Pistol

Apistolis a type ofhandgun, characterised by abarrelwith an integralchamber. The word "pistol" derives from theMiddle Frenchpistolet(c.1550), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in theEnglish languagec.1570when early handguns were produced in Europe. In colloquial usage, the word "pistol" is often used as a generic term to describeanytype of handgun, inclusive ofrevolvers(which have a single barrel and a separatecylinderhousing multiple chambers) and thepocket-sizedderringers(which are oftenmulti-barrelled).
The most common type of pistol used in the contemporary era is thesemi-automatic pistol. The oldersingle-shotandlever-actionpistols are now rarely seen and used primarily for nostalgichuntingandhistorical reenactment. Fully-automaticmachine pistolsare uncommon in civilian usage because of their generally poorrecoil-controllability (due to the lack of abuttstock) and strictlaws and regulationsgoverning their manufacture and sale (where they are regarded assubmachine gunequivalents).
Technically speaking, the term "pistol" is ahypernymgenerally referring to ahandgunand predates the existence of the type of guns to which it is now applied as a specific term; that is, in colloquial usage it is used specifically to describe a handgun with a single integralchamberwithin itsbarrel.Webster's Dictionarydefines it as "a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel".This makes it distinct from the other types of handgun, such as therevolver, which has multiple chambers within a rotatingcylinderthat is separately aligned with a single barrel;and thederringer, which is a shortpocket gunoften withmultiplesingle-shotbarrels and noreciprocatingaction.The 18 U.S. Code § 921 legally defines the term "pistol" as "aweaponoriginally designed, made, and intended tofireaprojectile(bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and having: a chamber(s) as an integral part(s) of, or permanently aligned with, thebore(s); and a shortstockdesigned to be gripped by one hand at an angle to and extending below theline of the bore(s)",which includes derringers but excludes revolvers.
Commonwealthusage, for instance, does not usually make distinction, particularly when the terms are used by the military. For example, the official designation of theWebley Mk VIrevolver was "Pistol, Revolver, Webley, No. 1 Mk VI".In contrast to the Merriam-Webster definition,theOxford English Dictionary(adescriptivedictionary) describes "pistol" as "a smallfirearmdesigned to be held in one hand",which is similar to the Webster definition for "handgun";and "revolver" as "a pistol with revolving chambers enabling several shots to be fired without reloading",giving its original form as "revolving pistol".
The pistol originates in the 16th century, when early handguns were produced in Europe. The English word was introduced inc.1570from theMiddle Frenchpistolet(c.1550). The etymology of the French wordpistoletis disputed. It may be from a Czech word for earlyhand cannons,píšťala("whistle" or "pipe"), used in theHussite Warsduring the 1420s. The Czech word was adopted in German aspitschale,pitschole,petsole, and variants.Alternatively the word originated from Italianpistolese, afterPistoia, a city renowned for Renaissance-era gunsmithing, where hand-held guns (designed to be fired from horseback) were first produced in the 1540s.However, the use of the word as a designation of a gun is not documented before 1605 in Italy, long after it was used in French and German.
Single-shothandguns were mainly used during the era offlintlockandmusketweaponry where the pistol was loaded with a lead ball and fired by a flint striker, and then later apercussion cap. The handgun required a reload every time it was shot. However, as technology improved, so did the single-shot pistol. New operating mechanisms were created, and some are still made today. They are the oldest type of pistoland are often used to hunt wildgame. Additionally, their compact size compared to most other types of handgun makes them moreconcealable.
With the development of therevolver, short for revolving pistol, in the 19th century, gunsmiths had finally achieved the goal of a practical capability for delivering multiple loads to one handgun barrel in quick succession. Revolvers feedammunitionvia the rotation of a cartridge-filledcylinder, in which each cartridge is contained within its own ignition chamber and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by anindexingmechanism linked to the weapon's trigger (double-action) or its hammer (single-action). These nominally cylindrical chambers, usually numbering between five and eight depending on the size of the revolver and the size of the cartridge being fired, are bored through the cylinder so that their axes are parallel to the cylinder's axis of rotation; thus, as the cylinder rotates, the chambers revolve about the cylinder's axis.
After the revolver, thesemi-automatic pistolwas the next step in the development of the pistol. By avoiding multiple chambers—which need to be individually reloaded—semi-automatic pistols delivered fasterrates of fireand required only a few seconds to reload, by pushing a button or flipping a switch, and the magazine slides out to be replaced by a fully-loaded one. Inblowback-type semi-automatics, therecoilforce is used to push the slide back and eject the shell (if any) so that the magazine spring can push another round up; then as the slide returns, it chambers the round. An example of a modern blowback action semi-automatic pistol is theWalther PPK. Blowback pistols are some of the more simply designed handguns. Many semi-automatic pistols today operate using short recoil. This design is often coupled with the Browning type tilting barrel.
Amachine pistolis a pistol that is capable ofburst-fireorfully automatic fire. The first machine pistol was produced byAustria-Hungaryin 1916, as theSteyr RepetierpistoleM1912/P16, and the term is derived from the German wordmaschinenpistolen. Though it is often used interchangeably withsubmachine gun, a machine pistol is generally used to describe a weapon that is more compact than a typical submachine gun.
Multi-barreled pistols, such as thepepper-box, were common during the same time as single shot pistols. As designers looked for ways to increase fire rates, multiple barrels were added to pistols. One example of a multi-barreled pistol is theCOP .357 Derringer.
Around 1850, pistols such as the Jarreharmonica gunwere produced that had a sliding magazine. The sliding magazine contained pinfire cartridges or speedloaders. The magazine needed to be moved manually in many designs, hence distinguishing them from semi-automatic pistols.
Lever action pistols are very rare, the most notable of which is theVolcanic pistolandPistola Herval.