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{{short description|Gun for an individual}}
{{About|the projectile weapon|other uses}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2022}}
[[File:M16_and_AK-47_comparison.png|thumb|upright=1.35|The [[M16 rifle]] and the [[AK-47]], two common firearms with significant influences on firearm design]]
A '''firearm''' is any type of [[gun]] that [[shooting|shoot]]s [[projectile]]s using high [[explosion|explosive]] pressure generated from [[combustion]] ([[deflagration]]) of chemical [[propellant]], most often [[black powder]] in [[antique firearms]] and [[smokeless powder]] in modern firearms. '''Small arms''' is a [[subset]] of light firearms that is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual.<ref name="Cole">{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0188S1QXU/|title=Association of Firearm Instructors – Glossary of Firearm Terms|last=Cole|first=Suzanne N.|date=November 19, 2016|publisher=Association of Firearm Instructors|access-date=April 29, 2017|archive-date=June 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613123506/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0188S1QXU/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Merriam-webster.com">{{cite web |url= http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firearm |title= Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "Firearm" |publisher= Merriam-webster.com |date= 2012-08-31 |access-date= 2014-04-19 |archive-date= 2017-06-02 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170602151334/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firearm |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name="Firearm">{{cite encyclopedia|title= Firearm|dictionary= American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language|edition= 4|year= 2000|publisher= Houghton Mifflin Company}}{{cite encyclopedia|article= Firearm|dictionary= Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged|publisher= HarperCollins Publishers|year= 2003}}</ref> The term "firearm" is however variably defined in both technically and legally in different countries (see [[#Legal_definitions|legal definitions]]), and can be used colloquially (sometimes incorrectly) to refer to any type of guns.

The first firearms originated in 10th-century [[Song dynasty]] [[Medieval China|China]] (see [[gunpowder weapons in the Song dynasty]]), when [[bamboo]] tubes containing [[gunpowder]] and [[shot (pellet)|pellet]] projectiles were mounted on [[spear]]s to make the portable [[fire lance]],<ref name=Helaine>{{cite book|author= Helaine Selin|title= Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC&pg=PA389|access-date= 30 July 2013|year= 1997|publisher= Springer|isbn= 978-0-7923-4066-9|page= 389|archive-date= 9 October 2013|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131009040612/http://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC&pg=PA389|url-status= live}}</ref> which was operable by a single person and was later used effectively as a shock weapon in the [[siege of De'an]] in 1132. In the 13th century, fire lance barrels were replaced with metal tubes and transformed into the metal-barreled [[hand cannon]],{{sfn|Andrade|2016|p=52}} and the technology gradually spread throughout [[Eurasia]] during the 14th century. Older firearms typically used black powder as a [[propellant]], but modern firearms use [[smokeless powder]] or other explosive propellants. Most modern firearms (with the notable exception of [[smoothbore]] [[shotgun]]s) have [[rifling|rifled]] [[gun barrel|barrel]]s to impart a stabilizing spin to the [[bullet]] for improved [[external ballistics]].

Modern firearms can be described by their [[caliber]] (i.e. [[gun barrel#Bore|bore]] [[diameter]]). For [[handgun]]s and [[rifle]]s this is given in millimeters or inches (e.g. 7.62mm or .308 in.); in the case of [[shotgun]]s, [[gauge (firearms)|gauge or bore]] (e.g. 12 ga. or .410 bore.). They are also described by the type of [[action (firearms)|action]] employed ([[single-shot]] vs. [[repeating firearm|repeating]], e.g. [[muzzleloader]], [[breechloader]], [[lever action|lever]], [[bolt action|bolt]], [[pump action|pump]], [[revolver]], [[semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic]], [[automatic firearm|fully automatic]], etc.), together with the usual means of deportment (i.e. handheld or [[weapon mount|mount]]ed). Further classification may make reference to the type of barrel bore used (i.e. rifled vs smoothbore) and to the barrel length (e.g. 24 inches), to the firing mechanism (e.g. [[matchlock]], [[flintlock]], [[wheellock]], [[caplock]] or [[primer (firearms)|primer]]-ignited such as [[needle gun|needlefire]], [[pinfire]], [[teat-fire]], [[Rimfire ammunition|rimfire]] and [[centerfire]], as well as the atypical [[electronic firing]]), to the design's primary intended use (e.g. [[hunting]] rifle,
[[service rifle]]), or to the commonly accepted name for a particular variation (e.g. [[Gatling gun]]).

Shooters aim firearms at their targets with [[hand-eye coordination]], using either [[iron sights]] or [[optical sight]]s such as [[telescopic sight|scope]], [[red dot sight|red dot]] or [[holographic sight]]s. The [[effective range]] of handguns and shotguns generally does not exceed {{convert|100|m|yd ft}}, while most [[rifle]]s are accurate to {{convert|500|m|yd ft}} using iron sights, or to longer ranges whilst using optical sights. Purpose-built [[sniper rifle]]s and [[anti-materiel rifle]]s are accurate to ranges of more than {{convert|2000|m|yd}}. (Firearm rounds may be dangerous or lethal well beyond their accurate range; the minimum distance for safety is much greater than the specified range for accuracy.)

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== Types ==
{{for|a more detailed list of common firearms|List of firearms|List of most-produced firearms|Small arms and light weapons}}
A firearm is a [[Gun barrel|barreled]] weapon that inflicts damage on targets by launching one or more [[projectile]]s driven by rapidly expanding high-pressure gas produced by [[Exothermic reaction|exothermic]] combustion ([[deflagration]]) of a chemical [[propellant]], historically [[black powder]], now [[smokeless powder]].<ref name="Cole"/><ref name="Merriam-webster.com"/><ref name="Firearm"/>

In the military, firearms are categorized into ''heavy'' and ''light'' weapons by their portability.  Light firearms are those that can be readily carried by individual [[foot soldier]], though they might require more than one individual (i.e. [[crew-served weapon|crew-served]]) to achieve optimal operational capacity.  Heavy firearms are those that are too large and heavy to be transported on foot, or too unstable against [[recoil]], and thus require the support of a [[weapons platform]] (e.g. a [[Weapon mount#Static mount|fixed mount]], [[Gun carriage|wheeled carriage]], [[vehicle]], [[aircraft]] or [[water vessel]]) to be tactically [[Mobility (military)|mobile]] or useful.

The [[subset]] of light firearms that only use [[projectile#Kinetic projectiles|kinetic projectile]]s and are compact enough to be operated to full capacity by a single infantryman (individual-served) are also referred to as '''small arms'''. Such firearms include [[handgun]]s such as [[pistol]]s, [[revolver]]s, and [[derringer]]s; and [[long gun]]s such as [[rifle]]s (and their subtypes), [[shotgun]]s, [[submachine gun]]s, and [[light machine gun]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.britannica.com/technology/small-arm/|title= Small arm|last1= Weller|first1= Jac|last2= Guilmartin|first2= John|date= November 7, 2017|website= Britannica|publisher= Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.|access-date= February 23, 2019|last3= Ezell|first3= Edward|archive-date= May 12, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210512222707/https://www.britannica.com/technology/small-arm|url-status= live}}</ref>

Among the world's [[List of modern armament manufacturers|arms manufacturer]]s, the top firearms manufacturers are [[Browning Arms|Browning]], [[Remington Arms|Remington]], [[Colt Defense|Colt]], [[Sturm, Ruger & Co.|Ruger]], [[Smith & Wesson]], [[Savage Arms|Savage]], [[O.F. Mossberg & Sons|Mossberg]] (United States), [[Heckler & Koch]], [[SIG Sauer]], [[Carl Walther GmbH|Walther]] (Germany), [[Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod|ČZUB]] (Czech Republic), [[Glock Ges.m.b.H.|Glock]], [[Steyr Arms]] (Austria), [[FN Herstal]] (Belgium), [[Beretta]] (Italy), [[Norinco]] (China), [[Rostec]], and [[Kalashnikov Concern|Kalashnikov]] (Russia). Former top producers included the [[Springfield Armory]] (United States), the [[Royal Small Arms Factory]] (United Kingdom), [[Mauser]] (Germany), [[Steyr-Daimler-Puch]] (Austria), and Rock Island Armory under [[Armscor (Philippines)|Armscor]] (Philippines).{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

{{As of|2018}} the [[Small Arms Survey]] reported that there were over one billion firearms distributed globally, of which 857&nbsp;million (about 85 percent) were in [[civilian]] hands.<ref name="smallarmssurvey.org">{{cite web |title= Small Arms Survey reveals: More than one billion firearms in the world |url= http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/de/about-us/highlights/2018/highlight-bp-firearms-holdings.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180619120414/http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/de/about-us/highlights/2018/highlight-bp-firearms-holdings.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= June 19, 2018 |website= Small Arms Survey |access-date= 15 January 2019 |date= 2018}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite report |author= Aaron Karp| date= June 2018 |title= Estimating Global Civilian-Held Firearms Numbers |url= http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/T-Briefing-Papers/SAS-BP-Civilian-Firearms-Numbers.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180620231909/http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/T-Briefing-Papers/SAS-BP-Civilian-Firearms-Numbers.pdf |url-status= dead |archive-date= June 20, 2018 |publisher= Small Arms Survey}}</ref> U.S. civilians alone account for 393&nbsp;million (about 46 percent) of the worldwide total of civilian-held firearms.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> This amounts to "120.5 firearms for every 100 residents".<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The world's [[armed forces]] control about 133&nbsp;million (about 13 percent) of the global total of small arms, of which over 43 percent belong to two countries: the [[Russian Federation]] (30.3&nbsp;million) and [[China]] (27.5&nbsp;million).<ref name="smallarmssurvey.org"/> [[Law enforcement agency|Law enforcement agencies]] control about 23&nbsp;million (about 2 percent) of the global total of small arms.<ref name="smallarmssurvey.org"/>

=== Handguns ===
{{main|Handgun}}
[[Image:Colt Autentica.jpg|thumb|The [[Colt Single Action Army]], a revolver chambered in [[.45 Colt]]]]
[[File:Glock 19 Gen 4 pistol.JPG|thumb|The [[Glock 19]], a pistol chambered in [[9×19mm Parabellum]]]]

A handgun is, as defined generally and in many [[gun laws]], a firearm that can be used with a single hand.<ref name="act60of2000" /><ref name="www5.austlii.edu.au">{{cite web |title=Firearms Act 1996 - Sect 3 Definitions |url=http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/fa1996102/s3.html |website=AustLII |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612093619/http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/fa1996102/s3.html |archive-date=2020-06-12 |access-date=2020-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S.C. Title 18 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure {{!}} Part I - Crimes {{!}} Chapter 44 - Firearms {{!}} Sec. 921 - Definitions |website=GovInfo |url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2018-title18/html/USCODE-2018-title18-partI-chap44-sec921.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024224614/https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2018-title18/html/USCODE-2018-title18-partI-chap44-sec921.htm |archive-date=2020-10-24 |access-date=2020-09-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Firearms - Guides - Importation & Verification of Firearms - Gun Control Act Definition - Pistol |website=Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives |url=https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-verification-firearms-gun-control-act-definition-pistol |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920014146/https://www.atf.gov/firearms/firearms-guides-importation-verification-firearms-gun-control-act-definition-pistol |archive-date=2020-09-20 |access-date=2020-09-24}}</ref> They are the smallest of all firearms, and are common as [[Sidearm (weapon)|sidearm]]s, [[concealed carry]] weapons, or as backup weapons for [[self-defense]].

Handguns can be categorized into two broad types: [[pistol]]s, which have a single fixed firing chamber machined into the rear of the barrel, and are often loaded using magazines of varying capacities; [[revolver]]s, which have a number of firing chambers or "charge holes" in a [[Cylinder (firearms)|revolving cylinder]], each one loaded with a single [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] or charge; and [[derringer]]s, broadly defined as any handgun that is not a traditional pistol nor a revolver.

