A firearm that can be held and fired with one hand. Revolvers, pistols and Saturday night specials are types of handguns. The unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor or of a gun that is unlicensed, altered or illegal. The firing of a gun in a dangerous manner, such as within city limits. Rifles have grooves cut into the inside of the barrel that cause the bullet to spin when discharged, increasing firing accuracy.
Shotguns have a smooth barrel and fire cartridges containing multiple metal pellets or slugs.
Back to top Caveats Comprehensive information is lacking on firearms involved in crime such as prevalent makes, calibers, gauges and actions, as well as the offenders who use them. To lessen the information gap and facilitate informed policy decisions, the 1994 Minnesota Legislature issued a mandate to three state agencies to collect and report annual firearm-related data. The Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission and the Minnesota State Auditor s Office are publishing annual reports that satisfy their mandates. The complexity of the Legislature s request and lack of relevant data prevents the Criminal Justice Center tracking offenders and the weapons they use in crime. A centralized database linking weapon and offender data does not exist.