First off Future Weapons is a show meant for entertainment purposes. I've heard they can be total idiots when it comes to getting their facts right. I can't verify or deny that so all I have to say is don't take it too seriously. Especially when it comes to them telling a "big secret". I remember one episode they were talking about a rocket mounted laser system designed to stop missiles. They made a big hype about security. The research facility is in California. Supposedly the facility security is so tight even the governor could not get in because you have to be born in America to get in. Supposedly it's extremely tight security, but the host walks in with a camera crew no problem. If it was as big of a secret as they claim then it would have been censored by the government so that the wrong people don't get the information. That's not to say the show is total garbage. I find it to be amusing since I love learning about weapon technology. Just don't follow it religiously. Also if you would like to learn about the history of certain breeds of weaponry Weaponology is pretty cool. Anyway don't follow anything to the letter. Take it all with a grain of salt.
The Four Rules of safety are often the cornerstone of weapons safety. The order may vary, but essentially these are the rules.
1. A gun is always loaded.
2. Never point a gun at anything you aren't willing to destroy
3. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire
4. Always be aware of your target and what lies beyond.
The first rule pretty much covers everything, but the other rules are still there to clarify for those who don't figure out the safety tips. Some times the rule is stated as "treat" the gun as if it were loaded. I prefer to just say the gun is always loaded. You need the frame of mind that the gun is loaded. If you fool around and play with guns like it's a toy that's when people get shot. The second rule is pretty self explanatory. Some people think the safety will save them. I wouldn't trust the safety to work. If you fool around with the gun because the safety is on some time the safety might not be on or it could be broken and someone could be hurt. If you're screwing around you might accidentally shoot someone. The third rule is to help prevent you firing when you are not ready. If you keep the finger on the trigger while you are still aiming you might fire off a shot prematurely. If you're hunting you might wound the target without killing it. The 4th rule is vitally important. If you're hunting and you see a bush shaking you better be 100% positive what you are shooting at. If you accidentally shoot a hunter instead no matter how sorry you are or how much you pray God won't bring them back. There is also a thing known as over penetration where your bullet goes in one side of the target and out the other. Anything on the other side of your target could be hit so be careful. There are various other safety procedures, but the four rules are the big ones.
Clips and Magazines are ammo holding items used for loading weapons. Usually when someone talks about a clip they are really talking about a magazine. Some people make a big difference between the two. I think if you know what is meant that is good enough. Still I might as well cover it. A magazine is what loads the ammunition into the gun itself. It is the ammo belt for a machine gun, a cylinder for a revolver, or the banana shaped box in an AK47. A clip is used to load a magazine. Many older weapons had a magazine permanently attached to the gun itself. A "stripper clip" was used to slide several rounds into the magazine at once rather than having to put in 1 round at a time. If you are in doubt refer to the picture below.
Bullets are the projectiles fired from guns. Yes I know any idiot can figure that out. The thing is the bullet is sometimes mistaken as being the entire ammunition unit. A single ammunition unit is often called a round or cartridge. A cartridge consists of a projectile (the bullet), propellant (the gunpowder), the primer (the thing that sets off the gunpowder) and the casing (the metal tube that holds everything together.
Buying Advice Ammo availability is a very important thing to consider if you want to buy a gun. You will probably want something that is easy to get ammo for. The FN P90 looks nice and handles nice in video games, but the 5.7mm ammo is pretty rare in the U.S. so even if you could get one the ammunition will be hard to get and expensive. If you plan to do a lot of target practice without the intent of using the gun for self defense a .22 is good to get. The ammo is the cheapest available so you get more for your money.
Choose a weapon that suits you. It's good to have friends with weapon experience. It's a good idea to try various calibers before buying. Guns and ammo can be expensive so it's good to get a feel for what works best for you rather than just buying something that feels too awkward.
Storing Firearmsis somewhat controversial. It's widely accepted you need to secure your guns, but to what degree is the issue. Some people think you need to lock your guns in one safe, your ammo in another safe, and have each safe on opposite sides of the house. This makes your guns most inconvenient for an intruder to use against you, but is also inconvenient for you to use against intruders. What can be agreed on is that weapons should be locked up especially when you are not directly using them. If you leave it in an unlocked drawer a thief can find it when you're not home. Even worse if you have kids one might find it and if they are not smart with guns that can end in disaster. Personally I like the idea of having it either in a holster at home or locked somewhere you can easily access. At night located in a holster behind the bed or locked in a drawer or something where you can easily access it if needed, but the kids can't. When you are not at home keep it locked in a safe or something. That's my personal opinion. If you own a gun it's your call how you secure it. It's your responsibility if you use poor judgment.
Automatic Weapons are a big hot button for the media. An automatic weapon is a weapon that automatically reloads itself after it fires. There is
Semi Automatic and Fully Automatic. Semi automatic weapons are a weapon that will fire once and then reload when you squeeze the trigger. If you squeeze the trigger and hold it down it still only shoots one time. If you keep pulling the trigger it will keep firing until you run out of ammo. Fully automatic weapons are weapons that can keep firing and reloading. If you hold down the trigger it will fire then reload then fire and reload again. It will keep firing and reloading until you release the trigger or you run out of ammo. Fully automatic weapons are heavily regulated so to legally purchase one is difficult and very expensive.
Silencers are a common name used for a sound suppressor. Sound suppressor is the official term used. They are popular in video games and movies. When you use them in video games and in movies it should be noticed that you almost always hear the guns going off anyway. It is much quieter, but it still makes noise. For some reason there is a misconception that they make the gun completely silent. Such is not the case. A sound suppressor is a chamber on the end of the gun for expanding gasses to expand into. It works exactly the same as a car muffler.
Sniper Rifles and Hunting Rifles are similar weapons. Hunting rifles are sometimes identified as sniper rifles. The two are more or less the same. The main difference is how the name sounds. A hunting rifle to the average joe is an average weapon while a sniper rifle is a high powered weapon that can easily kill in one shot. Sniping tactics were based on hunting tactics. A person does their best to remain undetected while they search for the animal they want to kill. When they find the animal they carefully place an accurate shot to a place on the animal to kill them in one hit. Actually the term "Sniper" refers to a marksman who was accurate enough to shoot a snipe. The same is the principal behind sniping. Since hunting relies on accuracy the weapon is designed to shoot accurately. An actual military sniper rifle isn't as easy to get ahold of.
Caliber refers to the diameter of the ammo. It is sometimes measured in imperial and other times in metric. Imperial is in hundredths of an inch, or in some cases even thousandths such as .45 and .223. Metric is in millimeters such as 9mm and 7.62mm. If you're just talking about guns that's all you need to know, but if you actually want to own a gun you will want to learn the specifics. For example there is .22 short, .22 long, and .22 magnum. All three of them are .22, but they aren't necessarily the same. A .22 short won't hold a '22 long or magnum. The same with 9mm. There is 9mm parabellum is 9x19mm while 9mm Makarov is 9x18mm. If you were to try and use a Parabellum round in a gun that takes a Makarov round you would find the round is too long. One millimeter doesn't seem like a big deal, but it can make a big difference.
Less than Lethal weapons are weapons designed to stop a target without killing them. These are tasers, stun guns, sticky shockers, beanbag shotgun shells, rubber bullets, and many more weapons. They are sometimes called non lethal weapons, but that is a misleading title. If improperly used it can still kill a target.
In Conclusion I hope you have learned something from this guide. When I mentioned to take shows like Future Weapons and Weaponology with a grain of salt the same applies to this guide. This guide is not absolute fact written in stone. I mean for this guide to be taken seriously though.
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