Short-barreled firearm designed to be held and used with one hand
This article is about the firearm. For the film, see Handgun (film). For the songs, see Handgun (DaBaby song) and Handgun (YG song).
"Handguns" redirects here. For the band, see Handguns (band).
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Modern handguns (clockwise from top left) Glock 22 * Glock 21 *Kimber Stainless Raptor II* Dan Wesson Commander Classic Bobtail * Smith and Wesson 340PD * Ruger Blackhawk* Ruger SP101* SIG Sauer P220 Combat.
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 mass production, handguns were often considered a badge of office – comparable to a ceremonial sword – as they had limited utility and were more expensive than the long guns of the era. In 1836, Samuel Colt patented the Colt Paterson, the first practical mass-produced revolver, which was capable of firing five shots in rapid succession and quickly became a popular personal weapon, giving rise to the saying, "God created men, but Colt made them equal."[2][3] Today, in most of the world, handguns are primarily used by police and military officers as sidearms. However, in the United States and some other countries that allow gun ownership, handguns are also available to civilians as self-defense weapons.
^"Definition of HANDGUN". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
^Cary, Lucian (1961). The Colt GunBook. Greenwich, Connecticut, US: Fawcett Publications. p. 3.
^Hosley, William (1999). "Guns, Gun Culture, and the Peddling of Dreams". In Robert Merrill Muth; Jan E. Dizard; Stephen P. Andrews (eds.). Guns in America: A Reader. New York: NYU Press. pp. 47. ISBN 0-8147-1879-5.
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Series Handguns". "XD® Series Handguns". "XD® Series Handguns". "XD® Series Handguns". "XD® Series Handguns". "XD® Series Handguns". "XD® Series Handguns"....
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registered handgun (one that appears on the license, indicating the specific make, model, caliber, and serial number of the handgun). The carry of a handgun in...
Prvi Partizan. May be none for obsolete and wildcat cartridges. H/R: Handgun (H) or rifle (R) - dominant usage of the cartridge (although several dual-purpose...
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