Handgun

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A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand.^[1] It is distinguished from a long gun (i.e. carbine, rifle, shotgun, submachine gun, or machine gun) which needs to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder. Handguns have shorter effective ranges compared to long guns, and are much harder to shoot accurately. While most early handguns are single-shot pistols, the two most common types of handguns used in modern times are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, although other handguns such as derringers and machine pistols also see infrequent usage.

Before commercial

1. is reasonably capable of being carried or concealed about the person; or
2. is reasonably capable of being raised and fired by one hand; or
3. does not exceed 65 centimetres (26 in) in length measured parallel to the barrel.[8]

History

Hand cannons

Firearms started in China where gunpowder was first developed. The oldest known bronze barrel handgun is the Heilongjiang hand cannon, in 1288.^[9] It is 34 cm (13.4 inches) long without a handle and weighs 3.55 kg (7.83 pounds). The diameter of the powder chamber is 6.6 cm (2.6 inches)^[10] while the diameter of the interior at the end of the barrel is 2.5 cm (1.0 inch).^[11] The barrel is the lengthiest part of the hand cannon at 6.9 inches long.^[12]

The hand cannon has a bulbous base at the

In 1432, Joseon dynasty under the reign of Sejong the Great introduced the world's first handgun named se-chongtong (세총통). Se-chongtong has a total length of 13.8 cm, an inner diameter of 0.9 cm, and an outer diameter of 1.4 cm. Se-chongtong is held by cheolheumja (철흠자, iron tong-handle), which allows quick change barrel for the next shot, and fires chase-jeon (차세전, a type of standardized arrow of Joseon) with a maximum fatal range of 200 footsteps (≈250 meters). Initially, Joseon considered the gun as a failed project due to its short effective range, but se-chongtong quickly saw usage after fielding to the frontier provinces starting in June 1437. Se-chongtong was used by both soldiers of different units and civilians, including women and children, as a personal defense weapon. The gun was notably used by chetamja (체탐자, special reconnaissance), whose mission was to infiltrate enemy territory, and by carabiniers carrying multiple guns benefited from its compact size.^[16][17][18]

Matchlocks

The matchlock appeared in Europe in the mid-15th century.^[19] The matchlock was the first mechanism invented to facilitate the firing of a hand-held firearm. The classic European matchlock gun held a burning slow match in a clamp at the end of a small curved lever known as the serpentine. Upon the pulling of a lever (or in later models a trigger) protruding from the bottom of the gun and connected to the serpentine, the clamp dropped down, lowering the smoldering match into the flash pan and igniting the priming powder. The flash from the primer traveled through the touch hole igniting the main charge of propellant in the gun barrel.

On the release of the lever or trigger, the spring-loaded serpentine would move in reverse to clear the pan. For obvious safety reasons, the match would be removed before reloading the gun. Both ends of the match were usually kept alight in case one end should be accidentally extinguished.

Wheellocks

The wheellock was the next major development in firearms technology after the matchlock and the first self-igniting firearm. Its name comes from the rotating steel wheel which generates the ignition. Developed in Europe around 1500, it was used alongside the matchlock.

The wheellock works by spinning a spring-loaded steel wheel against a piece of pyrite to generate intense sparks, which ignite gunpowder in a pan, which flashes through a small touchhole to ignite the main charge in the firearm's barrel. The pyrite is clamped in vise jaws on a spring-loaded arm (or "dog"), which rests on the pan cover. When the trigger is pulled, the pan cover is opened, and the wheel is rotated, with the pyrite pressed into contact.

A close modern analogy of the wheellock mechanism is the operation of a cigarette lighter, where a toothed steel wheel is spun in contact with a piece of sparking material to ignite the liquid or gaseous fuel.

A wheellock firearm had the advantage that it could be instantly readied and fired even with one hand, in contrast to the then-common matchlock firearms, which required an operator to prepare a burning cord of slow match and demanded the operator's full attention and two hands to operate. On the other hand, wheellock mechanisms were complex to make, making them relatively expensive.