There are various types of the aforementioned handguns designed for different mechanisms or purposes, such as [[single-shot]], [[Lever action|manual repeating]], [[Semi-automatic pistol|semi-automatic]], or [[Machine pistol|automatic]] pistols; [[single-action]], [[Trigger (firearms)#Double-action only|double-action]], or [[Trigger (firearms)#Double-action/single-action|double-action/single-action]] revolvers; and small, compact handguns for concealed carry such as [[pocket pistol]]s and "[[Saturday night special]]s".

Examples of pistols include [[Glock]]s, [[Browning Hi-Power]], [[M1911 pistol]], [[Makarov pistol]], [[Walther PP]], [[Luger pistol]], [[Mauser C96]], and [[Beretta 92]]. Examples of revolvers include the [[Colt Single Action Army]], [[Smith & Wesson Model 10]], [[Colt Official Police]], [[Colt Python]], [[New Nambu M60]], and [[Mateba Autorevolver]]. Examples of derringers include the [[Remington Model 95]], [[FP-45 Liberator]], and [[COP .357 Derringer]].

=== Long guns ===
{{main|Long gun}}
[[File:Capture of English long-barreled guns in the breakthrough battle at Bapaume, March 1918.png|thumb|Capture of English long-barreled guns in the breakthrough battle at Bapaume, March 1918]]
A long gun is any firearm with a notably long barrel, typically a length of {{convert|10|to|30|in|mm}} (there are restrictions on minimum barrel length in many jurisdictions; maximum barrel length is usually a matter of practicality). Unlike a handgun, long guns are designed to be held and fired with both hands, while braced against either the hip or the shoulder for better stability. The receiver and trigger group is mounted into a stock made of wood, plastic, metal, or composite material, which has sections that form a foregrip, rear grip, and optionally (but typically) a shoulder mount called the ''butt''. Early long arms, from the [[Renaissance]] up to the mid-19th century, were generally smoothbore firearms that fired one or more ball shot, called [[musket]]s or [[arquebus]]es depending on caliber and firing mechanism. Since the 19th and 20th centuries, various types of long guns have been created for different purposes.

==== Rifles ====
{{main|Rifle}}
[[File:Bastogne War Museum Mosin-Nagant Model 1944 27-02-2021 11-13-43.jpg|thumb|The [[Mosin–Nagant]], a rifle chambered in [[7.62×54mmR]]]]

A rifle is a long gun that has [[rifling]]s (spiral grooves) machined into the [[gauge (firearms)|bore]] (inner) surface of its barrel, imparting a gyroscopically stabilizing spin to the [[bullet]]s that it fires. A descendant of the musket, rifles produce a single point of impact with each firing with a long range and high accuracy. For this reason, as well as for their ubiquity, rifles are very popular among militaries as [[service rifle]]s, police as accurate long-range alternatives to their traditional [[shotgun]] long guns, and civilians for [[hunting]], [[shooting sports]], and [[self-defense]].

Many types of rifles exist owing to their wide adoption and versatility, ranging from mere barrel length differences as in [[short-barreled rifle]]s and [[carbine]]s, to classifications per the rifle's function and purpose as in [[semi-automatic rifle]]s, [[automatic rifle]]s and [[sniper rifle]]s, to differences in the rifle's action as in [[single-shot]], [[break-action]], [[bolt-action]], and [[lever-action]] rifles.

Examples of rifles of various types include the [[Henry rifle]], [[Winchester rifle]], [[Lee–Enfield]], [[Gewehr 98]], [[M1 Garand]], [[MAS-36 rifle]], [[AKM]], [[Ruger 10/22]], [[Heckler & Koch G3]], [[Remington Model 700]], and [[Heckler & Koch HK417]].

==== Shotguns ====
{{main|Shotgun}}
[[File:Mossberg 500a 1.jpg|thumb|The [[Mossberg 500]], a shotgun chambered in [[12-gauge]]]]

A shotgun is a long gun that has a predominantly [[smoothbore]] barrel—meaning it lacks rifling—designed to fire a number of [[Shot (pellet)|shot pellets]] in each discharge. These shot pellet sizes commonly range between 2&nbsp;mm #9 birdshot and 8.4&nbsp;mm #00 (double-aught) buckshot, and produce a cluster of impact points with considerably less range and accuracy, since [[Shotgun shell#Spread|shot spreads]] during flight. Shotguns are also capable of firing single solid projectiles called [[Shotgun slug|slugs]], or specialty (often "[[Non-lethal weapon|less lethal]]") munitions such as [[Bean bag round|bean bags]] or [[tear gas]] to function as a [[riot gun]] or [[breaching round]]s to function as a [[door breaching]] shotgun. Shotgun munitions, regardless of type, are packed into [[shotgun shell]]s (cartridges designed specifically for shotguns) that are loaded into the shotgun for use; these shells are commonly loose and manually loaded one-by-one, though some shotguns accept magazines.

Shotguns share many qualities with rifles, such as both being descendants of early long guns such as the musket; both having [[single-shot]], [[break-action]], [[bolt-action]], [[lever-action]], [[pump-action]], [[semi-automatic shotgun|semi-automatic]], and [[automatic shotgun|automatic]] variants; and both being popular with militaries, police, and civilians for largely the same reasons. However, unlike rifles, shotguns are less favored in combat roles due to their low accuracy and limited effectiveness in [[modern warfare]], with [[combat shotgun]]s often only used for breaching or [[close-quarters combat]] and sometimes limited to underbarrel attachments such as the [[M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System]]. Shotguns are still popular with civilians for the suitability of their shot spread in hunting, [[clay pigeon shooting]], and home defense.

[[Double-barreled shotgun]]s are break-action shotguns with two parallel barrels (horizontal side-by-side or vertical over-and-under), allowing two single shots that can be loaded and fired in quick succession.

Examples of shotguns include the [[Winchester Model 1897]], [[Browning Auto-5]], [[Ithaca 37]], [[Remington Model 870]], [[Mossberg 500]], [[Benelli M4]], [[Franchi SPAS-12]], [[Atchisson AA-12]], and [[Knight's Armament Company Masterkey]].

==== Carbines ====
{{main|Carbine}}
[[File:M1 Carbine Mk I - USA - Armémuseum noBG croped.jpg|thumb|The [[M1 carbine]], a uniquely-designed carbine, chambered in [[.30 carbine]]]]
[[File:Coltm4a1.jpeg|thumb|The [[M4 carbine]], a carbine derivative of the [[M16 rifle]], chambered in [[5.56×45mm NATO]]]]

A carbine is a long gun, usually a rifle, that has had its barrel shortened from its original length or is of a certain size smaller than standard rifles, but is still large enough to be considered a long gun. How considerable the difference is between a rifle and a carbine varies; for example, the standard [[Heckler & Koch G36]]'s barrel has a length of 480&nbsp;mm (18.9&nbsp;in), the G36K carbine variant's barrel is 318&nbsp;mm (12.5&nbsp;in), and the G36C compact variant's barrel is 228&nbsp;mm (9.0&nbsp;in). Some carbines are also redesigned compared to their rifle counterparts, such as the aforementioned G36/G36K and G36C, or the [[AK-74]] and [[AKS-74U]]. However, some carbines, such as the [[M1 carbine]], are not a variant of any existing design and are their own firearm model. Carbines are regardless very similar to rifles and often have the same actions (single-shot, lever-action, bolt-action, semi-automatic, automatic, etc.). This similarity has given carbines the alternate name of ''short barreled rifle'' (SBR), though this more accurately describes a full-size rifle with a shortened carbine-style barrel for close-quarters use.

The small size of a carbine provides lighter weight and better maneuverability, making them ideal for [[close-quarters combat]] and storage in compact areas. This makes them popular firearms among [[special forces]] and [[police tactical unit]]s alongside [[submachine gun]]s, considerably so since the late 1990s due to the familiarity and better [[stopping power]] of carbines compared to submachine guns. They are also popular with (and were originally mostly intended for) military personnel in roles that are expected to engage in combat, but where a full-size rifle would be an impediment to the primary duties of that soldier ([[Military logistics|logistical]] personnel, [[airborne forces]], [[military engineers]], [[Officer (armed forces)|officers]], etc.), though since the turn of the millennium these have been superseded to a degree in some roles by [[personal defense weapon]]s. Carbines are also common among civilian firearm owners who have size, space, and power concerns similar to military and police users.

Examples of carbines include the [[Winchester Model 1892]], [[Rifle No. 5 Mk I]], [[SKS]], [[M1 carbine]], [[Ruger Mini-14]], [[M4 carbine]], and [[Kel-Tec SUB-2000]].

==== Assault rifles ====
{{main|Assault rifle}}
[[File:Kalaschnikow AK 107 noBG.png|thumb|The [[AK-107]], an assault rifle chambered in [[5.45×39mm]]]]

An assault rifle is commonly defined as a [[selective fire|selective-fire]] rifle chambered in an [[intermediate cartridge]] (such as [[5.56×45mm NATO]], [[7.62×39mm]], [[5.45×39mm]], and [[.300 AAC Blackout]]) and fed with a detachable [[Magazine (firearms)|magazine]].<ref name="BritanicaDef">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Assault rifle |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/39165/assault-rifle |access-date=2023-06-20 |date=3 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124070604/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/39165/assault-rifle |archive-date=24 November 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">C. Taylor, ''The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat'', {{ISBN|0-87947-308-8}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated2">F.A. Moyer ''Special Forces Foreign Weapons Handbook'', {{ISBN|0-87364-009-8}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated4">R.J. Scroggie, F.A. Moyer ''Special Forces Combat Firing Techniques'', {{ISBN|0-87364-010-1}}</ref><ref name="Musgave, Daniel D. 1967">Musgave, Daniel D., and Thomas B. Nelson, ''The World's Assault Rifles'', vol. II, The Goetz Company, Washington, D.C. (1967): 1</ref> Assault rifles are also usually smaller than full-sized rifles such as [[battle rifle]]s.

Originating with the [[StG 44]] produced by [[Nazi Germany]] during [[World War II]], assault rifles have since become extremely popular among militaries and other armed groups due to their universal versatility, and they have made up the vast majority of standard-issue military [[service rifle]]s since the mid-20th century. Various configurations of assault rifle exist, such as the [[bullpup]], in which the firing grip is located in front of the [[Chamber (firearms)|breech]] instead of behind it.

Examples of assault rifles include the [[Kalashnikov rifle]]s of Soviet and Russian origin (such as the [[AK-47]], [[AKM]], and [[AK-74]]), as well as the American [[M4 carbine]] and [[M16 rifle]].

==== Battle rifles ====
{{main|Battle rifle}}
[[File:FN FAL compilation.jpg|thumb|The [[FN FAL]], a battle rifle chambered in [[7.62×51mm NATO]]]]

A battle rifle is commonly defined as a semi-automatic or selective-fire rifle that is larger or longer than an assault rifle and is chambered in a "full-power" cartridge (e.g. [[7.62×51mm NATO]], [[7.92×57mm Mauser]], [[7.62×54mmR]]). The term originated as a [[retronym]] to differentiate older full-powered rifles of these configurations like the [[M1 Garand]], from newer assault rifles using [[intermediate cartridge]]s like the [[Heckler & Koch HK33]], but it is sometimes used to describe similar modern rifles such as the [[FN SCAR]].

Battle rifles serve similar purposes as assault rifles, as they both are usually employed by ground infantry for essentially the same purposes. However, some prefer battle rifles for their more powerful cartridge, despite the added recoil. Some designated marksman rifles are configured from battle rifles, such as the [[Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle]] and [[United States Marine Corps Designated Marksman Rifle]], both essentially heavily modified and modernized variants of the [[M14 rifle]].

Examples of rifles considered to be battle rifles include the [[FG 42]], [[Gewehr 43]], [[FN FAL]], [[Howa Type 64]], and [[Desert Tech MDR]].

