Handgun - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A handgun is a firearm

Firearm

A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...

designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearm

Firearm

s from long gun

Long gun

The term long gun is used to describe classes of firearm and cannon with longer barrels than other classes. In small arms, a long gun is designed to be fired braced against the shoulder, in contrast to a handgun, while in artillery a long gun would be contrasted with a howitzer or carronade.-Small...

s such as rifle

Rifle

A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...

s and shotgun

Shotgun

A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...

s (which are mounted against the shoulder).

Major handgun subtypes are the revolver

Revolver

A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...

and pistol

Pistol

When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...

; other subtypes include derringers, single-shot

Single-shot

Single-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded after each shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, and many centuries passed before multi-shot designs became commonplace...

pistols, semi-automatic pistols, pepperboxes, and machine pistol

Machine pistol

A machine pistol is a handgun-style, often magazine-fed and self-loading firearm, capable of fully automatic or burst fire, and normally chambered for pistol cartridges. The term is a literal translation of Maschinenpistole, the German term for a hand-held automatic weapon...

s.

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

Although handgun use often includes bracing with a second hand, the essential distinguishing characteristic of a handgun is its facility for one-handed operation.

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. Sometimes in American usage, the term "pistol" refers to a handgun having one chamber integral with the barrel, making pistols distinct from the other main type of handgun, the revolver

Revolver

, which has a revolving cylinder

Cylinder (firearms)

In firearms terminology, the Cylinder refers to the cylindrical, rotating part of a revolver containing multiple cartridge chambers. The cylinder revolves around a central axis in the revolver to bring each individual chamber into alignment with the barrel for firing...

containing multiple chambers. But UK/Commonwealth usage often does not make this distinction. For example, the official designation of the Webley Mk VI

Webley Revolver

The Webley Revolver was, in various marks, the standard issue service pistol for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and the Commonwealths from 1887 until 1963.The Webley is a top-break revolver with automatic extraction...

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

Enfield revolver

Enfield Revolver is the name applied to two totally separate models of self-extracting British handgun designed and manufactured at the government-owned Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield; initially the .476 calibre Revolver Enfield Mk I/Mk II revolvers , and later the .38/200 calibre Enfield No...

and the later Browning Hi-Power

Browning Hi-Power

The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized...

semi-automatic.

Handheld firearms were first made in China where gunpowder was first developed

History of gunpowder

Gunpowder was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the invention of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, smokeless powder and TNT in the second half of the 19th century...

. They were hand cannons (although they were not necessarily fired from the hand, but rather at the end of a handle). By the 14th century, they existed in Europe as well. The first handheld firearms that might better be called "pistols" were made as early as the 15th century, but their creator is unknown. By the 18th century, the term came to be used often to refer to handheld firearms. Practical revolver designs appeared in the 19th century, but it was not until the mid-twentieth century that the (sometimes-observed) differentiation in usage of the words "pistol" and "revolver" evolved among some speakers and the use of "handgun" became prevalent. Previously there had been no such differentiation, and in fact Samuel Colt's original patent was for a "revolving-breech pistol." There is no literal equivalent for "handgun" in the Romance languages, which continue to use cognate

Cognate

In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...

s of the word "pistol".

Etymology of "pistol"

The word "pistol" is derived from the French pistole (or pistolet), which has these possible origins:

From the Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...

pistole and this one from the Czech píšťala (flute or pipe, referring to the shape of a Hussite
Hussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...

firearm), from Middle High German
Middle High German
Middle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...

pischulle or from Middle French
Middle French
Middle French is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from 1340 to 1611. It is a period of transition during which:...

pistole.
From the city of Pistoia
Pistoia
Pistoia is a city and comune in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno.-History:...

, Italy, where hand-held guns (designed to be fired from horseback) were first produced in the 1540s.
That early pistols were carried by cavalry in holsters hung from the pommel
Pommel
Pommel may refer to:* pommel, the raised area at the front of an equestrian saddle.* Pommel, the counterweight at the end of the hilt of a European sword* Pommel horse, an artistic gymnastics apparatus...

(or pistallo in medieval French) of a horse's saddle.

