Arming Yourself, Part 2 (graphic heavy) [View All]

[solinvictus]

Part 2 Pistols
A pistol is, simply put, a handgun that may be either semi-automatic or a revolver. (These are not the only options, but the most common) A revolver has a slower rate of fire and is, without practice, more difficult to reload in a crisis situation. An automatic uses expended gasses to cycle the action of the weapon.


The above is a Glock semi-automatic pistol which is commonly used by law enforcement and many gun enthusiasts. It is composed of a mixture of metal and polymer parts and has a simplified design which allows it to endure a variety of working conditions. The Glock is only one of many common automatic designs. Prior to the Glock, the most common pistol design was the John Browning patented Colt 1911;


The Colt 1911 was used by US forces for over seventy years. It is among the most common pistol designs in the world.

A revolver is a pistol with cartridges contained in a cylinder. This cylinder cycles once with each trigger pull. The revolver is the oldest design still in use and was among the first firearms to use cartridges rather than black powder.


The above is a Smith and Wesson Model 10, which was a police and military standard for about fifty years.

If anyone has anything to add, any technical details missed, please feel free to do so. I want this to be informative and we have the collective knowledge here to assist our fellows who may want information of firearms.