Handgun

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A Browning 9x19mm Hi-Power, also known as the GP (Grande Puissance) 35.

Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, model 1849, using a Percussion cap mechanism

Derringers are small and can be easily concealed.

A disassembled Taurus Millennium series PT145 pistol

A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand, with the other
hand optionally supporting the shooting hand. This characteristic differentiates
handguns as a general class of firearms from their larger counterparts: long guns such
as rifles and shotguns (which are held in both hands and usually braced against the
shoulder), mounted weapons such as machine guns and autocannons, and larger
weapons such as artillery.

Some handgun subtypes include derringers, single-shot pistols, revolvers, semi-

automatic pistols, pepperboxes, and machine pistols.

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

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Nomenclature variations
o 1.1 Multiple senses of the word "pistol"
o 1.2 Etymology of "pistol"
• 2 Types of handguns
o 2.1 Single-shot pistols
o 2.2 Multi-barreled pistols
o 2.3 Revolvers
o 2.4 Lever action pistols
o 2.5 Semi-automatic pistols
o 2.6 Machine pistols
• 3 Operating mechanisms
• 4 Semi-automatic pistols vs. revolvers
o 4.1 Advantages of revolvers
o 4.2 Advantages of semi-automatics
• 5 Advantages of handguns versus shoulder firearms
• 6 Disadvantages of handguns versus shoulder firearms
• 7 Handguns and gun politics
• 8 Other related information
• 9 See also
• 10 References

• 11 External links

[edit] Nomenclature variations

[edit] 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. 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]

The first pistols were made as early as the 15th century, but their creator is unknown.
[5]
By the 18th century, the term came to be used often 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]

[edit] Etymology of "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:

• From the Czech pistole and this one from the Czech píšťala (flute or pipe,
referring to the shape of a Hussite firearm), from Middle High German
pischulle or from Middle French pistole.
• From the city of Pistoia, Italy, where hand-held guns (designed to be fired
from horseback) were first produced in the 1540s.[6]
• That early pistols were carried by cavalry in holsters hung from the pommel
(or pistallo in medieval French) of a horse's saddle.

[edit] 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).

[edit] 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 theoretically the 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.

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.

Single-shot pistols continue to be manufactured today and are often used for handgun
hunting game, including big game. The most powerful handguns are capable of taking
all game including elephant.

[edit] 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 had developed a
practical capability for delivering multiple loads to one barrel in quick succession
(which is how repeating fire is usually accomplished today), they were aggregating
multiple loaded barrels into one place.

Some examples of multi-barreled pistols are:

• Duck's-foot pistols
• Derringers
• Pepper-box guns (variously referred to as pepper-box pistols or pepper-box
revolvers)
• Howdah pistols, often made from double-barrelled rifles.

[edit] 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
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.

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. Weapons of this type are
rare, as the technology was quickly rendered obsolete by a combination of the double-
action revolver and the semi-automatic pistol.

[edit] Lever action pistols

These were less popular and common than revolvers. Almost all examples of this type
of pistol come from the 19th century. One example of this type would be the Volcanic
Pistol.

[edit] Semi-automatic pistols

Compact semi-automatic Smith & Wesson .45 ACP Chief's Special — Model CS45

Walther P99, a semi-automatic 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.

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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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 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.

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 29. These have comparatively long, heavy trigger pulls for all shots
unless the revolver is manually cocked.

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 a typical revolver is the Smith
& Wesson Centennial or the Enfield No 2 Mk I*. 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 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.

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.

Glock introduced a new "Safe Action" mechanism that is neither a single nor double
action.[7] 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.

[edit] Semi-automatic pistols vs. revolvers

This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please
improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (July
2008)
This article is written in the style of a debate rather than an encyclopedic
summary. It may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards and
make it more accessible to a general audience. Please discuss this issue on the
 talk page. (April 2009)

Clockwise start at the top left: Glock G22, Glock G21, Kimber Custom Raptor, Dan
Wesson Commander, Smith & Wesson .357, Ruger Blackhawk .357, Ruger SP101,
Sig Sauer P220 Combat.

