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A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand. While most shooters use their off hand to brace the weapon when firing, the defining characteristic of handguns remains their ability to be operated with a single hand.

The two most common classifications among handguns are pistols and revolvers. Pistols are easily distinguished because its chamber is integral with the barrel. Revolvers feature rotating chambers that lets the shooter fire multiple shots without having to reload. Popular classifications of pistols include semi-automatic and single-shot. Single-shot pistols date back to 1365. Today's single-shot pistols are powerful enough to kill all game, elephants included. Other types of handguns include machine pistols and multi-barreled pistols.

Handguns are smaller, lighter, and easier to carry than long guns such as rifles and shotguns. Handguns also typically fit into a holster and can therefore be concealed with ease.