In addition, Canada sets a minimum fireable length for long guns with detachable or folding stocks 26 inches (66 cm).
Almost all long arms have front grips (forearms) and shoulder stocks, which provide the user the ability to hold the firearm more steadily than a handgun.
The greater size makes it more difficult to conceal, and more inconvenient to use in confined quarters, as well as requiring larger storage space.
[4] As long guns include a stock that is braced against the shoulder, the recoil when firing is transferred directly into the body of the user.
In historical navy usage, a long gun was the standard type of cannon mounted by a sailing vessel, called such to distinguish it from the much shorter carronades.