Archives: Glossary

A choke formed by a reamer during manufacture of the barrel of a shotgun.

A generally circumferential separation in the side wall of a cartridge case. May be complete or partial.

A process of forming the spiral grooves in the bore of a rifle barrel by a cutting tool which has a hook shape. Also called Hook Rifling.

The rate which a succession of movements repeats itself; in an automatic firearm, it is usually expressed in shots per minute that are theoretically possible to be fired, given an unlimited supply of ammunition.

The act of chambering a cartridge, firing the cartridge, opening the action, ejecting the spent cartridge case, and loading the next cartridge if applicable.

The rotating part of a revolver that contains the cartridge chambers.

The relationship of the axis of the chamber in a revolver cylinder to the axis of the bore.

A shotgun barrel with a uniform interior diameter forward of the forcing cone to the muzzle end of the barrel.

The free longitudinal movement of the cylinder in the frame.

In a revolver, the space between the cylinder and the barrel measured with the cylinder in the rearmost position.