Handguns are traditionally regarded as close range weapons, intended for either offensive or defensive use by military, para-military, and police forces, but are also popular among sportsment for competitions and, in some cases, for game shooting. They are designed to be carried in a holster and fired using one hand only.This book shows the reader over 500 handguns of all types from the early flintlocks of the revolutionary period, the percussion cap pistols and revolvers of the Civil War, the famous six shooters of the Wild West, the automatics of two World Wars, to the present day with “tactical/practical” guns made of plastic and lightweight alloy.Each entry has a clear color photograph of the gun together with a description and a technical specification. It is arranged alphabetically within five historical periods: Historic, Civil War, The Frontier, Two World Wars, and Modern.