On a rifle, what does the data stamp on the barrel tell you?

Which cartridge the firearm is made to fire

The licence number of the first owner

The maximum safe range of the firearm

The date the firearm was last inspected by a gunsmith

What was the main weakness of the matchlock, the first hand-held muzzleloader?

Wind or rain could put out its burning wick

Its flint wore out after a few dozen shots

Its spring had to be wound with a key first

Its percussion caps were often too small

When is an air gun treated as a firearm for licensing under the Firearms Act?

When it exceeds both 152.4 m/s and 5.7 joules

Whenever it uses compressed gas instead of a spring

When it exceeds either 152.4 m/s or 5.7 joules

When it fires metal pellets rather than plastic ones

CFSC / PAL overview

CFSC / PAL: Firearm history, parts and classes

How firearms evolved from the matchlock to the modern cartridge, the three major parts of a firearm, the firing sequence, long-gun action types and the three legal classes of firearms.

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Firearm history, parts and classes · Question 1Score 0/0

What is the purpose of the trigger guard?

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Study reference: CFSC Student Handbook 5th ed. (2014) and RCMP firearms pages (Oct 2026), Ch. 1 Firearm history, parts and classes — Handbook Modules 1 and 3; RCMP Classes of firearms in Canada

All 15 questions in this test

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

What is the purpose of the trigger guard?
1. To set the trigger pull for target shooting
2. To lock the action closed while you are aiming and firing
3. To protect the trigger from being touched by accident
4. To hold spare cartridges near the trigger
On a rifle, what does the data stamp on the barrel tell you?
1. The licence number of the first owner
2. The maximum safe range of the firearm
3. The date the firearm was last inspected by a gunsmith
4. Which cartridge the firearm is made to fire
What was the main weakness of the matchlock, the first hand-held muzzleloader?
1. Its flint wore out after a few dozen shots
2. Its spring had to be wound with a key first
3. Its percussion caps were often too small
4. Wind or rain could put out its burning wick
What are the three major parts of a modern firearm?
1. Barrel, action and stock
2. Trigger, hammer and sling
3. Stock, scope and choke
4. Barrel, sight and magazine
When is an air gun treated as a firearm for licensing under the Firearms Act?
1. When it exceeds both 152.4 m/s and 5.7 joules
2. Whenever it uses compressed gas instead of a spring
3. When it exceeds either 152.4 m/s or 5.7 joules
4. When it fires metal pellets rather than plastic ones
Which three classes are firearms divided into under Canadian law?
1. Hunting, sporting and military
2. Antique, modern and automatic
3. Long guns, handguns and high-powered air guns
4. Non-restricted, restricted and prohibited
A hunter owns a modern reproduction of a percussion-cap muzzleloading rifle. Which is true?
1. It is an antique and needs no licence at all
2. It is a prohibited device that cannot be owned
3. It is a non-restricted firearm and needs a licence
4. It is a restricted firearm that must be registered
Which two kinds of firearm are the common non-restricted long guns?
1. Rifles and revolvers
2. Rifles and shotguns
3. Shotguns and pistols
4. Pistols and revolvers
What is the name of the opening at the front of the barrel where the bullet or shot leaves?
1. The chamber
2. The receiver
3. The muzzle
4. The breech
In the firing sequence, what happens right after the firing pin strikes the primer?
1. The primer explodes and sends a flame into the powder
2. The powder burns before the primer is ever touched
3. The bullet is pushed out of the case by the magazine spring
4. The case is ejected and a new round is chambered
Why must you take extra care with your finger when you pick up a firearm by the stock?
1. Your grip on the stock pushes the safety off
2. Most stocks have a release that opens the action
3. The stock naturally lines your finger up with the trigger
4. The stock is slippery and the firearm may drop
Why did metal cartridges make breech-loading practical in the mid-1800s?
1. The primer can be reused for several shots
2. The bullet is lighter than a round lead ball
3. The case expands when fired and seals the breech
4. The powder inside burns without making any gas
Why did the flintlock replace the wheel lock as the standard firearm?
1. It was lighter, simpler and cheaper to make
2. It used metal cartridges that kept out rain
3. It could fire several shots without reloading
4. It did not need any powder in the priming pan
A rifle is cut down so its overall length is less than 660 mm. What class does it become?
1. Non-restricted
2. Antique
3. Prohibited
4. Restricted
How should you handle a low-powered pellet or BB gun during the course and at home?
1. Only with gloves, because pellets contain lead
2. With the safety on, but without checking the bore
3. With ACTS and PROVE, like any other firearm
4. Casually, because it is a toy and not a firearm

Firearm history, parts and classes: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Module 1, The evolution of firearms

Explosive powder is believed to have come first from China, where it was used in fireworks and rockets.
Early cannons fired a ball by igniting powder behind it; the expanding gas pushed the ball out of the barrel.
The matchlock (1400s) was the first hand-held muzzleloader; its burning wick failed in wind and rain.
The wheel lock (1600s) made sparks like a lighter, but it was complex, costly, slow to wind and its spring often failed.
The flintlock (1600s) struck flint against steel; it was lighter, simpler and cheaper, and became the standard for centuries.
The percussion cap (early 1800s) was a small metal cap holding a compound that explodes when struck.
Early muzzleloaders were slow to reload and gave one shot per barrel; early breechloaders leaked gas at the breech.
Mid-1800s metal cartridges combined projectile, powder and primer; the case expands on firing and seals the breech.
Cartridge advantages: easy to load at the breech, no gas leak, largely weatherproof and more reliable. They made repeating firearms practical.
Shotgun shells hold the shot, powder and primer plus a wad that separates powder from shot.

Module 3, Major parts and firing sequence

A modern firearm has three major parts: barrel, action and stock.
The barrel is the tube the bullet or shot travels through; its open front end is the muzzle.
The data stamp is the cartridge information the maker marks on the barrel.
The action holds the parts that chamber, fire and eject cartridges. Trigger, safety and magazine are part of the action.
The trigger guard is a rigid loop that protects the trigger from being touched by accident.
The stock is the handle; it is shaped so your finger lines up with the trigger, which is why you must keep the finger out of the guard when picking a firearm up.
Firing sequence: trigger releases the mechanism, firing pin strikes the primer, primer flame ignites the powder, expanding gas drives the bullet or shot down the barrel.
The two common non-restricted long guns are rifles and shotguns.
Six basic action types: muzzleloader, hinge (break), bolt, lever, pump and semi-automatic.

Classes of firearms in Canada (2024-08-19) and Specific types of firearms

Canada has three classes of firearms: non-restricted, restricted and prohibited. Prohibited firearms are most tightly controlled.
Non-restricted means any firearm that is neither restricted nor prohibited; most ordinary rifles and shotguns are non-restricted, with exceptions.
Restricted includes handguns that are not prohibited and certain semi-automatic centre-fire firearms with barrels under 470 mm.
A firearm that can be fired when folded or telescoped to under 660 mm overall is restricted.
A rifle or shotgun sawed or cut down to under 660 mm overall, or with a barrel under 457 mm, is prohibited. So are automatic firearms.
An air gun is a firearm under the Firearms Act only if it exceeds both 152.4 m/s muzzle velocity and 5.7 joules muzzle energy.
The course teaches that every air, spring or gas gun should be handled with ACTS and PROVE, whatever its power.
Reproductions of flintlock, wheel-lock or matchlock long guns made after 1897 are antiques; percussion-cap reproductions are non-restricted firearms that need a licence.

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