Simple Gun Jargon

Just some common jargon 1911 - A Colt pistol that was adopted in 1911. .50AE - Action Express. Action - The motion in which the gun is loaded, fired, & unloaded. .45ACP - Automatic Colt Pistol. AK47 - Avtomat Kalashnikov 1947 edition. AR 10/15 - Semi-auto version of M16, Armalite. Ammunition/Ammo - Material fired from any weapon. Arsenal - A collection of firearms, ammo, & firearm accessories; A Rifle company. ATF - The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives. Autoloader - A firearm that automatically loads the next cartridge.  Automatic - Capability of sequentially firing two or more cartridges with a single pull of the trigger. BAR - A Browning automatic rifle. Barrel - Is the tube in which a rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a cartridge. Blue - A chemical rust process that produces a very dark, almost black, blue finish to the steel parts. Bolt - It holds the cartridge in place during the firing process. Bullet - A cylindrical shaped projectile that is fired from a firearm. Bullpup - firearm setup where the action is located behind the trigger group & next the shooter's face. Butt Stock - Part of  rifle or shotgun is usually placed against the shoulder to fire. Caliber - The approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used. Can - Slang term for a firearm sound suppressor. Cant - To tilt a gun to one side or the other. Carbine - A short, lightweight rifle with a barrel that usually measures less than 16". Cartridge - A bullet. CHL - Concealed handgun license. CCW - Carrying concealed weapon. Class 3 - A weapon that is regulated by the NFA & requires a tax stamp. Clip - Holds cartridges in place prior to be put into a magazine of a firearm. Centerfire Cartridge - A cartridge that has a primer located in the center of the base of the shell casing. Cocked - A state of readiness of a firearm.  Cylinder - A rotating cartridge container in a revolver. Double Feed - A malfunction where two rounds attempt to enter the chamber. Double Barrel - A two barrel gun where the barrels are aligned side-by-side.   Down Range - The area of the range forward of the firing line. Dot Sight - An optical device used for aiming a firearm. Ears - Slang for ear protection. Ejector - A spring-activated mechanism for the ejection of ammunition or and empty shell casing.  Extractor - Removes a fired shell casing or a live round from the chamber.  Eyes - Slang for safety glasses or other protection for the eyes. Eye Dominance - A natural tendency for one eye to take precedence over the other. Factory Ammo - Ammunition that has been assembled by a commercial vendor. Feed Ramp - An inclined polished area that helps guide a cartridge into the chamber. Firearm - A tool which uses the combustion of some chemical mix to propel a projectile. Fire Control - The trigger assembly of a firearm. Firing Pin - It gives a strike to the primer initiating the firing of the cartridge.  Flash Hider/Suppressor - Placed on the muzzle to minimize the bright flash from firing. Forend - The part of the stock forward of the action and located below the barrel or barrels. Form 1 - It is for requesting the manufacture of an class 3 weapon. Form 4 - It is for transferring a class 3 weapon. FPS - First person shooter. Furniture - Matching material that consists of the stock, grip, & handguard.  Full Metal Jacket - A type of bullet in which the core is encased in a metal jacket on the front and sides.  Grain - A unit of mass used for measuring bullets and gunpowder.  There are 7000 grains in one pound. Grooves - The portion of the bore in a rifled barrel that has been machined away. Group - A number of shots fired at a target to determine the accuracy of either the gun or the ammunition.  Gunpowder - A chemical mixture or compound that burns rapidly. Handguard - A device that protects against hot gases, holds accessories, & helps accuracy.  Hammer - It is propelled by a spring to strike either directly or via a firing pin the primer of a cartridge. Handloads - Are cartridges assembled by an individual person from the individual components. Headspace - The clearance between the base of a chambered cartridge and the breech face of a firearm. Heel - The top of the butt stock. Holster - A device that protects the shooter from accidentally firing while carrying a firearm. Hollow Point - A type of bullet that has a hollow point at the front end. Integrally Suppressed - A suppressor that is part of the barrel instead of being attached on a muzzle. Iron Sights - Sights made of metal with no optics. Kick - Slang term for recoil. Lever Action - Uses a lever operated device to remove an empty shell casing and insert a new cartridge. Lock Tight - Liquid used to secure bolts & screws. Lower - The lower receiver, fire control, & butt stock of a AR15. M4 - A M16 with a 14.5" barrel. M16 -  Select fire AR15. Magazine - Removable chamber that holds ammo & feeds it into the firearm. Mag Release - A button that drops a magazine from a firearm. Magnum - A cartridge that has more powder and shoots the same weight bullet faster.  