Flintlocks

A flintlock is a general term for any firearm that uses a flint-striking ignition mechanism. The term may also apply to a particular form of the mechanism itself, which was introduced in the early 17th century, and rapidly replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies.

Flintlock pistols were used as self-defense weapons and as military arm. Their effective range was short, and they were frequently used as an adjunct to a sword or cutlass. These pistols were usually smoothbore although some rifled pistols were produced.

Flintlock pistols came in a variety of sizes and styles which often overlap and are not well defined; many of the names used were applied by collectors and dealers long after the pistols were obsolete. The smallest were less than 15 cm (5.9 inches) long and the largest were over 51 cm (20 inches). From around the beginning of the 1700s the larger pistols got shorter so that by the late 1700s the largest were closer to 41 cm (16 inches) long. The smallest would fit into a typical pocket or a hand-warming muff and could easily be carried.

The largest sizes would be carried in holsters across a horse's back just ahead of the saddle. In-between sizes included the coat pocket pistol, or coat pistol, which would fit into a large pocket, coach pistols, meant to be carried on or under the seat of a coach in a bag or box, and belt pistols, sometimes equipped with a hook designed to slip over a belt or waistband. Larger pistols were called horse pistols.

A notable mechanical development of the flintlock pistol was the English duelling pistol; it was highly reliable, water resistant, and accurate. External decoration was typically minimal but the internal works were often finished to a higher degree of craftsmanship than the exterior. Duelling pistols were the size of the horse pistols of the late 1700s, around 41 cm (16 inches) long and were usually sold in pairs along with accessories in a wooden case with compartments for each piece.

Caplocks

The caplock mechanism or percussion lock was developed in the early 19th century and used a percussion cap struck by the hammer to set off the main charge, rather than using a piece of flint to strike a steel frizzen. They succeeded the flintlock mechanism in firearm technology.

The rudimentary percussion system was developed by Reverend Alexander John Forsyth as a solution to the problem that birds would startle when smoke puffed from the powder pan of his flintlock shotgun, giving them sufficient warning to escape the shot.^[20]

His invention of a fulminate-primed firing mechanism deprived the birds of their early warning system, both by avoiding the initial puff of smoke from the flintlock powder pan, as well as shortening the interval between the trigger pull and the shot leaving the muzzle. Forsyth patented his ignition system in 1807. However, it was not until after Forsyth's patents expired that the conventional percussion cap system was developed.

The caplock offered many improvements over the flintlock. The caplock was easier to load, more resistant to weather, and was much more reliable than the flintlock. Many older flintlock weapons were later converted into caplocks so that they could take advantage of this increased reliability.^[20]

The caplock mechanism consists of a hammer, similar to the hammer used in a flintlock, and a nipple (sometimes referred to as a "cone"), which holds a small percussion cap. The nipple contains a tube that goes into the barrel. The percussion cap contains a chemical compound called mercury fulminate or fulminate of mercury, the chemical formula of which is Hg(ONC)₂.^[20] It is made from mercury, nitric acid, and alcohol. When the trigger releases the hammer, it strikes the cap, causing the mercuric fulminate to explode. The flames from this explosion travel down the tube in the nipple and enter the barrel, where they ignite the main powder charge.^[20]

Revolvers

Percussion era

In 1836,

Colt would go on to make a series of improved revolvers. The

The

The Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 Army is a 6-shot, .32 caliber revolver, intended to combine the small size and convenience of the Smith & Wesson Model 1 .22 rimfire with a larger more effective cartridge. It was manufactured 1861–1874, with a total production of 77,020 units.

