Other Definitions
handgun (dict)
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HandgunA handgun is a firearm that is primarily fired from a hand-held position. In contrast, rifles and shotguns are intended to be partially supported by the shoulder. Handguns are typically divided into two primary classes; pistols and revolvers. The distinction between these classes is made based on whether the chamber is integral to the barrel (as in a pistol) or is a separate assembly (as in a revolver). The earliest known use of the word handgun is in 1386 in when the English Ralph Hatton is recorded as sending three of them to the Chamberlain of Berwick. See also
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