in a hinge type gun, where the barrels are dropped open and clear of the action, exposing the chambers to view.

A break open firearm is one whose barrels are hinged, and rotate perpendicular to the bore axis to expose the breech and allow loading and unloading of ammunition. A separate operation may be required for the cocking of a hammer to fire the new round. Break open actions are universal in double-barrelled shotguns and combination guns, and are common in single shot rifles, pistols, and shotguns, and can also be found in flare guns, grenade launchers and some older revolver designs.