Modern Firearms Catalog
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Handguns - semi-auto pistols and revolvers
What is the modern handgun? Why is this piece of crafted metal and hard plastics still in great demand in military forces and police departments ALL around the world? The answers are: They are small, lightweight and provide good firepower. They’re suitable, not only for defensive situations, but for offensive ones, and even for medium sized game hunting. Handguns are divided into a few different classes: semi-automatics (or pistols), revolvers, and non-automatic (single or multibarreled, single-shot or magazine fed).
Semi-automatics
Semi-automatics use part of the energy produced by the burning powder to remove the used cartridge from the chamber, cock the hammer (or striker) and load a new cartridge into the chamber, readying the pistol for the next shot. Cartridges are usually fed from a box magazine, located in the pistol’s handle. Box magazines may contain up to 15 cartridges (sometimes more) in single or double-stacked columns, depending on the pistol model, and are easy (and very quick) to reload.
Revolvers
Revolvers take their name from the rotating cylinder, which contains the cartridges. Usually the cylinder holds from 5 to 7 rounds, although some .22 caliber revolvers may contain up to 8 or 10. Cartridges in the cylinder may be reloaded in two ways depending on the revolver design – one by one, for example the Colt PeaceKeeper (and almost all old-timers); or all simultaneously – when the cylinder is switched to the side or when the frame is “broken open.” Both revolvers and semi-autos have two main styles of action operation: Single action and Double action.
Single Action
Single Action means, that the Revolver must be manually cocked by engaging the hammer and, thus, the cylinder is rotated to the next cartridge for each shot. This mode was the only one available in old-time revolvers, as the Peacemaker, and is still available as a built in feature of most double-action revolvers. This mode improves accuracy but slows down the firing rate. For Semi-automatics, Single Action means that the pistol must be manually cocked for the first shot (usually, this is done by pulling the slide – this action cocks the hammer and feeds a cartridge into the chamber). For the second, and all consecutive shots, cocking is automatic, when recoil force from the shot pulls back the slide.
Double Action
Double Action for the Revolver means that the hammer for each shot is cocked by trigger pull, this action also rotates the cylinder to the next position. This mode speeds up the firing rate and simplifies shooting actions, but greatly increases trigger pull from 2.2-4.4 lbs usually found in single-actions, to 8.8-12.2 lbs in double-actions. In the case of the Semi-autos, the hammer is usually cocked by trigger pull for the first shot only; the second and consecutive shots are done in single-action mode. Some of them – compact semi-autos and revolvers employ Double-action-only mode, which cocks the trigger for each shot, thus excluding single-action.