Handguns

A Handgun is a small, handheld firearm with a relatively small size and caliber. Handguns are cheap and easy to carry, with a small magazine size and average accuracy, firepower and reloading speeds.

A common misconception is that "handguns" and "pistols" refer to the same category of weapons, while in reality, pistols are a type of handgun fed with a magazine and uses a slide that loads a single round into the weapon's barrel.

In the Grand Theft Auto series, handguns are the cheapest weapons, usually given to the player at the early stages of a game, often at the same time he/she practises shooting. Handguns are also frequenly used by small criminals and police officers, however it will remain as a rare sight among specialized agents (SWAT or Military officers), often used for last resort.

HD Universe

 * One of the advantages of some pistols in Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online is that the player can tap the firing button, increasing the fire rate of these weapons more than if the player holds the same button. This also avoids the recoil, giving also more accuracy.
 * As of The Doomsday Heist update in Grand Theft Auto Online, the tactic of tapping the fire button was temporarily removed, reducing its fire rate and making it less effective of recoil and accuracy. This seems to have been later reverted back in The Diamond Casino & Resort update.
 * This feature is also present in Grand Theft Auto IV and its episodes, though the differences are minimal and the recoil caused by holding the firing button is also avoided.
 * Handguns in Grand Theft Auto V and Online have proper reload animations (unlike most other weapon classes), as they differ if the gun still has a round on the chamber or not. This can be noticed in those with a slide, where it only locks back if the gun has no rounds inside.
 * This also applies to the Machine Pistol (classified as a submachine gun) and to the Combat Shotgun.
 * When firing a pistol, the hammer remains static and the slide will pass right through it. This is best noticed in first person view and using Michael's special ability.