IT EXPLAINS ALL PHASES OF INTERIOR, EXTERIOR, AND TERMINAL BALLISTICS AND THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE GUN, THE AMMUNITION, AND THE PROJECTILE PERFORMANCE. THE SECTION ON INTERIOR BALLISTICS EXPLAINS THE FIRING CYCLE FROM THE TIME THE PRIMER FIRES TO THE TIME THE BULLET LEAVES THE HANDGUN MUZZLE. INFORMATION IS PROVIDED ON THE CARTRIDGE COMPONENTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS, REVOLVER AND PISTOL MECHANISMS, THE FIRING PROCESS, AND HANDGUN AND AMMUNITION COMPONENTS. ALSO DISCUSSED ARE THE USE OF THE CHRONONGRAPH AND OTHER HANDGUN AIDS, AIR CONTAMINANTS' EFFECTS, AND HANDGUN CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE. THE SECTION ON EXTERIOR BALLISTICS DESCRIBES THE FLIGHT OF A BULLET FROM MUZZLE TO TARGET AND DISCUSSES BULLET NOISE, VELOCITY, BULLET INTERRUPTION BY VARIOUS OBJECTS (SHEET STEEL, WOOD, AUTOMOBILE, HOUSE PARTITIONS), HOLLOW BASE VERSUS BEVEL BASE BULLETS, THE EFFECT OF REVOLVER CHAMBER LENGTH UPON ACCURACY AND VELOCITY, AND THE RELATION OF BARREL LENGTH TO CARTRIDGE POTENTIAL. THE SECTION ON TERMINAL BALLISTICS EVALUATES BULLET PERFORMANCE UPON IMPACT WITH A TARGET. A BULLET PERFORMANCE EVALUATION DESCRIBING BULLET EXPANSION AND BULLET TESTING ON LIVING FLESH IS PRESENTED. OTHER CHAPTERS COVER ENERGY, THE GLASSER SAFETY SLUG, POLICE HANDGUN AMMUNITION, AND A DEMONSTRATION OF TERMINAL BALLISTICS. TABLES AND NUMEROUS PHOTOGRAPHS ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)