- 01: Introduction
- 02: History
- 03: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development
- 04: Modern Firearms Manufacture
- 05: Small Arms Ammunition
- 06: Evidence Handling Procedures
- 07: Equipment and Instrumentation
- 08: Examination of Firearms
- 09: Cartridge and Shotshell Examination
- 10: Characterization and Evaluation of Fired Projectiles
- 11: Bullet Comparison and Identification
- 12: Gunshot Residue and Distance Determination
- 13: Toolmark Identification
- 14: Communicating Results
- Resources
Autoloading - Semiautomatic Pistols
Home > Examination of Firearms > Handguns > Autoloading - Semiautomatic Pistols
Colt 1911A1
Semiautomatic pistols are typically magazine-fed repeating firearms that require a separate pull of the trigger to fire each shot. The energy of discharge performs some of the firing cycle functions such as extraction, ejection, cocking, and loading.
Colt 1911 magazine
These pistols are magazine fed; a box type magazine is loaded with cartridges and placed into the magazine well, which is usually located in the pistol grip. Magazines are generally single or double stacked. The double-stacked type can hold a larger number of cartridges.
With the magazine in place, the slide is pulled to the rear and released.
Double-stack magazine
This action
- cocks the firearm,
- strips a cartridge from the magazine,
- inserts the cartridge into the chamber,
- locks the breech.
Most semiautomatic pistols have one of three major actions:
- Blowback
- Recoil
- Gas
There are other variations of these basic semiautomatic systems, such as retarded or delayed blowback. This module covers the three major actions.
