Difference between semi-auto and auto handgun?

[GoldenBear]

DF

 

[JohnnyKnoxville]

Auto loading handgun is fed from a magazine.Semi-auto means it shoots once for every pull of the trigger.Full auto means it shoots as long as you squeeze the trigger.Full auto handguns are very rare and pretty much useless.

 

[snakesnfrogs]

AUTOMATIC: A firearm that loads, fires, and ejects cartridges as long as the trigger is depressed and there are cartridges available in the feeding system (i.e. magazine or other such mechanism).


SEMI-AUTOMATIC: A firearm in which each pull of the trigger results in a complete firing cycle, from discharge through reloading. It is necessary that the trigger be released and pulled for each cycle. These firearms are also called "autoloaders" or "self-loaders."



edit: DOH---too slow

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

<< Auto loading handgun is fed from a magazine.Semi-auto means it shoots once for every pull of the trigger >>

That doesn't make sense. If I had a .45, it would be magazine-fed and still fire as fast as I could pull the trigger. Does that make it an automag or semi-auto??

 

[PliotronX]

<< That doesn't make sense. If I had a .45, it would be magazine-fed and still fire as fast as I could pull the trigger. Does that make it an automag or semi-auto?? >>



It's semi-auto, you still have to pull the trigger for each round to fire. If you could somehow modify that .45 to fire full-auto, you could simply hold the trigger down and empty the entire mag in about a second or two (I fathom the thought of the recoil on such a pistol though!)

 

[Darein]

Like an Uzi, would that be an automatic handgun? A handgun is defined as a pistol and a pistol is a small hand carried firearm, at least according to Mr. Webster.

 

[przero]

An Uzi can be adapted to be full auto or semi auto. Full auto means squeeze the trigger and hold it until all rounds in the magazine/clip are expended. Semi auto means 1 pull of the trigger fires one cartridge. you must relaes trigger and re-pull to fire another cartridge.

 

[DefRef]

The small micro-Uzi's (like in The Matrix) are considered &quot;machine pistols&quot;.

 

[sharkeeper]

Some semi auto sidearms can be modified to work as fully automatic weapons! 🙂

Cheers!

 

[SpeedTrap]

uzis are ok i like the MP5K or PDW. should see the secret service guys and there FAP's

 

[Aquaman]

I once meet a guy who competed with a fully auto 45mm (he needed lots and lots of permits for that baby). I'm not a gun owner or collector but my friend is and I used to hang out at his gun club when he was there. I thought that shooting just one shot was hard but he let me fire his fully auto .45 once and it sure is hard to aim that baby 😉

Cheers,
'Dirty' Aquaman 😉

 

[RaoulDuke]

basically it comes down to this, you can kill someone faster with an automatic.