Glossary

Such as with a scope, a magnifying tube through which the shooter may better see the target and aim the firearm.

Shooter slang for the procedure to clear a misfeed. Sometimes a misfeed is cleared by tapping the base of the magazine to be sure that it is properly seated, racking the slide to eject an empty case or feed a new round, and then fire when safe, hence the bang.

Tang is the portion of a firearm on a rifle or shotgun which extends rearward from the receiver that may be short or long and most of the time its purpose is to attach the receiver to the butt stock.

Commonly called a silencer or can, it reduces the noise when a gun fires. Not legal in Illinois.

Firearm clips, usually made of metal or sometimes plastic, that hold several rounds of ammunition in a row and used to quickly fill a magazine.

In some semi-auto pistols there is no hammer. This is used in many modern pistols, i.e Glock, S&W, Ruger, etc. Striker operated pistols can be DAO or SAO. Example: Glock is DAO. The striker is 70% cocked until the trigger is pulled. The H&K VP series is single action resulting in a lighter, smoother trigger pull.

A term that refers to the failure of a spent case to eject from a semi-automatic firearm, leaving it standing on end while lodged in the ejection port.

A firearm term with more than one meaning. It can be the back end of a rifle or shotgun, usually made of wood, metal, or sometimes plastic. Also refers to a factory built firearm which has had no alterations. Additionally, the grip panels on a handgun are sometimes called stocks.

How shooters positions their bodies while shooting. Some familiar stances are known as the Weaver, Chapman, and Isosceles.

A round of ammunition which is found to have less powder than it should, often causing the round to stay inside the barrel, resulting in a rare but very dangerous situation.

In most cases, the spotter reports the location of the bullet impact at a target on a shooting range, but in some cases it is an instructor giving guidance and shooting tips.

is a clay pigeon shooting competition. A typical course includes from 10 to 15 different shooting stations and is designed to simulate field conditions.

An accessory that is basically a flat piece of rubber which holds revolver cartridges, making it easier to load them into the revolver's cylinder.

Similar to the speed strip, and speed loader is a circular device that holds a complete set of cartridges that are aligned to be inserted into all chambers of the cylinder simultaneously.

A metal jacket bullet that is designed so that the nose of the core of the bullet is exposed to ensure the expansion of the bullet upon impact. Used for deeper penetration of the target.