A reliable gun must be accurate and consistent - an impressive feat considering all the internal mechanisms that combine to fire a bullet in a fraction of a second.
Designer Jacob O'Neal of Animagraffs.com has created a series of animated graphics that explain the inner-workings of a handgun. Check them out.
Jacob O'Neal/Animagraffs
Jacob O'Neal/Animagraffs
Jacob O'Neal/Animagraffs
Jacob O'Neal/Animagraffs
Jacob O'Neal/Animagraffs
Jacob O'Neal/Animagraffs
Interested in more informative GIFs? O'Neal has created similar graphics of jet and car engines.