Today we will cover Hand Gun 101. What hand guns are, the types of hand guns there are, and some other information pertaining to this type of firearm.  As the most popular type of gun and one that most people are familiar with, we decided to dive in on a few details about them.

Hand guns are guns that can be held with one hand…hence the name hand gun. They are classified into 5 types.  Each class or type of firearm has it’s own unique attributes- how it fires, loading, and the caliber used.

These 5 types of handguns include:

  • Single shot pistols– “pocket pistols” Single load pistols. They release one round and must then be manually reloaded.  Very basic and one of the original, early forms of a gun. Gun Example: Derringer
  • Multi barreled pistols– These came around soon following the single shot pistol. They have “mutli barrels”, in the same caliber. They are able to rapidly fire or shoot more shots quickly. Gun Example: .577 Snider
  • Revolvers– These types of pistols have a “revolving barrel”, allowing for many shots to be fired without having to reload. Depending on the make of the revolver, their cylinders can have 5-8 rounds. The average is six, hence the name “six shooter”. Not all revolvers are handguns, for instance rifles and shot guns. Gun Example: .44 Mangnum
  • Semi automatic pistols- This gun type once the trigger is pulled discharges a round and then automatically reloads. The reload is not fired until the trigger is pulled again. Gun Example: Smith & Wesson
  • Automatic pistols- These are rapidly firing guns. As long as the trigger is being pressed and there is ammunition loaded, shots will be firing. These are intense guns and illegal for civilians. They are usually meant to be carried by police or military.  They’re light weight, yet more difficult to control because of their rapid firing. Gun Example: Machine Gun

Guns must be respected and understood. They are firearms. Anything releasing ammo can be dangerous. Please always respect firearms and how they work.