I thought about posting a link to a PDF or some such thing, but it occurred to me that that it would render that document static, and something like this should be something that we can add to or update, as new terms emerge. So, bwaite's suggestion not withstanding, I am posting this initial attempt at a Firearm Glossary, subject to the scrutiny of the horde. Please - forgive my obvious plagiarisms and modest offerings.
Accurize: The process of altering a stock firearm to improve its accuracy.
Action: The physical mechanism that manipulates cartridges and/or seals the breech. The term refers to the method in which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism. The type of mechanism used generally categorizes an action, such as Bolt, Blowback, Falling Block, Lever, etc.
Ball and Dummy Drill: A training drill designed to expose shooter issues, such as recoil anticipation, palming, etc. Dummy rounds are loaded into the magazine among the live rounds at intervals unknown to the shooter.
Ballistic Coefficient or BC: A rating system based upon a bullet's mass, diameter, shape, and ability to retain velocity. The higher the rating, the higher the bullet efficiency at long range.
Bandolier or Bandoleer: A pocketed belt for holding ammunition and cartridges. It was usually slung over the chest. Bandoliers are now rare because most military arms use magazines, which are not well-suited to being stored in such a manner. They are, however, still commonly used with shotguns, as individual 12 gauge shells can easily be stored in traditionally designed bandoliers.
Barrel: A tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity.
Base: See Mount
Bayonet Lug: An attachment point for a bayonet.
Beanbag: An old sock or small cloth bag filled with a dry material such as sand and placed below a rifle butt's heel so it can be squeezed to lower or elevate the rifle for precise aiming.
Bearing Surface or Bullet Shank: The portion of a bullet’s outer surface that comes into direct contact with the interior surface of the barrel.
Belt: An (ammunition) belt is a device used to retain and feed cartridges into a firearm.
Belted Magnum or Belt: Any caliber cartridge, generally rifles, using a shell casing with a pronounced "belt" around its base that continues 2-4mm past the extractor groove. This design originated with the British gun maker Holland & Holland for the purpose of headspace certain of their more powerful cartridges.
Bipod: A support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with two legs. Bipods are commonly used on rifles to provide a forward rest and reduce motion. The bipod permits the operator to rest the weapon on the ground, a low wall, or other object, reducing operator fatigue and permitting increased accuracy.
Black Powder (also called gunpowder): A mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. It burns rapidly, producing a volume of hot gas made up of carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen, and a solid residue of potassium sulfide. Because of its burning properties and the amount of heat and gas volume that it generates, gunpowder has been widely used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks. Modern firearms do not use the traditional black powder described here, but instead use smokeless powder.
Black-Powder Substitute: A firearm propellant that is designed to reproduce the burning rate and propellant properties of black powder (making it safe for use in black-powder firearms), while providing advantages in one or more areas such as reduced smoke, reduced corrosion, reduced cost, or decreased sensitivity to unintentional ignition. Pyrodex is the trade name of the only known such substitute, at this time.
Blank: A type of cartridge for a firearm that contains gunpowder but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound (report). Blanks are often used for simulation (such as in historical reenactments, theatre and movie special effects), training, and for signaling (see starting pistol). Blank cartridges differ from dummy cartridges, which are used for training or function testing firearms; these contain no primer or gunpowder, and are inert.
Blowback: A system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains power from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gases created by the ignition of the powder charge.
Bluing or Blueing: A passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust, and is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. True gun bluing is an electrochemical conversion coating resulting from an oxidizing chemical reaction with iron on the surface selectively forming magnetite (Fe3O4), the black oxide of iron, which occupies the same volume as metallic iron.
Boat-Tail Bullet: An aerodynamic bullet design shaped like a boat, with a pointed tip and gradually tapered to a flat base. Boat-tail bullets typically have better long-range accuracy than other bullets.
Bolt Action: A type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech (barrel) with a small handle. As the handle is operated, the bolt is unlocked, the breech is opened, the spent shell casing is withdrawn and ejected, the firing pin is cocked, and finally a new round/shell (if available) is placed into the breech and the bolt closed.
Bolt Thrust or Breech Pressure: The amount of rearward force exerted by the propellant gases on the bolt or breech of a firearm action or breech when a projectile is fired. The applied force has both magnitude and direction, making it a vector quantity.
Bore Snake: A tool used to clean the barrel of a gun.
