History Main / HandCannon

* ''ComicBook/{{The Warlord|DC}}'': Travis Morgan carries a .44 [=AutoMag=] which was certainly never a standard issue sidearm for USAF officers.

** ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'' has the Joker wield an enormous pistol [[https://web.archive.org/web/20070106185259/http://www.vacuumboy9.com:80/tlh/3p9.jpg here]].

* In one issue of ''ComicBook/ABCWarriors'', workcrew on a massive terraforming operation on Mars have been going missing. The woman in charge carries a massive hand cannon with three chambers, but only three rounds. It is capable of killing anything it hits. She is eventually killed by hundreds of Martian animals after using up her three rounds.
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': In ''Detective Comics'' #841, the Mad Hatter uses a revolver that is actually fairly normal... if you don't take into account its four foot long barrel; It's easily mistaken for a walking cane.
* In Mike Mignola's ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'' series, the title character packs the Samaritan: a 20mm (.79'') hand-cannon. However, he is a superhumanly strong demon who fights supernatural menaces. Usually the gun isn't much use anyway, and Hellboy himself admits that he's a lousy shot with it, which is why he uses DepletedPhlebotinumShells and his RightHandOfDoom.
* ComicBook/JonahHex's choice of handgun is the .44 Colt Dragoon, the most powerful handgun available in TheWildWest. During his time the future, he swaps the Dragoons for single-action Ruger Blackhawks in .357 magnum.
* In ''ComicBook/JonSableFreelance'', one of Sable's preferred weapons is a chrome .357 Magnum pepperbox. As a prototype that never made it into production.
* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd's'' Lawgiver falls into this category especially after the introduction of the Mark II version. Naturally, there is a degree of DependingOnTheArtist here. It also shoots (at least) six different types of rounds, including high explosive.
* In what seems to be a ShoutOut to the ''Johnny Dangerously'' reference below, a character in the '''very''' {{NSFW}} ''ComicBook/{{Lann}}'' by Frank Thorne says about his favored machine pistol, "This is ''not'' a ''gun''. It's a ''poem''. An ''ode'' to ''death''. It ''shoots through schools -- of sharks!''"
* ''ComicBook/{{Lobo}}'' uses pretty much nothing but Hand Cannons or {{BFG}}s.
* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' comic ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'' has the Joker wield an enormous pistol [[https://web.archive.org/web/20070106185259/http://www.vacuumboy9.com:80/tlh/3p9.jpg here]].
* Image Comics' ''ComicBook/OfficerDowne'', the eponymous undead cop uses "The Answer Man", which is a hybrid twin-barrelled revolver and machine pistol. The revolver part of "The Answer Man" uses humungous .85 Magnum rounds while the under-barrel machine pistol shoots bullets that are only slightly smaller.
* Some of these show up in ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}'': .45 revolvers, .50 pistols, and one piece the BigBad maniacally refers to as "Doomcock." The [[TheGrimReaper Saint]] [[ImplacableMan Of]] [[TheJuggernaut Killers]] also [[GunsAkimbo wields a pair of]] Walker Colt revolvers, which pack .44 ball and were arguably the most powerful handguns until magnum revolvers appeared in the 20th century. More specifically, they're a pair of Walker Colts forged from what used to be the [[GrimReaper Angel of Death's]] sword which makes them WeaponOfMassDestruction-class revolvers which [[AlwaysAccurateAttack never miss]], [[BottomlessMagazines never run out of bullets]], and [[OneHitKill never fail to kill what they hit]], even if what they hit is [[spoiler:''God himself'']].
* Marvel Comics' ''ComicBook/ThePunisher2099'' uses as his main weapon the circa-2015 manufactured Smith & Wesson .54 Magnum full-automatic revolver. It's belt-fed and can fire 6 rounds a second (360 a minute). One character later observes that this weapon usually leaves the Punisher's victims with a "hole in the chest...and a missing back."

* When ComicBook/NickFury makes his return to the mainstream Franchise/MarvelUniverse during the Skrull invasion of New York in ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', he does so wielding a gun that's about as big as he is.

