A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power

Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism

Derringers were small and easily hidden.

A Walther P99 pistol disassembled.

A handgun is a firearm designed to be held in the hand when used. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from their larger cousins: long guns such as rifles and shotguns, mounted weapons such as machine guns and autocannons, and larger weapons such as artillery. Image File history File links Source:http://www. ... Image File history File links Source:http://www. ... Browning Arms Company was founded in Utah in 1927. ... The Browning Hi-Power is a semi-automatic, single-action, 9 mm pistol. ... Image File history File links Pistolet dordonance de la Marine française, XIXe siècle, Musée de la Marine de Paris. ... Image File history File links Pistolet dordonance de la Marine française, XIXe siècle, Musée de la Marine de Paris. ... The percussion cap or primer was the crucial invention that enabled firearms to fire in any weather. ... Image File history File links Deringer_unknown_adamsguns. ... Image File history File links Deringer_unknown_adamsguns. ... The term derringer is a genericized misspelling of the last name of Henry Deringer, a famous maker of small pocket pistols in the 1800s. ... Image File history File links P99-disassembled-720x540. ... Image File history File links P99-disassembled-720x540. ... A close up of the hand grip P99 stripped to main parts The Walther P99 is a semi-automatic pistol made in Germany by Walther Sportwaffen. ... Firearms redirects here. ... A long gun is a firearm with an extended barrel, usually designed to be fired braced against the shoulder. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Shotgun (disambiguation). ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... M242 Bushmaster autocannon on an M2 Bradley. ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ...

Some handgun subtypes include single-shot pistols, revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, and fully automatic, or machine pistols. Single shot pistols have existed since the early years of firearms. ... rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... M2 machine gun An automatic firearm is a firearm that will continue to load and fire ammunition as long as the trigger (or other activating device) is pressed or until it runs out of ammunition. ... A machine pistol shares several properties of the semi-automatic handgun and the sub-machine gun. ...

The overlapping variations in meaning of the words "pistol" and "handgun" are discussed below.

Multiple senses of the word "pistol"

The word "pistol" is often synonymous with the word "handgun". Some handgun experts make a technical distinction that views pistols as a subset of handguns.^{[citation needed]} In American usage, the term "pistol" refers to a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel, making pistols distinct from the other main type of handgun, the revolver, which has a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers. However, Commonwealth usage makes no distinction at a technical level—"pistol" may refer to revolvers, semi-automatics, or muzzle-loading/cap-&-ball handguns. For example, the official designation of the Webley Mk VI was "Pistol, Revolver, Webley No. 1 Mk VI", and the designation "Pistol No. 2 Mk I" was used to refer to both the Enfield Revolver and the later Browning Hi-Power semi-automatic.^{[1],[2],[3],[4]} rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... Close up of the cylinder on a Webley Mk VI service revolver In firearms terminology, the Cylinder refers to the cylindrical, rotating part of a revolver containing multiple cartridge chambers. ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1 April 2000) Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... The Webley Revolver (also known/referred to as the Webley Break-Top Revolver or Webley Self-Extracting Revolver) was, in various marks, the standard issue service pistol for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth from 1887 until 1963. ... Enfield No. ... The Browning Hi-Power is a semi-automatic, single-action, 9 mm pistol. ...

In the 15th century the word "pistol" was used for small knives and daggers which could be concealed in a person's clothing.^{[citation needed]} By the 18th century, the term came to be used exclusively to refer to handheld firearms. Practical revolver designs appeared in the 19th century, and it was in that century that the (sometimes-observed) technical differentiation in usage of the words "pistol" and "revolver" developed.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology of the word "pistol"

Hand Cannon from the Chinese Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

The word "pistol" is derived from the French pistole (or pistolet), which has these possible origins: Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 875 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (2288 × 1712 pixel, file size: 875 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Hand cannon from the Chinese Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). ... Capital Dadu Language(s) Mongolian Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1260-1294 Kublai Khan  - 1333-1370 (Cont. ...

