Single-shot

In firearm designs, the term single-shot refers to guns that can hold only a single round of ammunition inside and thus must be reloaded manually after every shot.

Compared to multi-shot repeating firearms ("repeaters"), single-shot designs have no moving parts other than the trigger, hammer/firing pin or frizzen, and therefore do not need a sizable receiver behind the barrel to accommodate a moving action, making them far less complex and more robust than revolvers or magazine/belt-fed firearms, but also with much slower rates of fire.

Although largely disappeared from military usage due to insufficient firepower, single-shot firearms are still produced by many manufacturers in both muzzleloading and cartridge-firing varieties, from zip guns and ultra-concealable pocket pistols to the highest-quality hunting and match rifles.

Muzzleloaders included the Brown Bess, Charleville and Springfield Model 1861 muskets, the Kentucky and Mississippi rifles, and the duelling pistol.

The conversion consisted of filing out (or later milling out) the rear of the barrel, and attaching a folding bolt, the "trapdoor", that flipped up and forwards to allow the cartridge to be loaded in the breech.

Martini–Henrys were the standard British rifles of the late Victorian era, and Martini–Enfield conversions continued in second-line service until the Second World War.

These rifles were designed for very large black-powder cartridges, from military-issue .45-70 on up to the enormous .50-140 Sharps and .500 Express; early repeating actions were not capable of handling rounds of this power and physical size.

The single-shot big-game rifle would only be displaced by bolt-action repeaters firing high-velocity smokeless-powder cartridges in the early 20th century.

During that golden age of match shooting, the most popular target rifles were made by Bullard, Stevens, Remington, Maynard, Ballard, Farrow, and Winchester.

This pistol was chambered in .22 Long Rifle and came with adjustable iron sights and grips designed for target shooting.

The earliest metallic-cartridge breechloaders designed for general military issue began as conversions of muzzle-loading rifle muskets.

The upper rear portion of the barrel was filed or milled away and replaced by a hinged breechblock which opened upward to permit loading.

When a locking latch is released, the barrel assembly pivots away from the receiver, opening the breech and sometimes on higher quality firearms, partially extracting the spent cartridge.

The operator rotates or "rolls" the block to open and close the breech; it is a simple, rugged and reliable design.

Swiss gunsmith Friedrich Martini devised an action that resembled the Peabody but incorporated a hammerless striker cocked by the operating lever with the same motion that pivoted the block.

Charles H. Ballard's self-cocking tilting-block action was produced by the Marlin Firearms Company from 1875 and earned a superlative reputation among long-range "Creedmoor" target shooters.

Surviving Marlin Ballards are today highly prized by collectors, especially those mounted in the elaborate Swiss-style Schützen stocks of the day.

The first metallic-cartridge bolt-actions in general military service were the Berdan Type II introduced by Russia in 1870, the Mauser Model 1871, and a modified Chassepot, the Gras rifle of 1874; all these were single-shots.

Although non-cartridge single-shot firearms are still made in hobbyist contexts (for example, replicas of antique guns), this discussion focuses on newer designs employing cartridges.

Essentially a shortened .222 Remington, the compact .221 Fireball delivered accuracy exceeding many rifles, out to ranges unheard of for other handguns.

Even bigger than the XP-100, the 1967 introduction of the Thompson Center Arms Contender pistol changed handgun sports forever.

Available in calibers from .22 Long Rifle up to .45-70, and in barrel lengths of 8 to 14 in (20 to 36 cm), the Contender could, in the right hands, handle any type of game, and delivered rifle-like accuracy to match the XP-100.

Many other manufacturers make single-shot pistols, most based on the bolt-action rifle, with barrels generally ranging from 10 to 15 in (25 to 38 cm).

The #3, which sold for about half the price of a #1, used a simplified, non-locking lever for the falling block action, and came with an uncheckered stock.

Many of their rifles are specially crafted to suit long-range varmint hunting, where the accuracy of the single-shot action is helpful.

Test firing of some of these Winchesters showed that they are high quality in construction, using the latest technology and modern steel, they are stronger and safer than their 19th-century predecessors, and accuracy from their factory (non-custom) barrels were exceptionally good; especially at 200 yd (180 m).

Recently, they have had a resurgence in popularity for hunting large game as well as historical firearms events and black-powder cartridge (BPCR) competitions.

With a buffered slide in the receiver, the barrel can recoil inside the frame, allowing for large rounds to be fired with relative ease by the user.