* ''ComicBook/TheWarlordDC'': Travis Morgan carries a .44 [=AutoMag=] which was certainly never a standard issue sidearm for USAF officers.

* ''Series/{{Bones}}'' acquires an extremely large handgun (a S&W .500) when she is being threatened by one of the villains of the week. It is clearly too large for her to handle, as shown in the [[http://www.imfdb.org/images/2/28/Bones_31.jpg Halloween episode]] when she fires it at a bad guy with a shotgun, she misses completely, and it knocks her back, so she gives it to Booth. Even he has trouble firing it successfully. But, boy, does it look [[RuleOfCool threatening]]. Its ridiculous power eventually comes in handy when Booth uses it to shoot said bad guy through an inch-thick solid-steel door he had taken cover behind, ironically just after he had mocked him for using such an impractical pistol in the first place.
* Deputy Jo Lupo from ''Series/{{Eureka}}'' loves Hand Cannons, having an entire drop-down rack of them. When she administered the weapon familiarity test to the sheriff, he had to take it several times to pass.
* ''Series/{{Fallout}}'': The Ghoul carries an enormous revolver that's chambered for bullets that are about the size of his thumbs. They're capable of blowing large, messy holes in peoples' torsos and [[OneHitPolykill still having enough energy]] to [[YourHeadAsplode explode the head of someone who was standing behind them]].

* During a gun battle on one episode of ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', the BigBad's weapon lets off a godawful boom and blows huge holes in the scenery.

* On ''Series/NYPDBlue'', stick-up man Ferdinand Hollie (sort of a proto-Omar) extolls their virtues in "Hollie and the Blowfish".

* ''Series/SledgeHammer'', a comedic parody of Film/DirtyHarry, stars Inspector Hammer and his beloved .44 Magnum named [[ICallItVera Amigo]]. It is not only a blatant phallic symbol, it's the only thing keeping him sane... well when he isn't [[ConsultingMrPuppet talking to it]]... or [[CargoShip sleeping with it]].
* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAIigNcwYLc Particle Magnum]] used by Ronon Dex in ''Series/StargateAtlantis''.
* Josh Randall's "Mare's Leg" in the series ''Series/WantedDeadOrAlive'' is a cut down Winchester 1892 Carbine, in a hip holster similar to that of Zoe above.
* Parodied on ''Series/{{SCTV}}'' with "Harry Filth," a Dirty Harry-esque cop played by John Candy, who at one point carries a revolver that's much bigger than ''Harry himself''.

->''"Being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off. You've got to ask yourself one question. 'Do I feel lucky?' Well do ya punk?"''

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'', the midget pirate is seen firing a very large hand cannon that blasts him back out of the frame when Barbossa's meeting with Sao Feng is interrupted by the East India Trading Company.

* The oversized bolt pistols and [=SMGs=] of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''. .75 caliber rocket-assisted rounds. Don't forget the plasma pistols too. The space marine version even moreso, since it's designed for people who are at least eight feet tall and would require a tripod for a human to wield. The Primaris Marine bolt pistols bear special mention because they are Hand Cannons ''by Space Marine standards''.
** The Exitus Pistol of the Vindicare Assassins are huge pistols that rival the .75 caliber bolt pistol in size. Each one uses the same ammo as their massive sniper rifle and would break a normal human's hand when firing (Imperial assasins had extensive bio-engineering surgery to give them superhuman strength).

* ''Officer Downe'' a B-Movie directed by [[Music/{{Slipknot}} Corey Taylor]] has the titular character carrying what looks like a machine pistol. This gun is the ''Answer Man'', a custom .85 Magnum twin-barrel revolver.

* Medieval firearms were literally called "Hand-Cannons" and were merely reduced-size versions of early cannons, with the same one-piece cast barrel and touch-hole ignition, using crude gunpowder called serpentine to fire solid projectiles. Though its possible they first appeared in China, Hand Cannons made a much bigger impact in Europe, where they revolutionized warfare.
* Matchlock (1600s) and flintlock (1700s to early 1800s) pistols were often at .75 caliber in diameter, a lot bigger than modern calibers, since tiny bullets fired with black powder wouldn't go through armor. What black powder lacked in blast velocity could be made up via pressure, [[TimTaylorTechnology using a lot more powder to throw a lot more bullet]] at slower speeds.
* XVII-century German Reiter cavalrymen used the so-called Reitpistole as their main weapons. Those were bigger, badder versions of the contemporary wheellock and flintlock pistols, comparable in size to the modern Pfeiffer-Zeliska from the page picture.

