
Pistols
- In StockKIMBER KDS9c 1911 9mm 4in (2) 15rd Mag Semi-Automatic Pistol (3100012)Optic Ready4" Fluted Bull BarrelG10 Grips15 Round Magazine The KDS9c from Kimber is a testament to over 4 decades of the highest level of firearms manufacturing. The KDS9c was built from the ...$1,125.99
- In StockSIG SAUER P238 Two-Tone 380 ACP 2.7in 6rd/7rd Mags Wood Grips Micro-Compact Pistol (238-380-TXR3)Micro-Compact SizeStainless Bead-Blast Slide Finish with Black Alloy FrameCheckered Rosewood Grip Panels by HogueXRAY3 Day/Night SightsCurved Single Action Only TriggerManual SafetyComes with (1) ...$699.99
- In StockTAURUS G3C .40 S&W 3.26in 3x10rd BK/SS Semi-Auto Pistol (1-G3C4039)10 RoundsAdjustable SightsRe-Strike CapabilityManual Thumb SafetyStainless Steel Slide, Black Frame The G3 continues the proven polymer-frame profile now in a full-frame configuration, with ...$273.99
- In StockCANIK METE MC9LS 9mm 3.64in 17rd Black Semi-Automatic Pistol with MeCANiK MO1 Red Dot (HG7883V-N)Two 17rd Magazines(1) Finger Extension Magazine Base PadMagazine LoaderCustom HolsterCanik Punch & Tool KitCleaning Brush and Jag Rod3- Grip BackstrapsGun Lock & ManualStorage Case Canik ...28% offClearance$529.00$731.99
- In StockCANIK Mete MC9LS 9mm 3.64in 17rd Flat Dark Earth Semi-Automatic Pistol (HG7883BD-N)Two 17 Round MagazinesMagazine LoaderCustom HolsterCanik Punch & Tool KitCleaning Brush and Jag Rod(3) Grip BackstrapsGun Lock & ManualStorage CaseStorage Case CANIK Mete MC9LS 9mm ...12% off$415.90$469.99
- In StockTRAILBLAZER FIREARMS .22LR 2.5in 1rd Polymer Handle LifeCard (LC1-P)Discreet shape - sleek, no-snag designSize of a credit card when foldedFull-size handle for easy use when unfoldedCompletely ambidextrousStorage in handle for 3 extra roundsBuilt-in safety ...$269.00
- In StockWALTHER PDP Pro SD Compact 9mm 4.6in Two-Tone Tan OR Semi-Auto Pistol (2877520)Performance Duty TriggerSuperTerrain SerrationsPerformance Duty TextureRed Dot ReadyFactory Threaded BarrelBlack Slide, Tan Frame It's your DUTY to be READY. Walther's timeless innovation has ...$839.00
- In StockHI-POINT FIREARMS YC-9 9mm 3.5in 10rd Compact Semi-Auto Pistol (YC9YEET)3.5" BarrelQuick on-off thumb safetyHigh-impact gripsMagazine disconnect safety+P ratedYeet Cannon Engraved SlideThreaded Barrel The YC9 is the latest innovation from Hi-Point Firearms of ...$190.99
- In StockSPRINGFIELD ARMORY Echelon 4.0C 9mm 4in 15rd/18rd Mags Compact Frame Black Pistol w/ Tritium 3-Dot Sights (EC9409B-3D)Shortened at the frame and muzzle, the Echelon 4.0C boasts full-size features in a concealable packageCentral Operating Group is self-contained and serialized, providing a robust housing for the ...25% offClearance$599.00$799.00
- In StockKEL-TEC P17 .22LR 3.8in 10rd OD Green Semi-Automatic Pistol (P17BGRN10)1/2x28 Threaded BarrelSingle ActionFiber Optic Front SightPolymer Frame10 Round CapacityOlive Drab Green Polymer Finish At less than 14-ounces fully loaded, and barely longer than a dollar bill, ...7% off$204.99$220.00
- In StockRUGER RXM 9mm 4in 2x 15rd Mags Stealth Gray/Black Centerfire Pistol (19400)Removable serialized stainless steel Fire Control Insert (FCI) set inside an interchangeable Magpul Enhanced Handgun Grip (EHG) for maximum flexibility and customizationMost major components ...$379.99