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

Single-shot

pistols are the simplest possible form of pistols and are known to have existed in AD 1365. The earliest handguns were single-shot, muzzle-loading guns with ignition

Combustion

Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can result in the production of light in the form of either glowing or a flame...

provided by inserting a smoldering match cord into a touch hole

Touch hole

A touch hole is a small hole, through which the propellant charge of a cannon or muzzleloading gun is ignited. In small arms, the flash from a charge of priming held in the flash pan is enough to ignite the charge within...

. As such, they were essentially nothing more than miniature cannon

Cannon

A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...

s, small enough to be handheld.

Improvements followed in subsequent centuries, as various types of locks (ignition devices) were invented. In the matchlock

Matchlock

The matchlock was the first mechanism, or "lock" invented to facilitate the firing of a hand-held firearm. This design removed the need to lower by hand a lit match into the weapon's flash pan and made it possible to have both hands free to keep a firm grip on the weapon at the moment of firing,...

, the separate match cord was affixed to a spring-loaded pivot which could be tripped by a trigger. In the wheellock

Wheellock

A wheellock, wheel-lock or wheel lock, is a friction-wheel mechanism to cause a spark for firing a firearm. It was the next major development in firearms technology after the matchlock and the first self-igniting firearm. The mechanism is so-called because it uses a rotating steel wheel to provide...

, a mechanism analogous to that used in today's cigarette lighters

Lighter

A lighter is a portable device used to generate a flame. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable fluid or pressurized liquid gas, a means of ignition, and some provision for extinguishing the flame.- History :...

replaced the smoldering match cord. In the 17th century, the flintlock

Flintlock

Flintlock is the general term for any firearm based on the flintlock mechanism. The term may also apply to the mechanism itself. Introduced at the beginning of the 17th century, the flintlock rapidly replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies, such as the doglock, matchlock and wheellock...

, 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 cap

Percussion cap

The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...

s were developed, followed shortly by modern integrated-primer cartridges

Cartridge (firearms)

A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...

, and hammers

Hammer (firearm)

thumb|150px|Hammer with an integral [[firing pin]] on a [[S&W Model 13]] revolver The hammer of a firearm was given its name for both resemblance and functional similarity to the common tool...

therefore traded their flint for firing pins.
An example of a single-shot pistol is the flare gun. Although not intended to be a weapon, many variants have been made (See Flare gun). One example is the Kampfpistole, or Sturmpistole in its final form. The weapon was designed to function as an anti-tank weapon.

Single-shot pistols continue to be manufactured today and are often used for target shooting. They are also sometimes used for handgun hunting

Handgun hunting

Handgun hunting is primarily done with specialized handguns that have long barrels and are often set up with scopes .Even the largest animals, such as elephants, can be killed with modern hunting handguns, although most handgun hunters only use handguns when hunting medium-sized game like deer and...

of game, including big game. The most powerful handguns are capable of killing all game, including elephants. (Governments attempt to enforce the regulation of big game hunting to prevent overhunting.)

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 gun

Volley gun

A volley gun is a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots, either simultaneously or in sequence. They differ from modern machine guns in that they lack automatic loading and automatic fire and are limited by the number of barrels bundled together.In practice the large ones were not...

s to analogously devised handguns. Before anyone had developed a practical capability for delivering multiple loads to one barrel in quick succession (which is how repeating fire is usually accomplished today), gunsmiths were aggregating multiple loaded barrels into one place.

Some examples of multi-barreled pistols are:

Duck's-foot pistols
Derringer
Derringer
The term derringer is a genericized misspelling of the last name of Henry Deringer, a famous 19th-century maker of small pocket pistols. Many copies of the original Philadelphia Deringer pistol were made by other gun makers worldwide, and the name was often misspelled; this misspelling soon became...

s
Pepper-box
Pepper-box
The pepper-box revolver or simply pepperbox is a multiple-barrel repeating firearm that has three or more barrels grouped around a central axis. It mostly appears in the form of a multi-shot handheld firearm...

guns (variously referred to as pepper-box pistols or pepper-box revolvers)
Howdah pistol
Howdah pistol
The howdah pistol was a large-calibre handgun, often with two or four barrels, used in India and Africa in the mid-to-late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, during the period of British Colonial rule. It was typically intended for defence against tigers, lions, and other dangerous animals...

s, often made from double-barrelled rifles.