The

The

In 1889, Colt introduced the Model 1889, the first truly modern double action revolver, which differed from earlier double action revolvers by having a "swing-out" cylinder, as opposed to a "top-break" or "side-loading" cylinder. Swing out cylinders quickly caught on, because they combined the best features of earlier designs. Top-break actions gave the ability to eject all empty shells simultaneously and exposed all chambers for easy reloading, but having the frame hinged into two halves weakened the gun and negatively affected accuracy due to lack of rigidity. "Side-loaders", like the earlier Colt Model 1871 and 1873 gave a rigid frame, but required the user to eject and load one cylinder at a time, as they rotated the cylinder to line each chamber up with the side-mounted loading gate.^[29]

Smith & Wesson followed 7 years later with the ''Hand Ejector, Model 1896'' in .32 S&W Long caliber, followed by the very similar, yet improved, Model 1899 (later known as the Model 10), which introduced the new .38 Special cartridge. The Model 10 went on to become the best selling handgun of the 20th century, at 6,000,000 units, and the .38 Special is still the most popular chambering for revolvers in the world. These new guns were an improvement over the Colt 1889 design since they incorporated a combined center-pin and ejector rod to lock the cylinder in position. The 1889 did not use a center pin and the cylinder was prone to move out of alignment.^[29]

The Smith & Wesson Model 36 is a 5 shot, revolver chambered for .38 Special. It is one of several models of "J-frame" Smith & Wesson revolvers. It was introduced in 1950, and is still in production. The Model 36 was designed in the era just after World War II, when Smith & Wesson stopped producing war materials and resumed normal production. For the Model 36, they sought to design a revolver that could fire the more powerful .38 Special round in a small, concealable package. Since the older I-frame was not able to handle this load, a new frame was designed, which became the Smith & Wesson J-frame.

Magnum era

The inventions of the metallic cartridge and then smokeless powder had allowed for dramatic improvements in handgun ballistics. Standardization and adherence to cartridge standards originating in the black powder cartridge era resulted in cartridge capacity in excess of peak combustion pressure standards.

The original

The term derringer (

Semi-automatic pistols

Main article: Semi-automatic pistol

In 1896, Paul Mauser introduced the Mauser C96, the first mass-produced and commercially successful semi-automatic pistol, which uses the recoil energy of one shot to reload the next. The distinctive characteristics of the C96 are the integral 10-round, box magazine in front of the trigger, the long barrel, the wooden shoulder stock which gives it the stability of a short-barreled rifle and doubles as a holster or carrying case, and a unique grip shaped like the handle of a broom. The grip earned the gun the nickname "broomhandle" in the English-speaking world, because of its round wooden handle.

The

Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM).^[39] The first production model was known as the Modell 1900 Parabellum.^[39] Later versions included the Pistol Parabellum Model 1908 or P08 which was produced by DWM and other manufacturers.^[40] The first Parabellum pistol was adopted by the Swiss army in May 1900. In German Army service, the Parabellum was later adopted in modified form as the Pistol Model 1908 (P08) in caliber 9×19mm Parabellum.^[39]

The

Bullseye shooting. Compact variants are popular civilian concealed carry weapons in the U.S. because of the design's relatively slim width and stopping power^[42] of the .45 ACP cartridge.^[43]

novels: Ian Fleming's choice of the Walther PPK directly influenced its popularity and its notoriety.^[44][45]

The

double-action trigger mechanism,^[48] a single-stack 8-round magazine (for .32 ACP version), and a fixed barrel that also acts as the guide rod for the recoil spring. The Walther PP and smaller PPK models were both popular with European police and civilians for being reliable and concealable. They would remain the standard issue police pistol for much of Europe well into the 1970s and 80s. During World War II, they were issued to the German military, including the Luftwaffe.^[47]

The

Luger or Colt M1911

. The Browning was one of the first pistols to use high capacity, detachable magazines.

The

select-fire, polymer frame pistol manufactured by German arms firm Heckler & Koch GmbH, introduced in 1970. The VP70 was a revolutionary pistol, introducing the polymer frame, predating the Glock by 12 years. It also uses a spring-loaded striker, instead of a conventional firing pin and has a relatively heavy double-action-only trigger pull. It also uses a high-capacity 18-round magazine, twice as many rounds as the single-column magazine designs of the era, and 5 more rounds than the Browning Hi-Power. In lieu of a blade front sight, the VP70 uses a polished ramp with a central notch in the middle to provide the illusion of a dark front post. Contrary to a common misconception, the VP70 does indeed have a manual safety. It is the circular button located immediately behind the trigger and it is a common crossblock safety. One unique feature of this weapon involved the combination stock/holster for the military version of the VP70. The stock incorporates a selector switch that, when mounted, allows for a three-round-burst mode of fire. Cyclic rate of fire for the burst is 2200 rounds per minute. When not mounted, the stock acts as a holster. VP stands for Volkspistole^[51][52][53]

(literally 'People's Pistol'), and the designation 70 was for the first year of production: 1970.

