NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Automatic pistol

A semi-automatic pistol is a handgun commonly used as a sidearm by police and military all over the world. It is often referred to as a mere pistol, although that term encompasses several other types of small firearm as well. Most types rely on a magazine which feeds ammunition through the hollow hand grip into the chamber. This allows for short reload times and a larger number of rounds per loading than a revolver, at the cost of a more complex design and mechanism which is more prone to malfunctioning. A semi-automatic firearm automatically loads a round into the chamber after the weapon is fired, but still requires a trigger pull for each round that is fired. ... A Browning 9 millimetre semi-automatic pistol Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century. ... A handgun is a firearm small enough to be carried and used in one hand. ... A sidearm is a small personal weapon that is typically worn on the body in a holster in such a way to permit immediate access and use. ... A Browning 9 millimetre semi-automatic pistol Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century. ... Some firearms A firearm is a kinetic energy mechanical device that fires either a single or multiple projectiles propelled at high velocity by the gases produced by action of the rapid confined burning of a propellant. ... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... The Colt Single Action Army, one of the most popular revolvers of all time A revolver is a multishot firearm, usually a handgun, in which the rounds are held in a revolving cylinder that rotates to fire them through a single barrel. ...

Technology

A semi-automatic pistol reloads the chamber with a new round automatically each time the weapon is fired, without additional action by the user. This is accomplished by recoil operation or, less commonly, by siphoning off some of the gasses created when the gun fires. A semi-automatic will fire only one shot per trigger pull, in contrast to a "fully automatic" which continues to fire as long as the trigger is held back or until all rounds have been fired. While both types of weapons operate on the same principles, fully automatic weapons must be built more ruggedly to accommodate the heat and shock caused by rapid firing, and it can be difficult (and illegal) to turn one action into the other type. A selective fire action can be converted back and forth with a simple flick of a switch, and often includes burst mode. Selective fire weapons are generally not available to civilians. Recoil operation is one of the firearm actions used in automatic firearms. ... A selective fire weapon can be fired in either of at least two modes, depending on the position of the selector switch. ... burst mode in computing In a computing environment, burst mode refers generically to any situation in which a device is transmitting data repeatedly without waiting for input from another device or waiting for an internal process to terminate before continuing the transfer of data. ...

Semi-automatic pistols can be divided into "blowback" and "breechlock" pistols according to their principle of operation. In blowback pistols, the barrel is fixed to the frame and the breechblock, in its foremost position, is held against the barrel only by the force of the recoil spring. In breechlock pistols, the barrel is locked to the breechblock and recoils a short distance with it until it is unlocked, after which the breechblock and slide continues backward without the barrel. Blowback pistols are simpler to make and thus cheaper to make, but the blowback mechanism can only practically be used with cartridges of relatively low power. The recoil when firing a gun is the backward momentum of a gun, which is equal to the forward momentum of the bullet or shell, due to conservation of momentum. ...

Another differing point among pistols are their trigger and ignition systems. Early designs use so-called "single action" systems, where a hammer needs to be manually cocked to fire the first shot (though for subsequent shots the hammer is cocked by the energy associated with the recoil from the preceding shot). When the trigger would be pulled, the hammer would hit the firing pin which would then strike the primer of the round in the chamber and fire the pistol. For carry the hammer would simply be blocked in its cocked position with a manual safety. These early designs could not prevent the pistol from firing if dropped on a hard surface, as the firing pin was only being held in place by a spring. There was also a (very rare) risk that such a pistol would fire in fully automatic mode if the spring retaining the firing pin would become too weak with use. In that case the pistol would start firing and only stop when it would run out of ammunition, posing a great risk for its user. In its earliest usage, trigger refers to a mechanical mechanism, the pulling or pushing of which sets a device into action. ... A claw hammer on the ground. ... The firing pin is a very hard steel rod with a one small, rounded end for striking the primer of a cartridge. ... A primer is a nucleic acid strand (or related molecule) that serves as a starting point for DNA replication. ... Categories: Stub | Core issues in ethics | Firearm components | Safety | American football ... Springs A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical energy. ...

