A rifle is any gun having helical grooves (called rifling) cut inside the bore of the barrel. These grooves cause the projectile to spin, making it more stable and the gun more accurate.
A musket is any gun having a smooth bore barrel. Their projectiles are unstable and the gun is not very accurate.
Guns that use explosive propellants are firearms, whether they are rifles or muskets.
Guns that just use compressed gasses or springs are not firearms, but also could be either rifles or muskets. An example is an Air Rifle. Even though such guns are not actually firearms, they should always be treated with the same respect as if they were.
A special type of musket is the shotgun, which usually shoots many small pellets (called shot) instead of a single projectile. An example is the Bug-A-Salt, which is a compressed air shotgun using table salt instead of metallic shot.
No.
yes
If it uses gunpowder to launch a projectile it is considered a firearm
none that i know of
No it is not a toy. In some countries it is considered a firearm. In the USA it falls into a grey area. Not quite a firearm but not a toy.
Yes. An air rifle is not considered a firearm, thus a felons possession is not limited.
You will have to contact the California Department of Justice for a current, legal and correct answer.
Yes, an air rifle is not considered a firearm by Texas or federal laws.
A shotgun is a firearm. A revolver is a firearm. A pistol is a firearm. A rifle is a firearm. If you want even more specific -- A Remington 1187 is a firearm (shotgun). A Smith and Wesson 686 is a firearm (revolver). A Sig Sauer P226 is a firearm (pistol). A Colt 6920 is a firearm (rifle).
Yes
A firearm
A rifle