| Bullets are what comes out of a gun. Most non-gun owners don't know that a bullet can mean two different things. For shotguns, the bullet is called shot or slug. A bullet which is really called a cartridge or ammo has the following parts: The primer is hit when you pull the trigger which causes a fire. This fire then lights or ignights the gunpowder. The lighting of the gunpowder pushes the case backward and propels the bullet down the barrel of the gun. Bullets are fast. They leave the gun at 400 feet per second to 3000 feet per second. Many bullets can fly faster than the speed of sound. If the barrel is rifled it spins the bullet like a football. The case of the bullet is left inside of the guns and must be ejected before a new bullet is loaded. Bullets are named based on their diameter, and known as caliber. Bullets are named in both the metric (mm - millimeters) and US system (inches). Centerfire vs. Rimfire |