==== Sniper rifles ====
{{main|Sniper rifle}}
[[File:G22 ohne Schalldaempfer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The [[Accuracy International Arctic Warfare]], a sniper rifle chambered in [[7.62×51mm NATO]] and [[.308 Winchester]]]]
[[File:M107 1.jpg|thumb|The [[Barrett M82]], an anti-materiel rifle chambered in [[.50 BMG]]]]

A sniper rifle is, per widespread definition, a high-powered precision rifle, often [[bolt-action]] or semi-automatic, with an [[effective range]] farther than that of a standard rifle. Though any rifle in a sniper configuration (usually with a [[telescopic sight]] and [[bipod]]) can be considered a sniper rifle, most sniper rifles are purpose-built for their applications, or are variants of existing rifles that have been modified to function as sniper rifles, such as the [[Type 97 sniper rifle]], which was essentially a standard [[Type 38 rifle]] that was modified to be lighter and come with a telescopic sight.

Related developments are [[anti-materiel rifle]]s, large-caliber rifles designed to destroy enemy [[materiel]] such as vehicles, supplies, or hardware; [[anti-tank rifle]]s, anti-materiel rifles that were designed specifically to combat early [[armoured fighting vehicle]]s, but are now largely obsolete due to advances in [[vehicle armour]]; [[scout rifle]]s, a broad class of rifles generally summed up as short, lightweight, portable sniper rifles; and [[designated marksman rifle]]s, semi-automatic high-precision rifles, usually chambered in intermediate or full-power cartridges, that fill the range gap between sniper rifles and regular rifles and are designed for [[designated marksmen]] in squads.

Examples of sniper and scout rifles include the [[M40 rifle]], [[Heckler & Koch PSG1]], [[Walther WA 2000]], [[Accuracy International AWM]], [[M24 Sniper Weapon System]], [[Steyr Scout]], [[Sako TRG]], and [[CheyTac Intervention]]. Examples of anti-materiel and anti-tank rifles include the [[Mauser Tankgewehr M1918]], [[Boys anti-tank rifle]], [[PTRS-41]], [[Barrett M82]], [[Gepárd anti-materiel rifle]], and [[McMillan TAC-50]]. Examples of designated marksman rifles include the [[SVD (rifle)|SVD]], [[SR-25]], [[Dragunov SVU]], [[Marine Scout Sniper Rifle]], [[Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle]], and [[M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System]].

==== Automatic rifles ====
{{main|Automatic rifle}}
[[File:AVS-36 AM.068386 (2) (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[AVS-36]], an automatic rifle chambered in [[7.62×54mmR]]]]

An automatic rifle is a magazine-fed rifle that is capable of automatic fire. They include most assault rifles and battle rifles, but originated as their own category of rifles capable of automatic fire, as opposed to the bolt-action and semi-automatic rifles commonly issued to infantry at the time of their invention. They usually have smaller magazine capacities than [[machine gun]]s; the French [[Chauchat]] had a 20-round box magazine, while the [[Hotchkiss Mle 1914 machine gun]], the [[French Army]]'s standard machine gun at the time, was fed by a 250-round [[ammunition belt]].

Though automatic rifles are sometimes considered to be their own category, they are also occasionally considered to be other types of firearms that postdated their invention, usually as [[light machine gun]]s. Automatic rifles are sometimes confused with machine guns or vice versa, or are defined as such by law; the [[National Firearms Act]] and [[Firearm Owners Protection Act]] define a "machine gun" in [[United States Code]] ''Title 26, Subtitle E, Chapter 53, Subchapter B, Part 1, § 5845'' as "... any firearm which shoots ... automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger". "Machine gun" is therefore largely synonymous with "automatic weapon" in American civilian parlance, covering all automatic firearms. In most jurisdictions, automatic rifles, as well as automatic firearms in general, are prohibited from civilian purchase or are at least heavily restricted; in the U.S. for instance, most automatic rifles are [[Title II weapons]] that require certain licenses and are greatly regulated.

Examples of automatic rifles include the [[Cei-Rigotti]], [[Lewis gun]], [[Fedorov Avtomat]], and [[M1918 Browning automatic rifle]].

==== Machine guns ====
{{main|Machine gun}}
[[File:M60 machine gun.jpg|thumb|The [[M60 machine gun|M60]], a general-purpose machine gun chambered in [[7.62×51mm NATO]]]]

A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm, chambered in intermediate or full-power rifle cartridges, designed to provide sustained automatic [[direct fire]] as opposed to the semi-automatic or [[burst fire]] of standard rifles. They are commonly associated with being [[belt-fed]], though many machine guns are also fed by box, drum, pan, or hopper magazines. They generally have a high [[rate of fire]] and a large ammunition capacity, and are often used for [[suppressive fire]] to support infantry advances or defend positions from enemy assaults. Owing to their versatility and firepower, they are also commonly installed on [[military vehicle]]s and [[military aircraft]], either as main or ancillary weapons. Many machine guns are individual-served and can be operated by a single soldier, though some are [[crew-served weapon]]s that require a dedicated crew of soldiers to operate, usually between two and six soldiers depending on the machine gun's operation and the crew members' roles (ammunition bearers, spotters, etc.).

Machine guns can be divided into three categories: [[light machine gun]]s, individual-served machine guns of an [[intermediate cartridge]] that are usually magazine-fed; [[medium machine gun]]s, belt-fed machine guns of a full-power caliber and a certain weight that can be operated by an individual but tend to work best with a crew; and [[heavy machine gun]]s, machine guns that are too large and heavy to be carried and are thus [[Weapon mount|mounted]] to something (like a [[tripod]] or [[military vehicle]]), and require a crew to operate. A [[general-purpose machine gun]] combines these categories under a single flexible machine gun platform, often one that is most suitable as a light or medium machine gun but fares well as a heavy machine gun. A closely related concept is the [[squad automatic weapon]], a portable light machine gun or even a modified rifle that is designed and fielded to provide a [[squad]] with rapid [[direct fire]].

Examples of machine guns include the [[Maxim gun]], [[M2 Browning]], [[Bren light machine gun]], [[MG 42]], [[PK machine gun]], [[FN MAG]], [[M249 light machine gun]], [[RPK]], [[IWI Negev]], and [[M134 Minigun]].

==== Submachine guns ====
{{main|Submachine gun}}
[[File:Heckler & Koch MP5-1.jpg|thumb|The [[Heckler & Koch MP5]], a submachine gun chambered in [[9×19mm Parabellum]]]]

A submachine gun is a magazine-fed carbine chambered in a small-caliber [[handgun cartridge]] (such as [[9×19mm Parabellum]], [[.45 ACP]], [[.22 Long Rifle]], and [[.40 S&W]]). They cannot be considered machine guns due to their small-caliber, hence the prefix "[[wiktionary:sub-|sub-]]" to differentiate them from proper machine guns. Submachine guns are commonly associated with high rates of fire, automatic fire capabilities, and low recoil, though many submachine guns differentiate from this in various ways, such as having fairly low rates of fire or including burst and semi-automatic modes available through selective fire. Most submachine guns are the size of carbines and short-barreled rifles, and use similar configurations. Many are designed to take as little space as possible for use in close-quarters or for easy storage in vehicles and cases. Some submachine guns are designed and configured similar to pistols even down to size, and are thus occasionally classed as [[machine pistol]]s, even if they are not actually a handgun (i.e. designed to require two hands to use).

Submachine guns are considered ideal for [[close-quarters combat]] and are cheap to mass-produce. They were very common in military service through much of the 20th century, but have since been superseded in most combat roles by rifles, carbines, and personal defense weapons due to their low effective range and poor penetration against most [[body armor]] developed since the late 20th century. However, they remain popular among special forces and police for their effectiveness in close-quarters and low likelihood to [[Overpenetrating|overpenetrate]] targets.

Examples of submachine guns include the [[MP 18]], [[MP 40]], [[Thompson submachine gun]], [[M3 submachine gun]], [[Uzi]], [[Heckler & Koch MP5]], [[Spectre M4]], [[Steyr TMP]], [[Heckler & Koch UMP]], [[PP-2000]], [[KRISS Vector]], and [[SIG MPX]].

==== Personal defense weapons ====
{{main|Personal defense weapon}}
[[File:BundeswehrMP7.JPG|thumb|The [[Heckler & Koch MP7]], a personal defense weapon chambered in [[HK 4.6×30mm]]]]

A personal defense weapon is, in simplest terms, a submachine gun that is designed to fire ammunition with ballistic performance that is similar to (but not actually a type of) rifle cartridges, often called "sub-intermediate" cartridges. In this way, it combines the high automatic rate of fire, reliable low recoil, and lightweight compact maneuverability of submachine guns with the versatility, penetration, and effective range of rifles, effectively making them an "in-between" of submachine guns and carbines.

Personal defense weapons were developed to provide [[Rear (military)|rear]] and "second-line" personnel not otherwise armed with high-caliber firearms (vehicle and weapon crews, engineers, logistical personnel, etc.) with a method of effective self-defense against [[skirmisher]]s and [[Infiltration tactics|infiltrator]]s who cannot effectively be defeated by low-powered submachine guns and handguns, often the only firearms suitable for those personnel (while they could be issued rifles or carbines, those would become unnecessary burdens in their normal duties, during which the likelihood of hostility is fairly rare regardless, making their issuance questionable). Thus, per their name, personal defense weapons allow these personnel to effectively defend themselves from enemies and repel attacks themselves or at least until support can arrive. They are not intended for civilian self-defense due to their nature as automatic firearms (which are usually prohibited from civilian purchase), though some semi-automatic PDWs exist for the civilian market, albeit often with longer barrels.

Examples of personal defense weapons include the [[FN P90]], [[Heckler & Koch MP7]], [[AAC Honey Badger]], and [[ST Kinetics CPW]].

== Action ==
{{main|Action (firearms)}}
[[File:AR-15 and Remington Model 870.jpg|thumb|The semi-automatic [[Colt AR-15]] (top) and the pump action [[Remington Model 870]] (bottom); these weapons' actions are common for their respective types.]]

Types aside, firearms are also categorized by their "action", which describes their loading, firing, and unloading cycle.

=== Manual ===
''Manual action'' or ''manual operation'' is essentially any type of firearm action that is loaded, and usually also fired, one cartridge at a time by the user, rather than automatically. Manual action firearms can be divided into two basic categories: [[single-shot]] firearms that can only be fired once per barrel before it must be reloaded or charged via an external mechanism or series of steps; and [[Repeating firearm|repeating]] firearms that can be fired multiple times per barrel, but can only be fired once with each subsequent pull of the trigger or ignite, and the firearm's action must be reloaded or charged via an internal mechanism between trigger pulls.

Types of manual actions include lever action, bolt action, and pump action.

==== Lever action ====
{{main|Lever action}}
''Lever action'' is a repeating action that is operated by using a [[cocking handle]] (the "lever") located around the [[trigger guard]] area (often incorporating it) that is pulled down then back up to move the [[Bolt (firearms)|bolt]] via internal [[Linkage (mechanical)|linkages]] and cock the [[firing pin]] mechanism, expelling the old [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] and loading a new one.

==== Bolt action ====
{{main|Bolt action}}
''Bolt action'' is a repeating (and rarely single-shot) action that is operated by directly manipulating the bolt via a [[Cocking handle|bolt handle]]. The bolt is unlocked from the [[Receiver (firearms)|receiver]], then pulled back to open the [[Breech-loading weapon|breech]], ejecting a cartridge, and cocking the [[Firing pin|striker]] and engaging it against the [[Sear (firearm)|sear]]; when the bolt is returned to the forward position, a new cartridge, if loaded, is pushed out of the magazine and into the barrel [[Chamber (firearms)|chamber]], and the breech is re-locked.

Two designs of bolt action exist: ''rotating bolt'', where the bolt must be axially rotated to unlock and lock the receiver; and ''straight pull'', which does not require the bolt to be rotated, simplifying the bolt action mechanism and allowing for a greater rate of fire.

