California Firearms Safety Certificates (CAFSC) Practice Exam

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Prepare for the California Firearms Safety Certificate Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Hints and explanations are provided for each question to help you get ready and pass the exam with confidence!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


What is the name of the part of the gun that strikes the primer?

  1. Trigger

  2. Firing pin

  3. Slide

  4. Barrel

The correct answer is: Firing pin

The part of the gun that strikes the primer is called the firing pin. Upon pulling the trigger, the firing pin is propelled forward, striking the primer located at the base of the cartridge. This impact ignites the primer compound, subsequently igniting the gunpowder in the cartridge and firing the bullet. The trigger is the mechanism that the shooter pulls to initiate the firing sequence, but it does not directly make contact with the primer. The slide is a component typically found on semi-automatic pistols that helps chamber a round and eject spent casings, while the barrel is the part of the gun through which the bullet travels once fired. Understanding the function of the firing pin is crucial for firearm safety and operation.