I know you have at least one of them. A person in your life that you interact with regularly that when you first met them, you thought you’d never see them again so you didn’t pay attention when they were introduced, didn’t retain it because it was piled in with a dozen others or never asked. Now you see them monthly, weekly or possibly even daily and … you have no idea what their name is. “Hey there!”, “Hello sir!” and half baked plots for your spouse or friend to get their name is now your reality.

 Much the same thing happens with your sport, especially when you’re a shooter. You can speak for days on the pros and cons of 20 MOA, know what grains and bullet tips are widely available for your particular gun and have finally gotten a grasp on all the industry marketing spin names for a mil-dot (or even what “mil” stands for ). Yet here you are with small gaps; gaps that don’t regularly affect your day to day but are just those little holes in your knowledge that you’re now at a point where asking the question will no doubt solicit that look and pause as your buddy quietly readjusts his personal view of you before hesitantly responding. Let’s avoid that. Here are seven questions we get asked a lot (no, you’re not alone). You probably know some but if I help fill even one gap, I’ll leave happy. So here we go:

Is ammunition for a 303 British interchangeable with a 303 Savage?

The answer is NO. The 303 British is a larger cartridge designed for British military service rifles. The 303 Savage is basically a totally different cartridge designed for the Savage Model 99 lever action rifle.

What is the big deal with pre 64 Winchester model 94 lever carbines?

In the period following 1963 Winchester made a number of changes to their line-up of firearms and some were not for the best. After 1963 many of the Winchester Model 94s used a hardwood stock instead of walnut. Their cartridge lifter was stamped. The receivers themselves were cast instead of machined steel. This prevented the new receiver from being touched up with cold or hot blue as they would turn a different colour. Some of the Model 94s suffered from accuracy issues that tainted the entire line. These issues not withstanding, most Model 94s produced after ’63 were still good, serviceable hunting rifles.

Do I need to replace my Lee Enfield bolt action rifle’s 10 round magazine with a 5 round mag (in Canada)?

Nope. 5 round magazine capacity restrictions only apply to semi-automatic centrefire rifles and semi-auto shotguns under our current firearm laws (July 2018)

Can I shoot 22 LR in my 22 Win Mag or the other way around?

Hell no and please don’t try. The 22 Win Mag is a longer case and is a little larger in diameter. They aren’t interchangeable.

My firearm has “22 Long” stamped on the barrel. I can shoot 22 Long Rifle through it right?

For the most part, no!  In the late 1800s and early 1900s some firearms such as Winchester and Remington chambered what is called “22 Long Rimfire”. Despite the identical acronym, this is NOT the same as “22 Long Rifle” (22 LR) which was developed much later and has a longer casing. The 22 Long will take a 22 Short RF however. As with any rule, there are exceptions and some English and European rifles marked 22 Long or 22 L will chamber a 22 LR. If this is possibly what you have, best to have a gunsmith have a look to remove all doubt.

I’m sighting in the iron sights on my rifle. Which way do I move the back sight?

Always move the back sight in the direction you want the bullet to go. If you’re shooting to the left, move the back sight to the right.

My father had an old percussion revolver. He passed away and now I have it. Am I in trouble or need to get it destroyed? Do I need to register it or get an addition to my PAL?

If it is made before 1898 and is percussion or flintlock it is considered an antique firearm. Antique firearms do not need to be registered and fall outside the firearms that require a PAL (Firearms License). If it was produced after 1898, it must be registered and treated the same as any other handgun with the relevant restrictions.