• From the Czech pistole and this one from the Czech píšťala (flute or pipe, referring to the shape of a Hussite firearm), via Middle High German pischulle and Middle French pistole.
• From the city of Pistoia, Italy, where perhaps a manufacturer was one Camillio Vettelli in the 1540s.
• That early pistols were carried by cavalry in holsters hung from the pommel (or pistallo in medieval French) of a horse's saddle.

The Hussites comprised a Christian movement following the teachings of the reformer Jan Hus (circa 1369–1415), who was influenced by John Wyclif and became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation. ... Firearms redirects here. ... Middle High German (MHG, German Mittelhochdeutsch) is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. ... Middle French (French: ) is a historical division of the French language which covers the period from (roughly) 1340 to 1611 [1]. It is a period of transition during which: the French language becomes clearly distinguished from the other competing Oïl languages which are sometimes subsumed within the concept of... Pistoia (ancient Pistoria) is a city in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km (18 mi) west and north of Florence. ... See also: Hilt (band) and Peter Hilt The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. ...

Types of handguns

The general types of handguns are listed below in their order of historical appearance. Each type can be classified into many subtypes. Some of these types can also be differently classified using the general distinction between muzzle-loading firearms (loading from the front of the barrel) and breech-loading firearms (loading from behind the barrel).

Single-shot pistols

Western European handgun, 1380. 18 cm-long and weighing 1.04 kg, it was fixed to a wooden pole to facilitate manipulation. Musée de l'Armée.

Single-shot pistols are the theoretically simplest pistols. The earliest handguns were single-shot, muzzle-loading guns with ignition provided by inserting a smoldering match cord into a touch hole. As such, they were essentially nothing more than miniature cannons, small enough to be handheld. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 346 pixelsFull resolution (2653 × 1147 pixel, file size: 652 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 346 pixelsFull resolution (2653 × 1147 pixel, file size: 652 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Musée de LArmée is a museum at Les Invalides in Paris, France. ... A touch hole is a small hole, through which the propellent charge of a cannon or muzzleloading gun is ignited. ... For other uses, see Cannon (disambiguation). ...

Improvements followed in subsequent centuries, as various types of locks (ignition devices) were invented. In the matchlock, the separate match cord was affixed to a spring-loaded pivot which could be tripped by a trigger. In the wheellock, a mechanism analogous to that used in today's cigarette lighters replaced the smoldering match cord. In the 17th century, the flintlock, which strikes a flint against steel, appeared. (The flintlock, amazingly, remained state-of-the-art for some two hundred years.) In the 19th century, percussion caps were developed, followed shortly by modern integrated-primer cartridges, and hammers therefore traded their flint for firing pins. The Matchlock was the first firearm to have a trigger mechanism for firing. ... Wheellock, Wheel-Lock or Wheel lock, is a mechanism for firing a firearm. ... A lighter is a portable device used to create a flame. ... Flintlock of an 18th Century hunting rifle, with piece of flint missing. ... The percussion cap or primer was the crucial invention that enabled firearms to fire in any weather. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Single-shot pistols are not completely things of the past, as they have continued to be built (for various reasons) throughout the breech-loading era. However, for most applications, the single-shot handgun has been replaced by revolvers and semi-automatic pistols.

Multi-barreled pistols

Not long after the very beginning of firearms, inventors began experimenting with multi-barreled weapons in the quest for the ability to fire more than one shot before needing to reload. Not surprisingly, all types of firearms were included in their efforts, from volley guns to analogously devised handguns. Before anyone developed a practical capability for delivering multiple loads to one barrel in quick succession (which is how repeat fire is usually accomplished today), they were aggregating multiple loaded barrels into one place. The mitrailleuse - a 19th century volley gun A volley gun or ribaldequin is a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots simultaneously. ...