==== Pump action ====
{{main|Pump action}}
''Pump action'' or ''slide action'' is a repeating action that is operated by moving a sliding [[handguard]] (the "pump") on the gun's [[forestock]] rearward (frontward on some models), ejecting any spent cartridges and cocking the [[Hammer (firearms)|hammer]] or striker, then moving the handguard forward to load a new cartridge into the chamber.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pump-action | title=Definition of PUMP-ACTION | access-date=2020-01-04 | archive-date=2021-01-18 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118200826/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pump-action | url-status=live }}</ref> It is most common on shotguns, though pump action rifles and grenade launchers also exist.

=== Semi-automatic ===
{{main|Semi-automatic firearm}}

''Semi-automatic'', ''self-loading'', or ''autoloading'' is a firearm action that, after a single discharge, automatically performs the feeding and ignition procedures necessary to prepare the firearm for a subsequent discharge. Semi-automatic firearms only discharge once with each trigger actuation, and the trigger must be actuated again to fire another cartridge.

Types of semi-automatic actions and modes include automatic, burst, and selective.

==== Automatic ====
{{main|Automatic firearm}}

''Automatic'' is a firearm action that uses the same automated action cycling as semi-automatic, but continues to do so for as long as the trigger is actuated, until the trigger is let go of or the firearm is depleted of available ammunition. The excess energy released from a discharged cartridge is used to load a new cartridge into the chamber, then igniting the [[propellant]] and discharging said new cartridge by delivering a hammer or striker impact on the [[Primer (firearms)|primer]]. Automatic firearms are further defined by the type of [[Action (firearms)#Autoloading operation|cycling principles]] used, such as [[recoil operation]] (uses energy from the [[recoil]] to cycle the action), [[Blowback (firearms)|blowback]] (uses energy from the cartridge case as it is pushed by expanding gas), [[blow forward]] (use propellant gas pressure to open the breech), or [[gas operation]] (uses high-pressure gas from a fired cartridge to dispose of the spent case and load a new cartridge).

==== Burst ====
{{main|Burst mode (weapons)}}

''Burst'' is a fire mode of some semi-automatic and automatic firearms that fires a predetermined amount of rounds—usually two or three—in the same manner as automatic fire. Depending on the firearm, a single trigger actuation may fire the full burst of rounds, or it must be depressed for the entire discharge, with a single pull of the trigger firing a single round or an incomplete burst. Most firearms with burst capabilities have it as a fire mode secondary to semi-automatic and automatic.

==== Selective fire ====
{{main|Selective fire}}

''Selective fire'' or ''select fire'' is the capability of a firearm to have its fire mode adjusted between semi-automatic, burst, or automatic. The modes are chosen by means of a [[fire mode selector]], which varies depending on the weapon's design. The presence of selective-fire modes on firearms allows more efficient use of ammunition for specific tactical needs, either precision-aimed or [[suppressive fire]]. Selective fire is most commonly found on assault rifles and submachine guns.

==Use as a blunt weapon==
[[File:U.S. Air Force Buttstroke.jpg|thumb|A [[United States Air Force]] trainee [[buttstroking]] a target dummy with an unloaded M16 rifle]]

Firearms can be used as [[Blunt instrument|blunt weapon]]s, for instance to conserve limited ammunition or when [[ammunition]] has run out entirely.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mittal |first1=Pawan |last2=Bohnert |first2=Michael |date=2022-12-01 |title=Firearm as a blunt weapon – Three cases of pistol whipping and a review of the literature |journal=Forensic Science International: Reports |volume=6 |article-number=100299 |doi=10.1016/j.fsir.2022.100299 |issn=2665-9107|doi-access=free }}</ref>

New recruits of the [[Israel Defense Forces]] undergo training on the safe practice of using the M16 rifle as a blunt weapon, mainly so that in close-quarter fighting, the weapon cannot be pulled away from them. Other training includes the recruit learning how to jab parts of the body with the [[Muzzle (firearm)|muzzle]] and using the [[Stock (firearm)|butt stock]] as a weapon.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

[[Forensic medicine]] recognizes evidence for various types of  [[blunt-force injuries]] produced by firearms. For example, "pistol-whipping" typically leaves semicircular or triangular lacerations of skin produced by the butt of a pistol.<ref>"Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques," Vincent J. M. DiMaio, 1999, {{ISBN|0-8493-8163-0}}, [https://books.google.com/books?id=VbrDbbHAflsC&dq=%22firearm+as+a+blunt+weapon%22&pg=PA270 pp. 270-271]</ref>

In armed robberies, beating the victims with firearms is a more common way to complete the robbery, rather than shooting or stabbing them.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Conklin |first=John E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ehIZAAAAIAAJ&q=%22as+a+blunt%22 |title=Robbery and the Criminal Justice System |date=1972 |publisher=Lippincott |isbn=978-0-397-47220-8 |language=en}}</ref>

Examples include:

* [[Buttstroking]], striking with the [[Stock (firearm)|butt stock]] of a firearm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=butt+stroke|title="Butt Stroke"}}</ref>
* [[Pistol-whipping]], striking someone with a [[handgun]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pistol%20whipping|title=Pistol-whip Definition & Meaning &#124; Dictionary.com}}</ref>
* Striking with the [[Gun barrel|muzzle]] end of a firearm without a [[bayonet]] attached.<ref>{{cite web|quote="Then I grabbed the AK (assault rifle), which was at his feet, and started muzzle thumping him in the head with it."|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1539905/us-soldier-how-we-stopped-train-gunman|title=US Soldier: How We Stopped Train Gunman|work=Sky News|date=22 Aug 2015}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of the firearm}}
{{see also|History of gunpowder}}
[[File:Yuan chinese gun.jpg|thumb|[[Hand cannon]] from the Chinese [[Yuan dynasty]] (1271–1368)]]
[[File:梨花鎗.jpg|thumb|Chinese [[fire lance]], from the ''[[Huolongjing]]'']]
The first firearms were invented in 10th century [[History of science and technology in China|China]] when the man-portable [[fire lance]] (a bamboo or metal tube that could shoot ignited [[gunpowder]]) was combined with projectiles such as scrap metal, broken porcelain, or darts/arrows.<ref name="Helaine" /><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |author=Ho Peng Yoke |editor-first=Helaine |date=1997 |editor-last=Selin |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures |title=Gunpowder |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC&pg=PA389 |access-date=30 July 2013 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-7923-4066-9 |page=389 |archive-date=9 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009040612/http://books.google.com/books?id=raKRY3KQspsC&pg=PA389 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:黑龍江火銃.jpg|thumb|[[Heilongjiang hand cannon|Heilongjiang Hand Cannon]], dated to 1288 CE, the world's oldest surviving firearm. It includes a touch hole and a gunpowder chamber]]
An early depiction of a firearm is a sculpture from a cave in [[Sichuan]], China. The sculpture dates to the 12th century<ref>{{harvnb|Chase|2003|p=32}}: "The earliest true firearms may well date from as early as the first half of the 1100s. The evidence comes from sculptures in a Buddhist cave temple in Sichuan. [...] The earliest inscription in the cave dates from 1128, but even the later inscriptions all date from the 1100s [...]."</ref> and represents a figure carrying a vase-shaped [[Bombard (weapon)|bombard]], with flames and a [[Round shot|cannonball]] coming out of it.{{sfn|Chase|2003|pp=31–32}} The oldest surviving gun, the [[Heilongjiang hand cannon]], was a [[hand cannon]] made of bronze, dating to 1288 because it was discovered at a site in modern-day [[Acheng District]], [[Heilongjiang]], China, where the ''Yuan Shi'' records that battles were fought at that time.<ref name="needham volume 5 part 7 293 294">{{Harvcolnb|Needham|1986|pp=293–94}}</ref> The firearm had a {{cvt|17.5|cm|in}} barrel of a {{cvt|2.5|cm|in|0}} diameter, a {{cvt|6.6|cm|inch}} chamber for the gunpowder and a socket for the firearm's handle. It is {{convert|34|cm|in}} long and {{convert|3.54|kg|lb}} without the handle, which would have been made of wood.{{sfn|Chase|2003|p=32}}

The Arabs and [[Mamluk]]s had firearms in the late-13th century.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Al-Hassan |first1=Ahmad Y. |title=Gunpowder Composition for Rockets and Cannon in Arabic Military Treatises in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries |author-link1= Ahmad Y. al-Hassan |journal= ICON |date= 2003 |volume= 9 |pages= 1–30 |issn= 1361-8113 |publisher= [[International Committee for the History of Technology]] |jstor=23790667 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1= Broughton |first1= George |last2= Burris |first2=David |title=Advances in Wound Care: Volume 1 |date=2010 |publisher=[[Mary Ann Liebert]] |isbn=9781934854013 |pages=3–7 |chapter-url= https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/9781934854013.3 |chapter= War and Medicine: A Brief History of the Military's Contribution to Wound Care Through World War I |quote= The first hand cannon appeared during the 1260 Battle of Ain Jalut between the Egyptians and Mongols in the Middle East |doi=10.1089/9781934854013.3 |doi-broken-date=12 July 2025 |access-date=24 April 2019 |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190403051335/https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/9781934854013.3 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Books |first1=Amber |last2=Dickie |first2=Iain |last3=Jestice |first3=Phyllis |last4= Jorgensen |first4= Christer |last5= Rice |first5= Rob S. |last6= Dougherty |first6= Martin J. |title= Fighting Techniques of Naval Warfare: Strategy, Weapons, Commanders, and Ships: 1190 BC – Present |date= 2009 |publisher= [[St. Martin's Press]] |isbn=9780312554538 |page=63 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=9iYLAQAAMAAJ |quote= Known to the Arabs as midfa, was the ancestor of all subsequent forms of cannon. Materials evolved from bamboo to wood to iron quickly enough for the Egyptian Mamelukes to employ the weapon against the Mongols at the battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which ended the Mongol advance into the Mediterranean world. |access-date=2019-04-24 |archive-date=2019-12-30 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191230082704/https://books.google.com/books?id=9iYLAQAAMAAJ |url-status= live }}</ref> Europeans obtained firearms in the 14th century.{{sfn|Chase|2003|p=1}} The Koreans adopted firearms from the Chinese in the 14th century. The Iranians (first [[Aq Qoyunlu]] and [[Safavids]]) and Indians (first [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]]) all got them no later than the 15th century, from the Ottoman Turks. The people of the [[Nusantara (archipelago)|Nusantara]] archipelago of Southeast Asia used the [[Java arquebus|long arquebus]] at least by the last quarter of the 15th century.<ref name="Crawfurd-1856">{{Cite book|last= Crawfurd|first= John|title= A Descriptive Dictionary of the Indian Islands and Adjacent Countries|url=https://archive.org/details/adescriptivedic00crawgoog|publisher=Bradbury and Evans|year=1856}}</ref>{{Rp|23}}

[[File:Satinggar_Malay.jpg|thumb|The [[istinggar]], a result of Indo-Portuguese gun-making traditions]]

Even though the knowledge of making gunpowder-based weapons in the [[Nusantara (archipelago)|Nusantara]] archipelago had been known after the failed [[Mongol invasion of Java]] (1293), and the predecessor of firearms, the [[Hand cannon|pole gun]] ([[bedil tombak]]), was recorded as being used by Java in 1413,<ref>Mayers (1876). "Chinese explorations of the Indian Ocean during the fifteenth century". ''The China Review''. '''IV''': p. 178.</ref><ref name="Manguin-1976">{{Cite journal|last= Manguin|first= Pierre-Yves|date= 1976|title= L'Artillerie legere nousantarienne: A propos de six canons conserves dans des collections portugaises|url=https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-02509117/file/arasi_0004-3958_1976_num_32_1_1103.pdf|journal= Arts Asiatiques|volume= 32|pages=233–268|doi=10.3406/arasi.1976.1103|s2cid= 191565174|access-date= 2020-09-08|archive-date= 2020-10-17|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201017043603/https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-02509117/file/arasi_0004-3958_1976_num_32_1_1103.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Rp|245}} the knowledge of making "true" firearms came much later, after the middle of 15th century. It was brought by the [[Islam]]ic nations of West Asia, most probably the [[Arabs]]. The precise year of introduction is unknown, but it may be safely concluded to be no earlier than 1460.<ref name="Crawfurd-1856"/>{{Rp|23}} Before the arrival of the Portuguese in Southeast Asia, the natives already possessed firearms, the [[Java arquebus]].<ref name="Tiaoyuan-1969">{{Cite book|last= Tiaoyuan|first= Li|title= South Vietnamese Notes|publisher=Guangju Book Office|year=1969}}</ref>

[[File:Portuguese eastern matchlock evolution.png|thumb|A) The matchlock gun with button for trigger, which came to Lisbon from Bohemia, used by the Portuguese until the conquest of Goa in 1510. B) The Indo-Portuguese matchlock gun resulted from the combination of Portuguese and Goan gunmaking. C) The Japanese matchlock gun appeared as a copy of the first firearm introduced in the Japanese islands.]]

