NZGAC Hunter Education. Enabling better education and safer hunting practices.

 

• Stock - this is generally made of wood or a synthetic material. It is the portion of the firearm that is held by the person firing it.

      (see image 1)

 

• Butt (of a stock) – this is the contact point of the stock when the stock is placed against the shoulder.

 

• Barrel – a steel tube that provides the initial guidance to a bullet or shot so that it gets to its target. (see image 2)

 

• Fore-end – the front part of the stock. (see image 3)

 

• Receiver or action – the mechanism of a gun involving the loading and firing of a cartridge and the ejection of a spent shell. (see image 4)

 

• Chamber – the portion of the barrel where a cartridge is placed prior to being fired. This is a high pressure containment area that is precisely aligned with the bore of the barrel. A firearm cannot be fired when the chamber is empty.

 

• Magazine – a storage device, detachable or integral, in a gun for holding and feeding ammunition.  Magazines may be built in, detachable or tubular. (see image 5)

 

• Muzzle – the end of the barrel where the bullet or shot departs.

 

• Trigger – a small curved part that activates the firing mechanism of a gun to fire a cartridge.

 

• Trigger guard – the protecting ‘loop’ that surrounds the trigger and prevents unintentional pulling of the trigger.

 

• Safety – a mechanism that helps prevents accidental discharge of a firearm, ensuring safe handling. (see image 6)

 

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