Handgun Stuff: Part One

I started shooting shotguns in my early teens but it wasn't until I turned twenty or so and started hanging out with, and reporting on, cops that I got into handguns. I stayed with it through my my cop years, even teaching a bit, but gave it all up (along with a seventy-plus handgun collection) when I moved to the Chicago area because of the rigorous gun laws in Illinois. I've been back banging away for about two years now and enjoy it as much as I did when I was younger. Here are a few of the things I've learned:

If you know nothing about guns, don't buy one and hope you'll learn the right way to shoot it someday. Handling a gun is not like you see on TV or in the movies. They are deadly weapons that are far more likely to kill you, or someone you love, than they are to protect you from a bad guy. LEARN before you acquire one. Part of the value in taking a beginner's gun class is in the safety training you'll receive.

No matter how you feel about the gun laws of your city or state, abide by them. In Illinois, you're required to have a state-issued Firearm Owner Identification (FOID) card to own any type of firearm. You are not allowed to carry a firearm concealed unless you're a law enforcement officer or qualify for very limited exemptions. In some communities, ownership of a handgun is prohibited, again unless you qualify for certain exemptions. Familiarize yourself with the law before you attempt to buy, or even before you accept a weapon as a gift.

Some Very Basic Information About Handguns:

A revolver is a handgun with a rotating cylinder (where bullets are inserted) in the middle of it. Revolvers come in a variety of calibers (expressed as .22; .32; .38; .357 Magnum and so forth)and barrel lengths (commonly from 1 1/2 all the way to 8 inches) and in various colors (blue steel, black, nickle, stainless steel, among others). Revolvers can hold from five to twelve rounds in the cylinder, depending on their caliber. Common police-issue calibers are .38 and .357 Magnum, though most police agencies have transitioned to semi-automatic pistols for heavier firepower.

A semi-automatic handgun is one with a magazine, or clip, in the handle where the bullets are inserted. Semi-automatics (generally referred to as "automatics") are popular with police agencies because of their capacities (usually from 8 to 15 rounds and sometimes more) and stopping power (the ability of the bullet to incapacitate a human target). Automatics come in a variety of shapes, sizes and calibers. The most popular calibers with law enforcement are the 9mm, the .40, the .45 and, in some very unusual circumstances, the .50 caliber.

Handy factoids:
(1) A silencer (more accurately referred to as a "supressor") will not work on a revolver. It will only work on an automatic and then only on an automatic with a barrel threaded to accept it. I have three automatic pistols. I would have to change the barrels on them (easy to do) if I wanted to add a supressor. But, since simple possession of a supressor is a violation of federal and most state laws, I won't be doing so.
(2) Automatics have "safeties" which are engaged to prevent the weapon from being fired.
Revolvers (except in very rare instances on certain limited models) do not have "safeties."
For a writer to say his hero "flipped off the safety on his revolver before he fired" is inaccurate.

Coming up next:
Why not to use a handgun for home self-defense.