Long Gun Actions
Pump Action
Pump action or slide action is a repeating firearm action that is operated manually by moving a sliding handguard on the gun’s forestock. In pump action or slide action firearms, a sliding grip at the fore-end beneath the barrel is manually operated by the user to eject and chamber a new round. Pump actions are predominantly found in shotguns.
Bolt Action
Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by directly manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the firearm.
Lever Action
A Lever action is a type of action for repeating firearms that uses a manually operated cocking handle located around the trigger guard area that pivots forward to move the bolt via internal linkages, which will feed and extract cartridges into and out of the chamber, and cock the firing pin mechanism.
Break action
Break action is a type of firearm action in which the barrel are hinged much like a door and rotate perpendicularly to the bore axis to expose the breech and allow loading and unloading of cartridges. A separate operation may be required for the cocking of a hammer to fire the new round.
Semi-automatic
A semi-automatic firearm, also called a self-loading or autoloading firearm, is a repeating firearm whose action mechanism automatically loads a following round of cartridge into the chamber and prepares it for subsequent firing, but requires the shooter to manually actuate the trigger in order to discharge each shot.
Rifle & Shotgun (long gun) Actions:
A. Falling Block Action
B. Lever Action
C. Pump Action
D. Bolt Action
E. Semi-automatic
Rifle & Shotgun (long gun) Actions: (continued)
The Shotgun
Pump Action
Semi-automatic
Over-Under
Double-barrel / Side-by-side
Single-shot Break/Hinge Action
Single-shot Bolt Action
Shotgun Parts
Shotgun Choke
A choke is a tapered constriction of a firearm barrel at its muzzle end. Chokes are most common in shotguns.
Choke Types:
Cylinder Bore – No narrowing
Improved Cylinder – Slight narrowing
Modified – Greater narrowing
Full – Maximum narrowing
Chokes are almost always used with modern hunting and target shotguns to improve performance. Its purpose is to shape the spread of the shot “cloud” or “string” to gain better range and accuracy, and to deliver the optimum pattern of pellet density, for the particular target, depending on its size, range, aspect and whether it is traveling towards, across or away from the shooter.
Chokes are implemented as either screw-in chokes, selected for particular applications, or as fixed, permanent chokes, integral to the shotgun barrel.
A choke is designed to alter or shape the distribution of the shot as it leaves the firearm. For shooting most game birds and clay pigeons, a desirable pattern is one that is as large as possible while being dense enough to ensure multiple hits on the target, at a particular range.
The choke should be tailored to the range and size of the targets. Shotguns intended for defensive use often have cylinder or improved cylinder chokes for the widest shot pattern at typically short defensive ranges; “cylinder barrels” have no constriction. The use of too much choke and a small pattern increases the difficulty of hitting the target; the use of too little choke produces large patterns with insufficient pellet density to reliably break targets or kill game.
The Rifle
The rifle has the same exterior design characteristics and features as the shotgun. One major difference is bore rifling making it a “rifle”. However, shotgun slug barrels may be “rifled” as well. Another difference is scopes. Scopes are mounted on rifles to provide greater shooting accuracy at greater distances. Scopes can also be mounted on shotguns used for shooting slugs. It should be noted that shotguns has a choke and interchangeable choke inserts (tubes). Rifles do not.
Rifle Parts
Question:
Correctly identify 3 types of shotgun chokes: (Select the one correct answer.)
- Full choke, No choke, stranglehold choke
- Cylinder choke, Full choke, Slug choke
- Modified choke, Improved cylinder choke, chokehold
- Cylinder bore, Improved cylinder choke, Full choke
Discussion: A choke is designed to alter or shape the distribution of the shot as it leaves the firearm. The tighter the shot pattern (full choke) the greater the effective distance of the shot load. Slugs should never be fired in full choked guns. The correct answer is: (4) Cylinder bore, Improved cylinder choke, Full choke
Question:
Correctly identify most common type safety on a semi-automatic pistols: (Select the one correct answer.)
- Pivot safety
- Slide safety
- Modified choke safety
- Hinge break safety
Discussion: It should ALWAYS be remembered that safeties are mechanical devices that can fail. A firearm, loaded or unloaded, should ALWAYS be pointed in a safe direction. The greatest and most important factor in firearm safety is the SHOOTER. A firearm will not discharge (fire) without it being loaded and the trigger pulled. It is the shooter, the gun handler, who is responsible for the safe direction of the gun . . . the gun’s muzzle direction.
When it comes to firearms, there is no such thing as an accident. It is negligence. The correct answer is: (1) Pivot safety.
Question:
Correctly identify the 3 parts that all rifles have: (Select the one correct answer.)
- Safety, Scope, Sling
- Stock, Trigger, Barrel
- Barrel, Stock, Magazine
- Safety, Sights, Ejector rod
Discussion: All long guns have similar characteristics, but also have other design features that make them different. Some similar characteristics include, but are not limited to: the stock, barrel, trigger, trigger guard, sights, forehand stock, chamber, ejector, muzzle and bore. Different model gun with different actions will have different parts. – The correct answer is: (2) Stock, trigger, barrel.
Question:
Handling a long gun (rifle or shotgun) is different from handling a handgun. When handling a long gun having the muzzle pointed down is always a safe direction. (Select the one correct answer.)
- TRUE
- FALSE
Discussion: Regardless of the firearm you are handling, there is no always safe direction. You must be aware of our surroundings and circumstances at all times to determine what a safe direction is, because there is no always safe direction. – The correct answer is: (2) FALSE
.