USC

On The Wing Sports

Firearm Handling Lessons Index and Glossary

Access - Who can have access to and get control of any firearm is a problem for each firearm owner and anyone who carries a firearm that requires continuous diligence and responsibility.  Lesson #2 Action - The mechanical devices and spaces that are part of a gun which feeds ammunition from the Magazine to the Firing Chamber. Also the devices that cock hammers, set springs, and charge, retain, or release the mechanical power used to ignite gunpowder, or hit a primer, or eject spent casings. A gun will not fire when it's action remains 'Open'.  Closing a gun Action will usually pull a Round from a loaded Magazine into the Firing Chamber and cock a gun ready to Fire.  Closing a gun Action lines up and brings close proximity of Firing Pin to the Ammunition Primer. Aim - Lining up 4 points on a line. Four points are: 1.Your eye. 2.Rear gun site. 3.Front gun site. 4.Target.  See also: Pointing versus Aiming  ;  See also Dominant eye Ammunition (ammo) - Cartridges and Shells of the right size and right power that are designed to work with your Firearm. Or the combination of material needed to load and fire a gun. Auto Loader - A gun that loads a new round into the Firing Chamber from the Magazine upon Firing a previous Round. Also called Semi-Automatic. Axiom - self evident truth - usable information - The Firearm Handling Axioms 123 are the most important things to fully understand before handling a firearm; and to abide when handling any firearm. Backfire - When gases, powder, broken gun parts, material, or a projectile is propelled in the opposite or alternate direction that was intended such as a possible outcome of firing a gun that has a barrel obstruction.  In the broader sense a backfire can be a plan that fails badly or has opposite than intended results, such as what could happen if a water squirt pistol were to be pointed in an uncertain, low light condition at the wrong person. Barrel Obstruction - Any thing in the gun barrel that restricts the flow of gas or projectiles out of the muzzle. Such conditions as mud in the muzzle from a handler letting the muzzle touch the ground; or a bullet lodged in the barrel from a Squib Fire that did not have enough power to push the bullet out of the muzzle.  Firing a round in a gun that has a Barrel Obstruction is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! Brandish - act of displaying a firearm in a threatening manner. Breach - the end of a gun barrel that is opposite of Muzzle end, which opens for loading, ejecting spent casings, inspection, cleaning and maintenance. Cartridge - One round of ammunition includes bullet, gunpowder, casing, and primer all assembled. (Rifle & Pistol) Casing - The component of a round of ammunition that encases and holds together the primer, powder, and projectile. Cease Fire - 1. Stop shooting.  2.also has additional meaning when in training at the shooting range See:  Lesson #1 Cease Fire Chamber - (Firing Chamber) - The area of a gun from which a Cartridge or Shell is Fired.  A gun is not "unloaded" until the Chamber, as well as the magazine has all ammunition removed. Dominant eye - Most people have one eye that is favored. See: Determining which eye is dominant. Dummy - Dummy Gun is an object that retains features for training purposes of a real gun, but that is inoperable as a firearm.  Dummy Round is inoperable ammunition used for training.  See: Lesson #2 - Dummy Gun Eye protection - Safety glasses with side shields for reasonable protection when shooting from: escaping high pressure gases, projectile shavings, ejected casings, bouncing and ricocheting projectiles, and other gun malfunctions.  Firearm - A device that uses the high pressures caused by burning gunpowder to propel projectiles out of a barrel for sport or protection purposes. Firearm Handling Axioms 123 - The most important things to fully understand before handling a firearm; and to abide when handling any firearm. See: Firearms Handling Axioms 123 Firing pin - key component of a gun's action that strikes the ammunition primer when the trigger is pulled.  See:  making a gun inoperable Gun - A device that has the capacity to propel projectiles out of a barrel use for sport, protection, or training. This includes Firearms, and may include compressed gas powered devices, and includes water squirt pistols. Line of Fire - travel path of projectiles fired;  plus for all practical purposes - the likely possible paths of such projectiles even when not intended.  