Gun
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
A gun is a machine used to shoot bullets. Guns are also called "firearms". They can be of many different sizes: small enough to hold in one hand, or large enough to fire shells to sink a warship. Guns that are small enough to be carried and used by one person all have the same basic parts: a trigger, a barrel, and a handle. The trigger is pulled by a finger to fire the bullet. The barrel guides the bullet. The handle is held by the person to fire the gun.
In military terms, the word "firearm" is usually used for the type of weapons that soldiers carry, while the word "gun" is used for larger guns that fire at high speed. The weapons on warships and tanks are called "guns" or "turrets" if placed on a roatating base, not "firearms".
Guns are very effective weapons. They shoot bullets at a very high speed. Even though a bullet is much smaller than an arrow, it is more deadly because it is faster. The bullets are loaded into a "clip", (or bullet container). The clip has a spring which moves the bullets into place for firing. Modern guns can be loaded with a "magazine" which is a container that has bullets inside it. Some guns, called "revolvers" have a cylinder with holes that the bullets are loaded into by hand.
[change] Use of guns
Guns are designed to kill. Most of the time, guns are used to kill people. Some kinds of guns, such as hunting rifles can also be used to kill animals. A deer hunter usually kills the deer with a gun. Some people use guns for the sport of target shooting. There are many types of target-shooting competitions, including fixed targets and moving targets. Shooting is an Olympic sport.
Guns are the main weapons used by armies. In modern armies, every soldier has a gun as part of his or her equipment, and is taught to use it and keep it in good working order. Guns have been used by armies since about 900 AD when the Chinese began using cannons. Cannons were used in European armies and on battleships by 1500. Long barrelled guns called "muskets" that could be carried and used by one person were in use in China by the 1300s. They were not an important weapon in European armies until the 1600s.
Because guns are weapons that are made to kill, many countries only allow soldiers, policemen, (and in some countries, noblemen) to have them. In many countries a person must have a special permit (or license) if they want to own a gun. Depending on the gun, people need to be a certain age and may need to meet other criteria to get such a permit. In United States and other countries, people can buy guns and use them for self-defence, sport such as hunting; and practice. In some countries, such as Australia, people on farms are allowed to keep guns but it is difficult for a city person to own a gun without a good reason.
[change] Common gun types
 This is a revolver made by Smith and Weston for target-shooting, also showing the bullets. |
 This is the same gun showing the the cylinder that the bullets fit into. |
