pistol
Sign in to savethumb|A government-issued M1911 pistol manufactured in 1911 used by [[Squeaky Fromme in her assassination attempt of President Gerald Ford|alt=Blued steel Colt Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol shown in left profile, with dark wooden grip panels, exposed hammer, and engraved slide markings; serial number visible on the frame, against a light background.]]
AI overview
A pistol is a small firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand, typically featuring a chamber for ammunition and a trigger mechanism. Pistols have been historically significant as personal defense weapons and have played important roles in major historical events, as exemplified by their use in assassination attempts and by government agencies.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Terminology
- History and etymology
- Action
- Single-shot
- Revolver
- Semi-automatic
- Machine pistol
- Multi-barreled
- Harmonica pistol
- Lever-action
- See also
- References
thumb|A government-issued M1911 pistol manufactured in 1911 used by [[Squeaky Fromme in her assassination attempt of President Gerald Ford|alt=Blued steel Colt Model 1911 semi-automatic pistol shown in left profile, with dark wooden grip panels, exposed hammer, and engraved slide markings; serial number visible on the frame, against a light background.]]
A pistol is a type of handgun, characterized by a barrel with an integral chamber. The word "pistol" derives from the Middle French pistolet (), meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in the English language when early handguns were produced in Europe. In colloquial usage, the word "pistol" is often used as a generic term to describe any type of handgun, inclusive of revolvers (which have a single barrel and a separate cylinder housing multiple chambers) and the pocket-sized derringers (which are often multi-barrelled).