What is a gun? How does a gun work? What are the different types of guns? Presented by Bill Mei at SF Learning Night on July 28th, 2015.

1. Guns
HISTORY, MECHANICS, AND POLITICS

2. What is a gun?

7. Matchlock
• Could be fired without lighting a
new match
• Doesn’t work in rain or wind
• Very unreliable, sparks can
ignite the pan without warning

8. Wheel Lock
• Impervious to rain and wind
• Complex and expensive
• Springs failed often and winding
was slow

9. Flintlock
• Much simpler than wheel lock
• Most popular mechanism used
for muzzleloaders throughout
history, was standard with most
armies

12. Cartridges

17. 1 in 5
Guns in the World
AK
All other guns

20. The Second
Amendment
“A well regulated militia
being necessary to the
security of a free state,
the right of the people to
keep and bear arms shall
not be infringed.”

21. TL;DR: Gun Control Works

22. Firearm homicides per 100,000 people
Data from Alpers and Wilson (GunPolicy.org), 2013

24. Gun Control in Canada
Three classes of
firearms
• Non-restricted
• Restricted
• Prohibited
Background
Check
• Need to pass
safety course
• Need two
references
• Mandatory
waiting period
Storage and
Transportation
• Must always be
unloaded
• Must be locked
when stored
• Cannot have
ammo within
easy reach

25. Gun Safety
• Assume every firearm is loadedA
• Control the muzzle direction at all timesC
• Trigger finger must be kept off the triggerT
• See that the firearm is unloaded: PROVE it is
safeS

27. Gun Safety
• Point the firearm in the safest directionP
• Remove all ammunitionR
• Observe the chamberO
• Verify the feeding path is clearV
• Examine the bore for obstructionsE

29. Q&A