Revolvers

]

With the development of the revolver

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

Ammunition

Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...

via the rotation of a cartridge-filled cylinder

Cylinder (firearms)

, 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 eight 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.

Semi-automatic pistols

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

Recoil

Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...

energy from a fired round is mechanically harnessed

Recoil operation

Recoil operation is an operating mechanism used in locked-breech, autoloading firearms. As the name implies, these actions use the force of recoil to provide energy to cycle the action...

; however, pistols chambered for more powerful cartridges may be gas operated

Gas-operated reloading

Gas-operation is a system of operation used to provide energy to operate autoloading firearms. In gas-operation, a portion of high pressure gas from the cartridge being fired is used to power a mechanism to extract the spent case and chamber a new cartridge. Energy from the gas is harnessed...

(e.g. Desert Eagle

Desert Eagle

The Desert Eagle is a large-framed gas-operated semi-automatic pistol designed by Magnum Research in the U.S. and by IMI in Israel; the pistol is manufactured primarily in Israel by IMI...

). 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.

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

Machine pistols

A machine pistol

Machine pistol

is generally defined as a firearm designed to be fired with one hand, and capable of fully automatic or selective fire

Selective fire

A selective fire firearm has at least one semi–automatic and one automatic mode, which is activated by means of a selector which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective fire weapons utilize burst fire mechanisms to limit the maximum or total number of shots fired automatically in...

. While there are a number of machine pistols such as the Glock 18 and later models of the Mauser C96

Mauser C96

The Mauser C96 is a semi-automatic pistol that was originally produced by German arms manufacturer Mauser from 1896 to 1937...

, 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

Submachine gun

A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...

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

Heckler & Koch VP70

The VP70 is a 9 mm, 18-round, double action only, semi-automatic/three-round burst capable polymer frame pistol manufactured by German arms firm Heckler & Koch GmbH...

would only fire single rounds at a time unless the stock was attached); others, such as the Beretta 93R

Beretta 93R

The Beretta Model 93R is a selective-fire machine pistol, designed and manufactured by the Italian Beretta company in the 1970s for police and military use, that is derived from their semi-automatic Model 92...

, add a forward handgrip. Either of these additions technically create a legal non-pistol under the US National Firearms Act

National Firearms Act

The National Firearms Act , 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, , enacted on June 26, 1934, currently codified as amended as , is an Act of Congress that, in general, imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms. The...

, 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 gun

Machine gun

A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....

Operating mechanisms

Single-action 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

Browning Hi-Power

are typical examples. They must be cocked for the first shot, but subsequent shots are cocked automatically due to the racking of the slide. These types of guns typically have a very light and crisp trigger pull, making for more accurate target shooting.

Traditional double-action 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

Semi-automatic firearm

A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...

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

Beretta 92

The Beretta 92 is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The model 92 was designed in 1972 and production of many variants in different calibers continues today...

. 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

Ruger Redhawk

The Ruger Redhawk is a double/single action large frame revolver that was first introduced in 1979 by Sturm, Ruger & Company. Made from high grade steel, it is available with either a blued or stainless steel finish. The Redhawk is reinforced to handle extra stress, making it very popular for use...

and Smith & Wesson Model 29. These have comparatively long, heavy trigger pulls for all shots unless the revolver is manually cocked.

Double-action only 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 a typical revolver is the Smith & Wesson Centennial

Smith & Wesson Centennial

S&W Centennial is a family of 5-shot revolvers made by Smith & Wesson on the "J-Frame". Centennial's feature a fully enclosed hammer, which makes them Double Action Only firearms. Like nearly all other "J-frame" Smith & Wesson revolvers, they have a swing-out cylinder...

or the Enfield No 2 Mk I*

Enfield revolver

. All pistols in this category have a long, heavy trigger pull for all shots.

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

Firing pin

A firing pin or striker is part of the firing mechanism used in a firearm or explosive device e.g. an M14 landmine or bomb fuze. Firing pins may take many forms, though the types used in landmines, bombs, grenade fuzes or other single-use devices generally have a sharpened point...

or striker is not cocked enough to cause an accidental release to discharge a cartridge, adding to the safety 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 HS2000 (Springfield XD) and the various forms of the extremely popular Glock

Glock pistol

The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or...

. 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.