The

Colt M1911

.

The

slide design, an alloy frame and locking block barrel, originally used on the Walther P38, and previously used on the M1951. The grip angle and the front sight integrated with the slide were also common to earlier Beretta pistols. What may be the Beretta 92's two most important advanced design features had first appeared on its immediate predecessor, the 1974 .380 caliber Model 84

. These improvements both involved the magazine, which featured direct feed; that is,

• There was no feed ramp between the magazine and the chamber (a Beretta innovation in pistols). In addition, to a 15-round "double-stacked" magazine design,
• It was the first Beretta design to use a magazine release located to the rear of the trigger guard, similar to the
  Colt M1911
  .

The

M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol with the Beretta 92FS, designated as the M9

in 1985.

The

open carry.^[59]

The

FN Five-seveN, is a 20+1-round, semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre-Herstal (FN Herstal) in Belgium.^[60] The Five-seveN pistol was introduced in 1998.^[61] It was developed together with the FN P90 personal defense weapon and the FN 5.7×28mm cartridge.^[62]

Developed as a companion pistol to the P90, the Five-seveN shares many of its design features:

• Lightweight polymer-based weapon with a large magazine capacity.
• Ambidextrous controls, low recoil
  .
• Ability to penetrate
  body armor when using certain types of ammunition.^[63]

The Five-seveN is currently in service with military and police forces in over 40 nations.

U.S. Secret Service.^[65][66] In the years since the pistol's introduction to the civilian market in the United States, it has also become increasingly popular with civilian shooters.^[67]

Machine pistols

Main article: Machine pistol

A machine pistol is generally defined as a handgun capable of fully automatic or

Luger P08 "Artillery Pistol" and later models of the Mauser C96. Their light weight, small size, and extremely high rates of fire made machine pistols difficult to control in full-auto. Most machine pistols support a shoulder stock to improve control, like the Heckler & Koch VP70. Others, such as the Beretta 93R

also have a forward hand-grip.

3D printed handguns

Main article: 3D printed firearm

3D printed firearms are firearms that can be produced with a 3D printer. These kind of firearms are generally used for prototyping during the development of conventional firearms.

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Overview of gun laws by nation

Main article: Overview of gun laws by nation

Many handguns are easily concealed – this has led to laws applying specifically to handgun ownership and the legality of carrying or concealing a handgun whilst in a public setting. Gun laws broadly group gun types into handgun, long guns and to what degree they are automatic. A large number of countries require reasonable grounds for gun ownership and operate permit systems for different gun types.

See also

• Action
• Antique firearms
• Gunspinning
• Gun ownership
• Handgun effectiveness
• Handgun hunting
• List of Bianchi Cup champions
• List of countries by firearm-related death rate
• List of pistols
• Machine pistol
• Pistol
• Pistol-whipping
• Pocket pistol
• Small arms
• Target shooting

References

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Works cited

• Chase, Kenneth Warren (2003). Firearms: A Global History to 1700. Cambridge University Press.
  ISBN 978-0-521-82274-9
  .
• Lorge, Peter (2008). The Asian Military Revolution: From Gunpowder to the Bomb. Cambridge University Press.
  ISBN 978-0-521-84682-0
  .
• Needham, Joseph (1987). Science and Civilisation in China: Military Technology: The Gunpowder Epic, Volume 5, Part 7. Cambridge University Press.
  ISBN 978-0-521-30358-3
  .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Handguns.

Look up handgun in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Interactive Illustrated Pistol
• Ballistics By The Inch – Relationship between barrel length and bullet velocity.