Glossary of Terms

Muzzle Rise
Muzzle rise, muzzle flip, or muzzle climb refers to the tendency of a firearm’s muzzle (front end of the barrel) to rise up after firing. It more specifically refers to the seemingly unpredictable “jump” of the firearm’s muzzle from shots being fired in quick succession. It has an adverse effect on maintaining accuracy when rapid-firing semi-automatic weapons because a moving muzzle can throw off the shooter’s aim, causing subsequent shots to miss the intended target.

Optic Cut
An optic cut is a modification to a firearm slide that allows for the mounting of an optic, such as a red dot sight.

Pistol Sizes – Full, Compact, Subcompact, Micro
Standard or Full Size (example Glock 17)
The largest of the handgun sizes is standard or full-size. These pistols typically have a barrel size of 4.5-inches and longer. They are usually at least 5-inches tall, with a grip that fully fits the hand without a magazine inserted. Their magazine capacities are usually 15 rounds or more.

Compact (example Glock 19)

Compact handguns are smaller than full-size, usually with barrel lengths of 3.5 to 4.5 inches. They are shorter in height compared to standard pistols and can be seen as smaller versions of them. The grip of compact pistols usually fit comfortably in the hand with or without a magazine, though those with large hands might find them a bit too small. Their magazine capacities can be similar to that of full-size pistols, but can also be found in 10-15-round capacities.

Subcompact (example Glock 43x)

A step-down in size from compact handguns are subcompact handguns. Their barrel lengths are usually around 3- to 3.5-inches. Subcompact pistols have shorter grips than compact or full-size handguns and are shorter in height. Often the grip will feel a little small in the shooter’s hand, but this can usually be fixed with a magazine that has a pinky extension.

Because of their smaller size, subcompact handguns are easy to conceal. This, however, can come with the downsides of a less shootable gun because lightweight, short-barreled pistols can have strong recoil and be uncomfortable to shoot.

Micro (Derringers)

Micro handguns, known as “pocket pistols,” are the smallest type of handgun, fitting easily in pockets. They have short barrels under 3 inches and are slim in design. Their small grips and strong recoil make them tough to shoot accurately. Most fire smaller calibers like .25 ACP, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP, with magazines usually holding fewer than 6 rounds. Their compact size makes them popular as backup weapons carried in ankle or pocket holsters.

Ported Barrels and Slides
The Ported Barrel & Slide combo on modern firearms helps with control and lowers felt recoil and muzzle rise by redirecting combustion gases around the slide’s sight line, making follow-up shots faster and more accurate.

Ported Barrels
MUST BE USED IN PORT-MATCHED
SLIDES.
Using a ported barrel in a closed/non-ported slide will cause catastrophic damage to the firearm, risking injury to the user and others around.

NEVER USE A PORTED BARREL if any of the ports are blocked, covered, or obstructed – even partially.

Recoil
Recoil is the backward movement of a gun when fired. When you pull the trigger, the hammer strikes the firing pin, igniting the primer in the cartridge. This creates a small flash that ignites the gunpowder, building up pressure in the barrel, pushing the bullet out of the muzzle. This sudden release causes the gun to move backward into the shooter’s shoulder or hand. The gun’s weight, the amount of powder, and barrel size affect how much recoil you feel.

Recoil Spring Assembly (RSA)
The Recoil Spring Assembly compresses behind the backward-moving slide or bolt to cushion and stop it from slamming against the stock, leading to less recoil. Also, as the tension leaves the spring, it helps the slide or bolt automatically return to its original position.

Red Dot Sight (Green Dot Sight)
An optic type that is mounted atop a firearm and is typically used at closer ranges, usually 100 yards or less. They are extremely easy to use and can assist first-time shooters with more simplified aiming. Red/Green dots display a Red or Green dot as the reticle when you look through the lens.

Single and Double Action
A single-action handgun requires the hammer to be manually cocked before pulling the trigger to fire
A double-action handgun cocks the hammer with the trigger pull itself, meaning you can fire the gun by simply pulling the trigger without manually cocking it first.
A “single action only” gun releases the hammer/striker with one trigger pull, while a “double action” gun cocks and releases the hammer/striker with one pull.

Striker Fired
Striker Fired means a firearm uses a spring-loaded firing pin, or striker, to fire the gun instead of a hammer.

Tac Spike
TAC SPIKE Guide rods are the ones you have been looking for and didn’t know you needed. Machined from 17-4SS they employ a hard sharp spike that protrudes 1/2″ past the slide under the barrel. TAC SPIKE can be utilized as a stand off device (SOD), a pain compliance device (PCD), or in the case of the Zombie Apocalypse where you find yourself out of bullets you can utilize the TAC SPIKE as a DOMER to pierce the skull of attacking Zombies and scramble their brains. These guide rods weigh a whopping 24 grams without the spring providing that all important weight where its needed to help prevent muzzle rise and give you the extra piece of mind that if you run out of bullets your secondary weapon is already in your hands.

Uncaptured Guide Rod
An “Uncaptured Guide Rod” gun refers to a firearm where the guide rod, the metal component that helps manage the recoil spring, is not physically attached to the recoil spring itself, meaning it can potentially come loose or fall out when the slide is removed, unlike a “captured guide rod” where the spring is securely held within the guide rod by a screw or similar mechanism.