General Information: (please click on the links to the right for specific handgun information)
MODERN HANDGUNS FALL INTO 3 BASIC CATEGORIES: REVOLVERS, SEMI AUTOMATIC AND SINGLE SHOT PISTOLS:
 Revolvers: Today’s modern revolvers are accurate, safe, simple to use and very strong. This strength allows them to chamber many different cartridges from the tiny .22 to the massive .500 S&W magnum. Revolvers can be used for target shooting, self-defense and for hunting.
There are two types of revolvers -- double action and single action. Single action revolvers are the modern version of the revolvers seen in the Old West. The hammer of a single action revolver must be cocked in order to fire. A double action revolver can fire simply by pulling the trigger, which cocks the hammer during the pull. A few double action revolvers are double action only, while most can also be cocked like a single action revolver and fired. The advantage of cocking the revolver is that the final trigger pull is very light and therefore accuracy is improved. Double action trigger pulls can be 12 pounds or greater while single action pulls are usually 4 pounds or less. Double actions are faster to reload than single action revolvers. This is because the cylinder of double action revolvers swings out from the frame allowing access to all the chambers at once. A speed loader can be used in this design. Conversely, single action revolvers are loaded through a loading gate which only allows access to one cylinder at a time. Unlike the older single action revolvers, all modern revolvers are safe to carry -- even with a cartridge under the hammer. Early single action revolvers should always be carried with an empty cylinder under the hammer. This prevents the firing pin from accidentally hitting the primer and discharging the weapon if it is dropped. Modern revolvers with their various interlocking safety systems prevent this.  Semi Automatic Pistols: The semi automatic pistol started to be seen in the early 1900’s. Initially developed for the military, they have become the standard with most law enforcement agencies. Popularity of these pistols with civilian shooters has also reached new levels especially as self-defense pistols. While there have been a few large, high-power semi automatic pistols produced that equaled the magnum revolvers for hunting purposes, most current designs are intended for either target shooting or self-defense.
One exception is the excellent Glock model 20 in 10mm caliber. With high end loadings of this caliber, the Glock 20 easily exceeds the ballistics of the .357 magnum and is an excellent small to medium game weapon. All semi automatic pistols use some kind of magazine loaded with cartridges. As the slide of the pistol recoils the spent casing is ejected and a new round is stripped from the magazine and loaded into the chamber. Like revolvers, they come in both single action and double action designs. Single action automatics only need to be cocked before the first shot in order to fire, unlike single action revolvers which must be cocked for every shot. The movement of the slide upon firing cocks the pistol for subsequent shots. The Glock series of pistols is an exception as it is neither single nor double action but a unique combination of the two in function. It used to be that semi automatic pistols required extensive work to be made reliable with modern self-defense ammunition. They also required additional gunsmithing to make them accurate. Today’s designs from the major manufacturers deliver both exceptional reliability and accuracy--straight out of the box. Semiautomatic pistols are much faster to load than revolvers and typically contain more cartridges per load. Most revolvers carry between 5 and 7 rounds. Typical semi automatics carry between 7 and 17 rounds. Single Shot pistols: Single shot pistols are typically used for hunting and silhouette shooting. They usually fire high-power cartridges. However, they are chambered from the .22 long rifle up to the old .45-70 buffalo cartridge with many more rifle sized cartridges in between. |
