What type of firearm uses energy from a fired cartridge to prepare the next round?

A semi-automatic pistol uses the energy generated from firing a cartridge to automatically cycle its action, eject the spent cartridge case, and chamber a new round into the firing chamber. This mechanism allows the pistol to be ready to fire again with the subsequent pull of the trigger, without the need for manual operation between shots. This feature is what differentiates semi-automatic firearms from revolvers, bolt-action rifles, and automatic rifles, which operate on different principles of loading and firing. In contrast, revolvers require the shooter to manually rotate the cylinder for each shot, bolt-action rifles necessitate manual operation of the bolt to load the next round, and while automatic rifles can fire continuously, they are typically designed for a fully automatic mode rather than the semi-automatic operation found in pistols. Thus, the semi-automatic pistol stands out for its capability to efficiently use the energy from one round to facilitate the next, enabling a quicker rate of fire.