Abstract: A housing is provided, the housing including a grip portion having an aperture therein to receive the fingers of a hand and a frontal breech-enclosing portion disposed forwardly of the grip portion. A breech is mounted in the frontal housing portion. A barrel is mounted forwardly of the breech, the breech and barrel being aligned with the approximate vertical center of the aperture of the gripping portion. A hammer is mounted behind the breech. A thumb actuated trigger assembly is provided, the trigger assembly including a thumb trigger mounted above and behind the aperture and a trigger linkage adapted to mechanically actuate the hammer upon depression of the thumb trigger. The alignment of the breech and barrel with the approximate center of the gripping fingers effectively places the force of the recoil in alignment with the bone structure of the arm, thereby reducing the pivoting which can be caused by recoil in conventional handguns.