Firearms, Part 1

A firearm is an instrument used for the propulsion of a projectile through the expansive force gases coming from burning gunpowder. (FBI Manual of Firearms Identification)

Legally speaking, firearms or arms include "rifles, muskets, carbines, shotgun, pistol, revolvers, and all other deadly weapons, from which a bullet, ball, shot, shell, or other missiles may be discharged by means of gun powder or other explosives. This term also includes air rifles, except such of being of small caliber and limited range used as toys. The barrel of any firearm shall be considered a complete firearm." (Sec 877 Revised Administrative Code/ Sec. 290 national Internal Revenue Code)

Classifications of Firearms

General Classifications of Firearms (or Classifications of Firearms According to Interior Barrel Construction)

Main Types of Firearms (or Classifications of Firearms According to the Caliber of the Projectile Propelled)

Types of Small Arms

1. A machine gun is a type of firearm that is primarily designed for military use. It can be grouped into three general types:

   • recoil-operated

   • gas-operated

   • combine recoil and gas-operated

Submachine guns are light, portable machine guns. They utilize pistol-sized ammunition, having a shoulder stock that may be folded, and designed to be fired with both hands.

2. Shoulder arms are those that were normally fired from the shoulder.

   • Rifles are shoulder weapons designed to fire a projectile with more accuracy through a long rifled bore barrel, usually more than 22 inches.

   • Carbines are short barrel rifles, with their barrels measuring not longer than 22 inches. It fires a single projectile through a rifle-bore either semi-automatic or fully automatic, for every press of the trigger.

   • Muskets are ancient smoothbore and muzzle-loading military shoulder arms designed to fire shots or single round lead balls.

   • Shotguns are smooth-bore and breech-loading shoulder arms designed to fire several lead pellets or a few shots in one charge. Shotguns can also have different types of bore construction:

     1. cylinder bore - the bore size is the same throughout the barrel

     2. Choke bore shotguns are designed with a decreasing bore diameter towards the muzzle. This allows shots to travel longer before it spreads.

     3. "Paradox guns" are a rare type of shotgun that has rifling only a few inches from its muzzle point.

3. Handguns are those firearms designed or intended to be fired using one hand.

   • Pistols In early firearm history, all handguns were generally called pistols. There were three classes of pistols in the period: single-shot pistol, semi-automatic pistols, and revolving pistols now known as the revolver.

   • Revolver This type of firearm is designed to position cartridges for firing with the aid of a rotating cylinder serving as its chamber. There are two types of revolvers according to their mechanical firing action.

     1. single action - a type of revolver that needs a manual cocking of the hammer before squeezing the trigger and the other is

     2. double action - type of revolver that does not need manual cocking. Just press the trigger and it both cocked and released the hammer resulting in a much faster firing.

Types of Firearms (or Classifications of Firearms According to Mechanical Construction)

1. Single-shot firearms - designed to fire only one shot every loading.

2. Repeating Arms - designed to fire several loads (shot) in one loading

3. Automatic Loading Type - constitutes a continuous firing in a single press of the trigger and while the trigger is pressed

4. Slide Action type - firearms in which loading takes place by back and forth manipulation of the under/over forearms of the gun

5. Bolt Action Type - reloading is done by manipulation of the bolt.

6. Lever Type (Break Type) - loading takes place by lever action on the firearms

Miscellaneous Types of Firearms

1. Cane gun, knife pistols, cellphone gun, etc. - devices principally designed for other purposes to which a gun mechanism is incorporated

   • flare gun - designed for tracing or sending signals or locating enemy troops.

   • freakish gun - a tool in which a firearm mechanism is attached to prevent easy identification.

2. Gas gun - generally referring to all guns designed for firing tear gas

3. Harpoon guns - a barbed spear used in hunting large fish

4. Liberator - the U.S. government made this smooth-bore gun used in Europe during World War II designed to fire an automatic Colt pistol cartridge caliber .45

5. Multi-Barreled gun - refers to all types of gun containing a number of barrels

6. Tools - devices that resemble a gun, but are generally used in the construction of furniture

7. Traps - guns used for trapping animals

8. Zip Gun - refers to all types of homemade guns