Handguns for sale
A handgun is a firearm with a short barrel that can be fired using only one hand.
[1]
It’s different from a rifle, shotgun, machine gun, etc., which requires both hands and a shoulder brace for proper use.
Though derringers and machine pistols are still occasionally used, revolvers and semi-automatic pistols have largely replaced them as the most popular types of handguns in modern times.
Before handguns were mass produced commercially, they were often seen as a symbol of authority, much like a ceremonial sword.
Due to their high cost and limited utility, only the wealthy few of the time could afford to carry handguns.
The saying “God created men, but Colt made them equal” originated after Samuel Colt patented the Colt Paterson, the first practical mass-produced revolver, in 1836. The Colt Paterson could fire five shots in rapid succession and quickly became a popular defensive weapon.
[2]
[3]
To this day, handguns are still primarily used as sidearms by law enforcement and military personnel across the globe.
Still, in the United States and a few other nations, handguns are easily accessible to the general public and are routinely carried by citizens for self-defense.