Some automatic pistol models such as the HK USP

Heckler & Koch USP

The USP is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar as a replacement for the P7 series of handguns.-History:...

Universal Self-loading Pistol (or U.S.P.) come in a variety of mechanism types and can be easily changed by a gunsmith

Gunsmith

A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds firearms. This occupation is different from an armorer. The armorer primarily maintains weapons and limited repairs involving parts replacement and possibly work involving accurization...

for both left- and right-handed shooters and for different operating mechanism and safety features.

Glock introduced a new "Safe Action

Safe action

The "safe action" is a firing pin lock system which Glock developed to be used in the vast majority of their pistols. The action is very similar to the quick action used by Walther and other pistol manufacturers....

" mechanism that is neither a single nor double action. The weapon is never "cocked" in terms of a hammer being "cocked". The partly tensioned firing pin lock is released by pressing the trigger, resulting in the first and subsequent trigger pulls all being the same.

Semi-automatic pistols vs. revolvers

Both revolvers and semi-automatic 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 malfunctions
Firearm malfunction
A firearm malfunction is the partial or complete failure of a firearm to operate as intended. Malfunctions range from temporary and relatively safe situations, such as a casing that didn't eject, to potentially dangerous occurrences that may permanently damage the gun and cause injury or death...

; how to recover from malfunctions; how to recover from misfires)
Degree of user training needed
Degree and frequency of gun cleaning needed
Monetary cost (affordability)
Ammunition capacity
Speed and ease of reloading
Power
Bulkiness with regard to concealment
Weight
Center of gravity
Storage issues

Advantages of revolvers

Readiness to fire: Most revolvers have no external safety devices which need to be deactivated before firing. Double-action revolvers do not require manual cocking making double-action revolvers quicker and simpler to put into action. Most semi-automatics require manually cocking the slide before firing the first shot and many also have manual safeties which must be disengaged before firing. This advantage does not apply to single-action revolvers which require cocking before each shot. (The lack of a safety is also a disadvantage as a cocked weapon can accidentally discharge if mishandled.)
Reliability and ease of maintenance: Revolvers are mechanically simpler than semi-automatics so are less likely to suffer stoppages or malfunctions. With fewer moving pieces there is less risk of loss when cleaning in the field or in darkness.
Fault tolerant: In a double action revolver, if a round does not fire, a pull of the trigger will move a new round into firing position and fire it. In the case of single action semi-automatics, the hammer, if one is present, must be re-cocked in order to re-strike a dud round or the slide racked to remove it. Some double action semi-automatics can re-strike a dud round by pulling the trigger again, but as with all semi-automatics, the slide must still be racked to clear a round that will not fire.
Potential for greater stopping power: The largest and most powerful handgun cartridges are designed for revolvers, owing to their more robust design.
Revolvers will easily fire blank ammunition. Most semi-automatics will not fully cycle with blank cartridges, causing malfunctions. Semi-automatics must be specially modified to properly cycle with blank ammunition. This modification renders them incapable of firing other types of ammunition.
Spent cartridges are kept in the cylinder making them easier to retrieve for hand reloading or clean-up. Semi-automatics eject cartridges some distance, requiring them to be retrieved for hand loading or clean-up.
Variety of ammunition: Revolvers can handle a wider variety of bullets, including wadcutter
Wadcutter
A wadcutter is a special-purpose bullet specially designed for shooting paper targets, usually at close range and at subsonic velocities typically under 800 ft/s . They are often used in handgun and airgun competitions...

s, which will malfunction in most semi-automatics. Wadcutters are designed for target practice, making revolvers more appealing to many sporting shooters.
Multiple calibers: Many revolvers can load certain interchangeable cartridges, those with identical bore diameters but different case lengths. Interchangeable cartridges include .22 short/long/long rifle and CB caps, .357 magnum/.38 special, .44 magnum/.44 special, and .45 Colt/.410 shotshells. Note: Please check with the manufacturer.
Greater accuracy: Sights are mounted to a fixed barrel, theoretically allowing greater accuracy.
Easier to determine if loaded: In most revolvers, the cartidges are readily apparent when loaded. An unloaded semi-automatic is often visually identical to a loaded one.
Contains less parts than a semi-automatic and can be disassembled and assembled easier.
Some have greater range and accuracy because of their longer barrels (some 8 or more inches long).
They can fire black powder bullets.
Because of their robust design, the revolver is perfect for pistol whipping
Pistol-whipping
Pistol-whipping is the act of using a handgun as a blunt weapon, wielding it as if it were a club or blackjack. "Pistol-whipping" and "to pistol-whip" were reported as "new words" of American speech in 1955, with cited usages from 1940s...