** The [[https:// warframe.fandom.com/wiki/Laetum Laetum]] is about the size and proportions of a flare gun, but has more stopping power than the Lex in its normal form, and turns into an [[StuffBlowingUp explosive]] [[MoreDakka submachine gun]] in its Incarnon form. The Laetum's bulkiness is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that it was never actually ''designed'' for combat, and was originally a purely ceremonial device before [[spoiler: the Zariman Ten-Zero Incident]]

*** The Lex Prime's Incarnon form takes this trope to its logical conclusion by essentially being a handheld [[WaveMotionGun Tenet Arca Plasmor]], with similar performance

* The Arcane Colt Custom in ''Manhwa/WitchHunter'' demonstrates the realistic effect a weapon like this would have; after firing it only once, the main character's arm is broken by the recoil.
** For a certain given definition of "realistic."

* In ''Literature/AgainstADarkBackground'' by [[Creator/IainBanks Iain M. Banks]], protagonist Sharrow has this literally; the model name of her gun is [=FrintArms Hand Cannon=].
** Another shows up in the form of a gun much like Killy's from BLAME! in the short story collection State of the Art.
* The [[Creator/RaymondChandler Chandleresque]] private eye narrator in ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNewAdventuresBloodHarvest Blood Harvest]]'' packs a Colt 1911. "Some people say the old 1911 Model Army Colt Automatic is big and clumsy and noisy, and I guess it is. But hit a man anywhere with the slug from a .45 and he'll go down and stay down." Gets a MeaningfulEcho near the end of the novel, when he establishes that even a vampire will be severely inconvenienced.
* In ''Literature/{{Blood Meridian}}'', the [[VillainProtagonist Glanton gang]] carry [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Walker Colt Walkers]], gigantic revolvers [[ShownTheirWork made at about the time the book is set]]. Each one weighs 4.5 pounds and uses .44 caliber ammunition. Toward the end of the book, [[BigBad Judge Holden]] wields a howitzer cannon as if it were a handgun in a literal example of this trope, but never actually fires it.

* In Creator/WilliamGibson's ''Literature/CountZero'' Turner wields a .41 caliber revolver loaded with explosive bullets that has a narrow-beam xenon flashlight under the barrel for night fights. At one point he uses it to shoot down a helicopter.

* Roland's revolvers in ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' series are described as being very, very large .45 Colt Single Action Armies of an incredibly antique vintage, with yellowed sandalwood grips. It's also alluded to that they were forged from the metal of Excalibur.
* Dr. Theophilus Algernon Tanner of the ''Literature/DeathLands'' adventure series and his always trusty [=LeMat=] revolver[[note]]developed during the American Civil War, the [=LeMat=] is a revolver with nine chambers in the cylinder plus a central chamber that fires shotgun rounds[[/note]]. He's blown away many a "mutie" with the .63 caliber "grapeshot" round fired from the gun's underbarrel. Jak Lauren packs a .357 Colt Python, which he uses when stabbing the problem to death isn't going to cut it.

* Brian Mallory, the protagonist's brother from ''Literature/TheDifferenceEngine'' by Creator/WilliamGibson and Creator/BruceSterling, carries a Russian pistol that most definitely qualifies as a Hand Cannon (and is later called that). It was picked from a dead Tzarist officer in Crimea, "isn't exactly regulation," "queer-looking," and presumably shoots something not unlike artillery canister shells. Think [[BiggerIsBetter giant razor-buckshot rounds, "as thick as a copper's baton."]] It is single-shot, insanely loud (it even causes friendlies to lose their bearing for a minute) and can literally ''gib'' six people at once with a well-placed shot. In other words, a flare gun from Hell.