The technology of firearms in [[Southeast Asia]] further improved after the [[Capture of Malacca (1511)|Portuguese capture of Malacca]] (1511).<ref>Andaya, L. Y. 1999. Interaction with the outside world and adaptation in Southeast Asian society 1500–1800. In ''The Cambridge history of southeast Asia''. ed. Nicholas Tarling. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 345–401.</ref> Starting in the 1513, the traditions of German-Bohemian gun-making merged with Turkish gun-making traditions.<ref name="Daehnhardt-1994">''The bewitched gun : the introduction of the firearm in the Far East by the Portuguese'', by Rainer Daehnhardt 1994.</ref>{{Rp|39–41}} This resulted in the Indo-Portuguese tradition of matchlocks. Indian craftsmen modified the design by introducing a very short, almost pistol-like buttstock held against the cheek, not the shoulder, when aiming. They also reduced the caliber and made the gun lighter and more balanced. This was a hit with the Portuguese who did a lot of fighting aboard ship and on river craft, and valued a more compact gun.<ref name="Eaton-2013">{{Cite book|last= Eaton|first=Richard M.|title=Expanding Frontiers in South Asian and World History: Essays in Honour of John F. Richards |publisher= Cambridge University Press|year=2013|isbn=9781107034280|location=Cambridge}}</ref>{{Rp|41}}<ref>{{Cite book |last= Egerton|first= W.|title= An Illustrated Handbook of Indian Arms|publisher= W.H. Allen|year=1880}}</ref> The [[Malacca Sultanate|Malaccan]] gunfounders,{{typo help inline|date=April 2020}} compared as being in the same level with those of Germany, quickly adapted these new firearms, and thus a new type of arquebus, the [[istinggar]], appeared.<ref>{{Cite book |last= Tarling |first= Nicholas |title= The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia: Volume 1, From Early Times to C.1800|publisher= Cambridge University Press|year= 1992|isbn= 9780521355056}}</ref>{{Rp|385}} The Japanese did not acquire firearms until the 16th century, and then from the Portuguese rather than from the Chinese.{{sfn|Chase|2003|pp=31–32}}

[[File:Jacob de Gheyn - Wapenhandelinge 4.jpg|thumb|upright|left|A [[musketeer]] (1608)]]

Developments in firearms accelerated during the 19th and 20th centuries. Breech-loading became more or less a universal standard for the reloading of most hand-held firearms and continues to be so with some notable exceptions (such as mortars). Instead of loading individual rounds into weapons, magazines holding multiple munitions were adopted—these aided rapid reloading. Automatic and semi-automatic firing mechanisms meant that a single soldier could fire many more rounds in a minute than a vintage weapon could fire over the course of a battle. Polymers and alloys in firearm construction made weaponry progressively lighter and thus easier to deploy. Ammunition changed over the centuries from simple metallic ball-shaped projectiles that rattled down the barrel to bullets and cartridges manufactured to high precision. Especially in the past century{{Clarify timeframe|date=February 2022}} particular attention has focused on accuracy and sighting to make firearms altogether far more accurate than ever before. More than any single factor though, firearms have proliferated due to the advent of mass production—enabling arms-manufacturers to produce large quantities of weaponry to a consistent standard.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

Velocities of bullets increased with the use of a "jacket" of metals such as copper or copper alloys that covered a lead core and allowed the bullet to glide down the barrel more easily than exposed lead. Such bullets are known as "full metal jacket" (FMJ). Such FMJ bullets are less likely to fragment on impact and are more likely to traverse through a target while imparting less energy. Hence, FMJ bullets impart less tissue damage than non-jacketed bullets that expand.<ref>Dougherty and Eidt, 2009.</ref> This led to their adoption for military use by countries adhering to the [[Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907|Hague Convention of 1899]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last= Coupland|first= Robin |date= |title=The 1899 Hague Declaration concerning Expanding Bullets A treaty effective for more than 100 years faces complex contemporary issues|url= https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/assets/files/other/irrc_849_coupland_et_loye.pdf |journal=IRRC|volume=85|pages=137|access-date=2021-04-30|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210709195515/https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/assets/files/other/irrc_849_coupland_et_loye.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

That said, the basic principle behind firearm operation remains unchanged to this day. A musket of several centuries ago is still similar in principle to a modern-day rifle—using the expansion of gases to propel projectiles over long distances—albeit less accurately and rapidly.<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/07/the-inaccuracy-of-muskets/|title= The Inaccuracy of Muskets|date= 2013-07-15|work= Journal of the American Revolution|access-date= 2018-04-09|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-04-09|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180409110127/https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/07/the-inaccuracy-of-muskets/|url-status= live}}</ref>

===Early firearm models===
====Fire lances====
{{main|Fire lance}}
[[File:Fire Lance Knight.jpg|thumb|A cavalryman wielding a fire lance.]]
The Chinese [[fire lance]] from the 10th century was the direct predecessor to the modern concept of the firearm. It was not a gun itself, but an addition to soldiers' spears. Originally it consisted of paper or bamboo barrels that would contain incendiary gunpowder that could be lit one time and which would project flames at the enemy. Sometimes Chinese troops would place small projectiles within the barrel that would also be projected when the gunpowder was lit, but most of the explosive force would create flames. Later, the barrel was changed to be made of metal, so that more explosive gunpowder could be used and put more force into the propulsion of projectiles.<ref name="Chase">{{Harvcolnb |Chase|2003}}</ref>{{rp|31–32}}

====Hand cannons====
{{main|Hand cannon}}
[[File:Dictionnaire raisonné du mobilier français de l’époque carlovingienne à la Renaissance, tome 6 - 357.png|thumb|A Swiss soldier firing a hand cannon.]]
The original predecessor of all firearms, the Chinese [[hand cannon]] from the 13th century, was loaded with gunpowder and the projectile (initially [[lead shot]], later replaced by cast iron{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}) through the muzzle, while a fuse was placed at the rear. This fuse was lit, causing the gunpowder to ignite and propel the projectiles. In military use, the Chinese hand cannon was tremendously powerful, while also being somewhat erratic{{citation needed|date=December 2010}} due to the relative inability of the gunner to aim the weapon, or to control the ballistic properties of the projectile. Recoil could be absorbed by bracing the barrel against the ground using a wooden support, the forerunner of the [[Stock (firearms)|stock]]. Neither the quality nor amount of gunpowder, nor the consistency in projectile dimensions was controlled, with resulting inaccuracy in firing due to [[windage]], variance in gunpowder composition, and the difference in diameter between the [[Caliber|bore]] and the shot. Hand cannons were replaced around the 15th century by lighter carriage-mounted [[artillery]] pieces, and ultimately by the [[arquebus]].

In the 1420s, gunpowder was used to propel missiles from hand-held tubes during [[History of Czech civilian firearms possession#Origins of civilian firearms possession|the Hussite revolt]] in Bohemia.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/development-early-handguns.html |title=Andrew Knighton, The Development of Early Handguns, warhistoryonline.com, Oct 19, 2018 |date=19 October 2018 |access-date=January 4, 2021 |archive-date=February 27, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210227152539/https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/development-early-handguns.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=April 2023}}

====Arquebuses====
[[File:Musée du Château de Foix 02.jpg|thumb|A 17th Century arquebus at the [[Château de Foix]] Museum, France.]]
The [[arquebus]] is a long gun that appeared in Europe and the [[Ottoman Empire]] during the 15th Century. The term ''arquebus'' is derived from the Dutch word ''haaqbus'' (literally meaning ''hook gun''). The term arquebus was applied to many different types of guns. In their earliest form they were defensive weapon mounts on German city walls in the 15th Century. The addition of a shoulder stock, priming pan and matchlock mechanism in the late 15th century turned the arquebus into a handheld firearm, and also first firearm equipped with a trigger. Heavy arquebuses mounted on [[war wagon]]s were called ''arquebus a croc''. These heavy arquebuses fired a [[lead]] ball of about 3.5 ounces (100g).

====Muskets====
{{main|Musket}}
[[File:Grand Turk(36).jpg|thumb|Muskets and bayonets aboard the [[sailing frigate|frigate]] [[Étoile du Roy|Grand Turk]].]]
[[Muzzleloader|Muzzle-loading]] muskets (smooth-bored long guns) were among the first firearms developed.{{when|date=August 2018}} The firearm was loaded through the muzzle with gunpowder, optionally with some wadding, and then with a bullet (usually a solid lead ball, but musketeers could shoot stones when they ran out of bullets). Greatly improved muzzleloaders (usually rifled instead of smooth-bored) are manufactured today and have many enthusiasts, many of whom hunt large and small game with their guns. Muzzleloaders have to be manually reloaded after each shot; a skilled archer could fire multiple arrows faster than most early muskets could be reloaded and fired, although by the mid-18th century when muzzleloaders became the standard small-armament of the military, a well-drilled soldier could fire six rounds in a minute using prepared cartridges in his musket. Before then, the effectiveness of muzzleloaders was hindered both by the low reloading speed and, before the firing mechanism was perfected, by the very high risk posed by the firearm to the person attempting to fire it.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

One interesting solution to the reloading problem was the "Roman Candle Gun" with [[superposed load]]s. This was a muzzleloader in which multiple charges and balls were loaded one on top of the other, with a small hole in each ball to allow the subsequent charge to be ignited after the one ahead of it was ignited. It was neither a very reliable nor popular firearm, but it enabled a form of "automatic" fire long before the advent of the machine gun.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.scotwars.com/html/equip_firearms2.htm#3|title=Roman Candle Gun|work=Scotwars.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090302211812/http://scotwars.com/html/equip_firearms2.htm|archive-date=March 2, 2009}}</ref>

