CA-FSC Firearm Types and Mechanisms 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What defines a firearm as a 'rifle' under California law?
- Any long gun with a barrel over 16 inches
- A shoulder-fired firearm with a rifled barrel designed to fire a single projectile (Correct answer)
- Any firearm capable of firing rifle cartridges
- A long gun with a detachable magazine
Correct answer: A shoulder-fired firearm with a rifled barrel designed to fire a single projectile
A rifle is designed to be fired from the shoulder and has a rifled barrel intended to fire a single projectile with each trigger pull.
Question 2: What is a 'single-action' revolver?
- A revolver that fires only one shot before reloading
- A revolver that requires manually cocking the hammer before each shot (Correct answer)
- A revolver with a single barrel
- A revolver that can only fire single-shot loads
Correct answer: A revolver that requires manually cocking the hammer before each shot
A single-action revolver requires the shooter to manually cock the hammer before each shot; the trigger only releases the already-cocked hammer.
Question 3: What is the 'ejection port' on a semi-automatic firearm?
- The port where gas escapes to reduce recoil
- The opening in the receiver through which spent cartridge cases are expelled (Correct answer)
- The hole at the muzzle end of the barrel
- The opening where the magazine is inserted
Correct answer: The opening in the receiver through which spent cartridge cases are expelled
The ejection port is the opening in the side of the receiver through which spent cartridge cases are thrown out during the cycling process.
Question 4: A break-action shotgun is considered 'unloaded' in the safest sense when:
- The safety is engaged
- The action is broken open and chambers are visually empty (Correct answer)
- The hammer is down
- The trigger guard is covered
Correct answer: The action is broken open and chambers are visually empty
Breaking open the action and visually confirming the chambers are empty is the definitive way to verify a break-action firearm is unloaded.
Question 5: What is the 'cylinder gap' on a revolver?
- The space between the hammer and firing pin
- The small space between the cylinder face and the barrel forcing cone (Correct answer)
- The gap between trigger and trigger guard
- The clearance between the grip panels
Correct answer: The small space between the cylinder face and the barrel forcing cone
The cylinder gap is the small space between the front of the cylinder and the rear of the barrel; hot gases escape here during firing.
Question 6: What distinguishes a 'centerfire' cartridge from a 'rimfire' cartridge?
- Centerfire cartridges are always more powerful
- The primer in a centerfire is located in the center of the case head; rimfire primer is in the rim (Correct answer)
- Centerfire uses a different powder type
- Rimfire cartridges cannot be used in pistols
Correct answer: The primer in a centerfire is located in the center of the case head; rimfire primer is in the rim
Centerfire cartridges have a replaceable primer in the center of the case base, while rimfire cartridges have priming compound inside the hollow rim of the case.
Question 7: What is the role of the 'firing pin' in a firearm?
- It locks the bolt in battery
- It strikes the primer to initiate cartridge ignition (Correct answer)
- It holds the cartridge in place during chambering
- It feeds cartridges from the magazine
Correct answer: It strikes the primer to initiate cartridge ignition
The firing pin strikes the primer of the cartridge with sufficient force to cause ignition, which initiates the propellant burn.
CA-FSC Firearm Types and Mechanisms 3
What defines a firearm as a 'rifle' under California law?