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The three main types of modern firearms today are bolt-operated, semi-automatic, and automatic weapons. In a bolt-action weapon, each new round must be chambered manually, by moving the breech to eject the empty casing. In semi-automatic weapons, each pull of the trigger fires a bullet. In fully automatic weapons, bullets will be fired as long as the trigger is depressed until either the trigger is released, or the ammunition is exhausted.

The three main types of modern firearms today are bolt-operated, semi-automatic, and automatic weapons. In a bolt-action weapon, each new round must be chambered manually, by moving the breech to eject the empty casing. In semi-automatic weapons, each pull of the trigger fires a bullet. In fully automatic weapons, bullets will be fired as long as the trigger is depressed until either the trigger is released, or the ammunition is exhausted.

[[Science fiction]], such as [[Star Trek]], has postulated many different types of directed energy weapons. These are guns that fire beams, waves, or packets of energy.  Some energy guns can be set to stun, not to wound or kill.  A real-life applications of this is the [[taser]].

[[Science fiction]], such as [[Star Trek]], has postulated many different types of directed energy weapons. These are guns that fire beams, waves, or packets of energy.  Some energy guns can be set to stun, not to wound or kill.

The cultural issues surrounding guns are many and widely debated.  [[Conservative]]s generally prefer to reserve for the [[individualism|individual]] [[the right to self-defense]] through the use of guns and other weapons.  [[Liberal]]s generally prefer to delegate this right to guards, police, and the military.{{fact}}

The cultural issues surrounding guns are many and widely debated.  [[Conservative]]s generally prefer to reserve for the [[individualism|individual]] [[the right to self-defense]] through the use of guns and other weapons.  [[Liberal]]s generally prefer to delegate this right to guards, police, and the military.{{fact}}

[[Second Amendment|Guns are also a defense against a tyrannical government.]]  Theoretically, if a person has the power to take the life of another, other people will not perpetrate criminal offenses against them.  In practice, few existing civilian militias are strong enough to withstand sustained warfare by a government's army.  Also, countries with high rates of gun ownership, such as present-day [[Iraq]] or many countries in sub-Sharana [[Africa]], are not guaranteed to have a low crime rate.

[[Second Amendment|Guns are also a defense against a tyrannical government.]]  Theoretically, if a person has the power to take the life of another, other people will not perpetrate criminal offenses against them.  In practice, few existing civilian militias are strong enough to withstand sustained warfare by a government's army.  Also, countries with high rates of gun ownership, such as present-day [[Iraq]] or many countries in sub-Sharana [[Africa]], are not guaranteed to have a low crime rate.

==See also==

==See also==