New pistol

you need to narrow it down some. That covers alot of years and alot of models

This might be of help:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?pages/userguide/#How_do_I_upload_files
Save the image on your desktop, click "Upload a File", select the image, click on "Full Image" button and hit "Post" - you can also edit your thread that way, no need to make a new post in it.

Revolvers aren’t pistols, technically. Pistols are semi-auto handguns, by definition.

From Webster's: pis-tol. "a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel."

Single shots, to include muzzle-loaders, are also pistols.

Dang!!! Sam Colt thought he was making pistols.

Mike

Whippersnappers!

View attachment 1137207

Captains1911 said:

Revolvers aren’t pistols, technically. Pistols are semi-auto handguns, by definition.

Click to expand...

That is a 20th Century definition.

In Cowboy Action we ALWAYS refer to our revolvers as pistols.

If you have one of those (revolver or pistol depending on who you’re addressing), please tell us more.

Some sort of safety hammerless, break open design. Looks cool if that’s one you have.

Stay safe.

No it's much earlier, a 2nd model I believe but can't give you a date as my copy of Goforth's book is hiding somewhere. Anyway the cylinder rotation behavior you mention is normal for this one. Incidentally yours is a black powder revolver. Prolonged use of modern smokeless ammo will stretch the frame and loosen the latch.

Captains1911 said:

Revolvers aren’t pistols, technically. Pistols are semi-auto handguns, by definition.

Click to expand...

Meh.

The etymology of the word "pistol" predates semi-automatic handguns by a number of centuries. While the pistols of those earlier centuries were also of a design which had "a chamber integral to its gun barrel", it also carried over to revolvers, both informally and formally.

While Webster defines it as having a chamber integral to the barrel, Oxford defines it as a small firearm designed to be held in one hand, which crosses to the Webster definition for handgun.

U.S. Patent 119048 "Improvement In Revolving Fire-Arms" also uses the term "pistol" when talking about revolvers:

"Be it known that I, CHARLES B. RICHARDS, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Fire-Arms..."
.
.
.
"Figure l is a side elevation of the pistol with side cap and stock removed; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical central section of parts of the pistol..."

The English language is extremely complex, with a huge fraction of the words making up the totality of the English vocabulary having multiple definitions whose meaning is derived contextually. And context is convoluted too...there's context within the sentence structure, context in the subject of the writing or speech, context culturally, context historically, etc.

It's one of those things I don't sweat when people post using the word "pistol".

Dave, that's not a new arm, that's an old one! I like old handguns, but semi-automatic .25 and .32 caliber arms. (Gotta draw the line somewhere.) I'm in favor.

"Pistol" referring to any handgun is a result of the change to the English language by sloppy speech. Much like "gay" no longer means happy and carefree.

Very nice piece, Dave. Well done.

As soon as I saw the title I just knew an old argument(?) / discussion would arise.

In today’s parlance pistol is one thing and the revolver is not a pistol.

I would bet if those that do not follow the Constitution wanted to ban “pistols” all of a sudden today’s definition would be just fine.

Rather than argue with people I just call a revolver a “revolver” and a handgun where that chamber is integral to the barrel I call a “pistol”. Life’s too short for stuff like this.


So, @gasmandave Congratulations on your Iver Johnson.

Here we go again!

Captains1911 said:

Revolvers aren’t pistols, technically. Pistols are semi-auto handguns, by definition.

Click to expand...

For any luddite, that believes with passion that smokeless is just a fad, revolvers ARE pistols. We might settle on "revolving pistols", but that's about as far as we are willing to go.