Minnesota Firearms Safety Hunter Education Practice Exam

Which part of a firearm loads, fires, and ejects shells or cartridges?

1. Barrel

2. Action

3. Stock

4. Trigger

The correct answer is: Action

The correct answer is B: Action. The action is the part of the firearm that loads ammunition into the chamber, fires the ammunition, and then ejects the empty shell or cartridge casing. The action is a crucial component of a firearm's mechanism as it performs the vital functions of feeding, firing, and extracting ammunition during the shooting process. In contrast: - The barrel (Choice A) is responsible for guiding the projectile toward the target after firing, rather than loading, firing, and ejecting shells or cartridges. - The stock (Choice C) is the part of the firearm that serves as a support structure for the action and barrel, providing a grip and shoulder rest for the shooter, but it does not directly handle the loading, firing, and ejection of ammunition. - The trigger (Choice D) is the mechanism that initiates the firing process when pulled by the shooter, but it does not handle loading, firing, and ejection of ammunition; it is part of the firing sequence initiated by the action.