These Are the Different Types of Guns

posted by Chris Valentine

Did you know that three out of every ten American adults own a gun? Further, four-in-ten American adults live in a gun-owning household.

Whether it’s for self-defense, hunting, or other recreational activities, guns are an integral part of American society. Despite this ingraining of guns as part of the American culture, very few Americans understand the different types of guns.

What caliber of a gun are you looking to buy?

Before heading to a licensed gun dealer, it would help to understand the different types of guns. Such information is crucial in guiding your ultimate choice. For most gun enthusiasts, having the right weapon for every activity is ego-boosting.

We have penned-down the major types of guns every gun fanatic should consider. Read on to learn more.

1. Rifles

A rifle is any long-barreled weapon that comprises of rifling and thick walls. These features are integral in ensuring that rifles withstand high pressure when firing. Most times, gun holders prefer using rifles to shoot at stationary targets.

The bore in most rifles can only use one specific caliber of ammunition. As such, operating a rifle requires accuracy and skill. You need to use both hands to operate the gun, with one shoulder in place to enhance precision.

Rifles have often been useful in warfare and in the course of law enforcement. However, domestic gun-holders use rifles for hunting or in shooting sports. If you’re looking for the perfect weapon for range shooting, then rifles are the answer.

Rifles fall into two main categories.

Bolt-Action Rifles

The bolt- action rifles require manual loading. Handling this gun requires the use of a cocking handle attached to a bolt.

Two things happen each time you pull the guns handle. First, the bolt-action rifle ejects the used cartridge from the firing chamber. Second, the bolt-action as rifle activates the sear.

You need to use the bolt or handle to load a new cartridge into the chamber each time you want to fire. Most hunters and lovers of range shooting consider bolt-action riffles as the perfect choice. The preference is because these rifles are reliable, lightweight, and accurate.

A typical bolt-action gun carries at least two to ten bullet rounds. The gun’s magazine may either be detachable or internal. The Winchester Model 70 and the Remington 700 are the most common bolt-action rifles.

Semi-Automatic Riffles

The contrast between bolt-action rifles and semiautomatic ones is in the ability to auto-reload. Semiautomatic rifles can complete the cartridge cycle, which involves automatic ejecting and reloading of the cartridges.

Your semiautomatic rifle either uses gas, blowback, or recoil reloading mechanism to eject used cartridges. The rifle is, therefore, automatic when it comes to loading but not firing. However, the mechanism behind semiautomatic rifles allows for minimal manual input.

There have been advancements in the design of semiautomatic firearms over the years. Today, most modern semiautomatic firearms have advanced selective fire capability. These features allow you to choose between varying firing modes.

2. Pistols

In 2018 alone, there were at least 393 million civilian-owned firearms in the United States. Out of these different types of guns owned by Americans, pistols rank among some of the most common guns. Pistols have evolved full-cycle since the days of flintlock styles single-shot guns to the modern semiautomatic ones.

Most people don’t understand the difference between a pistol and a handgun. In the most basic terms, a pistol is a handgun that does not feature revolving cylinders. Pistols have one chamber fixed to the gun’s barrel instead of the revolving chambers.

The mechanism feeds the bullets into the magazine inside the pistol’s grip to complete the gun’s operation. The semiautomatic feature allows the pistol to recoil then reload new rounds after each trigger pull. Such semiautomatic mechanisms allow the pistols to achieve the blowback and the redeployment triggers.

A typical pistol issue magazine carries between 15-17 rounds of ammunition. The most common examples of standard pistol include the Glock 17 and the Sig P320. Pistols like rifles, are semiautomatic or fully-automatic, depending on the model.

Pistols are capable of firing more than five shots in quick succession. The vast majority of gun holders prefer pistols as a defensive weapon. You can check out our wide range of handgun and other gun barrels and accessories on Faxon Barrels.

3. Shot Guns

The shotgun holders operate the weapon from the shoulder for maximum accuracy. Shotguns utilize energy in a fixed shell to fire several small spherical pellets. These pellets refer to shots, which often operate as solid projectiles.

Shotguns operate through smoothbore or a single projectile with every single pull of the trigger. Shotguns are long guns with larger barrels.

If you own a shotgun, it could either be a single projectile or a single-shot weapon. The difference depends on the number of shot’s size, which could also be buckshot of birdshot.

Most shotguns have a 5mm diameter range on the minimum, with some being larger than 5mm and over. Most modern shotguns fall within five unique categories. The breech-loading, pump-action, lever-action, and the semiautomatic action are the most common.

Are you considering the different types of guns for hunting and sporting events? Shotguns are a perfect option. These types of guns can also be useful when it comes to self- defense.

The best thing about shotguns is that they can fire multiple projectiles each time you pull a trigger. A shotgun can also be a point shot, which means you can shoot without using sights. These are important aspects to consider when selecting a shotgun as your preferred option.

The other unique aspect of shotguns is that anyone can learn how to use this type of gun. Shotguns also don’t need as much attention to maintenance, which makes them rather economical. When considering shotguns, the aspect of easy penetration should also count as an important plus.

4. Revolvers

In June this year, the number of background checks for firearms rose by 136% compared to previous years. Revolvers are the other common types of guns that are a favorite among Americans. When assessing the different types of guns, the operating mechanism often counts as an important determinant.

Revolvers fall within the family of shotguns. These guns can hold rounds in multiple chambers inside the compartments in the cylindrical model without manual reloading. The aspect of ease when reloading allows users to fire multiple shots in continuous motion.

Are you a gun enthusiast with a keen focus on handguns? It should interest you that revolvers were the only multi-shot handguns ever to exist. The revolver utilizes a simple mechanism, where once the revolver cocks a mechanical process aligns the next chamber with a barrel.

If you want to distinguish between the different kinds of revolvers, the best technique would be to consider their loading and unloading functionalities. The double-action revolvers are the most common today. Each time you pull a trigger in a double-action revolver, the mechanism completes the entire sequence.

Other types of revolvers are distinguishable depending on the underlying sequence. Some revolvers can cause a trigger, revolve the cylinder and then trip the hammer. However, other revolvers are only able to complete the sequence of triggering and revolving.

5. Fully-Automatic Guns

Technology has changed how guns function. The fully-automatic guns are a better version of the semiautomatic firearms. These guns can keep firing in a continuous sequence until you release the trigger or the magazine runs out of ammunition.

The difference between semi and fully-automatic firearms is in the ability to run a sequence of fires when triggered. Such fully-automatic guns can suppress fire roles while sustaining the rate of fire.

The machine guns are a perfect example of how automatic guns function. The machine guns are heavy but portable enough to fire rounds in quick succession. These guns have a bipod or tripod feature, which allows for continuous feeding of ammunition through the cartridge belts.

Most first-time buyers are confused with what should be the distinguishing factor between semiautomatics and automatic guns. The distinction is in the number of shots fired for every trigger pulled. Most bump stock-equipped guns lack the fully- automatic aspect.