About 40% of Americans own at least one firearm for one reason or another. If you’re looking to purchase a gun, it’s important to know specific definitions and what differentiates certain types of firearms from each other.
So what’s the difference between a pistol and a handgun? When it comes to pistol vs handgun, what should you know about each one?
That’s what we’re here to unpack today. Read on to find out more about what the key differences between handguns and pistols are.
What is a Gun?
To really understand the differences between a pistol vs handgun, it’s worth getting the basic definitions out of the way. A gun is a weapon that throws a projectile at a target, plain and simple.
The projectiles are thrown at a target at a high velocity and incorporate combustion to cause a lot of damage. These weapons have been around for thousands of years.
As civilizations have developed, a lot of different types of guns have emerged. These different types of guns have different functions but are generally more accurate and efficient. These include rifles, machine guns, and handguns.
What is a Handgun?
A handgun is a generic term for any firearm that can be held with just one hand or fit comfortably in both hands. This is different from longer rifles that need to be supported by someone’s shoulders or other larger guns.
Most people associate handguns with either the famed revolvers you see in nineteenth-century movies or photos or small firearms carried by police or by civilians. A “handgun” is therefore an all-encompassing term.
Handguns across history have either been muzzle-loaded or breech loaded. The former means you have to load the bullet from the front, while the latter means bullets are loaded from the back.
What is a Pistol?
A pistol is a type of handgun that has a barrel that’s integral to the barrel of the gun. What does that mean exactly?
For example, something like a revolver, a popular handgun, has chambers that aren’t connected to the barrel at all. A pistol has one chamber that’s connected to the overall chamber.
A lot of pistols have safety mechanisms that prevent the user from accidentally discharging the weapon. There are many different types of pistols, such as machine pistols and even single-shot pistols.
Difference Between Pistols and Handguns
The main difference between pistols and handguns that we’ve already mentioned is how it’s chambered. Pistols have chambers that are integrated with the barrel.
Pistols are an evolution of the handgun, making it a handgun by definition. While they’re technically not the same, these two guns are often mentioned interchangeably since they’re quite similar.
If you’re looking to purchase ammunition for your handgun or pistol, visit here to learn a little more.
Pistol vs Handgun: Unpacking the Differences
When looking at a pistol vs handgun, their similarities are probably what you end up noticing first. Before purchasing either one, use this guide to help you understand what the main differences are between these two weapons.
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