Basic Handgun Info Needed

[hollandm]

I really basic question.

Where can a read some info and discussion on various pistol/revolver designs.  What I'm talking about is terms like striker fire, cocked and loaded, single/double action etc.  At the moment I'm not interested in lots of nitty gritty about sears, extractors, ejectors, stoning triggers.... One thing in particularily that I would like to read about is a discussion on the various types of 'safeties' or lack of same with 'heavy long pull' instead.  I may not be explaining this too well.

I have a basic understanding of some of this stuff but need to put it all together.  The reason being, the family is currently shooting 10/22s and a Buck Mark pistol and there is a desire to step up to a larger caliber handgun, primarily for use in home defense.  When I take that step I'd like to be better informed than I am today. 

Any pointers will be appreciated.

[Big Frank]

I would suggest going to a library and reading all the gun magazines if you can't find articles on these topics online.

[alfsauve]

I know there are some animated videos about firearms but I can't seem to find them this morning.

This isn't exactly what your looking for but it is a helpful site.   It has a brief description of how each gun works and the variations in their models, as well as some historical info.

http://world.guns.ru

[jnevis]

Find an NRA Basic Pistol course and take it!! 
There is a discussion on mechanisms, safety, shooting stance, and ammunition.  If there isn't one available in your area try ordering the manual for it directly from the NRA.  LOTS of info.  Then if you get comfortable enough with your eventual purchase try and get the Personal Protection in the Home course.  Includes how to handle the home and what hapens if you are forced to use your weapon to defend yourself.

Like JumboFrank suggested, get a couple magazines/books and start flipping through them.  Continuous learning (written, classroom, and on the range) is the key to better shooting.

[PegLeg45]

Not everything is on this list, but it's a start.

http://www.midwayusa.com/guntecdictionary.exe/

http://www.geocities.com/johnbloodgood/Firearmdefin.html

http://firearmspositive.com/pages/firearmdef.htm

[Sponsor]

[Galeth005]

i find the best place to start is to talk to the gun dealer's themselves... course i have developed a sort of buyers relationship with my dealer and he is very compitent and doesnt really push any particular gun... all in all if u have a good dealer start there, if not... find a safety instructor and begin talking about it and take the class...  from that point on you should know enough about them to be able to ask the right questions here to get you the answers you need

[twyacht]

Hello and welcome hollandm, you have endeavored on the path of firearm knowledge,  all replies have extreme merit. Gun shows, gun ranges, gun clubs, this forum, online, libraries, all will be very helpful. If you have a range in your area that rents firearms, give them a try.  P.S. "Don't believe everything someone tells you without a second, third, fourth, opinion, and/or your own research."

At "Most Gun Shops" the staff will be more than happy to answer and explain what this one or that one does or doesn't do. Safeties are a critical aspect to any firearm.

In regards to home defense, take a course, get training, DVD's are out there also, and keep it simple. A good revolver for home defense is a great "step up".  PRACTICE all you can , BE SAFE, and enjoy a "path" you won't ever want to step off of.

[m25operator]

There are no stupid questions, You want information, you got it. Firearms terms can be decidedly vague or confusing. So I will try to explain a few of what you asked.

S/A =  Single action, the hammer must be cocked before you can give a single pull to the trigger to fire. Whether this is a revolver where you cock the hammer manually, or a semi auto, that you can cock the hammer manually or just retract the slide, or in a rifle, like an AR15, M1A, etc... pull the charging handle which cocks the hammer. The hammer is a seperate part that is brought back under spring tension, and as it is named, go's forward like a hammer and hits the firing pin.

D/A = Double action, that means you can do as above and manually cock the hammer, or just pull the trigger, through a normally long trigger stroke, and the trigger cocks the hammer for you. Also called trigger cocking.

DAO = Double action only, this is not a correct term, but used a lot. It means, Trigger cocking only, no pre-tensioned hammer.

Striker fired =  The firing pin has a spring that forces the pin against the primer, when it is pulled back and locked, and then released. Glocks, S&W M&P, Springfield XD's, etc.. use this, as well as bolt action rifles.

Floating firing pin = a firing pin that is preloaded toward the hammer with a spring, but not attached to the hammer, when hit by the hammer, it is forced against the spring hard enough to ignite the primer, New S&W revolvers use this as most rimfire revolvers, and most semi-auto pistols with a hammer.

Semi-auto = Self loading, with each pull of the trigger, a round fires and a new cartridge is loaded for a new pull of the trigger.

Cocked and locked = A loaded cartridge in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and it has an external safety that has to manipulated to put it into the fire mode, for the hammer to release and fire the cartridge.

Passive safeties = Things that will prevent the gun from firing unless in a firing grip, such as a lever on the trigger, that won't release the trigger unless a finger is on it, Glocks, M&P's and XD's use this, the XD also has a grip safety, grip safety, like on 1911's won't fire unless the pistol is in a firing grip.

Worth mentioning, a Squeeze cocker, H&k P7 or M13, a lever on the front of the grip that has to be compressed and it cocks the hammer to enable it to fire.

Like everyone else said, do some homework, the NRA absolutely has some great literature, and their courses are excellent. I hope I gave you some immediate satisfaction

[hollandm]

Thanks very much everybody also to the emails. 

What I'm having trouble with is, I think I have this right, the thinking that with a double action the trigger pull is long and heavy so there's no need for a safety.  Maybe I'm just overly cautious but this just seems like a accident waiting to happen.  I guess if it's always holstered that would be ok but I'd rather have to physically take some action, ie click the safety off, before I want the trigger to function.  I gather I'm out of line in this thinking?

My wife went to the range the other day and had fun shooting the Buck Mark but couldn't pull back the slide so I think we are heading down the path to a revolver for her.  She was dry firing a 32 revolver and the barrel was moving noticeably when she was pulling the trigger.  She didn't complain that the trigger was hard to pull but it was obvious it was more difficult than the Buck Mark.  From the looks of the barrel movement I'd say her accuracy is going to suffer compared to the Buck Mark.  Any thoughts on this?

Thanks again.

[Big Frank]

Double-action in a revolver is IMO safer than double action in auto pistols. In addition to everything else, the cylinder also has to be turned and it's more work for your trigger finger to do. That gives revolvers a trigger pull so heavy they don't need a safety. Some autos also have triggers pulls so heavy they don't need a safety, but some striker-fired pistols don't have a safety and the trigger pull isn't as heavy as a double-acrion. That makes it more dangerous to a novice, and even trained police offiers have been known to shoot themselves with Glock-type pistols.

The only automaictics I can think of right off hand where you don't have to rack the slide are Berreta and Taurus that come in small calibers like .22 and .25. The barrel tips up to load the first round directly into the chamber. They aren't much good for self-defense but any gun is better than none.  Revolvers are probably the best choice for a beguner. I fancy the Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum with a 4" barrel. Also. stainless steel guns are less prone to rust than blued guns under less than ideal conditions.