Figure 2

Basic Anatomy of a Semi-Automatic Pistol. Semi-automatic pistols are handguns that store extra cartridges (1) in a magazine (2) usually located in the grip (3) of the gun. When the trigger (4) is pulled, the hammer (5-uncocked position) falls from its cocked position (6-phantom), strikes the firing pin (7), which impacts the cartridge in the chamber (8), and discharges the bullet out through the barrel (9). The energy from the discharge causes the slide mechanism (10) to operate, opening the breech and expelling the fired cartridge case. This allows a new cartridge to automatically enter the chamber from the magazine as the slide closes. These components are all attached to the frame (11). Pistols can be designed with many intrinsic safety features including: A. Loaded Chamber Indicator; B. Manual Thumb Safety; C. Grip Safety; D. Magazine Safety; E. Drop Safety (firing pin block); and F. Built-in Lock.