In firearms terminology, an action is the functional mechanism of a breech-loading firearm that handles the ammunition cartridges, or the method by which that mechanism works. Actions are technically not present on muzzleloaders, as all those are single-shot firearms with a closed off breech with the powder and projectile manually loaded from the muzzle. Instead, the muzzleloader ignition mechanism is referred to as the lock.
A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun (pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actually discharge the following shot. As a result, only one round of ammunition is fired each time the trigger is pulled, as the pistol's fire control group disconnects the trigger mechanism from the firing pin/striker until the trigger has been released and reset.
The .380 ACP (9×17mm) is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Moses Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case. It was introduced in 1908 by Colt, for use in its new Colt Model 1908 pocket hammerless semi-automatic, and has been a popular self-defense cartridge ever since, seeing wide use in numerous handguns. Other names for .380 ACP include .380 Auto, 9×17mm, 9mm Browning, 9mm Corto, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Short, and 9mm Browning Court. It should not be confused with .38 ACP. The .380 ACP cartridge is also somewhat of a misnomer, as it does not strictly conform to normal cartridge naming conventions that are named after the diameter of the bullet. By standard naming conventions, the .380 ACP should be called a .355 ACP, as the bullet in the cartridge is .355 inches in diameter.
The Makarov pistol or PM is a Soviet semi-automatic pistol. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it became the Soviet Union's standard military and police side arm in 1951.
Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gas created by the ignition of the propellant charge.
The USP is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) of Oberndorf am Neckar as a replacement for the P7 series of handguns.
L. W. Seecamp Co. was a manufacturer of handmade pocket pistols located in Milford, Connecticut from 1981 to 2014. In 2014, the company announced that Whalley Precision would take over production of the pistols.
Hi-Point Firearms, also known as Strassell's Machine, Inc, is an American firearms manufacturer based in Mansfield, Ohio. All of their firearms are manufactured in several different locations in Ohio.
A bolt is the part of a repeating, breechloading firearm that blocks the rear opening (breech) of the barrel chamber while the propellant burns, and moves back and forward to facilitate loading/unloading of cartridges from the magazine. The firing pin and extractor are often integral parts of the bolt. The terms "breechblock" and "bolt" are often used interchangeably or without a clear distinction, though usually, a bolt is a type of breechblock that has a nominally circular cross-section.
The Taurus PT 24/7 is a semi-automatic pistol using the short type of recoil operation, and available in various models with double-action-only (DAO) and double action/single-action-type trigger actions. Using a hammerless, striker-fired design, these pistols are manufactured by Forjas Taurus S/A in Porto Alegre Brazil and distributed in the United States by their subsidiary Taurus USA. The 24/7 product line was designed for the civilian concealed carry firearms market, and as backup weapons for law enforcement officers.
Locked breech is the design of a breech-reloading firearm's action. This is important in understanding how a self-reloading firearm works. In the simplest terms, the locked breech is one way to slow down the opening of the breech of a self-reloading firearm when fired. The source of power for the movement is recoil.
The Hi-Point Model C-9 is a polymer-framed, semi-automatic, blowback-operated pistol manufactured by Hi-Point Firearms. It is chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum and is rated to accept +P ammunition. It became well known for its low retail price of under $200. An improved model, the YC9, was originally expected for release by late 2019, but it is still not available as of 2021.
The Hi-Point Model JCP is a blowback operated semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .40 S&W round.
Glock is a brand of polymer-framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was the top performer in reliability and safety tests.
The Tanfoglio Combat or Standard, also known as T(A)95 or EAA Witness Steel, is a modified clone of the Czech CZ-75/CZ-85 pistol. It is made in Gardone Val Trompia near Brescia, Italy by Fratelli Tanfoglio S.N.C..
Recoil operation is an operating mechanism used to implement locked breech, autoloading firearms. Recoil operated firearms use the energy of recoil to cycle the action.
The Walther PPQ is a semi-automatic pistol developed by the German company Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen of Ulm for law enforcement, security forces and the civilian shooting market as a development of the Walther P99. It is available in 9×19mm Parabellum, 9×21mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP chamberings.
The Remington R51 is a semi-automatic pistol announced in late 2013 and was available to the market in January 2014. The R51 is a modernized version of the John Pedersen-designed Remington Model 51 pistol now chambered in 9×19mm caliber. Remington announced plans to offer the pistol in .40 S&W and other calibers. However, no other chamberings were offered by the time of Remington's bankruptcy in 2018.
The Hi-Point Model CF-380 is a polymer-framed, semi-automatic, blowback-operated pistol manufactured by Hi-Point Firearms. It is chambered in .380 ACP.
The Bersa Thunder 32 is a lightweight, relatively small semi-automatic pistol chambered in .32 ACP caliber made by Argentine firearms manufacturer Bersa, S.A.
