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A soldering gun is a tool for producing a weld in metals using lead-tin-based solder to achieve a highly conductive contact. The tool uses a pistol shape, and has a trigger style switch so it can be easily operated with one hand. Applications such as soldering high current load wires, often found in inconvenient locations such as automobile bodies, preclude the use of a soldering station. A constant-heat device has to be set someplace safe when not in use to prevent fire. The fast switching gun cools quickly enough to be set down almost immediately after use. A disadvantage is that the copper wire loop slowly dissolves in the solder and has to be regularly replaced. Another disadvantage is that the soldering gun generates an electromagnetic spike when the button is released. This can be a problem for electromagnetically-sensitive devices. The spike can be seen when a high-efficiency LED is soldered — the LED flashes.

Soldering guns may be used to solder the small SMD components, after replacing the default thick wire with a thin one. If the wire loop is bent into a rectangular shape, the gun can be used to solder 14- and 16-pin 1.27mm pitch SMD packages in about 8 seconds by heating all pins at once.

The tip shape, in the form of a wire loop, is advantageous for getting into confined space; the tip can be rotated to get into a gap between neighbouring components. This is not possible with the cone shape of a usual soldering iron. This advantage is more pronounced if working with a thin wire loop and SMD components.

Temperature in the soldering gun is regulated manually by holding the button until the solder melts, and then releasing it. When the solder is about to start solidifying, the button is pressed again, and so on. An experienced worker develops the skill to regulate the temperature according to need.

• Solder
• Soldering iron
• ColdHeat, a soldering iron that regulates its temperature by automatically heating up on contact with the solder, and then cooling down rapidly.

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