- In StockCZ TS2 9mm Luger 5.28in 10rd Black/Blue Pistol (01220)9mm Luger Caliber5.28" Barrel Length10rd CapacityDouble Stack MagazineSingle Action TriggerBlue Aluminum GripsSerrated Fiber Optic Front Sight, Serrated Fixed Rear SightAmbidextrous Manual ...$1,457.99
- In StockAMERICAN TACTICAL GSG FireFly HGA .22LR 4in No Thread 10rd Black Pistol (GERG2210FF)Excellent training pistol to familiarize with centerfire pistolsFeatures a wear-resistant alloy frame outfitted with an integrated accessory railAdjustable sightsRugged blowback systemFixed ...$223.99
- In StockAMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS GSG Firefly HGA .22LR 4in 10rd Green Semi-Automatic Pistol (GERG2210FFG)4" barrelAmbidextrous thumb safetyDouble Action / Single ActionWear-resistant alloy frameIntegrated accessory railAdjustable sightsExcellent training pistol to familiarize with centerfire ...$223.99
- In StockAMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS GSG Firefly HGA .22LR 4in 10rd Tan Semi-Automatic Pistol (GERG2210FFT)4" barrelAmbidextrous thumb safetyDouble Action / Single ActionWear-resistant alloy frameIntegrated accessory railAdjustable sightsExcellent training pistol to familiarize with centerfire ...$223.99
- In StockAMERICAN TACTICAL IMPORTS GSG Firefly HGA .22LR 4.9in 10rd Black Semi-Automatic Pistol (GERG2210TFF)4.9" barrelAmbidextrous thumb safetyDouble Action / Single ActionWear-resistant alloy frameIntegrated accessory railAdjustable sightsExcellent training pistol to familiarize with centerfire ...24% offClearance$206.00$269.99
- In StockBERSA Thunder Pro Ultra Compact 9mm 3.25in 13rd Duo-Tone Pistol (TPR9CDT)Semi-automatic handgunDecocker for safer concealed carryPicatinny Rail for easy accessory mountingAmbidextrous Controls for easy handlingMicro-Polished Bore with sharp, deep rifling for greater ...$423.99
- In StockBOND ARMS Ranger II .45LC/.410 4.25in 2rd Derringer (RII45410)Stainless steel double-barrel and frameCompatible with all standard Bond Arms barrelsAutomatic spent casing extractorPatented rebounding hammerRetracting firing pinsCross-bolt safetySpring-loaded, ...$622.99
- In StockBROWNING Buck Mark Plus UDX 22 LR Pistol (051428490)Single-action triggerWalnut Ultragrip DX ambidextrousPro-Target adjustable rear sightTRUGLO/Marble's fiber-optic front sight$619.99
- In StockCANIK TP9SFX 9mm 5.25in Barrel 2x 20Rd Mag Two-Tone Pistol (HG3774G-N)Comes with industry standard dovetail sight cuts that are compatible with a large variety of aftermarket sightsWarren Tactical sights with red and green fiber optic front sightRemovable Red Dot ...13% off$449.00$519.00★★★★★1 review(s)
Size isn’t everything, especially in the world of firearms. Even though some rocket launcher will naturally cause massive damage, a gun doesn’t need to be big to be effective. Handguns are indispensable if you cannot afford to walk with a heavyweight rifle over your shoulder. No other firearm is suitable for concealed carry and can be easily operated with one hand. While there are two major types of handguns, this page is dedicated to pistols in particular.
