CFSC / PAL: Ammunition, calibre and gauge

All 15 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. What does the wad inside a shotgun shell do?

   1. Makes the pellets spread wider after leaving the barrel
   2. Separates the powder from the shot and seals the gas
   3. Holds the primer in the centre of the base
   4. Keeps moisture out of the crimped end of the hull

2. In a rifled barrel, what are the lands?

   1. The flat area where the bolt locks into the receiver
   2. The raised ridges between the grooves
   3. The marks stamped on the cartridge head
   4. The narrowing at the end of a shotgun barrel

3. How is the gauge of a shotgun determined?

   1. By how many bore-sized lead balls weigh one pound
   2. By the diameter of the bore in millimetres
   3. By the number of pellets in one standard shell
   4. By the length of the shell in millimetres

4. What is the most important check when choosing ammunition for a firearm?

   1. The head stamp must match the barrel's data stamp
   2. The bullets must be the heaviest ones in the store
   3. The cartridges must look about the same size as the chamber
   4. The box must come from the same maker as the firearm

5. What are the four basic parts of a rifle cartridge?

   1. Bullet, wad, hull and primer
   2. Shot, powder charge, wad and case
   3. Bullet, powder charge, case and primer
   4. Bullet, cap, flint and powder charge

6. What does the calibre of a rifle measure?

   1. The diameter of the bore
   2. The length of the barrel
   3. The amount of powder in the case
   4. The weight of the bullet

7. Can you safely fire .22 Long Rifle cartridges in a rifle stamped .22 Magnum?

   1. Yes, as long as the safety is used properly
   2. No, the two cartridges are not interchangeable
   3. Yes, all .22 cartridges fit any .22 rifle
   4. Yes, if you only load one round at a time

8. What is the purpose of rifling inside a barrel?

   1. To spin the bullet so it flies stable and accurate
   2. To let the shotgun pellets spread more evenly
   3. To keep the barrel cool during rapid shooting
   4. To slow the bullet down so it does not travel too far

9. A 20-gauge shell is accidentally loaded into a 12-gauge shotgun. What is the danger?

   1. It will jam the action so badly that it cannot open
   2. It can lodge in the barrel and cause a burst if another shell is fired
   3. It will drop out of the muzzle when the gun is tilted
   4. It will fire normally, but with a much wider and weaker pattern of shot

10. Are .303 Savage and .303 British cartridges interchangeable?

    1. Yes, if both are loaded with the same bullet weight
    2. No, cartridges with different names are different
    3. Only in bolt-action rifles made before 1950
    4. Yes, the number 303 means the same calibre

11. Which shotgun choke gives the tightest shot pattern?

    1. Full choke
    2. Modified choke
    3. Improved cylinder
    4. Cylinder bore

12. How does a rim-fire cartridge differ from a centre-fire cartridge?

    1. Its primer sits in a cup at the centre of the base
    2. It is only made for shotguns, never for rifles
    3. It uses black powder instead of smokeless powder
    4. Its priming compound sits in the rim of the case

13. A shotgun barrel is stamped for 2¾-inch shells. Why must you not fire 3-inch shells in it?

    1. The extra length only reduces the pattern
    2. The safety will not engage with longer shells
    3. The shells will not spread their shot at all
    4. The longer shell can make the barrel burst

14. Why should you check your shotgun's manual before using steel shot?

    1. Steel shot always requires a full choke
    2. Steel shot needs a special primer to ignite
    3. Steel shot is not allowed anywhere in Canada
    4. Steel shot can damage some shotgun barrels

15. You inherit a rifle that has no data stamp. What should you do before firing it?

    1. Try the most common hunting cartridge first
    2. Use whatever ammunition came with the rifle
    3. Fire a test round with the rifle held at arm's length
    4. Have a qualified person measure the chamber