-The direction from the shooting position to the target.
-Drift-The departure of a bullet from its intended flight path (generally caused by wind or unbalance spinning of the bullet).
-Ejector-The mechanism that throws the cartridge case free from the gun.
-Elevation-The degree of adjustment of a rear sight or scope reticle necessary to cause the bullet to strike higher on the target.
-Energy-The amount of impact produced by a bullet expressed in foot pounds.
-Extractor-A hook device which pulls the case out of the chamber.
-Feed-The action of moving live cartridges from the magazine to thechamber.
-Firing Pin-A part of the bolt assembly which strikes the primer.
-Flinch-To move or jerk involuntarily while shooting.
-Flintlock-The gunlock of early firearms, in which flint is struck against steel thus creating spark that ignite the powder charge.
-Floor Plate-The detachable metal plate at the bottom of a magazine.
-Fore-end-The forward portion of a stock, located underneath the barrel.
-fps-Abbreviation for �Feet Per Second� A term use in expressing the velocity of a bullet.
-Frizzen-See Battery
-Gas port-A small hole in the barrel of a gas operated firearm.
-Gauge-Measurement of a shotgun bores derived from the number of bore sized balls of lead needed to equal one pound.
-Grip-A small portion of the stock gripped by the trigger hand.
-Grooves-See Rifling
-Group-A series of shots fired with the same sight setting and the same aim.
-Half cock-See Cock
-Hammer-The part of the action that drives the firing pin forward.
-Hammerless-Refers to a firearm whose hammer is concealed within a metal frame.
-Hang fire-Delay in firing a cartridge after the firing pin has struck the primer.
-Head space-The distance between the base of the cartridge and the face of the bolt.
-Heel-The rear end of the upper edge of a gun stock. Also the base of a bullet.
-High Intensity-Refers to cartridges having velocities of 2,700 feet per second or more.
-Holding-The action of keeping the sights on the target while applying pressure to the trigger.
-Hollow point-A bullet with a nose cavity designed to increase expansion upon impact.
-Jacket-The outer covering over the inner metal core of a bullet.
-Keyholing-The failure of a bullet to remain balanced in flight so that it enters the hole sideways leaving a elongated opening.
-Kick-See Recoil
-Lands-The uncut portions the barrel.
-Leading-Fouling of a firearms bore by metal particles from bullets adhering to the metal surface by heat or friction.
-Length of pull-The distance between the trigger and the center of a butt.
-Line of bore-A imaginary straight line through the centre of the bore of a firearm extending to infinity.
-Line of sight-A imaginary straight line from the eye through the sights to the target.
-Load- To prepare a gun for firing by placing a bullet in the breech ormagazine.
-Lock-The firing mechanism of muzzle loading firearm.
-Lock-The interval of time between trigger release and detonation of the primer.
-LR-Abbreviation for Long Rifle
-Machine Gun-A gun that fires continually with one pull of the trigger.
-Magazine-The part of a repeating firearm that contains the cartridges
or shells.
-Magnum-A cartridge or shell with greater power than normal.
-Main spring-A strong spring which activates the striker or hammer of a
firearm.
-Medal Cased-A bullet with a lead core and a solid metal jacket.
-Metallic Sight-A non-telescopic firearm sight.
-Mid-range-The point half way between the muzzle and the target.
-Misfire-Failure of a cartridge to discharge after firing pin has struck the primer.
-Mouth-The open end of a case.
-Musket-A smooth bore rifle.
-Musketoon-A musket shortened for cavalry use.
-Muzzle-The forward end of a barrel.
-Muzzle Break-A slotted devise attached to a firearm to soften recoil.
-Muzzle Energy-The energy of a projectile as it emerges from the muzzle.
-Muzzle loader-A firearm loaded from the muzzle.
-Muzzle velocity-See Velocity
-Naked bullet-A bullet with no exterior jacket.
-Nipple-A small metal tube extending through the breech of a percussion firearm.
