Editing Long gun (section)

==Small arms==
[[File:Claudius Miller Easley M1 Garand.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[U.S. Army]] Brigadier General [[Claudius Miller Easley]] practicing with an [[M1 Garand]]|left]]
The actual length of the barrels of a long gun is subject to various laws in many jurisdictions, mainly concerning minimum length, sometimes as measured in a specific position or configuration. The [[National Firearms Act]] in the United States sets a minimum length of {{convert|16|inch|cm}} for [[rifle]] barrels and {{convert|18|inch|cm}} for [[shotgun]] barrels. Canada sets a minimum of {{convert|18.5|inch|cm}} for either. In addition, Canada sets a minimum fireable length for long guns with detachable or folding [[Stock (firearms)|stocks]] {{convert|26|inch|cm}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/pol-leg/CrimCode_e.asp |title=Canadian Criminal Code and Regulations |access-date=2007-09-22 |archive-date=2006-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018015825/http://www.cfc-cafc.gc.ca/pol-leg/CrimCode_e.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the United States, the minimum length for long guns with detachable or folding stocks is {{convert|26|in|cm}} with the stock in the extended position.

Examples of various classes of small arms generally considered long arms include, but are not limited to [[shotgun]]s, [[personal defense weapon]]s, [[submachine gun]]s, [[carbine]]s, [[assault rifle]]s, [[designated marksman rifle]]s, [[sniper rifles]], [[anti-material rifle]]s, [[light machine gun]]s, [[medium machine gun]]s, and [[heavy machine gun]]s.

===Advantages and disadvantages===
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. In addition, the long [[Gun barrel|barrel]] of a long gun usually provides a longer distance between the [[iron sights|front and rear sights]], providing the user with more precision when aiming. The presence of a stock makes the use of a [[telescopic sight]] or [[red dot sight]] easier than with a handgun.

The [[mass]] of a long gun is usually greater than that of a handgun, making the long gun more expensive to transport, and more difficult and tiring to carry. The increased [[moment of inertia]] makes the long gun slower and more difficult to [[Gun laying|traverse and elevate]], and it is thus slower and more difficult to adjust the aim. However, this also results in greater [[Directional stability|stability]] in aiming. The greater amount of material in a long gun tends to make it more expensive to manufacture, other factors being equal. The greater size makes it more difficult to conceal, and more inconvenient to use in confined quarters, as well as requiring larger storage space.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cunningham|first=Anne C.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TitmDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Long+gun%22|title=Guns: Conceal and Carry|date=2017-07-15|publisher=Greenhaven Publishing LLC|isbn=978-1-5345-0073-0|language=en}}</ref>

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. This allows better control of aim than handguns, which do not include stock, and thus all their recoil must be transferred to the arms of the user. It also makes it possible to manage larger amounts of recoil without damage or loss of control; in combination with the higher mass of long guns, this means more [[propellant]] (such as [[gunpowder]]) can be used and thus larger projectiles can be fired at higher [[velocity|velocities]]. This is one of the main reasons for the use of long guns over handguns—faster or heavier projectiles help with penetration and accuracy over longer distances.

[[Shotguns]] are long guns that are designed to fire many small projectiles at once. This makes them very effective at close ranges, but with diminished usefulness at long ranges, even with [[shotgun slugs]] they are mostly only effective to about {{convert|100|yd|m|abbr=on}}.