===Firing mechanisms===
{{further|Trigger (firearms)|Firearm action}}

====Matchlock====
{{main|Matchlock}}
[[File:Edo period rifles.jpg|thumb|left| Various Japanese (samurai) [[Edo period]] matchlocks (''tanegashima'')]]
[[Matchlock]]s were the first and simplest firearms-firing mechanisms developed. In the matchlock mechanism, the powder in the gun barrel was ignited by a piece of burning cord called a "match". The match was wedged into one end of an S-shaped piece of steel. When the trigger (often actually a lever) was pulled, the match was brought into the open end of a "touch hole" at the base of the gun barrel, which contained a very small quantity of gunpowder, igniting the main charge of gunpowder in the gun barrel. The match usually had to be relit after each firing. The main parts of the matchlock firing mechanism are the pan, match, arm, and trigger.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.credoreference.com/entry/move/musket |title=> Where Are You From? |publisher=Credo Reference |access-date=2014-04-19}}</ref> A benefit of the pan and arm swivel being moved to the side of the gun was it gave a clear line of fire.<ref>Weir, William. 50 Weapons That Changed Warfare. Franklin Lakes, NJ: New Page, 2005. 71–74. Print.</ref> An advantage to the matchlock firing mechanism is that it did not misfire. However, it also came with some disadvantages. One disadvantage involved weather: in rain, the match could not be kept lit to fire the weapon.  Another issue with the match was it could give away the position of soldiers because of the glow, sound, and smell.<ref>Saidel, Benjamin. "Matchlocks, Flintlocks, and Saltpetre: The Chronological Implications for the Use of Matchlock Muskets among Ottoman-Period Bedouin in the Southern Levant." ''International Journal of Historical Archaeology'' 4 (2000): 191–215.</ref> While European pistols were equipped with wheellock and flintlock mechanisms, Asian pistols used{{when|date=February 2022}} matchlock mechanisms.<ref>{{Cite book|last= DK|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Ma0MAwAAQBAJ&q=asian+snap+matchlock&pg=PA74|title=Firearms: An Illustrated History|date= 2014-04-01|publisher= Penguin|isbn= 978-1-4654-3089-2|language= en|access-date= 2020-10-31|archive-date= 2021-12-19|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211219202931/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ma0MAwAAQBAJ&q=asian+snap+matchlock&pg=PA74|url-status= live}}</ref>

====Wheellock====
{{main|Wheellock}}
[[File:Wheellock for a firearm, 17th century, iron - Stadtmuseum Fembohaus - Nuremberg, Germany -DSC02125.jpg|right|thumb|A wheellock pistol mechanism from the 17th century]]
The [[wheellock]] action, a successor to the matchlock, predated the flintlock. Despite its many faults, the wheellock was a significant improvement over the matchlock in terms of both convenience and safety, since it eliminated the need to keep a smoldering match in proximity to loose gunpowder. It operated using a small wheel (much like that on a [[Lighter|cigarette lighter]]) which was wound up with a key before use and which, when the trigger was pulled, spun against a flint, creating the shower of sparks that ignited the powder in the touch hole. Supposedly invented by [[Leonardo da Vinci]] (1452–1519), the Italian [[polymath|Renaissance man]], the wheellock action was an innovation that was not widely adopted due to the high cost of the clockwork mechanism.

====Flintlock====
{{main|Flintlock}}
[[File:FlintlockMechanism.jpg|thumb|Flintlock mechanism]]
The [[flintlock]] action represented a major innovation in firearm design. The spark used to ignite the gunpowder in the touch hole came from a sharpened piece of flint clamped in the jaws of a "cock" which, when released by the trigger, struck a piece of steel called the "[[frizzen]]" to generate the necessary sparks. (The spring-loaded arm that holds a piece of flint or pyrite is referred to as a cock because of its resemblance to a rooster.) The cock had to be manually reset after each firing, and the flint had to be replaced periodically due to wear from striking the frizzen. (See also [[flintlock mechanism]], [[snaphance]], [[Miquelet lock]].) The flintlock was widely used during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries in both muskets and rifles.

====Percussion cap====
{{main|Percussion cap|Caplock mechanism}}
[[Percussion cap]]s ([[caplock mechanism]]s), coming into wide service in the early 19th century, offered a dramatic improvement over flintlocks. With the percussion-cap mechanism, the small primer charge of gunpowder used in all preceding firearms was replaced by a completely self-contained explosive charge contained in a small brass "cap". The cap was fastened to the touch hole of the gun (extended to form a "nipple") and ignited by the impact of the gun's "hammer". (The hammer is roughly the same as the cock found on flintlocks except that it does not clamp onto anything.) In the case of percussion caps the hammer was hollow on the end to fit around the cap in order to keep the cap from fragmenting and injuring the shooter.

Once struck, the flame from the cap, in turn, ignited the main charge of gunpowder, as with the flintlock, but there was no longer any need to charge the touch hole with gunpowder, and even better, the touch hole was no longer exposed to the elements. As a result, the percussion-cap mechanism was considerably safer, far more weatherproof, and vastly more reliable (cloth-bound cartridges containing a pre-measured charge of gunpowder and a ball had been in regular military service for many years, but the exposed gunpowder in the entry to the touch hole had long been a source of misfires). All [[muzzleloader]]s manufactured since the second half of the 19th-century use percussion caps except those built as replicas of the flintlock or earlier firearms.

===Loading techniques===
{{main|Muzzleloader|Breechloader}}
[[File:Meyers b8 s0102a.jpg|thumb|[[Percussion cap]] and early [[bolt action]] form]]
Most early firearms were muzzle-loading. This form of loading has several disadvantages, such as a slow rate of fire and having to expose oneself to enemy fire to reload—as the weapon had to be pointed upright so the powder could be poured through the muzzle into the breech, followed by the ramming the projectile into the breech. As effective methods of sealing the breech developed along with sturdy, weatherproof, self-contained metallic cartridges, muzzle-loaders were replaced by single-shot breech loaders. Eventually, single-shot weapons were replaced by the following repeater-type weapons.

====Internal magazines====
{{main|Magazine (firearms)}}
Many firearms made from the late-19th century through the 1950s used internal magazines to load the cartridge into the chamber of the weapon. The most notable and revolutionary weapons of this period appeared during the U.S. Civil War of 1861–1865: the [[Spencer repeating rifle|Spencer]] and [[Henry rifle|Henry]] repeating rifles. Both used fixed tubular magazines, the former having the magazine in the buttstock and the latter under the barrel, which allowed a larger capacity. Later weapons used fixed box magazines that could not be removed from the weapon without disassembling the weapon itself. Fixed magazines permitted the use of larger cartridges and eliminated the hazard of having the bullet of one cartridge butting next to the primer or rim of another cartridge. These magazines are loaded while they are in the weapon, often using a stripper clip. A clip is used to transfer cartridges into the magazine. Some notable weapons that use internal magazines include the [[Mosin–Nagant]], the [[Mauser Kar 98k]], the [[Springfield M1903]], the [[M1 Garand]], and the [[SKS]]. Firearms that have internal magazines are usually, but not always, rifles. Some exceptions to this include the Mauser C96 pistol, which uses an internal magazine, and the [[Breda 30]], an Italian light machine gun.

====Detachable magazines====
Many modern firearms use what are called detachable or box magazines as their method of chambering a cartridge. Detachable magazines can be removed from the weapon without disassembling the firearms, usually by pushing a magazine release.

====Belt-fed weapons====
{{main|Belt (firearm)}}
A belt or ammunition belt, a device used to retain and feed cartridges into a firearm, is commonly used with machine guns. Belts were originally composed of canvas or cloth with pockets spaced evenly to allow the belt to be mechanically fed into the gun. These designs were prone to malfunctions due to the effects of oil and other contaminants altering the belt. Later belt-designs used permanently-connected metal links to retain the cartridges during feeding. These belts were more tolerant to exposure to solvents and oil. Notable weapons that use belts include the M240, the M249, the M134 Minigun, and the PK Machine Gun.

===Cartridges===
{{main|Cartridge (firearms)|Ammunition}}
[[File:Snider-Martini-Enfield Cartridges.JPG|thumb| (From left to right): A [[.577 Snider]] cartridge (1867), a [[.577/450 Martini-Henry]] cartridge (1871), a later drawn brass .577/450 [[Martini-Henry]] cartridge, and a [[.303 British]] Mk VII SAA Ball cartridge.]]
Frenchman [[Louis-Nicolas Flobert]] invented the first [[rimfire ammunition|rimfire metallic cartridge]] in 1845. His cartridge consisted of a percussion cap with a bullet attached to the top.<ref>[http://www.firearmsadvantage.com/history_of_firearms.html "History of firearms"] {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151222090129/http://www.firearmsadvantage.com/history_of_firearms.html |date=2015-12-22 }} (fireadvantages.com)</ref><ref>[http://www.firearmsadvantage.com/how_guns_work.html "How guns work"] {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151222103328/http://www.firearmsadvantage.com/how_guns_work.html |date=2015-12-22 }} (fireadvantages.com)</ref> Flobert then made what he called "[[parlor gun]]s" for this cartridge, as these rifles and pistols were designed to be shot in indoor shooting-parlors in large homes.<ref>{{cite book|title = Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms and Their Values|page=775|first= Norm |last=Flayderman |edition= 9|publisher =F+W Media, Inc|year= 2007 |location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn =978-0-89689-455-6 }}</ref><ref name="BarnesBodinson2009">{{cite book|last1= Barnes|first1= Frank C.|author-link= Frank Barnes (gunsmith)|last2= Bodinson|first2= Holt|title= Cartridges of the World: A Complete and Illustrated Reference for Over 1500 Cartridges|chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=3_-kUkNXTNwC&pg=PA441|access-date= 25 January 2012|year= 2009|publisher= Gun Digest Books|location= Iola, Wisconsin|isbn= 978-0-89689-936-0|page= 441|chapter= American Rimfire Cartridges}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> These [[6mm Flobert]] cartridges do not contain any powder, the only [[propellant]] substance contained in the cartridge is the percussion cap.<ref>[http://www.arquebusiers.be/section-tir.htm Shooting section (''la section de tir'')] {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131110001815/http://www.arquebusiers.be/section-tir.htm |date= 2013-11-10 }} of the official website (in French) of a modern indoor-shooting association in Belgium, ''Les Arquebusier de Visé''.</ref> In English-speaking countries, the 6mm Flobert cartridge corresponds to [[.22 BB Cap]] and [[.22 CB Cap]] ammunition. These cartridges have a relatively low muzzle-velocity of around 700&nbsp;ft/s (210&nbsp;m/s).

Cartridges represented a major innovation: firearms ammunition, previously delivered as separate bullets and powder, was combined in a single metallic (usually brass) [[Cartridge (firearms)|cartridge]] containing a percussion cap, powder, and a bullet in one weatherproof package. The main technical advantage of the brass cartridge case was the effective and reliable sealing of high-pressure gasses at the breech, as the gas pressure forces the cartridge case to expand outward, pressing it firmly against the inside of the gun-barrel chamber.  This prevents the leakage of hot gas which could injure the shooter. The brass cartridge also opened the way for modern repeating arms, by uniting the bullet, gunpowder, and primer into one assembly that could be fed reliably into the breech by mechanical action in the firearm.

Before this, a "cartridge" was simply a pre-measured quantity of [[gunpowder]] together with a ball in a small cloth bag (or rolled paper cylinder), which also acted as [[wadding]] for the charge and ball. This early form of cartridge had to be rammed into the muzzleloader's barrel, and either a small charge of gunpowder in the touch hole or an external percussion cap mounted on the touch hole ignited the gunpowder in the cartridge. Cartridges with built-in percussion caps (called "primers") continue to this day to be the standard in firearms. In cartridge-firing firearms, a hammer (or a firing pin struck by the hammer) strikes the cartridge primer, which then ignites the gunpowder within. The primer charge is at the base of the cartridge, either within the rim (a [[Rimfire ammunition|"rimfire"]] cartridge) or in a small percussion cap embedded in the center of the base (a "[[centerfire]]" cartridge). As a rule, centerfire cartridges are more powerful than rimfire cartridges, operating at considerably higher pressures than rimfire cartridges. Centerfire cartridges are also safer, as a dropped rimfire cartridge has the potential to discharge if its rim strikes the ground with sufficient force to ignite the primer. This is practically impossible with most centerfire cartridges.

Nearly all contemporary firearms load cartridges directly into their [[Breechloader|breech]]. Some additionally or exclusively load from a [[Magazine (firearms)|magazine]] that holds multiple cartridges. A magazine is a part of the firearm which exists to store ammunition and to assist in its feeding by the action into the breech (such as through the rotation of a revolver's cylinder or by spring-loaded platforms in most pistol and rifle designs). Some magazines, such as that of most centerfire hunting rifles and all revolvers, are internal to and inseparable from the firearm, and are loaded by using a "clip".  A [[Clip (ammunition)|clip]] (the term often mistakenly refers to a detachable "magazine") is a device that holds the ammunition by the rim of the case and is designed to assist the shooter in reloading the firearm's magazine. Examples include revolver [[speedloader]]s, the [[stripper clip]] used to aid loading rifles such as the [[Lee–Enfield]] or [[Mauser 98]], and the [[En-bloc clip#En bloc|en-bloc clip]] used in loading the [[M1 Garand]]. In this sense, "magazines" and "clips", though often used synonymously, refer to different types of devices.