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; how to recover from malfunctions; how

to recover from misfires)
• degree of user training needed
• degree and frequency of gun cleaning needed
• ammo capacity
• speed and ease of reloading
• bulkiness with regard to concealment
• weight
• center of gravity
• storage issues

[edit] Advantages of revolvers

• Ease of use: Revolvers are truly point and shoot. No safeties or complex
procedures inhibit putting a revolver into action. Some semi-autos require
several steps to place them into action, allowing room for error in critical
situations.
• Reliability: Blockages and malfunctions are virtually impossible in a revolver.
A dud round is cleared by a simple pull of the trigger. Several types of
blockages and malfunctions are possible (and fairly common) in semi-autos.
With single action semi-autos one must rack the slide, or possibly take more
extensive action, to clear a malfunction, which takes the pistol out of the
shooting position. Single/double action and double action only autoloaders
allow more than one firing pin impact upon the primer of a round which fails
to fire. See Tap Rack Bang.
• Ruggedness: Revolvers have a simpler, more rugged and robust design.
• More stopping power: The largest and most powerful handgun rounds are
rimmed rounds for revolvers only, owing to their sturdier design.
• Revolvers will easily fire blank ammunition. Most semi-autos will not fully
cycle with blank cartridges, causing malfunctions. Semi-auto pistols must be
specially modified to properly cycle with blank ammunition, as in the case of
 prop weapons for cinema. This modification renders them incapable of firing
any other cartridge type.
• Spent cartridges are kept in the cylinder whereas a semi-auto ejects them. This
is useful for reloaders.
• Storage: Revolvers and speedloaders can be stored loaded indefinitely with no
issues. Semi-auto magazines have springs under tension when loaded. These
springs may weaken and fail to load the cartridges effectively if the magazine
has been stored loaded for long periods.
• More variety in ammunition: Revolvers can chamber virtually any cartridge,
including wadcutters, which will malfunction a semi-auto. This makes
revolvers more appealing to many sport shooters. Additionally, revolvers can
load certain interchangeable cartridges, those with identical calibers but
different case lengths. Interchangeable cartridges include .22 short/long/long
rifle, .357 magnum/.38 special, .44 magnum/.44 special, and .45 Colt/.410
shotshells (on some, check first).
• Better sights: Sights are mounted to a fixed barrel, theoretically allowing
greater accuracy.
• Easier to determine if loaded: cartridges in a loaded revolver are readily
apparent. An unloaded semi-auto is often visually identical to a loaded one.
• Easier to clean and maintain: Revolvers have few exposed moving pieces and
do not require disassembly. There is no risk of loss or breakage of pieces with
a revolver. Semi-autos must be disassembled for cleaning, which may be
difficult and risks losing or breaking vital pieces in the field or in darkness.
• Speedloaders: Speedloaders are quicker and easier to fill than magazines.
Speedloaders and magazines load their weapons with comparable speed, but
speedloaders are bulkier. Also see advantage under "Storage" above.

[edit] Advantages of semi-automatics

Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic.