Later designs introduced the "double action" system, which eliminated the need to first manually cock the hammer to fire. Instead, the hammer is cocked as the trigger is pulled. This first trigger pull in double action mode (uncocked hammer) is heavier than when in single action mode. After the first shot the pistol reverts to single action mode because the rearward motion of the slide (which cycles the pistol) cocks the hammer; the trigger pull weight in single action mode is usually half of what it is in double action mode. If the particular pistol has a manual safety, when it is engaged it will usually (depending on the design) decock the hammer and it will return to double action mode. There are also "double action only" designs in which there is no single action mode, as the hammer cannot stay in a cocked position. In most double action designs the trigger will be disconnected while the safety is applied. Note that some double action pistols lack the firing pin safety.

The newest designs use so-called striker systems, also called "safe action" or "semi-double action", in which there is no hammer and when one pulls the trigger one fully cocks the striker until it releases and fires the pistol. When the trigger is in ready position, the striker is blocked so that the pistol can not fire if dropped. Striker can refer to: attackers in football striker, a form of firing pin that replaces the hammer and firing pin with a single unit, that is capable of igniting the ammunition when activated via the trigger. ...

History

After Hiram Maxim introduced his recoil-powered machine gun in 1883, several gunsmiths set out to apply the same principle to handguns. The first model to gain any commercial success was the Borchardt self-loading pistol, designed by Hugo Borchardt and appeared in 1894. It featured a rather clever locking mechanism modelled after the human knee joint and proved mechanically reliable, but too large and bulky to be used comfortably by one hand. Equipped with a screw-on wooden stock it served well as small carbine, however. In 1896 Paul Mauser introduced his first model of the famous Mauser pistol. Using the powerful 7.36 mm bottle-necked cartridge originally designed for the Borchardt, the Mauser was the first semi-automatic pistol used extensively in battlefields, as in South African War of 1899-1902. The next notable design was the Luger Parabellum, featuring greatly improved Borchardt-type locking mechanism, by Georg Luger, which was adopted by the German military and served as their standard sidearm during World War I. During World War II Germany was the first nation to adopt a so called double action pistol, the Walther P38 which could be carried loaded and ready to fire at all times without the risk of an accidental discharge. Luger's 9 mm cartridge is the most widely used pistol cartridge today. In the United States, the first gun designer to develop self-loading pistols was John Browning, whose models were manufactured in Europe by the Belgian Fabrique Nationale and by Colt in the US. The .45 Colt M1911 was adopted by the US military and remained in service for over 70 years. Hiram S. Maxim Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim (February 4, 1840 - November 24, 1916) was the inventor of the Maxim Gun in 1884, the first portable, fully automatic machine gun. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Hugo Borchardt (June 6, 1844-May 8, 1924), was a firearms inventor and engineer. ... 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A carbine is a firearm similar to, but shorter or weaker than, an ordinary rifle or musket of a given period. ... 1896 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Paul von Meisner, born June 27, 1838 in Oberndorf am Neckar, died May 29, 1914 in Oberndorf am Neckar, was a German industrialist and weapon designer. ... Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one in 1880-81 and the second from October 11, 1899-1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch origin (called Boere, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South Africa that put an end to the two independent... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: Immense human sacrifice, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons - the atom bomb being the ultimate. ... Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen is a German arms manufacturer. ... John Moses Browning (January 21, 1855â€“November 26, 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of weapons which were used in the US Military for decades in the 20th century. ... World map showing location of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Fabrique Nationale de Herstal, more often known as Fabrique Nationale and abbreviated simply as FN, is a well-known firearm manufacturer that originated in the Belgian city of Herstal, near Liège. ... Rampant Colt - The original logo of Colts Firearms Colts Manufacturing Company was founded in Hartford, Connecticut in 1847 by Samuel Colt in order to produce revolvers, which Colt held the patent on, during the Mexican-American War. ... Mid 1945 produced US.M1911A1 US Army Colt by Remington Rand. ...

During World War II the only major powers to still resort to revolvers as sidearms were Britain, Russia and the United States. Though the British factory Webley and Scott had developed several adequate semi-automatic pistols, one of which was adopted by the British Police in 1911 and the Royal Navy and royal Marines before the First World War, their trusty revolvers were preferred by British military. In Russia the Nagant revolver remained the primary handgun because of a lack of pistols. In the United States, both Colt and Smith & Wesson produced revolvers chambered for the same pistol ammunition as used in the Colt 1911, because of the great demand for handguns. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: Immense human sacrifice, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons - the atom bomb being the ultimate. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The British police are a group of similar but independent police services which operate in the United Kingdom. ... 1911 was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... The armed forces of the United Kingdom are known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majestys Armed Forces, officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. ... Rampant Colt - The original logo of Colts Firearms Colts Manufacturing Company was founded in Hartford, Connecticut in 1847 by Samuel Colt in order to produce revolvers, which Colt held the patent on, during the Mexican-American War. ... Smith & Wesson is Americas largest manufacturer of handguns, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. ...