===Repeating firearms===
{{main|Repeating firearm}}
{{further|Single-shot}}
[[File:FAMAS dsc06877.jpg|thumb|The French [[FAMAS]], example of a [[bullpup]] rifle]]
[[File:M4w-att.jpg|thumb|The [[M4 carbine]], a modern [[service rifle]] capable of being fired automatically. It is in service by the U.S. military and has a wide ability for customization.]]
Many firearms are "single shot": i.e., each time a cartridge is fired, the operator must manually re-cock the firearm and load another cartridge. The classic single-barreled shotgun offers a good example. A firearm that can load multiple cartridges as the firearm is re-cocked is considered a "repeating firearm" or simply a "repeater". A lever-action rifle, a pump-action shotgun, and most bolt-action rifles are good examples of repeating firearms. A firearm that automatically re-cocks and reloads the next round with each trigger-pull is considered a semi-automatic or autoloading firearm.

The first "rapid firing" firearms were usually similar to the 19th-century [[Gatling gun]], which would fire cartridges from a magazine as fast as and as long as the operator turned a crank. Eventually, the "rapid" firing mechanism was perfected and miniaturized to the extent that either the recoil of the firearm or the gas pressure from firing could be used to operate it, thus the operator needed only to pull a trigger—this made the firing mechanisms truly "automatic". An [[Automatic firearm|automatic]] (or "fully automatic") firearm automatically re-cocks, reloads, and fires as long as the trigger is depressed. An automatic firearm is capable of firing multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger. The [[Gatling gun]] may have been the first automatic weapon, though the modern trigger-actuated machine gun was not widely introduced until the [[World War I|First World War]] (1914–1918) with the German [[MG 08|"Spandau"]] (adopted in 1908) and the British [[Lewis gun]] (in service from 1914). Automatic rifles such as the [[M1918 Browning automatic rifle|Browning automatic rifle]] were in common use by the military during the early part of the 20th century, and automatic rifles that fired handgun rounds, known as submachine guns, also appeared at this time. Many modern military firearms have a [[selective fire]] option, which is a mechanical switch that allows the firearm to be fired either in the semi-automatic or fully automatic mode. In the current M16A2 and M16A4 variants of the U.S.-made [[M16 rifle|M16]], continuous fully-automatic fire is not possible, having been replaced by an automatic burst of three cartridges (this conserves ammunition and increases controllability).

==Health hazards==
{{See also|Gunshot wound|Gun safety}}

Firearm hazard is quite notable, with a significant impact on the health system. In 2001, for quantification purposes, it was estimated that the cost of fatalities and injuries was US$4700&nbsp;million per year in Canada (US$170 per Canadian) and US$100,000&nbsp;million per year in the U.S. (US$300 per American).<ref name="who2001" />

===Death===
[[File:Gun-related death rates in high-income countries, 2010.svg|thumb|Gun-related homicide and suicide ''rates'' in high-income [[OECD]] countries, 2010, ordered by total death rates (homicide plus suicide plus other gun-related deaths)<ref name=AJM201603>{{cite journal |last1=Grinshteyn |first1=Erin |last2=Hemenway |first2=David |title=Violent Death Rates: The US Compared with Other High-income OECD Countries, 2010 |journal=[[The American Journal of Medicine]] |date=March 2016 |volume=129 |issue=3 |pages=266–273 |doi=10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.10.025 |pmid=26551975 |doi-access=free }} ([https://archive.today/20180901041428/https://www.webcitation.org/726BRzNvK?url=https://www.amjmed.com/action/showFullTableImage?isHtml=true&tableId=tbl4&pii=S000293431501030X Table 4]). ([https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(15)01030-X/pdf PDF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202104515/https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(15)01030-X/pdf |date=2019-02-02 }}).</ref>]]
From 1990 to 2015, global deaths from assault by firearm rose from 128,000 to 173,000,<ref name="GBD2015">{{cite journal|last1=Wang|first1=Haidong|last2=Naghavi|first2=MohsenA|title=Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015|journal=The Lancet|date=October 2016|volume=388|issue=10053|pages=1459–1544|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31012-1|pmid=27733281|pmc=5388903}}</ref><ref name="GDB2013">{{cite journal|last1=GBD 2013 Mortality and Causes of Death|first1=((Collaborators))|title=Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.|journal=Lancet|volume=385|issue=9963|pages=117–71|date=17 December 2014|pmid=25530442|pmc=4340604|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61682-2}}</ref> however this represents a drop in rate from 2.41/100,000 to 2.35/100,000, as world population has increased by more than two billion.<ref name="WPP2015total">{{cite web|title=World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision|url=http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/DVD/Files/1_Indicators%20(Standard)/EXCEL_FILES/1_Population/WPP2015_POP_F01_1_TOTAL_POPULATION_BOTH_SEXES.XLS|publisher=UN Population Division|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222125602/http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/DVD/Files/1_Indicators%20(Standard)/EXCEL_FILES/1_Population/WPP2015_POP_F01_1_TOTAL_POPULATION_BOTH_SEXES.XLS|archive-date=December 22, 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=January 10, 2019}}. Linked to at [https://web.archive.org/web/20151225073428/http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/ Download Files], where it states that the figures are for July 1 of the given year.</ref>

In 2017, there were 39,773 gun-related deaths in the United States; over 60% were suicides from firearms.<ref>{{cite web |title=Firearms |url=https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/guns/ |website=Injury Facts |access-date=31 January 2019 |archive-date=1 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201014125/https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/home-and-community/safety-topics/guns/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2001, firearms were involved in cases constituting the second leading cause of "mechanism of injury deaths" (which are deaths which occur as a direct, identifiable, and immediate consequence of an event, such as a shooting or poisoning, and do not include deaths due to "natural causes" or "indirect causes" such as chronic alcohol abuse or tobacco use) after [[Transportation safety in the United States|motor vehicle accidents]], which comprised the majority of deaths in this category.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[National Vital Statistics System]] |date=June 2, 2004 |volume=52 |number=21 |pages=1–86 |title=Deaths: injuries, 2001 |last1=Anderson |first1=RN |last2=Miniño |first2=AM |last3=Fingerhut |first3=LA |last4=Warner |first4=M |last5=Heinen |first5=MA |pmid=15222463}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[National Vital Statistics System]] |date=January 31, 2006 |volume=54 |number=10 |pages=1–124 |title=Deaths: injuries, 2002 |last2=Anderson |first2=RN |last1=Miniño |first1=AM |last3=Fingerhut |first3=LA |last5=Warner |first5=M |last4=Boudreault |first4=MA |pmid=16485447}}</ref> The most recent, complete data, from 2017, shows gunshot related homicides as having been the 31st most common cause of death in the US, while gunshot related suicides was the 21st most common cause of death. Accidental discharge of a firearm accounted for the 59th most common cause of death, with 486 deaths in 2017, while 616 individuals were killed by law enforcement, comprising the 58th most common cause of death. The total number of deaths related to firearms in 2017 was 38,882 (not including incidents of deaths resulting from lethal force when used by law enforcement), while the most common cause of death, heart disease, claimed 647,457 lives, over sixteen times that of firearms, including suicides. The most recent data from the CDC, from 2020, shows that deaths involving firearms accounted for about 0.2% of all deaths nationwide in 2020, of which about two-thirds were suicides.<ref>{{cite web|title=Death index: Top 59 ways Americans die|publisher=CBS News|first=Jessica|last=Learish|date=March 31, 2021|access-date=April 3, 2022|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/death-index-top-50-ways-americans-die/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=FastStats - Deaths and Mortality|date=13 January 2022|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm|publisher=CDC|accessdate=April 3, 2022}}</ref>

In the 52 high- and middle-income countries, with a combined population of 1,400&nbsp;million and not engaged in civil conflict, fatalities due to firearm injuries were estimated at 115,000 people per annum, in the 1990s.<ref name="who2001">{{Cite web |date=July 9–20, 2001 |title=Small Arms and Global Health |url=http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/66838/WHO_NMH_VIP_01.1.pdf;jsessionid=D97C161DECB72535C8C8CA1E25F94CD8?sequence=1 |access-date=February 8, 2023 |website=World Health Organization}}</ref>
{{image frame
|content={{Chart|definition=Firearm deaths in a one-year period in 52 countries, mid-1990s.chart|data=Firearm deaths in a one-year period in 52 countries, mid-1990s.tab|Width=100}}
|caption=Fatalities in 52 countries, mid-1990s<ref name="who2001" />
|border=no
}}

In those 52 countries, a firearm is the first method used for homicide (two-thirds) but only the second method for suicide (20%.<ref name="who2001" />

To prevent unintentional injury, gun safety training includes education on proper firearm storage and firearm-handling etiquette.<ref>{{cite web|last1=United States Government Accountability Office|title=Personal Firearms Programs that Promote Safe Storage and Research on Their Effectiveness|date=September 2017|url=https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/687239.pdf|journal=|access-date=2018-04-01|archive-date=2018-04-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413053409/https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/687239.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Aero Precision|title=Gun Safety and Instruction Manual|url=https://aeroprecisionusa.com/media/file_mgr/Aero-Precision-Gun-Safety-and-Instruction-Manual.pdf|access-date=2018-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401213431/https://aeroprecisionusa.com/media/file_mgr/Aero-Precision-Gun-Safety-and-Instruction-Manual.pdf|archive-date=2018-04-01|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Injury===
Based on US data, it is estimated that three people are injured for one killed.<ref name="who2001" />

A 2017 study found that attacks account for more than half (50.2%) of all nonfatal gun injuries, while unintentional injuries make up more than one-third (36.7%).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Unintentional Shootings |url=https://efsgv.org/learn/type-of-gun-violence/unintentional-shootings/ |access-date=2023-12-08 |website=The Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208032636/https://efsgv.org/learn/type-of-gun-violence/unintentional-shootings/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Noise===
A common hazard of repeated firearm use is [[noise-induced hearing loss]] (NIHL). NIHL can result from long-term exposure to noise or from high intensity impact noises such as gunshots.<ref name="NIDCD-2015">{{cite web|url=https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss|title=Noise-Induced Hearing Loss|date=2015-08-18|website=NIDCD|language=en|access-date=2019-10-15|archive-date=2020-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200414132329/https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Healthy Hearing-2007">{{cite web|url=https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/7904-Shooting-sports-and-hearing|title=Gunshots and hearing loss -- why hearing protection is vital|date=2007-12-10|website=Healthy Hearing|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-15|archive-date=2019-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015213754/https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/7904-Shooting-sports-and-hearing|url-status=live}}</ref> Individuals who shoot guns often have a characteristic pattern of hearing loss referred to as "shooter's ear". They often have a high-frequency loss with better hearing in the low frequencies and one ear is typically worse than the other. The ear on the side the shooter is holding the gun will receive protection from the sound wave from the shoulder while the other ear remains unprotected and more susceptible to the full impact of the sound wave.<ref name="Healthy Hearing-2007" /><ref name="ASLHA-2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Recreational-Firearm-Noise-Exposure/|title=Recreational Firearm Noise Exposure|website=American Speech-Language-Hearing Association|language=en|access-date=2019-10-15|archive-date=2019-09-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904130921/https://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Recreational-Firearm-Noise-Exposure/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The intensity of a gunshot does vary; lower caliber guns are typically on the softer side while higher caliber guns are often louder. The intensity of a gunshot though typically ranges from 140&nbsp;dB to 175&nbsp;dB. Indoor shooting also causes loud reverberations which can also be as damaging as the actual gunshot itself.<ref name="Healthy Hearing-2007" /><ref name="ASLHA-2019" /> According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, noise above 85&nbsp;dB can begin to cause hearing loss.<ref name="NIDCD-2015" /> While many sounds cause damage over time, at the intensity level of a gunshot (140&nbsp;dB or louder), damage to the ear can occur instantly.<ref name="NIDCD-2015" /><ref name="ASLHA-2019" />

Shooters use custom hearing protection such as electronic type hearing protection for hunters which can amplify soft sounds like leaves crunching while reducing the intensity of the gunshot and custom hearing protection for skeet shooting.<ref name="Healthy Hearing-2007" /><ref name="ASLHA-2019" />

Even with hearing protection, due to the high intensity of the noise guns produce shooters still develop hearing loss over time.<ref name="Healthy Hearing-2007" />

==Legal definitions==
Firearms include a variety of ranged weapons and there is no agreed-upon definition. For instance, English language laws of big legal entities such as the United States, India, the European Union and Canada use different definitions. Other English language definitions are provided by international treaties.

