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Above is letters A-Z, a brief list of firearms products:

Firearms Terms
  

These firearms terms are only a partial list to help you with your firearms term search.

We are trying to get as many gun related products on one website to save you time, and help you locate just the item you are looking for.

Letter "R"

Racking the Action -- Manually working the "pump" (the moveable fore-end) of a pump-action shotgun. In order to do this, the shotgun is braced against the shoulder. The shooter's firing hand steadies the stock, while the non-firing hand grasps the fore-end and gives it a quick, decisive yank toward the rear of the gun. If there was an empty case (or a live round) in the chamber, this rearward motion ejects it. The shooter then shoves the fore-end forward again with a quick, decisive movement. This forward motion brings a fresh round into the chamber so the gun is once again ready to fire.

Racking the Slide -- A semi-automatic term which means pulling the slide back to its rearmost position, and then letting it go forward under its own spring tension. If the magazine is loaded and inserted in the gun, racking the slide loads the chamber and prepares the gun to fire.

Rails -- The usually metal surfaces upon which a semi-automatic's slide travels to and fro when each shot is fired. For proper function, they need to be clean and wear a light coating of oil.

Reach -- The measurement from the backstrap to the face of the trigger. The shorter the reach, the smaller the hands that will easily be able to fire the gun.

Reactive Targets -- Targets that do something when you hit them, such as fall over, burst, send up smoke, or make a noise. Examples of reactive targets include bowling pins, full or empty soda cans, rotten fruit, steel gongs, and balloons.

Receiver -- The essential part of the gun, containing the firing mechanism and action.

Recoil -- Sometimes called kick, recoil is the rearward force produced by a gun when it is fired. A shooter is said to be recoil sensitive if she does not enjoy the sensation caused by this rearward force. It is possible to scientifically measure the exact amount of recoil produced by a particular gun and ammunition. However, it is important to note that perceived recoil -- the amount of force and the type of sensation it produces as felt by the shooter -- may differ substantially from actual recoil as it is measured by the mathematician or scientist.

Red Dot Sight -- A sighting system which replaces the front and rear (iron) sights with a see-through screen upon which a colored dot may be superimposed over the target.

Reload -- A form of recycling wherein a shooter reuses empty brass cases and fills them with new primers, powder, and bullets. The old cases must be cleaned, resized, and have the spent primers removed. After the cases are prepared, a new primer is inserted into the primer pocket, a carefully-measured amount of powder is placed in each case, and a new bullet is seated to a precisely-measured depth within each case. Most of these steps are accomplished on a specialized piece of equipment called a reloading press.

Reload -- To refill the firearm with ammunition in order to continue shooting.

Reset -- The point of the trigger's return journey at which the gun's internal mechanisms are ready to fire another round. On many guns, after the shot has fired, if you hold the trigger to the rear and then slowly release it, you can feel or sometimes hear an audible click as the trigger reaches the reset point. The reset point varies greatly from one type of gun to another, and some guns do not reset until the trigger has been allowed to complete its entire return journey.

Reticle -- The object seen in the center of a firearm scope which assists the rifleman in aligning the shot. The most familiar reticle shape is a simple cross, which is commonly called the crosshairs. Other possible reticle shapes include circles, chevrons, and dots.

Revolver -- A type of handgun with one barrel and a rotating cylinder which contains multiple chambers. As the cylinder is rotated, either by cocking the hammer or by pulling the trigger, the chamber containing the spent cartridge is rotated away. This brings a fresh cartridge into alignment with the barrel, ready to fire when the hammer falls. A revolver cylinder typically holds 5 or 6 rounds of ammunition, though it may hold considerably more depending upon the caliber.

Riding the Slide -- Racking the slide incorrectly, allowing your hand to rest upon the slide as it moves forward. Riding the slide is a common cause of misfeeds and other malfunctions.

Rifle -- A firearm designed to be fired while braced against the shoulder and which uses a spiral groove cut along the inside of the barrel to spin the bullet. Spinning improves the projectile's accuracy and range, the same basic principle which makes a football travel in a straight line rather than wobbling when it is thrown correctly.

Rifling -- Continuous spiral (helical) grooves cut along the inside surface of a firearm barrel to improve the accuracy and range of the bullet, and stabilize the bullet's flight, by giving it a spin as it leaves the barrel.

Rimfire -- Ammunition in which the primer is located in the bottom rim of the case. Typically, rimfire rounds are smaller calibers than centerfire rounds.

Rough -- A gritty or inconsistent feel to the trigger pull.

Round --  One complete unit of ammunition, which includes a bullet (or other projectile), powder, and a primer, and is contained in an outer shell or case.

Round Gun -- Slang term for a revolver.

Round Nose --  The classic bullet shape.