A traditionally-designed staple gun, with the staple exiting below the handle fulcrum at right. Josiah Carberry Collection.
A staple gun is a hand tool used for driving staples, and in some cases brads. Manual staple guns carry a stick of staples in a magazine, similar to a desk stapler. A lever above the magazine triggers the mechanism, building pressure slowly and releasing it suddenly to drive a staple into the work piece. Traditionally, the staple exits the gun below the fulcrum of the handle lever, but some new designs place the exit below the far end of the lever. Recent developments in staple gun design have also resulted in lighter trigger levers and electric staple guns.
A Powershot staple gun. In this design the staple exits at right, beneath the far end of the handle lever, more directly in-line with the user's force. Josiah Carberry Collection.