that the index finger be positioned around the frame above the trigger guard, with the middle finger through the trigger guard and pressed against the trigger. As the trigger is pulled, the sear is released of engagement to allow the mainspring to drive the hammer forward slightly, but the rear arm on the barrel holding lever catches in a notch in the hammer to hold the hammer in firing position. The lowering of the forward arm of the barrel holding lever frees the barrel, allowing the compressed recoil spring to drive the barrel back, stripping the top cartridge from the magazine, chambering the round, and pressing the cartridge head against the standing breech. The M1894 is a double action firearm; the hammer can either be cocked manually for each shot, with the trigger performing the single action of releasing the sear, or it can be fired double-action, in which the trigger pull both cocks the hammer and releases the sear, at the expense of a heavier trigger pull. As the propellant combusts and expands, the standing breech (a rigid, immovable object) acts to prohibit rearward movement of the cartridge and causes the expanding forces to move against the bullet (a somewhat more movable object), propelling the bullet toward the muzzle. The friction of forward motion of the bullet projectile against the inside of the barrel causes the bullet to act as a quasi-plug in the barrel. The barrel (a very movable object) is pushed forward by the motion and direction of the expanding gases against the friction of the traveling projectile, until the bullet exits the muzzle, after which forward motion of the barrel is due to inertia. Forward motion of the barrel is arrested by the progressively increasing tension of the recoil spring. The recoil of this pistol is somewhat higher than that of a conventional semi-automatic handgun, as there are no rearward moving parts to absorb recoil energy and spread the forces out over a longer period of time. It is no worse, however, than a revolver of equivalent power. The extractor is mounted on the left side of the barrel extension. As the barrel moves forward the extractor draws the empty case from the face of the standing breech to eject it. The barrel holding lever arm moves up by action of the trigger, and catches the barrel in forward position. The magazine spring, pushing against the