FCG (fire control group)
FCG is an acronym for fire control group, which is the assembly of parts that make the gun fire when you pull the trigger. FCG designs vary widely, but most linkages involve a trigger, a sear, a spring, and a hammer. FCGs are sometimes contained within a housing to make the inner mechanism inaccessible without special tools, a procedure known as "peasant-proofing." More often, however, they are easily disassembled into component pieces that can be sanded, polished, or ground to improve the trigger's feel. However, such "trigger jobs" should only be performed by experienced gunsmiths, as removing too much material in the wrong area can result in accidental discharges, slam fires, or simply a broken trigger. Note that the FCG of an AR-pattern rifle is not the same thing as a LPK, although the LPK usually contains a FCG.
For an explanation of trigger mechanics, see here.
For an explanation of trigger mechanics, see here.
FFL (Federal Firearms License, Federal Firearms Licensee)
FFL is an acronym for Federal Firearm's License, or Licensee. There are several types of FFL but all the average shooter needs to know is that a FFL is usually needed when buying a gun. If you buy a gun online, you must have it shipped to an FFL because it is not legal for the manufacturer to ship directly to you (in most cases).
FFLs are usually not needed for private sales of non-NFA items, but check with your local sheriff's office, as laws may vary. Regardless, it is a good idea to use a FFL for a private sale, even though the FFL may charge a fee. This is because the FFL's transfer paperwork will leave a paper trail proving that the gun no longer belongs to you, in the event that the gun is later used in some sort of crime.
The term "FFL" is generally used to refer to a person or business that possesses a Federal Firearms License, rather than the license itself. It is common parlance to say "I need to find a FFL" rather than "I need to find someone with a FFL".
FFLs are usually not needed for private sales of non-NFA items, but check with your local sheriff's office, as laws may vary. Regardless, it is a good idea to use a FFL for a private sale, even though the FFL may charge a fee. This is because the FFL's transfer paperwork will leave a paper trail proving that the gun no longer belongs to you, in the event that the gun is later used in some sort of crime.
The term "FFL" is generally used to refer to a person or business that possesses a Federal Firearms License, rather than the license itself. It is common parlance to say "I need to find a FFL" rather than "I need to find someone with a FFL".
firing pin
A firing pin is a pin or plate that strikes the primer, igniting the cartridge and firing the firearm. Firing pins may be clipped short to deactivate a firearm as the pin will not be long enough to impact the primer, but this can be fixed by simply replacing the firing pin, so most deactivated firearms have other steps taken during deactivation, such as welding a steel bar inside the barrel.
flash suppressor, flash hider
See Muzzle Devices.
FMJ (full metal jacket)
FMJ is an acronym for "full metal jacket," a common type of bullet. FMJ bullets consist of a soft lead core that is completely encased in a shell of harder material, usually copper, and were invented in response to the high bullet velocities generated by smokeless powder. Black powder cartridges use all-lead bullets, but the higher bullet velocities generated by smokeless powder required that a hard outer layer be added to keep the bullet intact and prevent excessive lead deposits in the bore. All-lead bullets can still be safely fired from smokeless cartridges, but the bore and action will foul more quickly and require more frequent cleaning.
FMJ bullets have poor terminal performance (lethality) compared to soft-point or hollow-point bullets. However, the Hague Convention of 1899 prohibits the use of expanding bullets (soft point and hollow point bullets) in international warfare. All members of NATO must abide by the Hague Convention, so most of the world's major military powers train and fight using FMJ ammunition.
FMJ bullets have poor terminal performance (lethality) compared to soft-point or hollow-point bullets. However, the Hague Convention of 1899 prohibits the use of expanding bullets (soft point and hollow point bullets) in international warfare. All members of NATO must abide by the Hague Convention, so most of the world's major military powers train and fight using FMJ ammunition.
frame
A frame provides support and structure in a handgun, as well as providing a grip for the shooter. Similar to a rifle or shotgun's receiver, all other parts of the handgun (slide, barrel, FCG, etc) are fixed to the frame. The frame is often the serial numbered portion of the firearm, meaning that it is the crucial component that makes the gun function and is thus taxed and tracked by the government. In some models of handgun, however, it is the slide that is serial numbered.
frangible bullet
A frangible bullet is a bullet designed to break apart into many small pieces upon impact. Frangible bullets were developed in response to concerns about bullet ricochet and over-penetration (shooting through a target or structure and accidentally hitting a bystander). Frangible bullets are engineered to quickly break apart upon encountering a physical barrier, reducing the risk of collateral damage and causing large, shallow wounds that are more likely to incapacitate than kill.
The effectiveness and practicality of frangible bullets is hotly contested in the self-defense and law enforcement communities.
The effectiveness and practicality of frangible bullets is hotly contested in the self-defense and law enforcement communities.
FTE (failure to eject), stovepipe
FTE is an acronym for "failure-to-eject." A FTE occurs when a fired case does not fully eject, trapping the fired case in the action and causing a jam. A "stovepipe" is a common type of FTE that occurs when the fired case becomes trapped in the ejection port, a visual presentation that is vaguely reminiscent of the chimney pipes commonly seen on wood-burning stoves.
FTEs can usually be resolved by manually clearing and cycling the action. However, a firearm that consistently FTEs should be examined by a professional.
FTEs can usually be resolved by manually clearing and cycling the action. However, a firearm that consistently FTEs should be examined by a professional.
FTF (failure to feed)
FTF is an acronym for "failure-to-feed." A FTF occurs when a new round gets caught on an internal surface of the firearm, jamming the action. FTFs are more common with hollow point, flat nose, or wadcutter bullets, as the flattened front face of these bullets makes them more likely to jam up than the smooth, rounded face of FMJ and soft point bullets.
FTFs can usually be resolved by manually clearing and cycling the action. However, a firearm that consistently FTFs should be examined by a professional.
FTFs can usually be resolved by manually clearing and cycling the action. However, a firearm that consistently FTFs should be examined by a professional.
FOPA (Firearms Owners Protection Act)
The Firearms Owners Protection Act passed congress in 1986, and offers a number of useful protections that firearms owners today take for granted, such as the ability to transport weapons between states relatively easily, and the ability to sell or gift a gun to another citizen without filing any paperwork. However, one restriction that FOPA imposed was a ban on all civilian purchases of machine guns manufactured after the bill was passed in May of 1986. With the supply of "pre-ban" machine guns suddenly finite, prices skyrocketed, and today most civilian-legal machine guns cost between $10,000 and $15,000 dollars, although agencies with the proper permissions (like the military) can still purchase newly-manufactured machine guns at normal prices.
fouling
Fouling refers to the trace amounts of contaminants (copper, lead, burnt powder, etc) that are deposited in the bore, chamber, and action of a firearm after a round has been fired. Fouling must be cleaned periodically in order to maintain accuracy and keep a firearm in good working order.
Different types of fouling will require different cleaners. Powder and lead fouling are fairly easy to remove, but copper fouling requires that a solvent specifically designed for copper fouling.
Different types of fouling will require different cleaners. Powder and lead fouling are fairly easy to remove, but copper fouling requires that a solvent specifically designed for copper fouling.
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