** Juan Cabrillo from ''Literature/TheOregonFiles'' has a [[ArtificialLimbs prosthetic leg]] thanks to an encounter with an ornery Chinese gunboat that [[AnArmAndALeg left him without the original.]] One of the variants of his prosthetic is what he has dubbed the "Combat Leg," which is equipped with, among other things, a single-shot .44 Magnum built into the heel that can blast a dinner plate-sized hole in anything in front of it. He later upgrades this to a full-on [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter 12-gauge]] to dish out even ''more'' damage to whatever unfortunate souls who find themselves on the wrong end.
* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', magic isn't always the answer. Sometimes a massive gun is. Especially if you're a demon-fueled semi-supernatural entity who can fire a Desert Eagle on the run in heels and still hit a target. Even the eponymous Harry Dresden is known to carry a .44 [[ShoutOut Dirty]] [[StealthPun Harry]], among others. It's also good for tactical variety (to have non-magical weapons), noir-detective vibe, and the occasional phallic joke.

* In the [[Literature/TheExecutioner Executioner]] series of novels, protagonist Mack Bolan carries a .44 [=AutoMag=], the first automatic pistol to use .44 magnum ammunition. He later switches from that to a Desert Eagle.
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' has her trademark weapon, a replica Colt M1911 chambered in .45ACP. The 1911 is not quite a Hand Cannon in the 21st century, but when the story takes place (around two thousand years in the future), the standard firearms use gravitic technology to propel streams of tiny darts at railgun velocities, to incredibly gory and lethal effect. Duelling is legal on her home world, but specifies the use of only chemical propellant firearms specifically because the wounds they inflict are survivable. She only has the gun because it was given to her since she's an avid supporter of the Society of Creative Anachronisms [[note]] which in RealLife is an organization that likes to recreate the Medieval and Renaissance-era lifestyle "The Way It Should Have Been"[[/note]]
* In the ''Literature/IntoTheLookingGlass'' Series, "Two-Gun" Berg's signature weapons for his PowerArmor are a pair of handguns that are essentially sawed-off .50 caliber sniper rifles.

** In ''Choosers of the Slain'', [=MI6=] agent Charles Calthrop pulls out a Winchester .454 revolver, after initially reaching for a service-issue Walther to fight back against multiple gunmen in the defense of [[spoiler:Katya and Natalya.]]

* In ''Literature/{{Portlandtown}}'' The Hanged Man's gun is a red-handled Colt Walker, which never needs reloading.

** In ''Literature/RatedR2014'' Victor Hansen uses a .50 Desert Eagle.
** In ''Red Scare'' Sid goes GunsAkimbo with two massive Smith and Wesson Model 460 revolvers (pistols designed to hunt grizzly bears) to try and [[spoiler:kill the Ghoul.]]
* The main character in the Creator/StephenKing novel ''Roadwork'', who has virtually no experience with firearms, walks into a gun shop and buys a .44 Magnum and a Weatherby .460 rifle. He eventually uses both of them to shoot it out with the police who have come to forcibly remove him from his house.
* ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'': When Merlin demonstrates his new revolvers in ''Like a Mighty Army'', one of the Siddarmarkian witnesses calls them his "portable twelve-pounders" [[note]](a classification of cannon)[[/note]]. They're .45 caliber, but designed to fire a .45 caliber '''rifle''' round instead of a pistol round. Merlin's revolvers are twice the weight of a regular revolver, with a longer barrel ... though the cylinder only holds five rounds instead of the usual six, in order to contain the force of the detonation.

* Late 2010s, cyberpunk series ''[=SINless=]'' by K.C. Alexander - the first book ''Necrotech'', the main character Riko is recruited by a corporation for a single op and they give her a choice of equipment. Among the stuff picked, she got as a sidearm, a [=M422A=] Tactical Revolver "Adjudicator" which fires heavy .525 rounds. These would put fist-sized holes in regular people and was strong enough to OneHitKill the necrotech monstrosities in the area (whereas her teammates's 9mm automatics had barely any effect).
* In ''Literature/TheStainlessSteelRat'', a sci-fi action/comedy series by Harry Harrison, James "Slippery Jim" [=DiGriz=] (the title's "Stainless Steel Rat") carries a .75 recoilless semiautomatic pistol (usually firing explosive bullets) which, while having been fired repeatedly, has NEVER killed anyone, or even seriously wounded anyone. This is attributed to [=DiGriz=]'s [[ThouShaltNotKill semi-pacifist]] beliefs.

