How to Label the Parts of a Gun

Shot Gun

• 1

  Label the stock portion of the weapon --- that's the large area at the back of the rifle that is held onto when shot, with the butt of the weapon being the very end of it. On a shot gun, the safety will be just off the stock, located on the top or bottom of the weapon.

• 2

  Label the action portions of the shot gun --- these are the parts involved in the loading, unloading and firing of the weapon. That involves the trigger, which is pulled to discharge the firearm and is surrounded by the trigger guard. The action bar allows the forestock (fore end) to move back and forth, loading the magazine.

• 3

  Label the barrel --- the long tube that discharges the projectile from the weapon. Look for the muzzle, located at the tip of the firearm where the bullet emerges, and a sight, located on top of the firearm that aids aiming. The shot gun may have a rib running along the full extent of the barrel.

Double Action Revolver

• 4

  Label the end grip end of the weapon --- the grip is how the weapon is held. The double action revolver is held in one hand while being fired, and the butt of the weapon is the bottom of the grip.

• 5

  Label the action portion of the weapon. Look for the hammer. It's on top of the weapon, the part that strikes the primer, causing ignition in the weapon. The hammer is cocked by pulling it back to prepare the weapon for firing. Find the cylinder, where the bullets are stored in the weapon. It rotates when the action is cocked. It has a release located on the side of the weapon that allows the cylinder to slide out for reloading the revolver. Both the trigger and trigger guard are located on the underside of the weapon.

• 6

  Label the barrel portions of the weapon --- on a revolver, the barrel is short. Look for the muzzle, which is the end of the barrel. You'll find an ejector rod under the weapon which removes spent cartridges after firing, and a sight located at the top of the weapon for aiming.

Semi-Automatic Pistol

• 7

  Label the handle portion of the weapon. On the semi-automatic pistol, it's located at the pistol's end. The magazine, which holds the bullets, slides into the handle from underneath.

• 8

  Label the action section of the pistol. The hammer is located at the top at the very end of the weapon. The slide covers the barrel of the weapon, moving backward after firing and reloading the weapon. The trigger and trigger guard are located under the weapon.

• 9

  Label the barrel --- on the semi-automatic pistol, it's under the slide. Part of the barrel is visible on some weapons. The muzzle is the very tip of the weapon. Semi-automatic weapons will have two sights, one located just beyond the hammer and another towards the end slide.

Automatic rifle

• 10

  Label the grip and butt portion of the weapon --- the butt of the rifle extends from metal pieces and rests against the shoulder, while the grip is located further up the weapon. A semi-automatic rifle is fired using both hands.

• 11

  Label the action portions of the weapon. The trigger and trigger guards are located on the underside of the weapon in front of the grip. A safety will be located in front of the trigger guard on many semi-automatic rifles. Charging handle works similar to the hammer on the other weapons. The bolt assist mechanism is located on the side of the weapon. The bolt is pulled back to prepare the weapon for firing. The magazine which holds the bullets is located on the underside of the weapon in front of the safety and trigger guard. The receiver is the area where the bullet is located prior to being fired. The ejection port is where the spent casing is expelled from the weapon.

• 12

  Label the barrel portion of the weapon. The hand grip is where the non-trigger hand holds the weapon for stability. The barrel is longer on a semi-automatic pistol. A barrel jacket runs along the top of the barrel and covers about half the length. A flash hider is close to the end of the barrel reducing the flash of light a weapon normally discharges. The rear sight is located half way down the weapon on top. The front sight is located near the end of the barrel.