A Firearm’s “Safety” Mechanism b Don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t know how a firearm works b never trust the safety mechanism b safety prevents the gun from firing b safety could fail

Damascus Barrel b Older or custom made barrels which were typically made before the turn of the century b weaker than modern barrels

Airguns ( three kinds) b Pneumatic- use a pump system b CO2 powered-use compressed CO2 contained in a steel cylinder b spring- involves a spring that is compressed by a lever

Rifles and Shotguns b Uses expanding gas from burning powder to force a bullet or shot out of the muzzle b main difference in shotgun and rifle is found inside the barrel b shotgun bore(inside of barrel) is thin and smooth b rifle bore are thicker and have grooves that spiral around the bore

Rifles and Shotguns b Grooves are called rifling b spins the bullet making it more accurate b caliber of a rifle is determined by measuring the width of the bore b shotgun sizes are given in gauges b gauge is usually marked on the rear of the barrel

Rifles and Shotguns b Always use the correct gauge shell in the same gauged shotgun(12-gauge shell in a 12-gauge shotgun b rifle and shotguns are usually identified by their bore sizes and action designs. b Action is the part that moves cartridges or shotshells into the chamber( loads, unloads and ejects ammunition)

Rifles and Shotguns b Stock, action and barrel are 3 main components of guns b there are five categories of actions b break action b pump action b lever action b semi-automatic b bolt action

Dominant or Master eye b The one you should look through when sighting b keep both eyes open when shooting a shotgun b usually close one eye when shooting a rifle

Rifles b Sights are important parts of rifles b three general classes b open sight-least accurate b peep or aperture sights b telescope sights- most accurate

Rifle positions b Four standard positions b standing-most difficult b kneeling-forms tripod b sitting-forms tripod b prone-most stable

Rang/Distances b.22 caliber bullet (rimfire) can be dangerous at a mile or more b centerfire bullets(.30-30,.30-06, etc.) can be dangerous at more than 3 1/2 miles

Firing Techniques b Hold breath, gently squeeze trigger with steady pressure until the gun fires. b Never jerk the trigger or slap the trigger

Shotguns b Several gauges b 10,12,16,20,28 and.410 are most common b smaller the number the larger the bore

Shotgun Position b Almost always fired from a standing position.

Shotgun Choke b Determines the spread or pattern of the shot after it leaves the barrel b Three kinds: b full- most constricted b modified- less constricted b improved cylinder- less than modified b cylinder choke- no constriction, shot spreads quickly

Shotgun Range b Not a long range gun b depends on the shotshell b average is within 45 yards

Ammunition b Divided into two categories cartridges- handguns and riflescartridges- handguns and rifles shotshells- shotgunsshotshells- shotguns b Primary components of cartridges casecase primerprimer –centerfire or rimfire smokeless powdersmokeless powder bulletbullet

Ammunition b Primary components of shotshells casecase primerprimer smokeless powdersmokeless powder wad and shotwad and shot

Handguns b The safest way to carry a handgun is with no round in the chamber