But if youre not familiar with firearms, many of these terms might go over your head.

Obviously, this is a sensitive subject, especially in light of the many recent tragedies that have occurred.

Real discussion can only occur when we all understand the basic facts.

Amount of ammunition is measured in rounds, which is the whats loaded into a gun.

Ammunition comes in hundreds of sizes, and must match the firearm in order for it to be used.

AR-15: Stands forArmaLite Rifle-15, not assault rifle.

Its a lightweight semi-automatic rifle that comes in a wide variety of models.

They are considered modern sporting rifles by some and assault rifles by others.

It can fire in either semi-automatic or fully automatic modes.

Examples include AK-47s and M16s.

Virgina defines it as any weapon with a magazine capacity greater than 20 rounds.

More commonly known as a machine gun.

Ballistics experts can determine where a bullet was fired, where it went, and what it did.

Beretta: An Italian firearm manufacturing companyFabbrica dArmi Pietro Beretta.

Its the oldest active manufacturer of firearm components in the world.

They make semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles, submachine guns, machine pistols, and more.

Blank: A round of ammunition loaded with black powder but no bullet.

Commonly used in film, TV, theatre, military exercises, and for starting races.

Bolt action: A jot down of rifle that fires one round at a time.

Used for self-defense and hunting large game.

Bullet: The projectile in a cartridge or round of ammunition.

Casings: The containing unit of a cartridge or round.

Usually made of metal for rifles and handguns, plastic for shotguns.

Sometimes called a shell.

It also determines the size of ammunition that can be fired by the gun.

For example, .22 cal or .45 caliber.

Also, often used as a slang term for a magazine (see below).

Many weapons, especially those with internal hammers, can be cocked automatically by pulling the trigger.

This that action and sound you see and hear in movies and TV when a standoff escalates.

Double tap: Simply two shots fired in rapid succession, usually without re-aiming the firearm between shots.

Air guns and other devices that fire projectiles without combustion are not considered firearms.

Folding stock: A rifle or shotgun stock that can be doubled over for compact storage.

Its based on the number of round lead balls of bore diameter that equals a pound.

Glock: A series of popular semi-automatic handguns designed and produced by Austrian company Glock Ges.m.b.H.

(or GLOCK).

High-capacity magazine: In most jurisdictions, its any magazine that holds over 10 rounds.

Some high-capacity magazines can hold as many as 100 rounds.

Magazine: A container that holds cartridges or rounds under spring pressure to be fed into a guns chamber.

Magazines are usually detachable and refillable.

Pistol: A jot down of handgun that fires bullets.

Its a small, portable, concealable firearm designed to be easily fired from one or two hands.

They can be single shot, semi-automatic, or fully automatic in the form of a machine pistol.

Glocks, revolvers, snubbies, and Desert Eagles are all pistols.

Some states require records to kept for such purchases, but most of them dont.

The heavier the bullet and the faster it leaves the barrel the more recoil there is.

If youve ever seen a western, theyre all using revolvers.

Single action revolvers require you to manually cock the hammer back before firing each round.

Rifle: A gun with a long barrel thats fired from the shoulder and used for precision shooting.

They come in many varieties, including bolt action, semi-automatic, and automatic.

Typically, the safety should always be left on until a user is ready to fire their weapon.

Theyve also sometimes been called suicide specials.

These types of guns are federally restricted.

Semi-automatic: A self-loading firearm.

Shells: A popular, slang term for the leftover casing of a round.

Also, sometimes used to describe shotgun ammunition.

Shotgun: A firearm fires groups of small pellets or very large slugs instead of bullets.

Theyre designed for shooting fast moving targets, like birds, deer, or rabbits, at close range.

Silencer: A slang term for a suppressor.

They are tightly controlled under federal law.

Snubby: Slang for a revolver with a very short barrel.

They can be considered to be Saturday Night Specials (see above).

Self-defense rounds are usually marketed as having high stopping power.

Its illegal, but its hard to stop in states where Private Party Transfers arent regulated.