Ballistics and Firearms Quiz

The firing pin is not part of the cartridge but is a component of the firearm mechanism.

Rifling refers to the grooves inside the barrel that impart spin to the bullet for stability in flight.

The firing pin strikes the primer of the cartridge, igniting the gunpowder and firing the bullet.

There is no such action as 'revolver-action'; revolvers typically use a rotating cylinder to advance cartridges.

The safety catch is a mechanism that blocks the trigger or firing mechanism to prevent the firearm from discharging unintentionally.

Fluted is not a barrel configuration; common configurations include smoothbore and rifled barrels.

A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed to fire a single projectile accurately over long distances.

Caliber indicates the diameter of the bullet and the corresponding size of the firearm's chamber and barrel.

The extractor pulls the empty cartridge from the chamber, preparing the firearm for the next round.

Recoil is the reaction force that propels the firearm backward when a bullet is fired.

The gas system redirects gases from fired cartridges to automatically cycle the firearm's action, ejecting the spent cartridge and chambering a new round.

Bullet trajectory describes the curved path a bullet takes from the muzzle of the firearm to the point of impact.

A choke narrows the muzzle to control the dispersion of shot pellets for different shooting situations.

Centerfire cartridges have the primer located in the center of the base, while rimfire cartridges have the primer inside the rim of the case.

A stray bullet is a projectile that misses its intended target and may pose a danger to unintended objects or individuals.

A flash suppressor reduces the visible signature of the muzzle flash, helping to maintain the shooter's night vision and conceal the firearm's position.

A compensator is a muzzle device designed to counteract the upward movement of the firearm during firing, improving control and accuracy.