It's big. It's bulky. It's heavy, [[AwesomeButImpractical sometimes impractical]], and loud. It looks really, really cool. Sometimes, [[BlingBlingBang it has a nickel finish, or better yet, gold.]] It may even [[ICallItVera have a name.]] It's the '''Hand Cannon'''. And its power goes ''way beyond'' the standard [[{{Handguns}} sidearm]].

** Imran Zakhaev in ''Call of Duty 4'' brandishes a .50AE Desert Eagle, [[spoiler: which he lends to Al-Asad to execute a Middle Eastern president live on television. In the finale Zakhaev uses the Deagle to execute an injured Gaz.]]

* The Taurus Judge, a 5-shot revolver that can load either .45 Colt rounds or .410 shotgun shells. However, it actually subverts this trope: a .410 shotgun shell can only hold a few buckshot pellets (or a lot of birdshot pellets, which don't do a whole lot unless you dump it point blank into someone's face), and the .410 slug isn't much more powerful than the standard .45 Colt revolver rounds. While films tend to portray it as a simple "handheld shotgun", it's more effective for shooting snakes or blasting carjackers.
** A later variant is the larger and longer Taurus Raging Judge, which can load the more powerful .454 Casull rounds as well as the .45 Colt and .410.
** Taurus also released a revolver called the Raging Bull, which comes in various large calibers up to .500 S&W Magnum (though this version has been discontinued). This model had a 10 inch barrel on it. The Raging Judge was an adaptation of the Raging Bull with elongated cylinders to allow use of .410 shotshells like the regular Judge.
** Taurus created a prototype Raging Judge XXVIII, shown at the 2011 SHOT Show, which was chambered for 28 gauge shotgun shells. The weapon weighed 4.2 pounds, and had a five-round cylinder. It was made out of 4140 ordnance-grade steel and used the same double-lock system as their .454 version. The BATFE promptly told Taurus they could not import the pistol to the US, and that killed it before it ever went into production.

The character with the giant handgun is sometimes [[StockSuperpowersIndex superhuman]], [[OurMonstersAreDifferent supernatural]] or [[{{Cyborg}} cybernetically enhanced]] in order to compensate for the weapon's weight and recoil. In a series where the heroes battle [[NighInvulnerable inhuman]] or [[MadeOfIron robotic]] enemies, weapons like these become absolutely necessary.

The Hand Cannon differs from the PunchPackingPistol, in that the former is a special pistol powerful by design, while the latter is a standard pistol (often 9mm or .45 ACP) that somehow deals an absurd amount of damage.

* ''Literature/ArifuretaFromCommonplaceToWorldsStrongest'': After being left for dead inside a dungeon, Hajime creates a pair of magical railgun revolvers using his knowledge of technology and magic. When enhanced by the Skill "Lightning Field", their power can surpass that of an anti-tank rifle. He uses them as his main weapons to terminate monsters ''and'' humans with extreme prejudice.

* High powered handguns in real life have two primary real-world applications, handgun hunting and dangerous game defense. With proper ammo, magnum pistols are basically sawed-off rifles that are handier in close encounters (except once they are recoiling). That said, many are sold for "range warriors" to show off to their buddy.
* The current record-holder (according to the manufacturer) for most powerful ''production'' handgun is the Smith & Wesson Model 500, a 5-shot revolver with an 8-[=3/8=]" barrel (15 inches long in total) that weighs six pounds ''empty''. In a demonstration on Spike TV's ''Series/{{Manswers}}'', the .357 Magnum blew a chunk out of a watermelon; the .44 Magnum took off the lower three-quarters; and the Model 500 ''exploded'' it. Due to a compensator on the barrel, however, its recoil is actually less than the .44 Magnum -- though that's not saying much.

