Which part of a pistol holds the cartridges?

• A. Barrel
• B. Hammer
• C. Magazine
• D. Grip

Answer: (C)

The magazine holds cartridges. It’s the part designed to store rounds and feed them into the chamber as the firearm operates. In most pistols, the magazine is detachable and sits in the grip, supplying one round at a time when the slide cycles. By contrast, the barrel is the tube that guides the bullet, the hammer is part of the firing mechanism that strikes the primer, and the grip is simply the handle you hold. In some other designs (like revolvers), ammunition is carried in a cylinder, but for a typical pistol, the magazine is the storage and feeding component.