A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a

general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns (which are mounted against the shoulder).

Major handgun subtypes are the revolver and pistol; other subtypes include derringers, single-shot pistols, semi-

automatic pistols, pepperboxes, and machine pistols.

The overlapping variations in meaning of the words "pistol" and "handgun" are discussed below.

Although handgun use often includes bracing with a second hand, the essential distinguishing characteristic of a handgun

is its facility for one-handed operation.

Multiple senses of the word "pistol"

The word "pistol" is often synonymous with the word "handgun". Some handgun experts make a technical distinction that

views pistols as a subset of handguns. Sometimes in American usage, the term "pistol" refers to a handgun ">