What are the common types of handguns?

What are the common types of handguns?

• A. Single shot
• B. Revolver
• C. Semi-automatics
• D. Bolt-action rifle

Answer: (C)

Handguns are designed to be fired with one hand and come in a few practical mechanical families. The two most common today are those with a revolving cylinder (revolvers) and those that chamber a new round automatically from a magazine after each shot (semi-automatic pistols). Among the options, semi-automatics best reflect what most people mean by common handguns today because they dominate civilian and law enforcement use due to higher ammunition capacity and faster follow-up shots. Revolvers are still widely used and historically important, but the majority of contemporary handguns are semi-automatic. The other two choices don’t fit as typical handguns: a single-shot pistol exists but is uncommon, and a bolt-action rifle is not a handgun at all.

Handguns are designed to be fired with one hand and come in a few practical mechanical families. The two most common today are those with a revolving cylinder (revolvers) and those that chamber a new round automatically from a magazine after each shot (semi-automatic pistols). Among the options, semi-automatics best reflect what most people mean by common handguns today because they dominate civilian and law enforcement use due to higher ammunition capacity and faster follow-up shots. Revolvers are still widely used and historically important, but the majority of contemporary handguns are semi-automatic. The other two choices don’t fit as typical handguns: a single-shot pistol exists but is uncommon, and a bolt-action rifle is not a handgun at all.