Which item is considered a firearm under the given definition?

Which item is considered a firearm under the given definition?

• A. An antique firearm
• B. A pistol capable of firing fixed cartridge ammunition
• C. A BB gun
• D. A cap gun

Answer: (B)

Under this definition, a firearm is a weapon designed to expel a projectile using the energy from an explosive in a fixed cartridge. A pistol capable of firing fixed cartridge ammunition clearly fits this criterion because it uses a cartridge that contains propellant and a primer; when fired, the explosion propels the bullet through the barrel. The other items don’t meet the same mechanism: a BB gun uses compressed air or springs, not an explosive cartridge; a cap gun makes a sound with caps and doesn’t propel a projectile; an antique firearm could be a firearm if it can fire fixed ammunition, but the given description matches the cartridge-based mechanism most precisely.

Under this definition, a firearm is a weapon designed to expel a projectile using the energy from an explosive in a fixed cartridge. A pistol capable of firing fixed cartridge ammunition clearly fits this criterion because it uses a cartridge that contains propellant and a primer; when fired, the explosion propels the bullet through the barrel. The other items don’t meet the same mechanism: a BB gun uses compressed air or springs, not an explosive cartridge; a cap gun makes a sound with caps and doesn’t propel a projectile; an antique firearm could be a firearm if it can fire fixed ammunition, but the given description matches the cartridge-based mechanism most precisely.