Some examples of such handguns are:

• Duck's-foot pistols
• Derringers
• Pepper-box guns (variously referred to as pepper-box pistols or pepper-box revolvers)

The term derringer is a genericized misspelling of the last name of Henry Deringer, a famous maker of small pocket pistols in the 1800s. ... Pepper-box revolver Pepper-box revolver from Småland, Sweden, made by Johan Engholm, Ödestugu (1820-1918) The Pepper-box revolver or pepperbox revolver is a multishot handheld firearm, which was popular in North America around the time of the American Civil War. ...

Revolvers

A 1930s vintage Enfield revolver.

With the development of the revolver in the 19th century, gunsmiths had finally achieved the goal of a practical capability for delivering multiple loads to one handgun barrel in quick succession. Revolvers feed ammunition via the rotation of a cartridge-filled cylinder, in which each cartridge is contained in its own ignition chamber, and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by a mechanism linked to the weapon's trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action). These nominally cylindrical chambers, usually numbering between five and ten depending on the size of the revolver and the size of the cartridge being fired, are bored through the cylinder so that their axes are parallel to the cylinder's axis of rotation; thus, as the cylinder rotates, the chambers revolve about the cylinder's axis. Image File history File links Source:http://www. ... Image File history File links Source:http://www. ... Enfield No. ... rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... Ammunition, often referred to as ammo, is a generic term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... Close up of the cylinder on a Webley Mk VI service revolver In firearms terminology, the Cylinder refers to the cylindrical, rotating part of a revolver containing multiple cartridge chambers. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

There is a hybrid form of the revolver, known as the automatic revolver, which combines the revolving chamber concept of the conventional revolver with the recoil-harnessing, self-cycling ability of the semi-automatic pistol.
The automatic revolver is a strange hybrid of revolver and automatic pistol that uses the energy of firing for cocking the hammer and revolving the cylinder. ...

Semi-automatic pistols

Compact semiautomatic Smith & Wesson .45 ACP Chief's Special — Model CS45

Walther P99, a semiautomatic pistol from late 1990s

Luger or P08 Parabellum, used by the German military from 1908 to 1945 (among other handgun models)

The next development in handgun history after a practical revolver was the development of the semi-automatic pistol, which uses the energy of one shot to reload the chamber for the next. Typically recoil energy from a fired round is mechanically harnessed, however larger calibers may also be gas operated (e.g. Desert Eagle). After a round is fired, the pistol will cycle, ejecting the spent casing and chambering a new round from the magazine, allowing another shot to take place immediately. Image File history File links S&W-Chief. ... Image File history File links S&W-Chief. ... Smith & Wesson NASDAQ: SWHC (S&W) is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1740x1321, 1206 KB) Walther P99 chambered for 9x19mm round, green polymer frame File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Pistol Semi-automatic firearm Walther P99 User:LoganK User... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1740x1321, 1206 KB) Walther P99 chambered for 9x19mm round, green polymer frame File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Pistol Semi-automatic firearm Walther P99 User:LoganK User... Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen is a German arms manufacturer. ... A close up of the hand grip P99 stripped to main parts The Walther P99 is a semi-automatic pistol made in Germany by Walther Sportwaffen. ... A semi-automatic pistol is a handgun commonly used as a sidearm by police and military all over the world. ... Image File history File links Luger-M1900. ... Image File history File links Luger-M1900. ... The Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), popularly known as the Luger pistol is a semi-automatic self-loading pistol patented by Georg Luger in 1898 and manufactured by Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) starting in 1900. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An early naval cannon design, allowing the gun to roll backwards a small distance when firing 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. ... Recoil operation is a type of locked-breech firearm actions used in automatic firearms. ... Gas-operated firearm. ... The Desert Eagle is a large calibre gas-operated semi-automatic pistol manufactured in Israel by IMI (Israel Military Industries) for Magnum Research, Inc. ...

Some terms that have been, or still are, used as synonyms for "semi-automatic pistol" are automatic pistol, autopistol, self-loading pistol and selfloader.

