Different guns and revolvers on shelves store weapons on shop center.
Are you thinking about buying a gun? Recent studies show that 3 in 10 Americans already own a firearm. For those that do own guns, building custom firearms by purchasing 80% Lowers online becomes something that’s appealing to them.
As a US citizen, you have the constitutionally protected right to safely own and operate a firearm for sport, hunting, or personal protection.
But with so many kinds of guns available, the uninitiated don’t always know where to start. Firearm literacy is a crucial part of gun ownership, so we’ve put together this rundown to help you learn about firearms.
Read on for our full breakdown of the types of guns available today.
Handguns
Handguns are compact, reliable, and easy to use. They are the most popular guns for personal and home defense.
As the name suggests, handguns are designed to be fired using one hand. This makes them ideal for concealed carry applications. Handguns fall into 2 main categories:
Revolvers
Revolvers are the original multi-shot pistols.
Pulling a contemporary revolver’s trigger rotates the cylinder to align with the next cartridge, draws back the hammer, and then releases the firing pin to strike the primer, discharging the projectile.
Semi-Automatic Pistols
Semi-automatic pistols are the most popular self-defense weapons in the USA.
With each trigger pull, semi-automatic pistols fire the chambered round, eject the empty shell by utilizing recoil, and feed a new round into the chamber. The process repeats until the magazine is empty.
Training and practice are integral aspects of gun ownership. Check out this NRA shooting course for more tips on gun safety and pistol technique.
Bolt-Action Rifles
Widely used for hunting, bolt action rifles are rugged and reliable. Rounds are chambered and ejected through the use of a manual bolt.
Often combined with a rifle scope, bolt-action rifles are very accurate. However, due to their manual nature, they have a low rate of fire. Bolt-action rifles hold between 4 and 10 rounds in an integrated or detachable magazine.
Semi-Automatic Rifles
These weapons are available in various designs, but all have one common feature: a single shot is discharged when you pull the trigger, and a new round is automatically chambered.
The automated loading mechanism often utilizes gas pressure or recoil momentum to eject spent shells and chamber fresh ones.
Shotguns
Shotguns are long barrel weapons that shoot multiple pellets of shot with each trigger pull.
Upon discharge, the shot blasts from the muzzle in a conical pattern. This dispersion increases the kill zone when hunting birds and other small game.
Smaller grain birdshot is unlikely to kill attackers. Buckshot is preferable for home defense.
Types of Guns Explained
Owning a gun is your national right. Whether you need a firearm for hunting, sport, or home defense, gun literacy can help you understand which types of guns best suit your purposes.
We hope this guide has provided some clarity on the weapons available to you.
Did you find this article informative? If so, be sure to check out the rest of our blog for everything you need to know about guns, hunting, lifestyle, and more.