* The very first firearms were literally called "Hand-Cannons", merely reduced-size versions of early artillery weapons, with the same one-piece cast barrel-and-stock, and touch-hole ignition, firing metal projectiles using black powder called serpentine. They first appeared in Medieval China, then Europe.

* Flintlock Volley guns had multiple barrels and often shot them simultaneously.

** Makarov in ''Modern Warfare 3'' in the finale is shown with a gold-plated Desert Eagle. [[spoiler: He tries to kill Captain Price with it, but Yuri shoots at him, causing Makarov to kill Yuri instead of Price. Our cigar chomping hero then beats up Makarov, ties a loose cable around his neck, and smashes through the glass ceiling they were standing on, hanging the villainous bastard.]]

* The Colt Walker and Dragoon models were outrageously oversized to their smaller cousins brought into production a few years later. ''Especially'' in comparison to the 1860 Army, which was also chambered for .44 but was actually built on the same frame as the much smaller 1851 Navy (chambered in .36).
** The Dragoon was actually ''toned down'' from the Walker. The Walker Colt's cylinder could load up to 60 grains of powder in each chamber, had a 9-inch barrel, and weighed in at ''four and a half pounds''. By contrast the Dragoon "only" loaded 50 grains, had a 7 1/2 to 8-inch barrel depending on the model, and shaved off about half a pound from its weight. Notably, the Walker was the most powerful production handgun ''in the world'' for nearly 90 years after its introduction in 1847, and was not surpassed until the arrival .357 Magnum in 1935. ''Neither'' gun were suitable for wearing on the belt, and would usually be hung from the saddle, instead.

* The Mauser [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser_C96 C96]], the gun that Han Solo's blaster was built around, is one of the most famous and successful semiautomatic pistols in history. It was a hand cannon, because the 7.63x25mm round it used was the highest velocity round so far until the .357 Magnum came along, and was able to pierce straight through [=WW2=]-era steel helmets and into the skull of the target. It was also chambered for 9x19mm Parabellum, making it a PunchPackingPistol one way or another.

* The very first firearms were literally called "hand-cannons", merely reduced-size versions of early artillery weapons, with the same one-piece cast barrel-and-stock, and touch-hole ignition.
* Later period matchlock (1600s or so) and flintlock (1700s) pistols were at least .50 cal, often closer to .75 cal, since modern round sizes fired with black powder wouldn't go through armor- but what black powder lacked in blast velocity could be made up via pressure, [[TimTaylorTechnology using a lot more powder to throw a lot more bullet]] at slower speeds.

* ''Franchise/{{Robocop}}'' in his movies and TV series used a huge machine pistol. It was a Beretta [=93R=] with some futuristic doodads including an extended, casket-shaped barrel and slide assembly with ostentatious compensator. It spews flames each time it's fired, and has an implausibly large ammunition supply. Overlaps with MoreDakka. It was originally supposed to be a Desert Eagle (itself a hand cannon), but they switched to the modified Beretta when they saw that ''the Desert Eagle looked small in Robocop's hands''.

* ''Series/SledgeHammer'', a comedic parody of Film/DirtyHarry, stars Inspector Hammer and his beloved 44 Magnum. It is not only a blatant phallic symbol, it's the only thing keeping him sane... well when he isn't talking to it... or sleeping with it.

* The [[http://www.bungie.net/projects/halo3/content.aspx?link=h3pistol M6 series of pistols]] in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' is chambered for 12.7x40mm (necked-down .50 BMG) high-explosive armor-piercing rounds. Seems like overkill at first, perhaps, but against the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Covenant]], whose forces include eight-foot-tall aliens in shielded power armor and 12-foot-tall walking siege units with tank-grade armor and decentralized nervous systems, such apparently-overpowered ammo might just be justified.

** General Shepherd in ''Modern Warfare 2'' wields a .44 Magnum Colt Anaconda as his weapon. He is shown shooting it at the Opfor in Afghanistan. [[spoiler: After receiving the DSM with Makarov's files from Roach and Ghost, Shepherd draws his .44 Magnum and shoots them both, clearing up "loose ends". He then burns their bodies for good measure.]]
** Makarov in ''Modern Warfare 3'' in the finale is shown with a gold-plated Desert Eagle. [[spoiler: He tries to kill Captain Price with it, but Yuri shoots him with his pistol, causing Makarov to kill him instead of Price. Our cigar chomping hero uses this distraction to beat up Makarov then tie a loose cable around his neck and smash through the glass ceiling they were standing on, hanging the villainous bastard responsible for WWIII.]]