After World War II most nations adopted 9mm Luger pistols for military use. The most popular being the FN Browning Hi-Power, which was the first high capacity pistol, the other popular model was the Walther P38 because of its many modern safety features. In 1971 Smith & Wesson was the first company to offer a safe double action high capacity pistol with its Model 59. CZ launched its CZ-75 in 1975. Beretta its Beretta 92 in 1976. GLOCK came up with the ultra modern GLOCK 17 in 1982 and SIG-Sauer introduced its model P226 in 1983. In the early 90s, Heckler & Koch combined what they thought were the most desirable attributes of semi-autos in their pistol, the HK USP. Browning High Power, P-35 Model, as produced by FN Wikimedia Commons has more media related to: Browning Hi-Power The Browning Hi-Power (nicknamed King of Nines) is a semi-automatic 9 mm pistol designed in part by American John Browning during the last years of his life in... Walther P38 Type semi-automatic pistol Nationality Germany Era World War II History Date of design Production period 1938-1945, 1958 Service duration 1938-1945 Operators Nazi Germany West Germany War service WW2 Specifications Type Calibre 9 mm Barrel length 125 mm Ammunition 9 mm Parabellum Magazine 8 Action double... The CZ 75 is a semi-automatic handgun introduced in 1975 by ÄŒeskÃ¡ Zbrojovka in caliber 9mm Parabellum. ... The Beretta 92 The Beretta 92 was a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by Beretta beginning in 1976. ... GLOCK is an Austrian defense contractor (named after the founder Gaston Glock) founded in 1963 in Deutsch-Wagram, near Vienna, Austria. ... The GLOCK 17 was the first pistol designed and manufactured by the Austrian company GLOCK. It is a locked breech, short recoil 9 mm Luger semi-automatic pistol with a standard magazine capacity of 17 rounds of ammunition. ... SIGARMS is the American incarnation of Swiss manufacturing firm Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG), a company most famous for its firearms, as SIG Arms AG. SIGARMS was set up in 1985 in order to manufacture and import SIGs firearms into the USA, although as of 2000 it has been a... Heckler und Koch GmbH (H&K) is a German weapons manufacturing company famous for various series of small firearms, notably the MP5 submachine gun, the MP7 personal defense weapon and the G3 and G36 assault rifles. ... USP family The Heckler und Koch USP (German universelle selbstladende Pistole, universal self-loading pistol) is a pistol designed by the German arms manufacturer Heckler und Koch. ...

After the second world war the semi-automatic pistols have replaced the revolvers used in the military and have also done so, although slightly more slowly, in police use. Today, revolvers are mainly found in the fields of civilian self-defence, hunting and target practice.

Famous semi-automatic handguns

The US, French and Italian military have adopted variants of the Beretta 92. The British military and US Navy SEALs the Sig P226. The Austrian, Finnish and Norwegian military the GLOCK 17. The Beretta 92 The Beretta 92 was a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by Beretta beginning in 1976. ... SEALs in from the water. ... P226 The Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG)-Sauer P226 is a full-sized, service type pistol originally chambered for 9mm Luger. ... The GLOCK 17 was the first pistol designed and manufactured by the Austrian company GLOCK. It is a locked breech, short recoil 9 mm Luger semi-automatic pistol with a standard magazine capacity of 17 rounds of ammunition. ...

On a worldwide basis the GLOCK 17 and GLOCK 22 have become the most widely used law enforcement pistols. The GLOCK 17 was the first pistol designed and manufactured by the Austrian company GLOCK. It is a locked breech, short recoil 9 mm Luger semi-automatic pistol with a standard magazine capacity of 17 rounds of ammunition. ... GLOCK 22 The GLOCK 22 is a pistol manufactured by GLOCK. It is a GLOCK 17 modified to fire the . ...

