The handgun has a short barrel with rifling and thick walls to withstand high pressures. Because of the short barrel, extra care must be taken to control the muzzle of a handgun. Like the rifle, rifling in the handgun puts a spiral spin on a bullet when fired, increasing accuracy and distance.

Can a pistol have rifling?

Most handgun barrels have spiraling grooves cut or pressed into the bore. The ridges of metal between the grooves are called lands. Together, the grooves and lands are called rifling. When a handgun is fired, the rifling in the barrel puts a spiral spin on the bullet.

Do most guns have rifling?

Most modern handguns and rifles are manufactured based on blueprints that specify their configurations. One of these specifications is a characteristic known as rifling, which refers to the spiral lands and grooves placed into the firearm's barrel to impart a spin on the bullet for accuracy.