.

Advantages of semi-automatics

Larger ammunition capacity: semi-automatics typically carry around 7 to 20 rounds; whilst most revolvers carry between 5 and 8 rounds. Magazines are limited to 10 round capacity in some jurisdictions, such as California and all of Canada, largely negating this advantage in those jurisdictions.
Flexible magazine capacity: Even longer magazine protruding from magazine well may be used if needed. In some compact pistols with a short grip frame, extended magazines may have a grip extension, providing more stable grip for the price of concealability. In full-size models extended magazines may be fitted if higher volume of fire is needed, sometimes matching the capacity of SMG magazines.
Compact ammo storage: The flat shape of most magazines make them more convenient to carry than the speedloader
Speedloader
A speedloader is a device used for loading a firearm or firearm magazine that will run out of ammunition very quickly. Generally, speedloaders are used for loading all chambers of a revolver simultaneously, although speedloaders are also used for the loading of fixed tubular magazines of shotguns...

s or loose cartridges needed for revolvers.
Faster reload: In semiautomatic pistols no extra actions of opening the cylinder and operating the extractor are needed for reload. Empty magazine may fall out under its own weight, and a new one may be inserted in the magazine well more easily than even clipped rounds in the cylinder chambers.
Slimmer profile: Semi-automatics often have a significantly slimmer and easier to conceal frame as they do not suffer from the bulge produced by cylinder of a revolver.
Lighter: Some modern semi-automatics have frames made of polymers, making them lighter and more comfortable to carry for long periods. Recent advancements in technology and design major manufacturers are producing polymer frame revolvers like the Ruger LCR
Ruger LCR
The Ruger LCR is a compact .38 Special caliber revolver built by Ruger and announced in January 2009. The LCR acronym stands for 'Lightweight Compact Revolver'. It incorporates several novel features such as a polymer grip and trigger housing, monolithic receiver, and constant force trigger...

, Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...

Bodyguard 38, and Taurus
Taurus (manufacturer)
Forjas Taurus is a manufacturing conglomerate based in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Beginning as a tool and die manufacturer, the company now consists of divisions focusing on firearms, metals manufacturing, plastics, body armor, helmets, and civil construction.-History:Taurus produced its first...

Protector Polymer that rivals the weight of polymer semi-automatics.
Safety: Some semi-automatics incorporate an external safety switch, which prevents the gun from firing. Most revolvers do not have such a feature, though the same is true of many semi-automatics. There is debate over whether external safety switches are necessary, particularly in models with trigger-activated firing pin blocks, though many users prefer them for peace of mind regardless of whether or not they are safer. In addition, semi-automatics are not subject to a rare but often catastrophic failure mode unique to revolvers: the occurrence of a hang fire from a chamber out of alignment with the barrel during rapid fire.
Quieter: With similar ammunition, a semi-automatic is typically slightly quieter. Flash
Flash suppressor
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a device attached to the muzzle of a rifle or other gun that reduces the visible signature of the burning gases that exit the muzzle. This reduces the chances that the shooter will be blinded in dark...

and noise
Suppressor
A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and flash generated by firing the weapon....

can be suppressed. Noise and flash suppressors are ineffective in most revolvers due to noise and flash escaping the gap between the cylinder
Cylinder (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the Cylinder refers to the cylindrical, rotating part of a revolver containing multiple cartridge chambers. The cylinder revolves around a central axis in the revolver to bring each individual chamber into alignment with the barrel for firing...

and the barrel (although some revolvers like the Nagant M1895
Nagant M1895
The Nagant M1895 Revolver is a seven-shot, gas-seal revolver designed and produced by Belgian industrialist Léon Nagant for the Russian Empire. The Nagant M1895 was chambered for a proprietary cartridge, 7.62x38R, and featured an unusual "gas-seal" system in which the cylinder moved forward when...