M1900 American Eagle Commercial A Luger (Pistole Parabellum), is an toggle lock pistol based on principles by Hiram Maxim. ... The GLOCK 17 was the first pistol designed and manufactured by the Austrian company GLOCK. It is a locked breech, short recoil 9 mm Luger semi-automatic pistol with a standard magazine capacity of 17 rounds of ammunition. ... GLOCK 22 The GLOCK 22 is a pistol manufactured by GLOCK. It is a GLOCK 17 modified to fire the . ... The GLOCK 21 is a pistol manufactured by GLOCK. It is a large frame GLOCK based on the GLOCK 20 and fires the . ... The Beretta M1934 was a compact self-loading, or semi-automatic blowback pistol, which was issued as a standard service firearm to the Italian armed forces in 1934. ... The Beretta 92SB-F, Beretta 92FS, Beretta 92G, and Beretta 92FS Inox are semi-automatic, locked-breech delayed recoil operated, double/single action pistols, chambred for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, designed and manufactured by Beretta. ... The Beretta 92SB-F, Beretta 92FS, Beretta 92G, Beretta 92FS Inox, and Beretta 96 are semi-automatic pistols, locked-breech delayed recoil operated, double/single action pistols, chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge (92 series) and the . ... Browning High Power, P-35 Model, as produced by FN Wikimedia Commons has more media related to: Browning Hi-Power The Browning Hi-Power (nicknamed King of Nines) is a semi-automatic 9 mm pistol designed in part by American John Browning during the last years of his life in... John Moses Browning (January 21, 1855â€“November 26, 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of weapons which were used in the US Military for decades in the 20th century. ... Mid 1945 produced US.M1911A1 US Army Colt by Remington Rand. ... Rampant Colt - The original logo of Colts Firearms Colts Manufacturing Company was founded in Hartford, Connecticut in 1847 by Samuel Colt in order to produce revolvers, which Colt held the patent on, during the Mexican-American War. ... Mid 1945 produced US.M1911A1 US Army Colt by Remington Rand. ... The CZ 75 is a semi-automatic handgun introduced in 1975 by ÄŒeskÃ¡ Zbrojovka in caliber 9mm Parabellum. ... USP family The Heckler und Koch USP (German universelle selbstladende Pistole, universal self-loading pistol) is a pistol designed by the German arms manufacturer Heckler und Koch. ... SIGARMS is the American incarnation of Swiss manufacturing firm Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG), a company most famous for its firearms, as SIG Arms AG. SIGARMS was set up in 1985 in order to manufacture and import SIGs firearms into the USA, although as of 2000 it has been a... P226 The Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG)-Sauer P226 is a full-sized, service type pistol originally chambered for 9mm Luger. ... SIGARMS is the American incarnation of Swiss manufacturing firm Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG), a company most famous for its firearms, as SIG Arms AG. SIGARMS was set up in 1985 in order to manufacture and import SIGs firearms into the USA, although as of 2000 it has been a... Danish Army Sig P210 Pistol. ... Smith & Wesson is Americas largest manufacturer of handguns, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. ... The Smith and Wesson model 1006 is a recoil operated double-action semi-automatic handgun chambered in the powerful 10 mm auto cartridge. ... Smith & Wesson is Americas largest manufacturer of handguns, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. ... Smith & Wesson is Americas largest manufacturer of handguns, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. ... Smith & Wesson is Americas largest manufacturer of handguns, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. ... The S&W 5906 is a 9mm, semi-automatic handgun manufactured by the Smith & Wesson company. ... M1901 Mannlicher Self-Loading, Semi-Automatic Pistol General features This pistol is one of the most simple of blow-back semi-automatic pistols ever designed. ... Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen is a German arms manufacturer. ... Walther PPK The Walther PP and Walther PPK are two pistols made in Germany. ... Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen is a German arms manufacturer. ... The Walther P99 is a pistol made in Germany by Walther Sportwaffen. ... Vis (Polish designation , German designation 9 mm Pistole 35(p), also known incorrectly as Radom in English sources) is a 9 mm caliber, single action, semi-automatic handgun. ... The Makarov PM is a semi-automatic pistol, designed in the late 1940s by Russian firearms designer Nikolai Fyodorovich Makarov. ... Tula Tokarev model 1933 Nationality Soviet Union Type Semi-automatic pistol Inventor Fedor Tokarev Date of design 1930 (TT-30) Service duration 1930 - 1951 Cartridge 7. ...

Contents

Technology

History

Famous semi-automatic handguns

See also

Contents

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History

Famous semi-automatic handguns

See also

Technology