Apistol is a type ofhandgun, characterised by abarrel with an integralchamber. The word "pistol" derives from theMiddle Frenchpistolet (c. 1550), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in theEnglish languagec. 1570 when early handguns were produced in Europe. In colloquial usage, the word "pistol" is often used as a generic term to describeany type of handgun, inclusive ofrevolvers (which have a single barrel and a separatecylinder housing multiple chambers) and thepocket-sizedderringers (which are oftenmulti-barrelled).

The most common type of pistol used in the contemporary era is thesemi-automatic pistol.^[1] The oldersingle-shot andlever-action pistols are now rarely seen and used primarily for nostalgichunting andhistorical reenactment. Fully-automaticmachine pistols are uncommon in civilian usage because of their generally poorrecoil-controllability (due to the lack of abuttstock) and strictlaws and regulations governing their manufacture and sale (where they are regarded assubmachine gun equivalents).

Technically speaking, the term "pistol" is ahypernym^{[citation needed]} generally referring to ahandgun and 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 integralchamber within itsbarrel.^[2]Webster's Dictionary defines it as "a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel".^[3] This makes it distinct from the other types of handgun, such as therevolver, which has multiple chambers within a rotatingcylinder that is separately aligned with a single barrel;^[4][5] and thederringer, which is a shortpocket gun often withmultiplesingle-shot barrels and noreciprocatingaction.^[6] The 18 U.S. Code § 921 legally defines the term "pistol" as "aweapon originally designed, made, and intended tofire aprojectile (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 shortstock designed to be gripped by one hand at an angle to and extending below theline of the bore(s)",^[7] which includes derringers but excludes revolvers.

Commonwealth usage, for instance, does not usually make distinction, particularly when the terms are used by the military. For example, the official designation of theWebley Mk VI revolver was "Pistol, Revolver, Webley, No. 1 Mk VI".^[8] In contrast to the Merriam-Webster definition,^[4][5] theOxford English Dictionary (adescriptive dictionary) describes "pistol" as "a smallfirearm designed to be held in one hand",^[9] which is similar to the Webster definition for "handgun";^[10] and "revolver" as "a pistol with revolving chambers enabling several shots to be fired without reloading",^[11] giving its original form as "revolving pistol".^[11][12]

The pistol originates in the 16th century, when early handguns were produced in Europe. The English word was introduced inc. 1570 from theMiddle Frenchpistolet (c. 1550). The etymology of the French wordpistolet is disputed. It may be from a Czech word for earlyhand cannons,píšťala ("whistle" or "pipe"), used in theHussite Wars during the 1420s. The Czech word was adopted in German aspitschale,pitschole,petsole, and variants.^[13][14] 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.^[15] 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]}

Single-shot handguns were mainly used during the era offlintlock andmusket weaponry 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 pistol^[16] and 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 feedammunition via 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 anindexing 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.

After the revolver, thesemi-automatic pistol was 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 fire and 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, therecoil force 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 pistol is a pistol that is capable ofburst-fire orfully automatic fire. The first machine pistol was produced byAustria-Hungary in 1916, as theSteyr Repetierpistole M1912/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 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 pistols are very rare, the most notable of which is theVolcanic pistol andPistola Herval.

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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 atLäckö Castle.
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  Pair of Miquelet Pistols, in the Peninsular Spanish style, made incolonial Mexico, dated 1757, at theMetropolitan Museum of Art^[17]
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  "The Faithful Colt" 1890 byWilliam Michael Harnett
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  TheM1911, an earlysemi-automatic pistol
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  TheCZ-75, one of the most successfulWonder Nines
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  AnMP5Kmachine pistol
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  Photo depicting a Volcanic Pistol

• Glossary of firearms terms
• List of pistols
• Pistol grip