Officer Training Academy: Firearms
Instructor Certification EXAM
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
COMPLETE EXAM GUIDE 2026
Safety - ANSWER-is the most important element of firearms training.
Shooting Hand - ANSWER-is the hand you use to shoot the firearm.
Support Hand - ANSWER-is the hand that assists the shooting hand.
Safety Check - ANSWER-Each time you pick up, put down, or hand a firearm to
another, open the firearm's action and physically and visually inspect it to make sure
that it is not loaded. This is called a __________.
Safe direction - ANSWER-Always point the muzzle in a ___.
45 degree angle - ANSWER-A safe direction is generally muzzle pointed down at a
_________________ away from your body with your finger outside the trigger guard.
Anyone or Anything - ANSWER-Never point a firearm at _____________________ that
you do not intend to shoot, whether loaded or not.
drawing your firearm or returning it to your holster. - ANSWER-Keep your finger off the
trigger and outside the trigger guard when ____________________.
Unattended. - ANSWER-Never leave a loaded firearm _________________.
Safety Check - ANSWER-Perform a ________________ each time you are issued or
return a firearm.
Unholster - ANSWER-Never _______________ a firearm behind the firing line.
Action - ANSWER-The ________________ is the mechanism of a firearm involved with
presenting the round or cartridge for firing,
, Cycling the Gun - ANSWER-Removing the spent casing and introducing a fresh round
or cartridge. This is known as
Trigger, Trigger Guard - ANSWER-Keep your finger off the __________ and outside the
___________ when drawing the firearm or returning it to your holster.
790.174, F.S. - ANSWER-addresses requirements for storing firearms safely.
776, F.S. - ANSWER-governs all use of force by criminal justice officers
776.05, F.S. - ANSWER-identifies two general areas in which an officer's use of force is
justified
Deadly force - ANSWER-is force that is likely to cause death or great bodily harm.
776. 06, F.S. - ANSWER-defines deadly force
Case/Casing - ANSWER-the metal or plastic container that holds all parts of a round of
ammunition: primer, powder charge, and bullet
Rim - ANSWER-the edge on the base of a cartridge case that stops the progress of the
case into the chamber
Crimp (shotgun only) - ANSWER-the part of the case mouth that bends inward to grip
the bullet; with shotgun shells, the term applies to the closure at the case mouth
Headstamp - ANSWER-Markings found on the head of ammunition that indicate caliber
or gauge and identify manufacturer.
Shot (shotgun only) - ANSWER-spherical pellets of various sizes, usually made of lead •
Primer - ANSWER-Mixture used to ignite the propellant or powder charge
Powder - ANSWER-propellant used in most firearms; it produces a large volume of gas
when ignited
Wad (shotgun only) - ANSWER-the only part not found in any other centerfire cartridge;
this is used to seal/confine gases; can be made of plastic or compressed cardboard
Bullet - ANSWER-portion of the cartridge that becomes a projectile when in flight
Round - ANSWER-complete ammunition cartridge that contains all parts of ammunition;
a military term meaning one single cartridge
Caliber - ANSWER-is a measurement used to identify different cartridge (projectile)
sizes. It is determined by measuring the diameter of the bore of the firearm.