Machine pistols

A machine pistol is generally defined as a firearm designed to be fired with one hand, and capable of fully automatic or selective fire. While there are a number of machine pistols such as the Glock 18 and later models of the Mauser C96, these are rare; the light weight, small size, and extremely rapid rates of fire of a machine pistol make them difficult to control, making the larger and heavier submachine gun a better choice in cases where the small size of a machine pistol is not needed. Most machine pistols can attach a shoulder stock (the Heckler & Koch VP70 would only fire single rounds at a time unless the stock was attached); others, such as the Beretta 93R, add a forward handgrip. Either of these additions technically create a legal non-pistol under the US National Firearms Act, as pistols are by definition designed to be fired with one hand. The addition of a stock or forward handgrip is considered a design change that creates either a short-barreled rifle or any other weapon, and therefore such additions are generally only found on legal machine guns. A machine pistol shares several properties of the semi-automatic handgun and the sub-machine gun. ... A selective fire weapon can be fired in either of at least two modes, depending on the position of the selector switch. ... The GLOCK 18 is a handgun manufactured by GLOCK. It is much like a GLOCK 17 with a fire selector switch on its slide that enables it to fire in semi-automatic or fully automatic modes. ... The C96, or Broomhandle Mauser, was the first semi-automatic pistol to see widespread use. ... The MP5 is a third-generation submachine gun that is widely used by law enforcement tactical teams and military forces. ... Beretta Model 93R is a selective-fire machine pistol. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

Operating Mechanisms

Single-action (SA) handguns have a trigger whose sole function is to drop a pre-cocked hammer to discharge a cartridge. For revolvers, the popular Colt Peacemaker of Old West fame is typically thought of. Its hammer must be manually cocked for each shot. For auto-loading pistols the Colt 1911 or Browning Hi-Power are typical examples. They must be cocked for the first shot, but subsequent shots are cocked automatically. These types of guns typically have a very light and crisp trigger pull, making for more accurate target shooting. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Colt Single Action Army handgun (Modern Verson) Also known as the Colt Peacemaker or Single Action Army, the Colt Single Action Army handgun is a single action revolver holding 6 rounds of ammunition, that was designed for the US cavalry by Colts Manufacturing Company and adopted in 1875, and... Great Basin region, typical American West The Western United States has played a significant role in history and fiction. ... The M1911 is a single-action, semiautomatic handgun chambered for the . ... The Browning Hi-Power is a semi-automatic, single-action, 9 mm pistol. ... In firearms, trigger pull is a measure of how much force must be applied to the trigger to discharge the firearm. ...

Jericho 941 F (DA), 9 mm with magazine removed

Traditional double-action (DA) handguns have a mechanism that can be either pre-cocked, like the above single-action gun, or can be fired with the gun uncocked. In this case, the gun has an additional mechanism added to the trigger that will cock the gun (and rotate the cylinder in the case of revolvers) as the trigger is pulled. Once the trigger is pulled far enough, the hammer is released and the gun fired. For autoloading pistols the self-loading mechanism will also re-cock the hammer after the first shot is fired so that subsequent shots are fired single-action. For revolvers, each shot is fired with the hammer initially uncocked unless the shooter manually cocked the gun. Popular auto pistols in this category include the Walther P38 and Beretta 92. These guns typically have a longer, heavier trigger pull for the first shot then light, crisp pulls for subsequent shots. Popular revolvers include the Ruger Redhawk and Smith & Wesson Model 629. These have comparatively long, heavy trigger pulls for all shots unless the revolver is manually cocked. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 116 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Users own picture. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 960 pixel, file size: 116 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Users own picture. ... The Jericho 941 is a double action, high capacity pistol developed by Israeli Military Industries, and introduced in 1990. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Walther P99, a semi-automatic pistol from the late 1990s A semi-automatic firearm is a gun that requires only a trigger pull for each round that is fired, unlike a single-action revolver, a pump-action firearm, a bolt-action firearm, or a lever-action firearm, which require the... The Walther P38 was a 9 mm pistol that was developed by Walther as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, the production of which was scheduled to end in 1942. ... The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. ... The Ruger Redhawk was first introduced in 1979 and was one of the most powerful handguns in the world at the time of its introduction. ...