===United States===
In the [[United States]], under 26 USC § 5845 (a), the term "firearm" means

{{blockquote| {{plainlist|
* (1)  a shotgun having a  barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length; 
* (2) a weapon made from a shotgun if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 18 inches in length; 
* (3) a rifle having a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length; 
* (4) a weapon made from a rifle if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length;
* (5) any other weapon, as defined in subsection (e); 
* (6) a machinegun; 
* (7) any silencer (as defined in section 921 of title 18, United States Code); <br /> The term "firearm" shall not include an antique firearm or any device (other than a machinegun or destructive device) which, although designed as a  weapon, the Secretary finds by reason of the date of its manufacture, value, design, and other characteristics is primarily a collector's item and is not likely to be used as a weapon.}}}}

This is the ATF definition of a [[Title II weapons|title II]] "NFA firearm", as defined by the [[National Firearms Act]], and not the definition of a title I firearm, which includes firearms not restricted by the NFA. ATF forms dealing with Title II weapons all state the above-mentioned information, however, the above information is only applicable for the purposes of those forms. For practical purposes, a firearm, in the U.S., is defined as the part of a weapon- designed to use expanded gas caused by the combustion of explosive material, to propel a projectile- which houses the fire control group (trigger & sear).

According to the U.S. [[Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives]], if gas pressurization is achieved through ''mechanical'' [[gas compression]] rather than through chemical propellant combustion, then the device is technically an [[air gun]], not a firearm.<ref name=atfairgun>[http://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/firearms-technology.html#air-gun-regulation US Federal Govt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503044932/https://www.atf.gov/firearms/faq/firearms-technology.html#air-gun-regulation |date=2015-05-03 }} does not consider an air gun to be a firearm and does not regulate airguns as firearms</ref>

===India===
In India, the arms act, 1959, provides a definition of firearms where "firearms" means arms of any description designed or adapted to discharge a projectile or projectiles of any kind by the action of any explosive or other forms of energy, and includes:{{blockquote|{{plainlist|

* (i) artillery, hand-grenades, riot-pistols or weapons of any kind designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas, or other such thing,
* (ii) accessories for any such firearm designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by the firing thereof,
* (iii) parts of, and machinery for manufacturing, fire-arms, and
* (iv) carriages, platforms, and appliances for mounting, transporting and serving artillery;}}}}

===European Union===
In the European Union, a [[European Directive]] amended by EU directive 2017/853 set minimum standards regarding civilian firearms acquisition and possession that EU member states must implement into their national legal systems. In this context, since 2017, firearms are considered as "any portable barrelled weapon that expels, is designed to expel or may be converted to expel a shot, bullet or projectile by the action of a combustible propellant".<ref>{{cite web|author= European Parliament and the Council|date=21 May 2008|title=DIRECTIVE 2008/51/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 May 2008 amending Council Directive 91/477/EEC on control of the acquisition and possession of weapons|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32008L0051|access-date=7 March 2020|archive-date=4 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804145404/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32008L0051|url-status=live}}</ref> For legal reasons, objects can be considered a firearm if they have the appearance of a firearm or are made in a way that makes it possible to convert them to a firearm. Member states may be allowed to exclude from their gun control law items such as antique weapons, or specific purposes items that can only be used for that sole purpose.

===United Kingdom===
In the UK, a firearm does not have to use a combustible propellant, as explained by [https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/firearms Crown Prosecution Service Guidance Firearms] The Firearms Act 1968 Section 57(1B), uses the definition of a firearm as a "lethal barrelled weapon" as a "barrelled weapon of any description from which a shot, bullet or other missile, with kinetic energy of more than one joule as measured at the muzzle of the weapon, can be discharged". As such, low-energy air rifles and pistols also fall under UK firearm legislation, although the licensing requirements of low-energy weapons are more relaxed.

===Canada===
In Canada, firearms are defined by the Criminal Code:

{{blockquote|firearm means a barrelled weapon from which any shot, bullet, or other projectile can be discharged and that is capable of causing serious bodily injury or death to a person, and includes any frame or receiver of such a barrelled weapon and anything that can be adapted for use as a firearm; (arme à feu)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-1.html|title=Consolidated federal laws of Canada, Criminal Code|date=6 May 2021|access-date=7 March 2020|archive-date=22 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222142419/https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-1.html|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

===Australia===
Australia has a definition of firearms in its 1996 legal act:

{{blockquote|"firearm" means any device, whether or not assembled or in parts —
* (a)     which is designed or adapted, or is capable of being modified, to discharge shot or a bullet or other missile by the expansion of gases produced in the device by the ignition of strongly combustible materials or by compressed air or other gases, whether stored in the device in pressurised containers or produced in the device by mechanical means; and
* (b)     whether or not operable or complete or temporarily or permanently inoperable or incomplete
— and which is not —
* (c)     an industrial tool powered by cartridges containing gunpowder or compressed air or other gases which is designed and intended for use for fixing fasteners or plugs or for similar purposes; or
* (d)     a captive bolt humane killer; or
* (e)     a spear gun designed for underwater use; or
* (f)     a device designed for the discharge of signal flares; or
* (h)     a device commonly known as a kiln gun or ringblaster, designed specifically for knocking out or down solid material in kilns, furnaces or cement silos; or
* (i)     a device commonly known as a line thrower designed for establishing lines between structures or natural features and powered by compressed air to other compressed gases and used for rescue purposes, rescue training or rescue demonstration; or
* (j)     a device of a prescribed class;<ref name="www5.austlii.edu.au" />
}}

===South Africa===
In South Africa, Firearms Control Act [No. 60 of 2000] defines firearms since June 2001, with a 2006 amendment of the definition:

{{blockquote|'firearm' means any-
* (a) device manufactured or designed to propel a bullet or projectile through a barrel or cylinder by means of burning propellant, at a muzzle energy exceeding 8 joules (6 ft-lbs);
* (b) device manufactured or designed to discharge rim-fire, centre-fire or pin-fire ammunition;
* (c) device which is not at the time capable of discharging any bullet or projectile, but which can be readily altered to be a firearm within the meaning of paragraph (a) or (b);
* (d) device manufactured to discharge a bullet or any other projectile of a calibre of 5.6 mm (.22 calibre) or higher at a muzzle energy of more than 8 joules (6 ft-lbs), by means of compressed gas and not by means of burning propellant; or [Para. (d) substituted by s. 1 (b) of Act 43 of 2003.]
* (e) barrel, frame or receiver of a device referred to in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) or (d), but does not include a muzzle loading firearm or any device contemplated in section 5;<ref name="act60of2000">{{cite web |url=https://www.saps.gov.za/resource_centre/acts/downloads/juta/act60of2000.pdf |title=Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 |website=South African Police Service |access-date=2020-03-07 |archive-date=2020-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612093412/https://www.saps.gov.za/resource_centre/acts/downloads/juta/act60of2000.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

===International treaties===
An inter-American convention defines firearms as:

{{blockquote|
* any barreled weapon which will or is designed to or may be readily converted to expel a bullet or projectile by the action of an explosive, except antique firearms manufactured before the 20th Century or their replicas; or
* any other weapon or destructive device such as any explosive, incendiary or gas bomb, grenade, rocket, rocket launcher, missile, missile system, or mine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/Cifta_Convention_text.htm|title=Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials|access-date=2020-03-07|archive-date=2020-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201001023/https://fas.org/asmp/campaigns/smallarms/Cifta_Convention_text.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

An [[Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms|international UN protocol on firearms]] considers that

{{blockquote|"Firearm" shall mean any portable barrelled weapon that expels, is designed to expel or may be readily converted to expel a shot, bullet or projectile by the action of an explosive, excluding antique firearms or their replicas. Antique firearms and their replicas shall be defined in accordance with domestic law. In no case, however, shall antique firearms include firearms manufactured after 1899<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/doc/source/RecentTexts/18-12_c_E.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2020-03-07 |archive-date=2020-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027154039/https://treaties.un.org/doc/source/RecentTexts/18-12_c_E.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

==See also==
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
; Firearm science and technology
* [[Ballistics]] ([[Internal ballistics]], [[Transitional ballistics]], [[External ballistics]], [[Terminal ballistics]])
* [[Electrothermal-chemical technology]]
* [[Firearm action]]
* [[Glossary of firearms terms]]
* [[Gunsmith]]
* [[Physics of firearms]]
* [[Vertical forward grip]]
* [[Precision-guided firearm]]

; Firearms and society
* [[Air travel with firearms and ammunition]]
* [[Celebratory gunfire]]
* [[Firearms law]] and [[Gun politics]]
* [[Firearms ownership]]
* [[Gun control]], [[Small arms trade]] and [[Right to keep and bear arms]]
* [[Gun serial number]]
* [[Gun violence]]
* [[Index of gun politics articles]]
* [[Open carry in the United States|Open carry]] and [[Concealed carry]]
* [[Overview of gun laws by nation]]
* [[Saturday night special]]
* [[Shooting range]]
* [[Shooting sport]]
* [[List of firearms]]
* [[List of aircraft weapons]]
* [[List of battle rifles]]
* [[List of World War II infantry weapons]]
* [[List of firearm brands]]
* [[List of infantry weapons of World War I]]
* [[List of pistols]]
* [[List of secondary and special-issue World War II infantry weapons]]
* [[List of shotguns]]
* [[List of sniper rifles]]
* [[List of submachine guns]]
* [[List of weapons of military aircraft of Germany during World War II]]

; Firearms organizations
* [[List of shooting sports organizations]]
* [[World Forum on Shooting Activities]]
* [[International Biathlon Union]]
* [[International Shooting Sport Federation]]
* [[Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation of the EU]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book|author1-link=Tonio Andrade |last=Andrade |first=Tonio |year=2016 |title=The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-13597-7}}.
* {{cite book|title = Firearms: A Global History to 1700|last = Chase|first = Kenneth|publisher = Cambridge University Press|year = 2003|isbn = 978-0-521-82274-9}}
* {{cite book|title=Association of Firearm Instructors Glossary of Firearm Terms: 2017–2018 Edition|last=Cole|first=Suzanne N.|publisher=The Association of Firearm Instructors|year=2017|isbn=978-0-9982150-3-7|location=United States}}
* {{cite book|title = Throwing Fire: Projectile Technology Through History|last = Crosby|first = Alfred W.|publisher = Cambridge University Press|year = 2002|isbn = 978-0-521-79158-8}}
* {{cite book|title = Science & Civilisation in China|last = Needham|first = Joseph|publisher = Cambridge University Press|year = 1986|isbn =978-0-521-30358-3|volume =7 ''The Gunpowder Epic''|author-link = Joseph Needham}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Firearms}}

{{Weapons}}
{{Early firearms}}
{{Firearm accessories mounting standards|state=collapsed}}
{{Firearms}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Firearms| ]]
[[Category:Chinese inventions]]
[[Category:Gunpowder]]
[[Category:Projectile weapons]]