Italian DIMA Firearms Competency Exam flashcards

39 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

TULPS full name

Testo Unico delle Leggi di Pubblica Sicurezza, Regio Decreto 18 June 1931 n. 773, the core Italian statute governing weapons, licences and public security.

Porto d'armi

Personal licence issued by the Questore authorising the carrying of a firearm for a stated purpose such as hunting, personal defence or sport; it is revocable and limited to the categories listed.

DIMA role

Direzione Investigativa per il Monitoraggio delle Armi, the central body monitoring firearms circulation and issuing certain authorisations for particular weapon categories, separate from Questore licences.

Defence licence validity

The porto di pistola per difesa personale is valid one year and must be renewed; hunting and sporting licences are valid six years, subject to continuing possession of the required requisiti.

Nulla osta acquisition

Prior authorisation from the Questore required to acquire a firearm; the weapon must then be registered and held within the legal limits on numbers and ammunition.

Armi da guerra

Weapons of war such as machine guns and military automatic rifles, prohibited to private citizens; the technical list is set by ministerial decree and possession is a criminal offence.

EU categories A-D

Classification introduced by D.Lgs. 104/2018: A prohibited, B subject to authorisation, C subject to declaration and D subject to registration; the category determines the administrative duty.

Armi comuni

Ordinary firearms available to licensed private citizens under the TULPS regime, distinguished from weapons of war and other prohibited categories.

Classification by characteristics

A firearm's legal category depends on its technical features, such as action type and magazine capacity, not on the owner's intended use.

Prohibited ammunition

Armour-piercing, incendiary, tracer, explosive and generally expanding ammunition are restricted or prohibited for civilian possession; only ammunition suited to the licensed firearm may be held.

Calibre designation

A cartridge name combining bore diameter and case length, such as 9x19 mm or 7.62x51 mm; the ammunition must match the calibre marked on the firearm.

Automatic conversion

Any device or modification converting a permitted firearm to automatic fire is prohibited and constitutes a serious offence under Italian weapons law.

Giustificato motivo

A justified reason required to carry a bladed weapon or baton in public; without it, carrying such items is an offence under the TULPS.

Treat as loaded

First fundamental safety principle: every firearm must be handled as if it were loaded, regardless of what the handler believes about its state.

Muzzle discipline

Second principle: never point a firearm at anything you are not willing to destroy; the muzzle stays in a safe direction at all times.

Trigger finger rule

Third principle: the finger stays off the trigger and outside the guard until the sights are on target and the decision to shoot has been made.

Know target and backstop

Fourth principle: be certain of the target and of what lies beyond and around it before firing; identify a safe backstop.

Handing over a firearm

Show the firearm is unloaded with the action open and magazine removed, and pass it with the muzzle in a safe direction; the recipient confirms the clear state.

Make safe sequence

Keep the muzzle safe, remove the magazine, open the action, then visually and physically check the chamber; repeat before storage or transport.

Definition of unloaded

A firearm is unloaded only when the magazine is removed, the chamber is empty and the action is open; magazine removal alone does not unload it.

Chamber check

A combined visual look into the chamber and physical check with a finger or chamber flag, because a visual check alone can miss a round in poor light.

Hangfire handling

Keep the muzzle downrange, wait the prescribed time, then clear the round; never look down the barrel or open the action immediately.

Transport conditions

Firearms must be transported unloaded, in a case or cover, with ammunition separate, and only for a purpose justified by the licence such as travel to a range or hunt.

Home storage duty

Firearms are stored unloaded in a locked place with ammunition separate, inaccessible to minors and unauthorised persons; the holder is responsible for damage caused by unauthorised access.

Carry authorisation

Carrying a firearm in public requires a valid porto d'armi and must stay within the licence conditions; carrying without a licence or outside its scope is an offence.

Cartridge components

Every cartridge consists of case, primer, propellant and projectile; each component must match the firearm's chambering to avoid dangerous pressure or obstruction.

Ballistics branches

Internal ballistics covers pressure and acceleration inside the barrel; external ballistics covers trajectory, drop and wind drift; terminal ballistics covers the effect on the target.

Kinetic energy formula

Kinetic energy equals one half of mass times velocity squared (E = ½mv²); energy and bullet construction determine terminal effect, not calibre alone.

Shotgun gauge

The gauge is the number of lead balls of bore diameter per pound; a 12 gauge therefore has a larger bore than a 20 gauge.

Squib load

A cartridge where the primer fires but the powder does not burn properly, leaving the bullet stuck in the barrel; stop firing and clear the obstruction before firing again.

Bore obstruction risk

Firing with a barrel obstruction such as a stuck bullet, patch or mud can bulge or burst the barrel; clear it with a rod before any further shot.

Cleaning sequence

Make the firearm safe, remove the magazine, open the action, then clean the bore from the breech where possible with rod, patches, solvent and a light protective oil.

Cease fire command

A range command that must be obeyed immediately by everyone on the line; firing stops at once and firearms are made safe pending further instructions.

Sight alignment

The correct relationship of front and rear sight, with the front sight sharp and centred in the rear notch; the sight picture places this alignment on the target.

Trigger control

A smooth, straight rearward press of the trigger that does not disturb the sights; jerking or anticipating the shot moves the point of impact.

Legittima difesa

Article 52 of the Penal Code: force used to repel an unjust attack must be necessary and proportionate to a current, real danger; excessive force can itself be a crime.

Proportionality in defence

The reaction must be proportionate to the danger and must stop when the attack ceases; continuing to fire after the danger has ended can turn lawful defence into an offence.

Duty to report firearm use

Any use of a firearm must be reported to the police; the authorities examine the manner of use and the holder's licence does not confer law-enforcement powers.

State of necessity

Article 54 of the Penal Code: force may be used to avert a present danger to oneself or others when the danger is not otherwise avoidable and the response is proportionate.