Double-action only (DAO) handguns do not have the ability to be cocked and is usually evidenced by a lack of either the hammer spur or the entire hammer. A typical autopistol in this category is the Ruger KP93DAO and Taurus Millennium, and a typical revolver is the Smith & Wesson Centennial. All pistols in this category have a long, heavy trigger pull for all shots. // Overview The P Series pistols are the line of centerfire semiautomatic pistols made by Sturm, Ruger. ... The Taurus PT 145 Millennium Pro is a subcompact, single action/double action (SA/DA) Semi-automatic handgun chambered for the . ... S&W 642CT (ref) S&W Centennial is a J-frame (small) revolver design with a fully enclosed hammer, which makes it a Double Action Only (DAO) firearm. ...

Pre-set triggers are only on autoloading pistols. In this case the pistol mechanism is always partially cocked while being carried and during firing. The partially-cocked firing pin or striker is not cocked enough to cause an accidental release to discharge a cartridge, adding to the safeness of the design, but is cocked enough to remove much of the trigger pull and weight of a purely double-action pistol. These types of pistols do not have external hammers and do not generally have a decock function. Common pistols in the category are the Springfield Armory XD and the various forms of the extremely popular Glock. The trigger pull of these guns is between double-action and single-action pistols. Pre-set triggers may or may not have a second-strike feature on a dud cartridge. The firing pin is a very hard steel rod with a one small, rounded end for striking the primer of a cartridge. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Glock is an Austrian weapons manufacturer (named after the founder Gaston Glock) founded in 1963 in Deutsch-Wagram, near Vienna, Austria. ...

Some automatic pistol models such as the HK USP Universal Self-loading Pistol come in a variety of mechanism types and can be easily changed by a gunsmith for both left- and right-handed shooters and for different operating mechanism and safety features. 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. ... A gunsmith is a person who designs, builds, repairs or modifies firearms to blueprint and customer specifications, using hand tools and machine tools such as grinders and lathes. ...

Glock introduced a new "Safe Action" mechanism that is neither a single nor double action.^[5] The action is not cocked, rather the firing pin is pulled back by the trigger, resulting in the first and subsequent trigger pulls all being the same and the weapon also being safer. Glock is an Austrian weapons manufacturer (named after the founder Gaston Glock) founded in 1963 in Deutsch-Wagram, near Vienna, Austria. ...

Semiautomatic pistols vs. revolvers

Both revolvers and semiautomatic pistols have prominent places in the world of handgun applications today. For over a century, however, a debate has continued as to which one is better for which particular application and why. Each has its place, although personal preference is as large a factor as the following variables:

• reliability (likelihood of jams; how to recover from jams; how to recover from misfires)
• degree of user training needed
• degree and frequency of gun cleaning needed
• "firepower" (usually meaning the number of rounds that can be fired before reloading; not to be confused with "stopping power")
• speed and ease of reloading
• bulkiness with regard to concealment
• weight
• center of gravity
• storage issues

For the concept in nuclear physics, see stopping power (particle radiation). ...

Advantages of revolvers

Colt King Cobra revolver.

