Firearms

Break

• Each shot is loaded by hand
• The spent case is ejected by breaking the action open
• It is loaded only when ready to be fired
• The half-cock position may be unreliable

Revolver

• Rotating cylinders hold cartridges ready to fire
• The cylinder is both magazine & chamber
• The rotating cylinder aligns each cartridge with the barrel
• Modern revolvers are either single action or double action

Semi-automatic

• Operates same as shotguns & rifles
• Most have a detachable magazine
• Cartridges are pressed into the magazine, the magazine is pushed into the bottom of the grip frame
• Semi-automatics feature an action which ejects the spent round, & chambers the next one
• Many semi-automatics have an internal hammer
• Some have a "thumb safety"

Bolt

• Operates like rifles or shotguns
• Each round is loaded by hand
• Spent case is ejected by pulling bolt back