*** [[RevolversAreJustBetter Revolver Ocelot]] upgrades from [[PunchPackingPistol Colt Single Action Army revolvers]] to Tornado 6 hand cannons (based on the Mateba Unica 6). The Tornado 6 can one-shot unarmored enemies and two-shot armored ones, while retaining the SAA's ricochet gimmick. Ocelot [[GunsAkimbo dual wields]] them in FOB Missions, enabling the player to quickly kill armored guards once stealth is broken.

* The antagonists of the ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' series seem to favour this kind of pistol; Imran Zakhaev in ''Call of Duty 4'' used a .50AE Desert Eagle, while General Shepherd in ''Modern Warfare 2'' had a .44 Colt Anaconda. Makarov in ''Modern Warfare 3'' tried to use a gold-plated Desert Eagle to kill Captain Price.

* {{Zig Zagged|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/RedneckRampage''. The revolver has such a mean kick, it pushes [[PlayerCharacter Leonard]] back a bit with each shot and can only be fired once per second or so. [[AllThereInTheManual The manual explains]] that it's a .454 Casull. [[SubvertedTrope Unfortunately its damage per bullet is far lower than a regular Hand Cannon's]][[labelnote:*]]if anything it's more in line with a .38 Special[[/labelnote]] – it takes three shots to kill a Skinny Old Coot clone or a Turd Minion, [[TheGoomba the weakest enemies in the game]]. It goes both ways as well: the Coot clones also carry this revolver, and being shot by them doesn't really hurt all that much even when you're sober[[note]]being tipsy (in the green Alcohol field) [[BoozeBasedBuff reduces damage by about 20%]][[/note]].

** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', Leon gets the .50 AE Desert Eagle, which is a one-hit kill to zombies and lickers, and a two-hit kill to anything else short of a boss. Apparently unsatisfied with this level of death, however, it's eventually customized with a ten-inch barrel that, in addition to one-hit killing ''everything'' short of a boss, damn near [[BlownAcrossTheRoom knocks Leon off his feet]] with each shot. On top of this, you can hit multiple lined up enemies with one bullet due to the custom Magnum having piercing effects.
** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'' After firing a railgun at Nemesis, Jill picks up a .44 Magnum and fires all six shots into the monster, killing the persistent bastard for good.

* High powered handguns in real life have two primary real-world applications, handgun hunting and dangerous game defense. With proper ammo, magnum pistols are basically sawed-off rifles that are easier to handle (except once they are recoiling). That said, many are sold for "range warriors" to show off to their buddy.
* Most of the various [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.50_caliber_handguns .50 caliber handguns,]] except the .50 GI.

* A number of rifles combine a pistol grip and a folding stock. As long as your wrists are strong enough, there is nothing preventing you from firing it like a pistol.

* Pepperbox pistols are examples from the 1800's that were sold to civilians! They were designed for multiple shots, the earliest versions having matches leading to each barrel, and being a very early predecessor to the revolver. Although it's still intimidating looking down four barrels, their downside is they're impossible to aim. They're almost primarily used at point blank, like Derringer was infamously known for. Even more cannon-y was volley guns, which used multiple barrels and often shot them simultaneously.