Lead - (pronounced: leed) - amount to aim in advance of a moving target due to speed of target and allowance for travel of bullet or projectiles. Lead - (pronounced: lěd) - metal, Pb, atomic #82, common element from which to make firearm projectiles, among many possible others or combinations of materials. Loaded - When ammo is in the chamber and/or magazine of a firearm. The debate about whether a belt full of ammo mounted to the gun stock or a box of cartridges in the drawer next to a pistol constitutes a loaded gun is moot when Firearms Handling Axioms 123 are followed and all firearms are treated as loaded at all times. Magazine - The area of a gun which holds ammunition in preparation to feeding into the Firing Chamber. Misfire - The condition of an attempted firing of a Round of Ammunition that did not ignite.  This can be caused by a non-functioning or slow functioning primer or powder igniting system; or cause by a malfunction of the gun. A misfire can be a very dangerous condition as it can be distracting to the gun handler who should Always Point the Muzzle in a Safe Direction.  The condition could actually be a slow or delayed fire, which is poised to happen; or it could be a Squib Fire (Squib Load) which is likely to cause a very dangerous Barrel Obstruction condition. Muzzle - the end of a gun barrel that the projectile is propelled out when the gun is fired. Muzzle Loader - A Firearm that is loaded from the muzzle end of the barrel. Pistol - Handgun - In this school any firearm designed to be usable with one hand. Pointing Muzzle - The act of controlling the direction that a bullet would travel if a gun is fired purposely or by accident at any time. See Firearms Handling Axiom #2 Report - The sound of gunfire has useful information for everyone who can hear it, thus the use of this term.  Some info about the relative power of fired rounds can be heard and this can be a very important indicator of a Squib Load.  Ricochet - the deflection of a fired projectile after hitting a hard surface.  Rocks, metal, concrete, trees, even water surfaces can cause this. Round - The the one time firing of a gun. Or the ammunition to fire one time. Or the Projectile that was fired. Safe Direction - The direction to point a firearm with least risks.  See:  Lesson #1 - Safe Direction Safety - 1. Gun Safety -mechanical device that is set to obstruct firing action. See: Lesson #1 Safety  ;  2. Safety -commonly used incorrectly in the language to mean Risk Management Shell - One round of ammunition including projectile(s) gunpowder, casing and primer all assembled.  (Shotgun) Shot -  1.The multiple round pellets that make up the projectiles in a Shotgun Shell. Or 2.The effect of firing a gun, including noise, damage Spent Casing - The casing component that remains to be ejected from the breach of a Firearm after a round has been fired.  What remains on the ground at the Firing Range if you don't pick it up. Swing - In trap shooting the swing is the movement of the gun barrel used to place projectiles and target in collision course.  The gun barrel is brought from behind as the target path is located by the shooter.  The shooter then swings barrel through aiming at the current target position to lead a distance in front of the target and in it's future path when the trigger of firearm is pulled.  Good practice for shooter is to follow through with the same continuing swing motion after shot is fired.  Squib Load - Squib Fire - A fired round that is lower power than was designed.  Squib Loads can cause very dangerous barrel obstruction conditions, can cause projectile(s) to go off course, can cause gun action to malfunction, can cause shooter distraction.  Target - What you aim for and shoot at when you have exact intentions of destruction.  Knowing your Target entails knowing exactly what you are destroying and why. Team Sports - two examples of Shotgun Competition Team Sports are: 1. Trap League  &  2. U.S.P.S Toy Gun - misnomer - Firearms and object made to look like firearms make good tools, but make bad toys.  See also Dummy Gun Turkey Shoot - 1. an American language phrase meaning: many easy targets in a small space; - (entomology of which would be from an old shooting competition involving live birds.)  2. A modern shotgun sport involving silhouette or paper targets the size of a turkey.  3. A modern shotgun sport involving clay targets - See: Example Gun Club Rules - Turkey Shoot USPS - Shooting Sport involving two person teams in shotgun shooting competitions.  See:  USPS Unload - verb- to unload is the act of removing all ammunition from a firearm that has not been fired. Includes removal of ammo from firing chamber(s), magazine, and attached ammo holders.  See:  Unloading "Unloaded" - To say that this is a fuzzy term with little real use is why in our school we put this term in quotation marks.  But when you must survey the damage as some fool is saying "I thought it was unloaded." what is real comes home.  Treat all firearms as if they are loaded!