• Simpler to use: no removable magazines to insert, no slide to rack, and no safeties to disengage. Revolvers are simply point and shoot.
• Easier to cycle to next round in the unlikely event of a failure/blockage: all that is needed is a pull of the trigger, while in semi autos one must rack the slide, which takes the pistol out of the shooting position. See Tap Rack Bang.
• More reliable. Stovepipe jams or failures to feed are impossible with revolvers.
• More tolerant of poor ammunition and will reliably fire any bullet shape. For example, revolvers can fire wadcutter rounds, which will jam semiautomatics.
• More powerful cartidges available. The largest and most powerful handgun rounds are rimmed rounds for revolvers only.
• Easier to clean: Revolvers do not require disassembly, and there are no pieces to lose. Semiautos require frequent disassembly, which can be complex and difficult.
• Revolvers will fire blank ammunition. Semiautos will not fully cycle with blank cartridges, causing jams.
• Spent cartridges are kept in the cylinder whereas a pistol ejects them. This is useful if one wants to collect them, as collecting ejected shells is not only tedious but can be dangerous as fresh shells are very hot. This also eliminates litter or evidence being left behind.
• Revolvers and speedloaders can be stored loaded indefinitely with no issues. Pistol magazines have springs under tension when loaded. These springs weaken and may fail to load the cartridges effectively if the magazine has been stored loaded for long periods.
• Many revolvers will chamber various cartridges. This allows less expensive and/or lower recoil cartridges to be used for practice. Interchangeable cartridges include .22 short/long/long rifle, .357/.38 special, .44 magnum/.44 special. (If switching ammo, users must be certain that their particular revolver [e.g., .38] is safe for use with the more powerful cartridge [e.g., .357 Magnum].)
• Sights are mounted to a fixed barrel, theoretically allowing greater accuracy.
• Easier to determine if loaded: bullets in a loaded revolver are readily apparent. An unloaded semiautomatic is often visually identical to a loaded one.
• The moving cylinder is less likely to cause injury to the shooter than a pistol's slide

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Colt King Cobra revolver, chambered in the . ... rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Close up of the cylinder on a Webley Mk VI service revolver In firearms terminology, the Cylinder refers to the cylindrical, rotating part of a revolver containing multiple cartridge chambers. ... In firearms the slide is the upper half of a semi-automatic pistol. ...

Advantages of semiautomatics

• Faster firing rate due to reduced recoil allowing more rapid re-aquisition of target after each shot. (see felt recoil below)
• Larger ammo capacity: semiautomatics typically carry 7 to 12 rounds; most revolvers carry only 6 rounds, although some carry 7, 8 or even up to 10 in .22 caliber. Some states, such as California, limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds, largely negating this advantage in these states.
• Faster to reload: magazines are easier to use and more ergonomic to carry than speedloaders, although magazines are slower and more difficult to load than speedloaders.
• Easier to conceal in certain circumstances due to the flatter profile - there is no cylinder creating a bulge.
• Lower felt recoil: semiautomatics typically have a lower bore line, which reduces muzzle climb, and the slide absorbs some recoil energy that would be transferred to the shooter in a revolver.
• Flash and noise can be suppressed. (Noise and flash suppressors are ineffective in revolvers due to noise and flash escaping the gap between the cylinder and the barrel.)
• Less expensive ammunition: semiautos often fire standard military ammunition, which is more readily available and cheaper.

Close-up of the flash suppressor on a Sig 550. ... Several firearms with detachable suppressors Bolt-action rimfire rifle with suppressor Semiautomatic rimfire pistol with suppressor A suppressor or sound moderator is a device attached to a firearm to reduce the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon. ... Close up of the cylinder on a Webley Mk VI service revolver In firearms terminology, the Cylinder refers to the cylindrical, rotating part of a revolver containing multiple cartridge chambers. ...

Advantages of handguns versus shoulder weapons

In comparison to longer guns such as shoulder weapons (rifles and shotguns), handguns are smaller, lighter, and easier to carry. Since firearms don't rely on the user's strength, they put weaker individuals on an equal defensive footing; when Colt produced the first practical repeating handgun, it gave rise to the saying "God created men, but Colt made them equal".^[6],[7] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Shotgun (disambiguation). ... Colts Manufacturing Company (CMC--formerly Colts Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company) is a United States firearms manufacturer founded in 1847. ...

