Firearms Training

Basic Revolver

By + John P. Silvaggio

1. Frame
1. Grip Panels - usually composed of wood, rubber, or molded plastic and are attached to the lower portion of the frame.
2. Trigger Guard - protects the trigger to reduce the possibility of an unintentional firing.
3. Rear sight - used with the front sight when aiming.
4. Backstrap - rear vertical portion of the frame that lies between the grip panels.
2. Barrel
1. Bore - the inside of the barrel.
2. Rifling - spiral lands and grooves cut into the bore. The rifling imparts a spin on the bullet that stabilizes it in flight.
3. Muzzle - font end of the barrel.
4. Caliber - distance between the lands. Measured in decimal fractions of an inch or in millimeters.
5. Front sight - used with the rear sight in aiming.
3. Action
1. Trigger - when pulled it activates the hammer.
2. Hammer - causes the firing pin to strike and fire the cartridge. The hammer spur is the thumb-gripping surface on the hammer.
3. Cylinder - holds ammunition in individual chambers that are rotated into firing position by the action of the trigger or hammer.
4. Cylinder release latch - releases the cylinder and allows it to swing out for loading and unloading.
5. Ejector - removes cartridges from the cylinder when activated by the ejector rod.
6. Ejector rod - activates the ejector.