and OTs-38 Stechkin silent revolver
OTs-38 Stechkin silent revolver
The OTs-38 Stechkin is a 5-shot, double-action revolver chambered in the silent 7.62x41.5mm SP-4 cartridge. The cartridge employs a captive piston so there is no flash or loud report upon discharge. As the cartridge is rimless, the cylinder is fed via full moon clips.The revolver features a...

can be suppressed)
Less expensive ammunition: semi-automatics often fire standard military ammunition, which is more readily available and cheaper thanks to extensive mass production. However, some revolver cartridges such as .38 Special
.38 Special
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...

are comparable in their cost and availability to popular autoloading cartridges such as 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...

.
Lighter trigger pull (if not Double Action Only): User doesn't have to cock the hammer before each shot. As hammer is cocked by recoiling slide after previous shot, little force is needed to release it. In revolvers hammer should be cocked before each shot either manually or by longer and heavier pull of the trigger. In both cases rate of fire or accuracy suffers.
Lighter recoil for guns of similar power and weight: Recoil spring of semi-automatic partially absorbs recoil during action cycle. Additional buffers are easily added to recoil spring assembly solely for this purpose.
Fully automatic fire possible: Certain models of automatic pistols may be fired in fixed burst or full-auto modes if needed.

Advantages of handguns versus shoulder firearms

In comparison to long guns (rifle

Rifle

s and shotgun

Shotgun

s), handguns are smaller, lighter, and easier to carry. Since firearms do not rely entirely on the user's strength, they put weaker individuals on an equal defensive footing; when Colt

Colt's Manufacturing Company

Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...

produced the first practical repeating handgun, it gave rise to the saying "God created men, but Colt made them equal."

Since using a handgun, at a minimum, 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 light

Tactical light

A tactical light is a flashlight used in conjunction with a firearm to aid low light target identification, allowing the marksman to simultaneously aim and illuminate the target. Tactical lights can be handheld or mounted to the weapon with the light beam parallel to the bore...

s, where the light and handgun can be used independently or in coordination; mounted lights, as used on long guns and submachine gun

Submachine gun

s, don't allow the light to be pointed independently of the firearm. In addition, handguns can be more easily used ambidextrously, and therefore the user can switch firing hands depending on the situation.

Another important tactical consideration in the context of civilian self-defense is maneuverability. An attacker in close quarters with the defender could more easily wrestle a long gun'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.

Disadvantages of handguns versus shoulder firearms

Handguns are often considered self-defense

Self-defense

Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...

weapons for use under 50 yards (45.7 m). While a handgun in the hands of an experienced shooter may be effective at distances greater than 50 yards (45.7 m), a handgun cartridge is much more limited in its energy capacity than many long gun cartridges. Many handgun cartridges are optimized for best performance from shorter barrels than typically found in rifles.

Many rifles are able to achieve bullet velocities of over 3000 feet (914 m) per second, but rounds for handguns are rarely capable of achieving velocities over 1500 feet (457 m) per second. Thus, long guns are generally more powerful at any range, and especially more effective at longer ranges than handguns.

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.

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

Gun politics

Gun politics addresses safety issues and ideologies related to firearms through criminal and noncriminal use. Gun politics deals with rules, regulations, and restrictions on the use, ownership, and distribution of firearms.-National sovereignty:...

, and in many jurisdictions both keeping and bearing them is much more heavily regulated than with long guns.

Australia

Civilian ownership of handguns in Australia

Gun politics in Australia

Gun politics have only become a notable issue in Australia since the 1980s. Low levels of violent crime through much of the 20th century kept levels of public concern about firearms low...

is legal, but heavily restricted. Handguns may not be owned for self-defense 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 license and observe stringent storage regulations. Calibre for handguns is limited to .38, however calibres up to .45 may be obtained with a permit for certain disciplines such as Metallic Silhouette. Minimum barrel lengths are imposed for handguns with 4" for Revolvers and 4.72"(120mm) for Semi-Automatic Pistols. Pistol magazines with a capacity of over 10 rounds are restricted to collectors, security guards and firearms dealers.

Canada

In Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, ownership of handguns is restricted and subject to registration

Possession and Acquisition Licence

A Possession and Acquisition Licence is a licence that allows individuals in Canada to possess and acquire firearms as well as ammunition. Licences are typically valid for five years and must be renewed prior to expiry to maintain all classes. Once licensed, an individual can apply for a firearm...

