In 2022, 16 million Americans became gun owners for the first time. These first-time buyers had no shortage of options when it came to types of guns to choose from.
If you’re considering owning a gun, it’s important to understand the different kinds and their advantages. The following guide aims to fill you in on your choices before buying a gun.
Read on to learn which gun choice is the perfect match for your needs and skill level.
Revolvers
Revolvers are handguns that typically use a cylinder to function. They’re easier to use and take care of than semi-automatic handguns. So, they’re a favorite of new owners that aren’t very familiar with maintaining parts of a gun.
But when it comes to shooting a gun, revolvers hold fewer bullets and they take longer to reload. Single-action revolvers fire after cocking the hammer manually and double-action types fire by cocking the hammer or simply pulling the trigger.
Semi-Automatic Pistols
Semi-automatic pistols are handguns that use a magazine to feed rounds. They release gas that pushes the slide back and forth to replace an old round with a new round.
You must load the pistol and pull back the slide in order to fire the initial round. After doing that, the pistol fires one round every time you pull the trigger until you’re out of ammo.
They load faster than a revolver and hold more bullets making them great for home defense. Semi-automatic pistols don’t jam often, but some gun owners prefer revolvers because they jam even less.
Bolt-Action and Lever-Action Rifles
A bolt-action rifle’s bolt is typically on the right side of the gun’s handle. The bolt gets unlocked and pulled back to open the breech and use the handle. The process removes any used cartridge before cocking the firing pin and loading a new cartridge.
Lever-action rifles have a lever located close to the trigger guard of the gun. Working the lever loads new ammo into the barrel’s chamber.
Semi-Automatic Rifles
Semi-automatic rifles use gas or recoil energy to remove used shells and load new rounds. The shooter can fire a bullet each time they pull the trigger.
They typically use rifled barrels with lengthwise grooves throughout the inside. The grooves make the bullets spin when fired, which lets them move at a higher velocity for better accuracy.
These kinds of guns work great for sport shooting, hunting, and home-defense purposes. You can add many accessories to them such as a one piece scope mount and customize several parts.
Shotguns
Shotguns fire shells filled with pellets, shots, or different kinds of slugs. They don’t have grooves inside their barrels like rifles do. The two types of shotguns available are pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns.
Pump-action shotguns need the shooter to pull back the slide and push it forward to chamber each shot. Semi-automatic shotguns utilize the energy made by the last shot to automatically remove empty shell casings and load the next round.
It’s a powerful gun option great for hunting big game or for home defense.
Choosing Types of Guns
Now that you know the main types of guns on the market and how they work, you can make a purchase with confidence. No matter which one you choose, remember that they all require proper gun safety to operate.
Check out our blog’s shopping section for more helpful product comparisons.
