Wednesday, February 18, 2026
9.7 C
Las Vegas

Firearm Basics: Basic Parts of a Gun

Firearm Basics – A beginner’s guide to the basic working parts of Rifles, Shotguns and Handguns.

All Firearms have three basic groups of parts; these include the Action, The Stock, and the Barrel.

ACTION: The action is really the guts of the gun. It includes all the moving parts that load, fire, and eject the firearms shells or cartridges.

STOCK: The stock (or Handle) of the gun in composed of two pieces (the Butt and the fore-end).

BARREL: A guns Barrel is the long metal tube, bored out to provide an exit path for the discharging projectile. Once the projectile is fired, it’s forced down the barrel and out of the muzzle by expanding gas forces. In a rifle or a handgun, the bullet travels through the barrel; in Shotguns the Shot or the Slug is shot through the barrel.

Most Firearms have similar parts, pictured below are the parts that one would find on a rifle.

Parts of a Rifle

Shotguns are a type of firearm that fires shells containing either shot (small round pellets) or a slug (a solid projectile). Below are the parts of a common pump-action shotgun.

Parts of a Shotgun



Handguns are handheld short-barreled firearms. The picture below shows the common components found on a pistol and a revolver.

Parts of a Handgun

Breakdown of the basic components of a Firearm.

Bore: The bore in the inside of the buns barrel through which the projectile travels when fired.

Breech: The Breech is the area of the firearm that contains the rear end of the barrel, where the cartridge is inserted.

Cylinder: The Cylinder is the part of a revolver that holds cartridges in separate chambers. The Cylinder of a revolver rotates as the gun is cocked, bringing each chamber into alignment with the barrel.

Grip: The Grip is the portion of a handgun that’s used to hold the firearm.

Hammer: The Hammer on a revolver is the part that strikes the firing pin or the cartridge primer directly, detonating the primer which discharges the gun.

Magazine: A Magazine is a spring-operated container, that can be fixed or detachable, which holds cartridges for a repeating firearm.

Muzzle: The muzzle of a gun is the front end of the barrel where the projectile exits the firearm.

Trigger: The Trigger is the lever that’s pulled or squeezed to initiate the firing process.

Trigger Guard: The trigger guard is the portion of a firearm that wraps around the trigger to provide both protection and safety.

Hot this week

Liquor for Preppers: Which liquors are best to stockpile for preparedness?

During a long-term disaster situation, liquor will be a very valuable resource. From bartering and economic reasons to health and medicinal uses, liquor is one of those items that should be part of any good preparedness stockpile.

Economic Storm? Deficits, Bankruptcies, and the AI Revolution That Could Change Everything

Record debt. Rising bankruptcies. A stock market detached from reality. Now add AI that can replace entire teams overnight. Add to that deficits near $2T yearly—the storm is here. Prepare before it hits hard.

Tarp Shelters: The Best Lightweight Option for Backpacking, Hiking & Wilderness Survival

A good tarp is both lighter and cheaper than the even the lightest of tents and has a number of advantages that make it much more attractive to light backpackers.

SHOT Show 2026 – Latest Gear, Where to Go in Vegas & the Best Networking Events of the Year

The ultimate guide to SHOT Show 2026 in Las Vegas: massive exhibitors, cutting-edge firearms & survival gear, plus our exclusive party list for networking events, after-parties, and must-attend meetups during SHOT Week.

Offline Knowledge Hubs: Building Your Own Digital Survival Library

Power out. Internet gone. AI-generated noise everywhere. This guide shows how to build an offline survival library you can actually use.

Topics

Portable Backpacking Camp Stoves for Preppers

Real-world recommendations on the best lightweight backpacking stoves for preppers, hikers, and wilderness adventures.

Best Survival Books: Top Prepper Reads to Master Survival

Having a good survival book is almost as important as having the right gear. Check out our list of the best ones ever written.

Top Solar Generators, Power Packs, and Emergency Solar Solutions

From powering flashlights, emergency radios, and GPS devices to providing emergency backup power to your home during a disaster, these are some of the top emergency power options on the market.

Best Tactical Flashlights: Our Favorite Tactical Flashlights Reviewed

Don’t just settle for any crappy little flashlight, you want to look for one that can serve multiple survival purposes – enter the Tactical Flashlight.

Survival Lighters: The Top Weatherproof, Windproof, and Waterproof Lighters

A survival lighter should be weatherproof, windproof and waterproof; here are the top lighters on the market.

The Best Portable Survival Water Filters: Ensuring you have Safe Drinkable Water

During a disaster, even municipal water sources can quickly become contaminated. Here are the best backpacking water filters.

Discreet Survival Backpacks for Bug Out Disasters

The Gray Man Approach: Discreet Urban Carry Backpacks that don’t raise any red flags during times of crisis.

Picking the Best Survival Knife: Reviews of our Top Fixed Blade Survival Knives

The top Survival knives on the market. Here is the list of our favorite fixed blade survival knives after years of testing and abuse.
The Ultimate Situational Survival Guide

Related Articles

TPrepper Radio: The No-BS Ham Radio Technician Exam Prep Guide


The Ultimate Situational Survival Guide

Popular Categories

Survival Book

Comments

37 COMMENTS

  1. I came to this page for some information on firearm safety before I take a course. Could you please explain the “Is it because I am black?” shirts you have advertised that are worn by two caucasian people. I am not sure what the intent is or how it is related to firearm safety. I do get that it is trying to be funny or piss of liberals as per the company slogan, but what is it that the shirt is asking exactly? Is it funny because the models are white? Does the joke on the shirt work if other ethnicities wear it? Very curious. Take care.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Survival Book