Match Grade - A higher quality item used to increase accuracy.  Mil-Dot - A type of 'viewfinder' in a telescopic sight that has dots spaced one mill radian. MOE - Magpul Original Equipment. Musket - An older form of black powder military long arm. Muzzle - The end of the barrel where the bullet exits as it is being fired. Muzzle Brake - An attachment that redirects pressurized gas out of the muzzle to the sides.  Muzzle Velocity - The speed of the bullet as it leave the muzzle of the gun. NFA - National Firearms Act. NRA - National Rifle Association. Open Carry - Publicly holstering a weapon. Ported barrels - Barrels with a series of holes or slots drilled near the muzzle. Projectile - An object given an initial velocity which proceeds on it's one inertia through the air. Picatinny/Weaver Rail - A raised rail with slots for accessories to lock onto.  Pistol - A handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel. Pistol Grip - A rifle stock shaped like the grip of a pistol. Powder Charge - The amount of propellant powder for specific cartridge-bullet combination. Primer - A small metal cup that contains a tiny explosive charge that is sensitive to impact. Pump/Pump Action - A mechanism for removing a casing from the chamber and inserting a fresh cartridge. Receiver - The portion of a rifle that has the serial number on it; The frame or action body of a firearm. Recoil - The sudden rearward push made against the shooter when a firearm is fired. Reticle - The sighting device in a telescopic sight or scope. Revolver - A handgun which has multiple chambers which each revolve into position to fire a cartridge. Rifle - A firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder.   Rifling - An arrangement of helical grooves machined into a barrel to impart a spin onto a projectile. Rimfire Cartridge - A cartridge whose primer is located along the edge of the base in a rim.  Round - One cartridge. RPG - A rocket propelled grenade. Safety - A mechanical device used to block the firing pin or trigger. Saturday Night Special - Slang for an inexpensive handgun. SBR - Short barreled rifle, less than 16". SBS - Short barreled shotgun, less that 18". Scope - A telescopic Sight. Sear - A device that stops the bolt by catching the hammer & releasing it again. Select Fire - Mechanism that allows firearm to go from semi-auto to full-auto. Semi-Auto - Capability of firing only one cartridge with a single pull of the trigger. Shrapnel - Multiple pieces of metal from a destructive device. Silencer/Suppressor - A device which muffles the sound of shooting a firearm. Shotgun - A long gun that shoots a group of pellets called shot instead of bullets. Shotshell - A self-contained round of  a load of shot. Shot: Snake/Rat Shot - For small animals, has more but smaller pellets. Bird Shot - For Birds, has more but medium pellets. Buck Shot - For larger animals, has fewer but large sized pellets. Shell Casing - An empty cartridge. Sights - Aids the eye in aiming the barrel of a firearm in the proper direction to hit a target. Slide - A device that ejects a spent casing, cocks the hammer for the next shot, & loads another cartridge. Snap Caps - Dummy cartridges with spring-loaded primers used to test firearms. Soft Point - A bullet that has an exposed lead tip. Speed Loader - A device that quickly loads multiple rounds into a magazine or a revolver.    Spotter - A helper who gives the shooter guidance on how to hit a particular target. Stovepipe - A cartridge malfunction where the casing isn't properly ejected. S&W - Smith & Wesson. Tax Stamp - A $200 payment to the ATF for the transfer of a class 3 weapon. Trace - Visible disturbance in the air by a bullets. Trajectory - The path which a bullet takes.  Trigger - The mechanism used by the shooter to initiate the firing of a cartridge. Trigger Guard - A device which partially covers the trigger and reduces accidental firings. Trigger Lock - A locking device put on a firearm to render it unable to be fired. Turret - A device that allows 180 - 360 degrees of rotation to fire. Upper - The upper receiver, barrel, muzzle, & front sight of a AR15. Varmint Bullet - A hollow point bullet that is designed to fragment into many pieces upon impact. Windage - The setting on the sights used to accommodate the wind.