SINGLE-ACTION HANDGUNS remain a reliable weapon.

The handgun has been part of America since the cowboy days of the wild west.

A cowboy's prize possession was his Colt Peacemaker, even though some cowboys did not use them to "keep the peace.".

Sam Colt's Peacemaker revolutionized the way we kept law and order. The Peacemaker set the foundation for all single-action revolvers. I once heard a quote that stated "God created all men, Sam Colt made them equal!" This statement sure could have a lot of truth in it.

In today's world of Glocks and Berettas, the single-action handgun is almost a forgotten piece of history. Handguns like the 1911 .45 have stood the test of time in the civilian world but have become history in the police and military community.

I do not know of any new handgun designs that are single-action. Point and shoot has become the standard with handgunners. Many new designs do not have an exposed hammer at all.

The first well known double-action revolver is still possibly the most well known today. That is the Smith and Wesson. Smith and Wesson introduced their double-action revolver in the early 1900s. Many of these pistols were chambered in .38 Special and used by the U.S. military and police across the country. The .38 was later replaced by the giant .357 Magnum.

The Smith and Wesson revolver's cylinder unlatches and hinges out the left side so all six rounds can be unloaded and reloaded at one time. This is a great improvement over the single-action Colt. The Colt's cylinder is fixed and every shell must be unloaded and reloaded one at a time. The 4-inch Smith was the police standard for many years.

Semi-automatic handguns also have strong roots to the single-action design. The 1911 Colt is possibly the most well know handgun in the world. This famous design was the work of John Moses Browning, a genius when it came to firearms. He was also a true American patriot, and his designs are still in use by the U.S. military today.

Among his inventions are the .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun, the Browning Automatic Rifle and of course the 1911 Colt pistol. Introduced in, you guessed it, 1911, the Colt .45 pistol became a workhorse in the U.S. military for more than 70 years. The simple robust design proved to be effective from the sands of Normandy beach to the jungles of Vietnam.

The new .45 A.C.P. caliber also was a hit. The .45 caliber slug will take down the most dangerous enemy. Today, many companies offer handguns built off of this legendary design. Among them are Kimber and Wilson Combat. Both of these manufactures offer high quality 1911 autos in various configurations.

The U.S. and other countries around the world took advantage of Browning's last design, the Hi Power. John Browning died while finishing this design in 1926. This handgun was originally chambered for 9mm Parabellum and has a magazine capacity of 13 rounds.

The single-action semi-automatic handgun is now becoming a thing of the past, just like the Colt Peacemaker. All new handgun designs are double-action. The first well known double-action semi automatic was the Walther P38. Hitler's army proudly carried this fine weapon with them in combat during World War II. The P38 is also chambered in 9mm Parabellum but it has a single stack magazine unlike the high capacity double stack magazine the Hi Power utilizes.

Today, most police departments require their officers to carry a double-action handgun. The U.S. military also carries a double-action. The M9 Beretta replaced the 1911 in the 1980s.

Many people can argue the advantages of the double-action, but I am still partial to the old single-action design. The way I look at it, the more parts a gun has, the more potential points of failure it has. Single-action guns are simple in design.

A person that carries a single-action sidearm must be familiar with how their firearm works. Semi-automatic single-actions like the Colt 1911 and Browning Hi Power are designed to be carried "cocked and locked." This term is known in the military world as "condition 1." The term "cocked and locked" means exactly what it says. The firearm's hammer is in the cocked position and is locked in place by the safety. Many find this practice unsafe, but I disagree. These handguns are designed not to fire unless the safety is off and the trigger is pulled. The Colt 1911 even has a grip safety for extra protection. Glocks and other popular double-action handguns don't even have a flip safety.

The single-action handgun has three advantages over a double action. The first advantage is simplicity. The single-action has fewer parts to break. Also, single-action triggers are lighter, crisper and easier to adjust. Lastly, single-handguns are usually stronger than their double-action counterparts. This is more true with revolvers. Revolvers like the Ruger Blackhawk are some of the strongest handguns in the world.

If you are in the market for a high quality handgun, take a look at a 1911 or another single-action before you buy. This design protected America's finest for more than 70 years!