Boresight: An optical device inserted in a rifle muzzle to tentatively zero a riflescope by setting its crosshairs coaxial to the rifle's bore. Speeds up subsequent live-fire zeroing.
Brass: The empty cartridge case.
Break-Action: A firearm whose barrels are hinged, and rotate perpendicular to the bore axis to expose the breech and allow loading and unloading of ammunition.
Breech Pressure or Bolt Thrust: The amount of rearward force exerted by the propellant gases on the bolt or breech of a firearm action or breech when a projectile is fired. The applied force has both magnitude and direction, making it a vector quantity.
Bullet Drop: The ballistic measurement of how far a bullet drops, at 100 yard intervals, were the barrel pointed perfectly parallel to the Earth. A baseline trajectory used for computing other ballistic data.
Bullet Trace: Also called "bullet track." A tiny but visible wisp of trail left through mirage by a bullet's shockwave.
Bullpup: A firearm configurations in which both the action and magazine are located behind the trigger.
Burst Mode: A firing mode enabling the shooter to fire a predetermined number of rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Button Rifling: Rifling that is formed by pulling a die made with reverse image of the rifling (the 'button') down the pre-drilled bore of a firearm barrel. See also cut rifling and hammer forging.
Caliber: The internal diameter of a firearm's barrel or a cartridge's bullet, usually expressed in millimeters or hundredths of an inch; in measuring rifled barrels this may be measured across the lands (such as .303 British) or grooves (such as .308 Winchester).
Calling A Shot: The practice of "calling" where your shot impacted just after firing but prior to observing it through a spotting scope.
Cannelure: A circumferential groove generally of a knurled or plain appearance on a bullet or cartridge case that is typically used for crimping and lubrication.
Canting: Turning or dipping the barrel slightly right or left, usually as the result of a bad sight picture or improperly mounted scope. This results in bullet trajectory obliquely departing from Point of Aim as distance increases.
Carbine: A shortened version of a service rifle, often chambered in a less potent cartridge. The M4 Carbine is an example that uses the same cartridge but a shorter barrel, whereas the M1 Carbine is an example using a different cartridge.
Cartridge: The assembly consisting of a bullet, gunpowder, shell casing, and primer. When counting, it is referred to as a round.
Caseless Ammunition: A type of small arms ammunition that eliminates the cartridge case that typically holds the primer, propellant, and projectile together as a unit.
Part 1
Accurize: The process of altering a stock firearm to improve its accuracy.
Action: The physical mechanism that manipulates cartridges and/or seals the breech. The term refers to the method in which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism. The type of mechanism used generally categorizes an action, such as Bolt, Blowback, Falling Block, Lever, etc.
Ball and Dummy Drill: A training drill designed to expose shooter issues, such as recoil anticipation, palming, etc. Dummy rounds are loaded into the magazine among the live rounds at intervals unknown to the shooter.
Ballistic Coefficient or BC: A rating system based upon a bullet's mass, diameter, shape, and ability to retain velocity. The higher the rating, the higher the bullet efficiency at long range.
Bandolier or Bandoleer: A pocketed belt for holding ammunition and cartridges. It was usually slung over the chest. Bandoliers are now rare because most military arms use magazines, which are not well-suited to being stored in such a manner. They are, however, still commonly used with shotguns, as individual 12 gauge shells can easily be stored in traditionally designed bandoliers.
Barrel: A tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity.
Base: See Mount
Bayonet Lug: An attachment point for a bayonet.
Beanbag: An old sock or small cloth bag filled with a dry material such as sand and placed below a rifle butt's heel so it can be squeezed to lower or elevate the rifle for precise aiming.
Bearing Surface or Bullet Shank: The portion of a bullet’s outer surface that comes into direct contact with the interior surface of the barrel.
Belt: An (ammunition) belt is a device used to retain and feed cartridges into a firearm.
Belted Magnum or Belt: Any caliber cartridge, generally rifles, using a shell casing with a pronounced "belt" around its base that continues 2-4mm past the extractor groove. This design originated with the British gun maker Holland & Holland for the purpose of headspace certain of their more powerful cartridges.
Bipod: A support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with two legs. Bipods are commonly used on rifles to provide a forward rest and reduce motion. The bipod permits the operator to rest the weapon on the ground, a low wall, or other object, reducing operator fatigue and permitting increased accuracy.