A pistol is a handgun in which the chamber is an integral part of the barrel. In the modern world, this word is mostly associated with semi-automatic handguns. Obsolete single-shot pistols usually make an appearance only during historical reenactments, lever-action pistols tend to be parts of classic gun collections, and automatic pistols are exclusive to law-enforcement and military officers. So, a semi-automatic pistol is the only type left. What does this ‘semi-automatic’ part mean? It implies that after the shot is made, this pistol will automatically insert another cartridge into the chamber but will need you to pull the trigger once again to discharge another shot. So, one pull, one shot. In contrast to semi-automatic pistols, automatic ones will keep discharging while the trigger is pulled. Since actual automatic pistols hardly ever appear on the market, the word ‘automatic’ became a synonym to semi-automatic and any self-loading pistol in colloquial speech, but we are all gun experts here and will use the proper terminology, right? Right..?
Anyway, pistols are as varied as people. They are distinguished by the type of action, caliber, cartridges, and triggers. They come in dozens of combinations, and it might be challenging to tell one from the other. We offer a brief guide to let you know what kind of pistols you can find on Gritr Sports.
Hammer-fired vs. Striker-fired
Hammer-fired pistols are older than strikers, and they haven’t changed much since the moment of their invention. Not because they are too obsolete and not even worth it, but because they don’t really need it. Hammer-fired pistols are as good today as they were several generations ago. What sets them apart is, unsurprisingly, a hammer. It’s a part of the triggering mechanism and is often visible at the rear of the slide. In such pistols, the hammer strikes the firing pin once released by the trigger. After that, the firing pin is driven into the cartridge primer, beginning the ignition process.
Striker-fired pistols lack the hammer part, so the firing pin is not stricken by any component. Instead, it is released when the trigger is fully pulled. Simply put, these pistols release the firing pin without any middleman, which makes pulling easier and the overall weight lighter.
Single-action vs. Double-action
Those are two types of hammer-fired pistols. In single-action handguns the trigger does one thing: drops the hammer. Single-action revolvers need to be cocked after every shot, but semi-automatic pistols are more convenient in that regard. The hammer needs to be manually cocked only before the first shot, after which recoil will let the slide recock the hammer for the next shot automatically.
Double-action pistols are different in that the trigger does two things: cocks the hammer and then drops it, all in one pull. Here, the hammer doesn’t need to be cocked manually, as the trigger does all the work. However, as the trigger does two actions at a time, the pull is heavier than in single-action pistols. To combine the best features of two action types, a Double-Action to Single-Action pistol was invented. That is the most common type of modern pistol. The first round fired is a double-action, which cocks and releases the hammer, but all follow-up shots are single-action, as the hammer is cocked by the slide, reciprocated by recoil.
There are double-action-only pistols, in which every single shot is a double-action, but they are relatively rare.
Rimfire vs. Centerfire
That is a division according to the cartridge type, which is closely connected with a caliber. Rimfire cartridges require a firing pin to crush their base to ignite the primer, whereas centerfire cartridges have an external primer at the base of the case. Rimfire cartridges are compatible with lower caliber firearms only, and due to their lightness are more suitable for training rather than for self-defense and long-distance shooting or hunting. Centerfire cartridges, on the other hand, are utilized in pistols of all calibers.
Caliber
.22 Long Rifle is the only type of rimfire caliber found in handguns. The 22 caliber pistols are an excellent option to introduce someone to firearms, and .22 ammo is by far the cheapest one. The most popular centerfire calibers include 9mm pistols, .45 Auto pistols, .40 S&W pistols, and .380 Auto pistols.
.380 Auto pistols are probably the lower margin of self-defense calibers. Of all mentioned calibers, this one utilizes the lightest bullets. 9mm pistols are by far the most popular choice among shooters. That is a standard of U.S. military and NATO forces. .40 S&W and .45 Auto produce more energy when fired but have heavier recoil.
That concludes our summary on types of pistols found on Gritr Sports. As you can see, the choice is pretty varied, not to mention all the brands whose products you can pick from. The renowned Glock pistols, Sig Sauer pistols, CZ pistols, Smith & Wesson pistols and many more. We have hundreds of pistols for sale.