There are three main types of nail guns, each of which contain different parts. Electric nail guns have motors, pneumatic guns include solenoids, valves, and other parts, and combustion powered versions of the tool can have a combustion chamber, spark plug, and fuel reservoir. Some nail gun parts, such as the hammer and trigger, are found in all of these models. The other factor that can affect which nail gun parts a particular tool contains is the feed style, as devices with a ribbon load can have different designs from those that use cartridges.

All nail guns have a few different types of parts in common despite the fact that they work in slightly different ways. One common nail gun part is the hammer, which is the component that actually drives each nail into a surface. Another common part is the trigger, which can be used to activate the device. Some nail guns use a contact trigger, which causes a nail to be driven each time the device is placed against a surface. These contract triggers typically consist of a lever which prevents the mechanism from firing but releases when it is depressed.

Aside from all of the basic nail gun parts, pneumatic tools use a few unique components. These tools use pressurized air to activate the hammer, so o-ring seals are some of the most important nail gun parts that they contain. If the seals fail, air pressure can be lost and the device will often not work properly. These tools typically also make use of valves, tubes, and other components to guide pressurized air through the device.

Combustion powered nail guns require a fuel source, which is sometimes a small fuel cell. These cartridges can typically be removed when they are empty and replaced with a full unit. The other requirement for a combustion powered nail gun is an ignition source, which often comes from a battery. Like the fuel cartridges, these batteries are typically a removable part that can be swapped out at any time. Many combustion powered nail guns make use of rechargeable batteries as well.

Electric nail gun parts are typically very similar to other varieties, with a few exceptions. Most of these tools make use of a power cord, though some get electricity from a rechargeable battery pack. Other than that, the main part that differentiates these tools from others is the electric motor which is used to drive the hammer. The motor is typically attached to a set of gears or another similar device which is capable of drawing the hammer back. This typically causes the hammer to compress a set of springs, which provide the necessary force to drive a nail.