Glossary

bore - the inside of the barrel

bullet - a projectile propelled by firearm, sling, airgun; shaped or composed differently for a variety of purposes

caliber - the diameter of the bore measured from land to land, usually expressed in hundredths of an inch (.22 cal) or in millimeters (9mm)

cartridge - also called a round; packages the bullet, propellant and primer into a single unit within a containing metallic case that is precisely made to fit within the firing chamber of a firearm; derived from the Latin "charta", meaning "paper", and the French "cartouche", meaning "rolled paper"

lands and grooves - lands are the metal inside the barrel left after the spiral grooves are cut to produce the rifling; lands are the raised sections, grooves are the low sections

rifling - the helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or the process for making thereof

pitch - the angle at which the rifling is cut in relationship to the axis of the bore; usually stated as the number of inches required for one revolution; also known as rate of twist

primer - an igniter that is used to initiate the burning of the propellant

propellant - also called powder or gunpowder; a chemical that generates gas when ignited by a primer; propels the projectile