Since using a handgun only requires one hand, whereas long guns often require both, that leaves a handgun user with a free hand. One example of where this is an advantage is with tactical lights, where the light and handgun can be used independently or in coordination; weapon mounted lights, as used on long guns and submachine guns, don't allow the light to be pointed independently of the weapon. A typical tactical light A tactical light (or tactical laser) is a handgun accessory that aids in low light target identification and allows the marksman to simultaneously aim and illuminate the target, since the light is mounted co-axial to the bore. ... The MP5 is a third-generation submachine gun that is widely used by law enforcement tactical teams and military forces. ...

Another important tactical consideration in the context of civilian self-defense is manuverability. An attacker in close quarters with the defender could more easily wrestle a shoulder weapon's muzzle to a position where it is not covering him, or could more easily wrestle the gun away from the defender, whereas a handgun offers little to grab, and would be more likely to still be covering some portion of the attacker during the struggle.^[8]

Disadvantages of handguns versus shoulder weapons

Handguns are often considered self-defense weapons for use under 50 meters. While a handgun in the hands of an experienced shooter may be effective at longer ranges than 50 meters, a handgun cartridge is much more limited in its energy capacity than many long gun cartridges. Many rifles are commonly able to achieve bullet velocities of over 3,000 feet per second, whereas handguns are rarely able to achieve velocities over 1,500 feet per second. Thus, long guns are generally more powerful at any range, and especially more effective at longer ranges than handguns. Self defense refers to actions taken by a person to defend onself, ones property or ones home. ...

A shooter is generally able to achieve considerably greater accuracy with a long gun than with a handgun. This is due partly to the longer distance between the rear and front sights, partly due to a more stable hold attainable with a long gun, and partly due to the higher muzzle velocity, which reduces the bullet travel time and thus reduces external effects on the bullet such as gravitational drop and wind.

Due to their larger size, and possibly larger bore (in the case of a shotgun), shoulder weapons may appear larger and more intimidating, which may be of advantage in self-defense situations.

Handguns and gun politics

Many handgun models are easily concealed on a person—a trait that is useful both to people wishing to bear arms for self-protection and to criminals wishing to carry a handgun for illegal purposes. For these reasons, handguns are a particular focus of debates on gun politics, and in many jurisdictions their ownership is much more heavily regulated than that of long arms. Gun politics is a set of legal issues surrounding the ownership, use, and control of firearms as well as safety issues related to firearms both through their direct use and through criminal use. ...

In the United States, 48 states allow some form of concealed carry by citizens meeting training or other requirements. 39 of these states, called "shall-issue" states, require issue of a permit if there is no compelling reason not to issue a permit (such as a prior felony conviction, a restraining order, or history of mental illness). Generally, in a shall-issue state, if a person cannot obtain a concealed weapons permit once training requirements are met, that person also cannot lawfully own a firearm. The remaining 9 states, called "may-issue" states, may deny a permit for any reason, usually at the discretion of local law enforcement. In the United States, a person must be 21 years of age to purchase a handgun or ammunition intended for a handgun from a federally licensed dealer, which is higher than the age requirement of 18 for rifles and shotguns. In the United States, concealed carry is the right to carry a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner. ... For the record label, see Felony Records The term felony is a term used in common law systems for very serious crimes, whereas misdemeanors are considered to be less serious offenses. ... An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that either prohibits or compels (enjoins or restrains) a party from continuing a particular activity. ... A mental illness or mental disorder refers to one of many mental health conditions characterized by distress, impaired cognitive functioning, atypical behavior, emotional dysregulation, and/or maladaptive behavior. ... “Gun license” redirects here. ...

