Automatic firearm

An automatic firearm is a firearm that will continue to load and fire ammunition as long as the trigger (or other activating device) is pressed or until it runs out of ammunition.

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The M2 machine gun, the M60 machine gun and the M134 Minigun are examples of full-automatic weapons, as are the autocannon mounted on many military aircraft and used in other applications such as anti-aircraft defense.

Related Topics:
M2 machine gun - M60 machine gun - Minigun - Autocannon - Anti-aircraft

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Although automatic firearms (by definition) are capable of full-automatic fire, most also have a selective fire capability, meaning that they can be used as a semi-automatic firearm generally by manipulating a selector switch (as with the M16), or by pressing the trigger further to the rear, as with the Steyr AUG assault rifle.

Related Topics:
Selective fire - Semi-automatic firearm - M16 - Steyr AUG - Assault rifle

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So-called "automatic" pistols, however, are actually semi-automatic in operation, firing a single shot for each trigger press, automatically ejecting the spent cartridge and loading a fresh one into the chamber. Though they are correctly referred to as "automatic pistols", the nature of their action is, in fact, semi-automatic and that distinction is necessary for description in the popular press.

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Full-automatic weapons tend to be restricted to military and police personnel in most developed countries. In the United States, they have been off the public market since the Gun Owners Protection Act of 1986. See gun control.

Related Topics:
United States - Gun Owners Protection Act - 1986 - Gun control

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