-Nose-The point of a projectile.
-Obturation-The expansion of a cartridge case which seals the chamber preventing gases from escaping.
-Open sight-See sight
-Optical sight-A telescopic firearm sight.
-Under and Over gun-A firearm with two or more barrels one on top of the other.
-Patch-A piece of cloth, placed under a lead ball before ramming it down the barrel of a muzzle loader.
-Pattern-Distribution of shotgun pellets.
-Pistol Grip-See Grip
-Powder-The general term for any propellent used in firearms which burns upon ignition.
-Primer-The collective term used for the chemical primer compound, cup and anvil which, when struck, ignites the powder charge.
-Projectile-A bullet or shot in flight after discharge from a firearm.
-Ramrod-A wood or metal rod used to force the wad and bullet down thebarrel of a muzzle loading firearm.
-Range-The distance travelled from the firearm to the target.
-Receiver-The metal frame of a rifle or shotgun which contains the breech, locking mechanism, and reloading mechanism..
-Receiver Sight-A sight attached to the receiver.
-Recoil-The backward force of a firearm caused by expanding gases within the chamber. See Kick
-R.F-Abbreviation for Rim Fire.
-Rifle-A shoulder firearm with a rifled barrel, designed to fire oneprojectile at a time.
-Rifled Slug-A large single projectile used in shotguns.
-Rifling-Spiral grooves cut into the inside barrel surface to cause a bullet to spin, thereby stabilizing it.
-Rim-The edge on the base of a cartridge which stops the progression of the case into the chamber.
-Rimfire-A cartridge in which the priming compound is contained in th rim at the base of a cartridge.
-Safety-A mecahnical device that prevents the gun from being fired.
-Sear-The part of a firearm which links the trigger and the firing pin.
-Sectional Density-The relationship between the weight of the bullet and the cross- sectional area.
-Semi-Automatic-An action which fires, extracts, ejects, reloads and cocks with each separate pull of the trigger.
-Shotgun-A firearm with a smoothbore designed to fire small pellets called shot or rifled slugs.
-Shoulder- The sharply sloping portion of the cartridge case joining
the body and neck.
-Sight-The device on a firearm designed to help the shooter aim more accurately.
-Sling-A strap used to carry and aid in shooting a rifle of shotgun.
-Small bore-Generally refers to a 22 caliber firearm.
-Smokeless powder-See Powder
-Smooth bore-A firearm with a bore that is not rifled.
-Snap shot-A quick shot taken without deliberate aim.
-Spent bullet-A projectile which has lost nearly all of its energy andlacks the force needed to penetrate the target.
-Spitzer-A bullet with a sharp point for better stability during flight.
-Stock-The part of a rifle or shotgun by which it is held for firing and into which the metal parts are fitted.
-Striker-The front part of a firing pin which strikes the cartridge.
-Tang-A metal strip extending rearward from a rifle or shotgun receiver to attach the action to the stock.
-Throat-The forward portion of a chamber where it is tapered to meet the bore.
-Toe-The bottom part of the butt of a rifle or shotgun.
-Trajectory-The path a bullet travels from muzzle to impact.
-Trigger-The part of a firearm mechanism which releases the firing pin.
-Trigger guard-A metal loop around the trigger designed to protect it.
-Trombone action-A pump or slide action firearm.
-Turn bolt action- A bolt action which is locked by pressing the bolt handle in and down, thereby turning its locking lugs into the receiver.
-Twist-The angle of rifling grooves relative to the bore axis.
-Velocity-The speed at which a projectile travels.
-Wad-The disc used to separate the powder from the shot.
-W.C.F-Abbreviation for Winchester Centre Fire.
-Wildcat Cartridge- A non-standard cartridge usually made by modifying the shape of a standard one.
-Windage-The lateral drift of a bullet in flight.
-W.R.F-Abbreviation for Winchester Rim fire.
-Zero-Sight adjustment so the bullet will strike the bullet at the point of aim.
By Jarrett Warner
