NRA Firearm Mechanisms & Action Types Flashcards

What type of action uses a rotating bolt that must be manually operated between each shot?

Answer: Bolt-action

A bolt-action requires the shooter to manually cycle the bolt to eject the spent case and chamber a new round.

In a single-action revolver, what must happen before the firearm can fire?

Answer: The hammer must be manually cocked

A single-action revolver requires the shooter to manually cock the hammer before each shot.

Which component in a semi-automatic pistol strips a cartridge from the magazine and chambers it?

Answer: Slide

The slide moves rearward under recoil and forward again, stripping and chambering a new round from the magazine.

What is the function of the disconnector in a semi-automatic firearm?

Answer: It prevents the firearm from firing until the trigger is released and reset

The disconnector ensures the firearm fires only one round per trigger pull by resetting the sear after each shot.

A lever-action rifle's loading gate is primarily responsible for what function?

Answer: Allowing cartridges to be loaded into the tubular magazine

The loading gate is a spring-loaded port on the receiver that allows cartridges to be manually pushed into the tubular magazine.

What differentiates a pump-action (slide-action) firearm from other manually operated actions?

Answer: The shooter cycles the action by moving the fore-end rearward and forward

A pump-action firearm is cycled by sliding the fore-end rearward to eject and forward to chamber a new round.