Effective December 15, 2010, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife changed their guidelines for distance learning. Students are now required to spend a minimum amount of time on each course page before proceeding to the certification exam.

Click here to go to the latest version of the Today's Hunter in Washington online course—the official hunter education course of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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The following course material is for reference only. Please go to the new course to complete your Washington certification.

5.5 How Ammunition is Fired

The firing sequence for handguns and shotguns is very similar to this sequence shown for a bolt-action rifle.

The bolt moves forward, compressing the firing pin spring and inserting a cartridge into the chamber.
The firing pin is held back under spring tension.
When the trigger is pulled, the firing pin moves forward, crushing and igniting the primer in the cartridge base.
The primer ignites the gunpowder, generating gas pressure, which forces the bullet forward and out of the barrel.

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Official hunting safety course for Washington hunters last modified: October 29, 2010
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