In the United Kingdom, civilian ownership of almost any handgun has been outlawed since the Dunblane massacre of 1996; the only exclusions were single shot, rimfire, and muzzleloading pistols; all cartridge firearms were later banned in 1997. Air pistols are still legal, however, those with power levels over 6 foot pounds (half the limit for air rifles) are classified as firearms. The Dunblane massacre was a multiple murder-suicide which occurred at Dunblane Primary School in the Scottish town of Dunblane on 13 March 1996. ... Single shot pistols have existed since the early years of firearms. ... A rimfire is a type of firearm cartridge. ... A US soldier drops a shell into the muzzle of an M224 60-mm mortar. ... Air guns are weapons that propel a bullet using compressed air or another gas, possibly liquefied. ... In physics, a foot-pound (symbol ft·lbf or ft·lbf) is an Imperial and U.S. customary unit of mechanical work, or energy, although in scientific fields one commonly uses the equivalent metric unit of the joule (J). ...

Civilian ownership of handguns in Australia is legal, but heavily restricted. Handguns may not be owned for self-defence purposes (Target shooting, collecting, and occupational reasons for farmers/gun dealers are, by and large, the only legal reasons for handgun ownership), and anyone wishing to possess a handgun must obtain a firearms licence and observe stringent storage regulations. In Australia, conflict over gun politics is related to cultural tensions. ...

In Canada, ownership of handguns is restricted and subject to registration. Guns with a barrel length of 105 mm (about 4.14 inches) or less and handguns that fire .25 or .32 calibre ammunition are classified as prohibited. Some users are allowed to possess a handgun or rifle classified as prohibited (automatic and certain semi automatic firearms) if the firearm was owned and registered before the law came into effect on December 1, 1998. ^[9]. A Possession and Acquisition or a Possession Only Licence is required to own all firearms. Permits to carry concealed weapons are rarely, if ever, granted to non-law enforcement personnel ^[10]. Canadian Firearm license http://www. ...

In Israel, handguns are the only type of firearms that most private citizens may own. They are licensed for self-defense purposes to eligible individuals. Current regulations limit licenses to one handgun and 50 cartridges per licensee.

See the main gun politics article or the article on concealed carry in particular for more details on this debate. Gun politics is a set of legal issues surrounding the ownership, use, and control of firearms as well as safety issues related to firearms both through their direct use and through criminal use. ... In the United States, concealed carry is the right to carry a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner. ...

Other related info

In the 1780s, Alessandro Volta built a toy electric pistol ^[11] in which an electric spark caused the explosion of a mixture of air and hydrogen, firing a cork from the end of the gun. This article is about the physicist Alessandro Volta. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Air redirects here. ... General Name, Symbol, Number hydrogen, H, 1 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 1, 1, s Appearance colorless Atomic mass 1. ...

See also

• Blowback
• Concealed carry
• Gun
• Handgun effectiveness
• Machine-pistol
• Pocket pistol
• Small arms
• Semi-automatic pistol
• Antique guns
• Target shooting
• Weapon
• List of pistols

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Blowback is a system in which automatic or semi-automatic firearms operate through the energy created by combustion in the chamber and bore acting directly on the bolt face through the cartridge. ... In the United States, concealed carry is the right to carry a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner. ... This article is about the video game. ... This article is considered orphaned, since there are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... This article is about full auto or burst-capable pistols. ... A pocket pistol is an American term for any small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol or, less-popular, any other handgun (e. ... Small arms captured in Fallujah, Iraq by the US Marine Corps in 2004 The term small arms generally describes any number of smaller infantry weapons, such as firearms that an individual soldier can carry. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An Antique Firearm is, loosely speaking, a firearm designed and manufactured prior to the beginning of the 20th century- the Boer War is often used as a cut-off event, although the exact definition of what constitutes an Antique Firearm varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. ... The shooting sports include those competitive sports involving tests of accuracy and speed when shooting various types of guns, including airguns. ... For other uses, see Weapon (disambiguation). ... The following is a list of pistols, firearms that are normally meant for wielding one-handed and for self-defence, and that differ from revolvers and other singled handed weapons through their semi-automatic action. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Massad F. Ayoob (b. ...

External links

• Interactive Illustrated Pistol
• Handgun Database
• Handgun Database Video and Review