Gun is a weapon incorporating a metal
tube from which bullets, shells, or other missiles are propelled by explosive
force, typically making a characteristic loud, sharp noise.
One
broad category of Firearm is Handguns, which are guns designed to be held in
one hand, and includes pistols, semi automatic handguns, machine pistols, revolvers and "derringers".
Another
broad category of firearms is "long guns," sometimes called
"shoulder guns," which includes rifles and shotguns.
The firearms that are not normally held by a person and must be rested on
the ground or mounted on something. Examples of these are large machine
guns and guns that are mounted on aircraft, tanks, foundations,
etc. An anti-aircraft gun is an example. When such guns are of calibre greater than 0.50 calibre, they are typically called "cannons."
When
most people say "pistol" all they mean is "handgun." A pistol is a fully automatic handgun, you see in movies. The term may also be used to refer to
anything including a single-shot or breech (rear) loading handgun other than
a revolver. Both
automatic and semi automatic handguns are loaded with cartridges by first
loading a container called a magazine, or loosely called a "clip",
then inserting the magazine into the grip (handle) of the gun. Such
magazines can be made to hold a gazillion cartridges, but the ones that come
with the handguns have limits of anywhere from five to 19 cartridges.
A
revolver could be a "long" gun in that rifles have been built using a "cylinder" to hold the cartridges in the gun
preparatory to them being fired. However, the word "revolver"
is generally used to refer to a handgun that uses a cylindrical magazine called
the "cylinder." It is this cylinder from which the gun gets its
name.
The
cylinder is at the rear end of the barrel, with part of the frame behind
it. The cylinder has several holes (typically six) through it, pointing
the same direction as the barrel. One of these holes is behind the barrel
and, in effect, forms an extension of it. When the gun is loaded, a
cartridge is placed in one or more of the holes.
The
cartridge in the hole behind the barrel is fired, then the cylinder is rotated
(i.e., "revolved") so that the next cartridge is behind the barrel
ready to be fired. The cartridge is fired by a "hammer" behind
the frame being released to move forward under spring pressure to hit the
"firing pin" that, in turn, strikes the "primer" at the back
end of the cartridge. This primer "explodes" setting off the
powder inside the cartridge. The hammer is released as a result of the
trigger (under the cylinder) being pulled.
A
"derringer" is a type of handgun that is very small and short.
It has one barrel or often two "barrels" (actually "bores")
together in one barrel structure that hinges down in front to enable the
cartridge(s) to be loaded directly into the back end of the barrel. Such
guns have been built with several bores. The design is named after the
inventor or an early maker of such guns, although with a spelling error.
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