* Very early hand-guns really were, literal, "hand-cannons", merely reduced-size versions of early artillery weapons, with the same one-piece cast barrel-and-stock, and touch-hole ignition.
** Even later when they used matchlocks (1600s or so) most weapons were at least .50 cal, often closer to .75 cal, since modern round sizes fired with black powder wouldn't go through armor- but what black powder lacked in blast velocity could be made up via pressure, [[TimTaylorTechnology using a lot more powder to throw a lot more bullet]] at slower speeds.
** XVII-century German Reiter cavalrymen used the so-called Reitpistole as their main weapons. Those were bigger, badder versions of the contemporary wheellock and flintlock pistols, comparable in size to the modern Pfeiffer-Zeliska from the page picture.
*** Large firelock pistols of this type are commonly known as ''horse pistols'', since they were too large to carry on your person and had to instead be carried in a saddle holster. They ''had'' to be that big, since they were meant to serve as a cavalryman's main weapon rather than a self-defense option like smaller pistols; often they fired full-size musket balls (that is, .50-.75 caliber) with similarly large charges of powder.
** The dragon is this, combined with ShotgunsAreJustBetter; makes sense considering they are a handgun-sized variation of the blunderbuss meant to be used on horseback (that's where we get the word 'dragoon').

* ''All'' the pistols in ''VideoGame/EYEDivineCybermancy'' are this, to an extent. The smallest pistol, the [=BK13=], is a fully automatic .45ACP pistol with a 20 round magazine that is [[GunsAkimbo dual wielded]]. The Black Crow fires .50cal bullets from a 13 round magazine. The [=BK222=] revolver fires .222 rifle ammunition which can kill most enemies in one hit. And finally, the Bear Killer pistol fires .444 armor-piercing bullets that can take out an attack helicopter with a couple blasts.

* Very early hand-guns really were, literal, "hand-cannons", merely reduced-size versions of early artillery weapons, with the same one-piece cast barrel-and-stock, and touch-hole ignition.
** Even later when they used matchlocks (1600s or so) most weapons were at least .50 cal, often closer to .75 cal, since modern round sizes fired with black powder wouldn't go through armor- but what black powder lacked in blast velocity could be made up via pressure, [[TimTaylorTechnology using a lot more powder to throw a lot more bullet]] at slower speeds.
** XVII-century German Reiter cavalrymen used the so-called Reitpistole as their main weapons. Those were bigger, badder versions of the contemporary wheellock and flintlock pistols, comparable in size to the modern Pfeiffer-Zeliska from the page picture.
*** Large firelock pistols of this type are commonly known as ''horse pistols'', since they were too large to carry on your person and had to instead be carried in a saddle holster. They ''had'' to be that big, since they were meant to serve as a cavalryman's main weapon rather than a self-defense option like smaller pistols; often they fired full-size musket balls (that is, .50-.75 caliber) with similarly large charges of powder.
** The dragon is this, combined with ShotgunsAreJustBetter; makes sense considering they are a handgun-sized variation of the blunderbuss meant to be used on horseback (that's where we get the word 'dragoon').
* Later, there was the "howdah pistol", a double-rifle elephant gun with the barrel and stock reduced in size to make it holdable, if not sensibly fireable, in one hand. It was said that the sensible way to employ one, should a tiger leap up your elephant toward the howdah in which you were standing, was to hand the giant double-barreled pistol to the tiger and allow him to fire it.

* The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RT-20_%28rifle%29 RT-20]] may be a rifle, but its name is short for Ručni Top 20, or [[InvokedTrope Hand Cannon]] 20mm.

* ''7.62 High Calibre'' has several, including the .357 Colt Python, the Garza 12.7mm (.50 caliber) revolver, and the .44 [[CoolGuns Desert Eagle]]. They tend to be significantly more powerful than any other handgun weapon, but severely hampered by lack of balance, slow firing, and small clip size. In most cases, a normal handgun (or small submachine gun) is more useful.

* In the VigilanteMan flick ''Film/DeathSentence'', Kevin Bacon needs to buy some guns for his RoaringRampageOfRevenge so he goes to a black market gun dealer (played by John Goodman). John Goodman then proceeds to use this sales pitch when referring to a [[RevolversAreJustBetter Colt Python]], a [[CoolGuns Colt M1911]], and a Desert Eagle respectively:
--> '''John Goodman''': You got the bastards of bastards, .357. A guaranteed head removal. That's... that's a sweetie. You got your standard-size .45, super-sized. That's a fucking Hungry Man right there. And you got the king of mayhem. Half-cannon. Sword of justice. Take this fucker to the holy land, start your own crusade. Any one of these is bound to make you feel better of what's bothering you.