Gun 11650 215389336 2008-05-27T23:47:59Z Tc2011 6834970 /* Terminology */ Though a "gun" may be a type of "weapon," the two are not synonymous, {{Cleanup|date=April 2008}} {{Otheruses4|the projectile weapon}} A '''gun''' is any of several types of object that propels another object or [[projectile]]. The projectile is generally fired through a hollow tube known as the gun's [[gun barrel|barrel]]. The barrel's diameter, or [[caliber]], determines the size of projectile used, which is usually designated in fractions of an [[inch]] or in [[millimeter]]s. Differing from the [[musket]], most modern guns are [[Rifling|rifled]], with a series of grooves spiraling along the barrel; exceptions include [[smoothbore]]s on [[tanks]], [[Armoured fighting vehicle|AFV]]s and some [[artillery]]. [[Image:Uss iowa bb-61 pr.jpg|250px|right|thumb|[[USS Iowa (BB-61)]] fires a full broadside during a target exercise near [[Vieques, Puerto Rico|Vieques Island, Puerto Rico]], 1 July 1984.]] ==Terminology== The term "gun" is often used synonymously with "[[firearm]]," but this is common only for civilian usage. In military usage, the term "gun" refers to heavy and light [[artillery]] that fires projectiles at high velocity, such as [[naval artillery|naval guns]] (which are never referred to as [[cannon]]s) or [[tank gun]]s. By military terms, [[mortar (weapon)|mortar]]s and all hand-held firearms are excluded from the definition of guns.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} Two exceptions to this include: the [[shotgun]], which is a [[smoothbore]] hand-held gun that fires a load of [[lead shot|shot]] or a single projectile known as a slug, and the [[machine gun]], which is a fully-automatic weapon mounted on a tripod or bipod and is almost always operated by a crew. The word "gun" is also applied to some more or less vaguely gun-like or gun-shaped [[tool]]s such as [[staple gun]]s, [[nail gun]]s, and [[glue gun]]s. In a '''[[gun-type fission weapon]]''' the "gun" is part of a [[nuclear weapon]]. The projectile is [[fissile material]] that is fired and captured inside the device. In the case of [[nuclear artillery]], it should not be confused with the gun that fires the whole warhead. In a '''[[Captive bolt pistol|captive bolt gun]]''' the projectile is also caught within the mechanism. Such captive piston guns are often used to humanely stun farm animals for slaughter.<ref>[http://new.wales.gov.uk/docrepos/40382/4038231121/403824/567187/captivebolt_e.pdf?lang=en Captive Bolt Stunning Equipment and the Law - How it applies to you] (pdf)</ref> A gunner is a member of the team charged with the task of operating and firing a gun. ==History and technology== {{Expand-section|date=April 2008}} * [[Gunpowder warfare]] * [[Electronic firing]] * [[Firearm action]]s ==Types of guns== [[Image:Colt Python.JPG|thumb|250px|[[Colt Python]] .357 Magnum revolver]] [[Image:Marlin1894C.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Marlin Model 1894]]C &mdash; a carbine in .357 Magnum]] ===Military and sporting guns=== *[[Artillery|Artillery gun]] **[[Carronade]] **[[Howitzer]] **[[Tank gun]] *[[Autocannon]] **[[Chain gun]] **[[Gatling gun]] **[[Minigun]] **[[Mitrailleuse]] *[[Grenade launcher]] *[[Machine Gun]] **[[General-purpose machine gun]] **[[Heavy machine gun]] **[[Light machine gun]] **[[Medium machine gun]] **[[Squad automatic weapon]] *[[Mortar (weapon)|Mortar]] *[[Recoilless rifle]] *[[Small arms]] **[[Handgun]] ***[[Captive bolt pistol]] ***[[Hand cannon]] ***[[Machine pistol]] ***[[Semi-automatic pistol|Pistol]] ****[[Howdah pistol]] ****[[Junk gun]] ****[[Mousegun]] ****[[Pocket pistol]] ***[[Revolver]] **[[Long gun]] ***[[Arquebus]] ***[[Blunderbuss]] ***[[Musket]] ****[[Musketoon]] ****[[Wall gun]] ***[[Personal defense weapon]] ***[[Rifle]] ****[[Assault rifle]] ****[[Battle rifle]] ****[[Carbine]] ****[[Elephant gun]] ****[[Express rifle]] ****[[Service rifle]] ****[[Sniper rifle]] ***[[Shotgun]] ****[[Combat shotgun]] ****[[Semi-automatic shotgun]] ***[[Submachine gun]] ***[[Tu Huo Qiang]] ===Guns for training and entertainment=== * [[Airsoft gun]] * [[BB gun]] * [[Paintball gun]] * [[Water gun]] ==Politics and society== * [[Gun culture]] * [[Gun law]] * [[Gun politics]] * [[Gun safety]] ==See also== * [[Firearm]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{wiktionary|gun}} * [http://www.FirearmSource.ca/ Canadian Firearm and Gun Information] * [http://www.gunslot.com Gun Information, Reviews and Videos] {{Technology}} [[Category:Firearms]] [[de:Schusswaffe]] [[fa:تفنگ]] [[id:Senapan]] [[cdo:Ché̤ṳng]] [[ja:銃]] [[hi:बंदूक]] [[ug:مىلتىق]] [[simple:Gun]] [[fi:Ase]] [[th:ปืน]] [[vi:Súng]] [[zh:槍械]]