Black Powder (also called gunpowder): A mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. It burns rapidly, producing a volume of hot gas made up of carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen, and a solid residue of potassium sulfide. Because of its burning properties and the amount of heat and gas volume that it generates, gunpowder has been widely used as a propellant in firearms and as a pyrotechnic composition in fireworks. Modern firearms do not use the traditional black powder described here, but instead use smokeless powder.
Black-Powder Substitute: A firearm propellant that is designed to reproduce the burning rate and propellant properties of black powder (making it safe for use in black-powder firearms), while providing advantages in one or more areas such as reduced smoke, reduced corrosion, reduced cost, or decreased sensitivity to unintentional ignition. Pyrodex is the trade name of the only known such substitute, at this time.
Blank: A type of cartridge for a firearm that contains gunpowder but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound (report). Blanks are often used for simulation (such as in historical reenactments, theatre and movie special effects), training, and for signaling (see starting pistol). Blank cartridges differ from dummy cartridges, which are used for training or function testing firearms; these contain no primer or gunpowder, and are inert.
Blowback: A system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains power from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gases created by the ignition of the powder charge.
Bluing or Blueing: A passivation process in which steel is partially protected against rust, and is named after the blue-black appearance of the resulting protective finish. True gun bluing is an electrochemical conversion coating resulting from an oxidizing chemical reaction with iron on the surface selectively forming magnetite (Fe3O4), the black oxide of iron, which occupies the same volume as metallic iron.
Boat-Tail Bullet: An aerodynamic bullet design shaped like a boat, with a pointed tip and gradually tapered to a flat base. Boat-tail bullets typically have better long-range accuracy than other bullets.
Bolt Action: A type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech (barrel) with a small handle. As the handle is operated, the bolt is unlocked, the breech is opened, the spent shell casing is withdrawn and ejected, the firing pin is cocked, and finally a new round/shell (if available) is placed into the breech and the bolt closed.
Bolt Thrust or Breech Pressure: The amount of rearward force exerted by the propellant gases on the bolt or breech of a firearm action or breech when a projectile is fired. The applied force has both magnitude and direction, making it a vector quantity.
Bore Snake: A tool used to clean the barrel of a gun.
Boresight: An optical device inserted in a rifle muzzle to tentatively zero a riflescope by setting its crosshairs coaxial to the rifle's bore. Speeds up subsequent live-fire zeroing.
Brass: The empty cartridge case.
Break-Action: A firearm whose barrels are hinged, and rotate perpendicular to the bore axis to expose the breech and allow loading and unloading of ammunition.
Breech Pressure or Bolt Thrust: The amount of rearward force exerted by the propellant gases on the bolt or breech of a firearm action or breech when a projectile is fired. The applied force has both magnitude and direction, making it a vector quantity.
Bullet Drop: The ballistic measurement of how far a bullet drops, at 100 yard intervals, were the barrel pointed perfectly parallel to the Earth. A baseline trajectory used for computing other ballistic data.
Bullet Trace: Also called "bullet track." A tiny but visible wisp of trail left through mirage by a bullet's shockwave.
Bullpup: A firearm configurations in which both the action and magazine are located behind the trigger.
Burst Mode: A firing mode enabling the shooter to fire a predetermined number of rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Button Rifling: Rifling that is formed by pulling a die made with reverse image of the rifling (the 'button') down the pre-drilled bore of a firearm barrel. See also cut rifling and hammer forging.
Caliber: The internal diameter of a firearm's barrel or a cartridge's bullet, usually expressed in millimeters or hundredths of an inch; in measuring rifled barrels this may be measured across the lands (such as .303 British) or grooves (such as .308 Winchester).
Calling A Shot: The practice of "calling" where your shot impacted just after firing but prior to observing it through a spotting scope.
Cannelure: A circumferential groove generally of a knurled or plain appearance on a bullet or cartridge case that is typically used for crimping and lubrication.
Canting: Turning or dipping the barrel slightly right or left, usually as the result of a bad sight picture or improperly mounted scope. This results in bullet trajectory obliquely departing from Point of Aim as distance increases.
Carbine: A shortened version of a service rifle, often chambered in a less potent cartridge. The M4 Carbine is an example that uses the same cartridge but a shorter barrel, whereas the M1 Carbine is an example using a different cartridge.
Cartridge: The assembly consisting of a bullet, gunpowder, shell casing, and primer. When counting, it is referred to as a round.
Caseless Ammunition: A type of small arms ammunition that eliminates the cartridge case that typically holds the primer, propellant, and projectile together as a unit.
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