• Larger ammo capacity: semi-automatics typically carry 8 to 20 or more

rounds; most revolvers carry 6 rounds, although some carry 5, 7, 8, or even up
to 10 in .22 caliber. A few jurisdictions limit the magazine capacity on
handguns to 10 rounds, largely negating this advantage in these places.
Furthermore pistols with larger magazines are unsuitable for people with
smaller hands again in practice negating the advantage of large magazines, for
example Smith and Wesson markets its J frame "Lady Smith" revolvers as
being suitable for smaller female palms.
• Better combat reloading: Magazines, while slower and more difficult to fill,
are simpler to place into operation and more ergonomic to carry than
speedloaders.
 • Quieter: With similar ammunition, a semi-auto is typically slightly quieter.
Flash and noise can be suppressed. Noise and flash suppressors are ineffective
in most revolvers due to noise and flash escaping the gap between the cylinder
and the barrel.
• Less expensive ammunition: semi-autos often fire standard military
ammunition, which is more readily available and cheaper thanks to extensive
mass production. However, popular revolver cartridges such as .38 Special are
comparable in their cost and availability to popular autoloading cartridges
such as 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP.
• Autoloaders have a significantly slimmer and easier to conceal frame as they
do not suffer from the bulge produced by the revolver's cylinder.
• Some contemporary automatics are made of light-weight materials, (such as
polymer) making them lighter and more comfortable to carry for long periods.
Polymer frames are impractical on revolvers, and the weight savings would be
minimal as the main sources of weight are the barrel and cylinder which
cannot be polymer.(The revolver barrel and cylinder can be made out of light
metals such as titanium or scandium[citation needed] thus making this advantage
negligible. ex: The Smith and Wesson air weight can weigh as little as 12
ounces.[citation needed])
• The nature of most semi-auto's operation makes the trigger pull much easier
after the first round is fired, allowing for quick and accurate follow-up shots.
Revolvers will always have strong trigger pulls unless the hammer is cocked
before each shot, which greatly slows the shooter's rate of fire.
• Although relatively rare even with wartime ammunition, hangfires pose a
unique risk for revolvers which does not exist for autoloaders. During rapid
fire, a hangfire which occurs in a revolver can result in a round firing from a
chamber not aligned with the barrel, with negative consequences for the piece
and possibly the shooter. This failure mode does not exist with autoloaders.
• Most semi-autos incorporate an external safety switch, which is a visual and
tactile cue that the weapon is safe. However, newer revolver designs have
incorporated hammer blocks and other safety mechanisms making them as
safe as comparable autoloaders, even without an external safety.

[edit] Advantages of handguns versus shoulder

firearms
In comparison to longer guns such as shoulder firearms (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".[8],[9]

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; mounted lights, as used on long guns and
submachine guns, 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.[10]

[edit] Disadvantages of handguns versus shoulder

firearms
Handguns are often considered self-defense weapons for use under 50 yards (46 m).
While a handgun in the hands of an experienced shooter may be effective at distances
greater than 50 yards (46 m), a handgun cartridge is much more limited in its energy
capacity than many long gun cartridges.

Many rifles are able to achieve bullet velocities of over 3,000 feet (914 m) per second,
but rounds for handguns are rarely capable of achieving velocities over 1,500 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.

[edit] 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 both keeping and bearing them is
much more heavily regulated than that of long guns.

Civilian ownership of handguns in Australia 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.

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
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.[11] 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.[12]
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. Few places are off limits
to handguns in Israel. Carrying of loaded handguns, openly or concealed, is common.

In Pakistan, citizens in the states of Punjab and Sindh are subject to strict gun control
regulations and may only carry a concealed gun, even if it is with a bodyguard.
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.[citation needed]

In the United Kingdom (with the exception of Northern Ireland), 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
energy levels over 6 foot pounds (8.1 joules) (half the limit for air rifles) are classified
as firearms.[13][14][15]

In the United States, the right of the people to bear arms is codified by the second
amendment of the U.S. constitution. The details, exceptions, and controversies
relating to this are beyond the scope of this discussion. Legislation controlling how
handguns are carried (concealed or unconcealed) is the responsibility of the state
governments. Open (unconcealed) carry is permitted in 41 states with a mixture of
licensing requirements.[16] Most states (currently 48 of 50) 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, any person who can lawfully own
a handgun can obtain a concealed weapons permit after meeting training
requirements. The remaining 9 states, called "may-issue" states, may deny a permit
for any reason, usually at the discretion of local law enforcement. Illinois and
Wisconsin are the two states which do not allow individuals to bear concealed arms,
though in practice the "may-issue" states range from widely granting permits to solely
making exceptions for politicians and other well-connected individuals. In the some
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. For specific details, debates and
controversies please refer the main gun politics article or concealed carry article.

[edit] Other related information

In the 1780s, Alessandro Volta built a toy electric pistol[17] in which an electric spark
caused the explosion of a mixture of air and hydrogen, firing a cork from the end of
the gun.
[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pistols

• Firearm action
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