. Guns with a barrel length of 105 mm (about 4.14 inches) or less and handguns that fire .25 or .32

.32 ACP

.32 ACP , also known as the .32 Automatic is a pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pistol...

caliber 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. 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

Law enforcement agency

In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...

personnel.

Czech Republic

It is possible to buy and own a gun for collecting, sporting, gamekeeping, occupation (private security, money transport) and self-defense purposes. Unlike most countries in Europe, in the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

right to carry a concealed handgun is a natural part of self-defense gun license owner, after formal approval (no justification is needed) is written in the gun license.

Israel

In Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, 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. Few places are off limits to handguns in Israel. Carrying of loaded handguns, openly or concealed, is slightly more common than other countries.

Italy

In Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, private ownership of handguns is legal and allowed under any gun license, as for any other firearm; as such, handguns can be purchased by all individuals who hold a gun license of any kind, even a hunting license, although handgun hunting

Handgun hunting

is not allowed in Italy. The law imposes limits to the number of handguns that can be owned, according to their destination of use: the maximum limit is three handguns listed as "Common firearms" (those normally employable for self-defense and other uses) and up to six handguns listed as "Sporting firearms" (those specifically engineered and manufactured for target competitions). Owners of handguns, and any other firearm, under a collector's license may exceed limits and own an unlimited number of handguns, but may not own ammunition for them and may not use them under any situation.

The concealed carry of a handgun for personal defense purposes is instead illegal unless the individual is granted a specific license (Porto d'armi per difesa personale, "Self-Defense firearms carry license") which is extremely hard to obtain and is released only to those who can demonstrate to have a justified reason, and a factual and underogable need, to carry a concealed firearm for self-defense; such license has to be renewed yearly, whereas all other gun licenses, which allow the purchase, ownership and transport, yet not the carry, of handguns, have a 5-years or 6-years expiry date. Owners of handguns under any other license than a concealed carry license are allowed to detain the firearm at home or in any of their premises for property defense, or to transport it unloaded, locked in a container and possibly partially stripped, to a shooting range or to any other location where target practice or recreational shooting can be safely practiced, but are not allowed to carry their firearm for self-defense, either open or concealed, nor to keep it loaded for any reason in any place other than their home or any of their premises, or outside of an authorized shooting range.

Some individuals, such as magistrate

Magistrate

A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...

s and high-rank military and Law Enforcement officials, don't need a license to privately procure and carry a concealed handgun for self-defense; Police officers under such high ranks are authorized to carry their service pistol off-duty, with their Police ID being the sole document needed, while they need a standard Concealed Carry license for the off-duty carry of non-issue firearm (on-duty carry of non-issue firearms is illegal for Police personnel in Italy); it should be noted anyway that even Police personnel is seldom, if ever, granted a Concealed Carry license, they are generally considered to "not need" it, being authorized to carry to the off-duty of their issue handgun.

Private security personnel

Security guard

A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...

is generally issued a 2-years-valid license allowing to carry firearms (both handguns and long guns) for service and self-defense, authorizing also open carry, which is otherwise forbidden to civilians in the Country.

Kenya

In Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, private ownership of certain types of firearms and ammunition is legal under the Firearms Act (cap. 114), laws of Kenya. Applicants for a gun owner’s licence in Kenya are required by law to show genuine reason for wanting to possess a firearm. Reasons such as intention of using the firearm in target shooting, for protection or for personal security are often the ones given by gun license applicants. Anyone as young as 12 can actually apply for gun ownership under the aforementioned Kenyan law. However, an applicant for a firearm licence must pass stringent background check

Background check

A background check or background investigation is the process of looking up and compiling criminal records, commercial records and financial records of an individual....

s which consider criminal, mental and domestic violence records before he or she can be permitted to privately own a firearm and ammunition. Where a past history, or apprehended likelihood of family violence exists, the law stipulates that a gun licence should be denied or revoked hencewith. Additionally, the law further requires that any possession, sale or transfer of a firearm be recorded and retained in a centralised and official register managed by the Kenya Police. Moreover, the firearm regulations in Kenya spell out the written specifications for the lawful safe storage of private firearms and ammunition by all licensed gun owners. The regulations also specicify how such firearms and ammunition may be handled whilst on transit. As for carrying a concealed handgun in a public place, the law does not require one to have a permit to do so.

