California Firearms Safety Certificates (CAFSC) Practice Exam 2026 - Free Firearms Safety Practice Questions and Study Guide

The correct answer is the follower. In a magazine, the follower is a component that supports the cartridges and pushes them up into the chamber of the firearm as they are fed. When the first cartridge is inserted into the magazine, it sits on top of the follower. As additional cartridges are loaded, they compress the spring beneath the follower, which is designed to push the follower upward when the magazine is loaded. This upward motion ensures that the cartridges are positioned correctly for feeding into the chamber during firing.

It's essential to understand the relationship between the cartridge, the follower, and the other components. The spring primarily provides the force to push the follower and cartridges upward but does not directly contact the cartridge itself; therefore, it is not the correct answer. The base refers to the bottom part of the cartridge case, but the first cartridge specifically presses against the follower, not just the base by itself. The term "top round" generally refers to the last round that is positioned at the top of a loaded magazine, which does not accurately represent the first cartridge loaded into the magazine. Thus, the follower is indeed the component that interacts directly with the first cartridge loaded into a magazine.