Glossary
Firearms are complex machines with their own specific terminology. This glossary is not comprehensive and is meant to provide an overview of the basic terminology of firearms of all types, from ancient muzzleloaders through modern automatic weapons.
M1 Garand Semi-Automatice Rifle Parts - Source: Wikipedia
Glossary of Firearm Terms
- Automatic Action (Full Auto)
- Belt Fed
- Binary Trigger
- Blowback
- Bolt
- Bolt Action
- Breechblock
- Breechloader
- Carbine
- Centerfire Ammunition
- Chamber
- Clip (Stripper, En Block, Half Moon, Moon)
- Closed Bolt
- Cocking (Charging) Handle
- Cylinder
- Derringer
- Direct Impingement
- Double Action
- Drum Magazine
- Dry Fire
- Extractor
- Federal Firearms License (FFL)
- Feed Ramp
- Field Strip
- Firing Pin
- Striker-Fired
- Flintlock
- Forced Reset Trigger
- Forward Assist
- Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)
- Gas-operated Reloading
- Gunpowder
- Hammer
- Handgun
- Hang Fire
- Headspace
- Holographic Sight
- Iron Sights
- Lever Action
- Locked Breech
- Long gun
- Magazine
- Musket
- Muzzle Brake
- Muzzle Energy
- Muzzle Rise
- Muzzleloader
- National Firearms Act
- Open Bolt
- Out-of-Battery
- Percussion Cap
- Phosphate Conversion Coating (Parkerizing)
- Pinfire Cartridge
- Pistol
- Pistol Grip
- Pistol Slide
- Primer
- Pump Action
- Rate of Fire
- Receiver
- Recoil Operation
- Red Dot Sight
- Reflector Sight
- Repeating Firearm
- Revolver
- Rifle
- Rifle Bedding
- Rifling
- Rimfire Ammunition
- Rolling Block
- Safety
- Sear
- Select Fire
- Semi-Automatic Action
- Short Barreled Rifle (SBR)
- Shotgun
- Supressor (Silencer)
- Slamfire
- Smokeless Powder
- Smoothbore
- Speedloader
- Spitzer (Spitzgeschoss)
- Stock
- Stopping Power
- Taylor Knock- Out Factor
- Telescopic Sight
- Tip-up Barrel
- Trigger
- Wadcutter
- Windage
Rotating Bolt Action - Source: Wikipedia
Straight Pull Bolt Action - Source: Wikipedia
En Bloc Clip vs. Stripper Clip - Source: Wikipedia
Drum & Box Magazines for Thompson Submachine Gun
Source: Wikipedia