Pistol
A pistol is a type of
The most common type of pistol used in the contemporary era is the
Terminology
Technically speaking, the term "pistol" is a
History and etymology
The pistol originates in the 16th century, when early handguns were produced in Europe. The English word was introduced in c. 1570 from the Middle French pistolet (c. 1550). The etymology of the French word pistolet is disputed. It may be from a Czech word for early hand cannons, píšťala ("whistle" or "pipe"), used in the Hussite Wars during the 1420s. The Czech word was adopted in German as pitschale, pitschole, petsole, and variants.[12][13] Alternatively the word originated from Italian pistolese, after Pistoia, a city renowned for Renaissance-era gunsmithing, where hand-held guns (designed to be fired from horseback) were first produced in the 1540s.[14] 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.[citation needed]
Action
Single-shot
Revolver
With the development of the revolver, 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 feed ammunition via the rotation of a cartridge-filled cylinder, in which each cartridge is contained within its own ignition chamber and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by an indexing mechanism 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.
Semi-automatic
After the revolver, the
Machine pistol
A machine pistol is a pistol that is capable of burst-fire or fully automatic fire. The first machine pistol was produced by Austria-Hungary in 1916, as the Steyr Repetierpistole M1912/P16, and the term is derived from the German word maschinenpistolen. Though it is often used interchangeably with submachine gun, a machine pistol is generally used to describe a weapon that is more compact than a typical submachine gun.
Multi-barreled
Multi-barreled pistols, such as the pepper-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 the COP .357 Derringer.
Harmonica pistol
Around 1850, pistols such as the Jarre harmonica gun were 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
Lever action pistols are very rare, the most notable of which is the Volcanic pistol.
Gallery
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Manner of Jean-François De le Motte (1625–1685). Still Life in Trompe-l'oeil Style With Pistols and a Henri Iv Medaillon [17th Century]
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Cornelis Norbertus Gijsbrechts, 1672, Trompe l'oeil med pistoler
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"Trompe l´oeil 1737" by Carl Hofverberg
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17th century pistols at Läckö Castle.
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Pair of Miquelet Pistols, in the Peninsular Spanish style, made in colonial Mexico, dated 1757, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art[16]
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"The Faithful Colt" 1890 byWilliam Michael Harnett
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TheM1911, an early semi-automatic pistol
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TheCZ-75, one of the most successful Wonder Nines
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AnMP5K machine pistol
See also
References
- ^ "British Dictionary definitions for pistol". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "Pistol – Definition". Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Revolver – Definition". Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Revolver – Define Revolver". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ "Derringer – Definition". Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ^ "Firearms - Guides - Importation & Verification of Firearms - Gun Control Act Definition - Pistol". www.atf.gov. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
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- ^ "Home : Oxford English Dictionary". Oed.com. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ^ "Handgun – Definition". Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Home : Oxford English Dictionary". Oed.com. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ^ "revolver: definition of revolver". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ^ Karel Titz (1922). Ohlasy husitského válečnictví v Evropě.
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ignored (help) - ^ "Naše řeč – Ohlasy husitského válečnictví v Evropě". Nase-rec.ujc.cas.cz. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ^ The War Office (1929). Textbook of Small Arms. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 86.
- ^ Hampton, Mark (10 March 2017). "Single Shot Savvy". American Handgunner. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ "Pair of Miquelet Pistols". Metropolitan Museum of Art website.