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Handgun Basics

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Firearms - Handgun Basics

The aim of this firearms section is to provide some basic information and specs. This is not intended to be a technical paper on the more advanced aspects of firearms and ballistics.

Firearms can be divided into 4 basic categories; handguns, rifes, shotguns and fully automatic weapons. Since I've received far more questions concerning handguns, I think we'll start there. Basically, there are two types of handguns; pistols and revolvers. Pistols, like the Glock shown on the right, are sometimes referred to as autoloaders or "semi-autos". They differ from revolvers in the fact that they use the energy of the fired round to move the slide back to allow automatic loading of the next round. This can be accomplished by the recoil or blowback method. Some of the larger caliber pistols use gas for the cycling of the slide. As the new round is chambered and ready to fire, the used cartridge is ejected through the ejection port. Since pistols are more mechanically complex than revolvers, they are more prone to malfunction. That being said, high quality, modern pistols are still very reliable firearms when shot by trained and knowldgeable users. For the novice shooter however, revolvers are usually easier to operate and handle.

Handguns, whether pistols or revolvers, can have either a single action trigger, double action trigger, or operate either way. With a single action trigger, the hammer must be cocked (pulled back first), before the gun can be fired. With a double action mechanism, the trigger pull will both cock the hammer, as well as fire the round. While some handguns will allow either method of operation, others will be single action only (SAO), or double action only (DAO).

So which type of handgun is better? Semi-automatic pistols or revolvers. Well, that really depends on the user and what the gun is being used for. There are pros and cons for both. I will discuss this a little later. But for now, I want to go over the different calibers that are used in handguns, since this has been the most asked question I've received. There have been many different calibers introduced over the years. Some are now obsolete (discountinued) while others are rare and not often seen. So I'll just list some of the more popular rounds in use today.

(1) 12 ga magnum shotgun shell (2) AA battery for size comparison (3) .454 Casull (4) .45 Winchester Mag (5) .44 Mag (6) .357 Mag (7) .38 Special (8) .45 ACP (9) .38 Super (10) 9mm (11) .32 ACP (12) .22 LR

Looking at the ammunition pictures, you'll see the bullet on top and the casing below it. Only the bullet is discharged through the barrel and goes down range. The spent casing stays in the chamber of the revolver, or in the case of a pistol, is ejected through the ejection port. The size of the caliber is determined by the diameter of the bullet, not the diameter of the cartridge.

Calibers can be listed in fractions of an inch or in millimeters. A .50 caliber round would be half an inch in diameter, a .25 caliber, a quarter of an inch, etc. It's important to note though, that the designation given to various calibers doesn't always equal the exact diameter of the bullet (most of the time they don't). A .38 Special for example, is actually 357 thousands of an inch, the same diameter as a .357 magnum round. The difference between the two is that the .357 magnum round has a stronger charge, resulting in more energy and higher velocities when fired. Just for referrence, the standard 9 mm caliber is 355 thousands of an inch.

As I said earlier, this is just a basic overview. If you'd like to know more about the detailed specifications of each caliber, you can look at the "LINKS" page in this Firearms section. I have links to pages that will cover that type of detail.

A note about the 9mm. As you can see in the pic below, there are different versions (including others not shown), none of which are interchangeable. The 9mm Parabellum is by far the most popular 9mm round in existence. It's also refered to as the 9mm NATO, 9x19mm, 9mm Luger or simply "9mm". This 9mm caliber is the most popular and widely used military handgun cartridge in the world, according to data from 2006. This popularity includes civilian use as well. In the last few years however, the .40 caliber S&W has been catching up to the 9x19mm in popularity with Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) and civilians alike. The .45 ACP has been making quite a comeback too in recent years. It is this author's opinion that the 9x19mm, .45 ACP and .40 S&W (in that order) are the three most popular semi-automatic handgun calibers in use today.

When considering a gun for either SD/HD (self defense, home defense) there are various things you need to take into consideration. The best article I've seen on this topic is the Self Defense Ammo FAQ from ar15.com. I have it listed in the links section - or you can just CLICK HERE to see the article. It will explain in detail (w/ pictures) all the important information you'll need to know if you plan on using your handgun in a SD/HD application. I strongly recommend reading this article.

Finally, I just want to mention the importantance of knowing the basic rules of firearms safety. It's very important for people to receive proper training by a competent instructor or school before handling firearms. Once you know how to safely handle and operate your handgun, then you can get out on the range and practice.

So what is gun safety? Here's a great video on the topic by Clint Smith. Please listen carefully to what he's saying. He's one of the best. That said, I would still strongly recommend novice shooters seek out one on one training. Videos like this are great but can not substitute for actual hands on, personal, competent instruction (you'll understand what I mean after watching the video).



Well, thanks for visiting! I hope this page has been helpful.