Pakistan

In Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

, citizens in the states of Punjab

Punjab (Pakistan)

Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...

and Sindh

Sindh

Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...

are subject to strict gun control regulations and may only carry a concealed gun, even if it is with a bodyguard

Bodyguard

A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...

. Display of armory in public is banned, with fines of up to 50,000 Rupees. Citizens must also register guns and obtain licenses for them. In addition, for concealed carry, permits are also required which are issued separately by the home ministry of each province. Banned weapons are called prohibited bore weapons which are calibers above 0.44 in handguns and 0.222 in rifles plus all automatic weapons. Licenses are issued for these in specific circumstances but only by the approval of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

(with the exception of Northern Ireland), civilian ownership of almost any handgun has been outlawed since the Dunblane massacre

Dunblane massacre

The Dunblane massacre was a multiple murder-suicide which occurred at Dunblane Primary School in the Scottish town of Dunblane on 13 March 1996. Sixteen children and one adult were killed by Thomas Hamilton before he committed suicide.-Timeline of events:...

of 1996; the only exclusions were single shot, rimfire, and muzzleloading

Muzzleloader

A muzzleloader is any firearm into which the projectile and usually the propellant charge is loaded from the muzzle of the gun . This is distinct from the more popular modern designs of breech-loading firearms...

pistols/revolvers. So called "Long Barreled" cartridge firing revolvers and semi automatic pistols (.22LR only) are still legal providing that they meet the following requirements: overall length not less than 24", barrel length not less than 12". As with all other legal firearms in the UK, possession requires a Firearm Certificate. The application and vetting process is carried out by the local police force and is very in depth. Good reason (justification) for holding a firearm certificate in the UK would be Target shooting (as part of a Home Office Approved Club) or hunting. "Self Defence" or other reasons of this nature are not allowed. The open carrying of any firearm in a public place is illegal in the UK. Concealed carry of any firearm in a public place would normally be illegal, unless authorised by a firearms licence. Air pistols

Air gun

An air gun is a rifle , pistol , or shotgun that fires projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas, in contrast to a firearm, which burns a propellant. Most air guns use metallic projectiles as ammunition. Air guns that only use plastic projectiles are classified as airsoft...

are still legal, however, those with energy

Muzzle energy

Muzzle energy is the kinetic energy of a bullet as it is expelled from the muzzle of a firearm. It is often used as a rough indication of the destructive potential of a given firearm or load...

levels over 6 foot pounds (8.1 joule

Joule

The joule ; symbol J) is a derived unit of energy or work in the International System of Units. It is equal to the energy expended in applying a force of one newton through a distance of one metre , or in passing an electric current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm for one second...

s) (half the limit for air rifles) are classified as firearms.

United States of America

See also: Gun laws in the United States (by state), Gun politics in the United States
Gun politics in the United States
Gun politics in the United States refers to an ongoing political and social debate regarding both the restriction and availability of firearms within the United States. It has long been among the most controversial and intractable issues in American politics...

, Concealed carry in the United States

In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the right of citizens to own a handgun is well-established. The rules for carrying a handgun in public vary by local jurisdiction. While there are many exceptions, in general open carry

Open Carry

In the United States, open carry is shorthand terminology for "openly carrying a firearm in public", as distinguished from concealed carry, where firearms cannot be seen by the casual observer....

is allowed, but concealed carry

Concealed carry

Concealed carry, or CCW , refers to the practice of carrying a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed manner, either on one's person or in proximity.-In Canada:...

requires a permit in select states. Some states place certain restrictions on who may purchase handguns, and some have waiting periods after purchase. Anyone selling handguns at retail must have a Federal Firearms License

Federal Firearms License

A Federal Firearms License is a license that enables an individual or a company to engage in a business pertaining to the manufacture of firearms and ammunition or the interstate and intrastate sale of firearms...

, in addition to any local requirements.

External links

Interactive Illustrated Pistol
Handgun Database
Handgun Database Video and Review
Ballistics By The Inch - Relationship between barrel length and bullet velocity.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.