Scooter .45
Member
Is it correct to refer to a revolver as a pistol? Or is the word "pistol" reserved for auto-loaders?
Terminology: pistol or revolver?
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Ala Dan
Member in memoriam
Greeting's Scooter .45-
When I think of the word "pistol", I automatically
relate that to the self loader's. And, when I hear the
word "revolver", I think of two thing's:
a) the single action "wheel gun's" of yester year and
b) the modern DA "wheel gun's".
Webster's New Explorer Dictionary defines the word
"pistol" as a firearm held with one hand. So, I
guess it can be used with either/or.
Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
When I think of the word "pistol", I automatically
relate that to the self loader's. And, when I hear the
word "revolver", I think of two thing's:
a) the single action "wheel gun's" of yester year and
b) the modern DA "wheel gun's".
Webster's New Explorer Dictionary defines the word
"pistol" as a firearm held with one hand. So, I
guess it can be used with either/or.
Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
tiberius
Member
I've heard a lot of fellow gun nuts insist that a "pistol" must have the chamber integral to the barrel, thus segregating revolvers. I personally use the word "pistol" as synonmous to and instead of "handgun".
BluesBear
member
A handgun with a revolving cylinder is a revolver.
A handgun without a cylinder is a pistol.
A handgun without a cylinder is a pistol.
Back in the 1800s a pistol meant a single shot . Later a semiautomatic was also called a pistol. A revolver is a revolver. However the terms are not absolute especially when used by those who know nothing about the subject. I remember the time when the exgovernor of new york refered to a 9mm automatic revolver LOL.
George Hill
Member
All handguns are pistols... but not all pistols are revolvers.
jar
Contributing Member
Now there really is a distinction between rifle and gun. 
BluesBear
member
I guess something I was taugh 40 years ago could be considered to be a recent phenomenon.
Of course my father was taught the same thing about 40 years before that.
Of course my father was taught the same thing about 40 years before that.
JohnBT
Member
If a pistol is only a semi-auto, then why isn't a pistolero called a revolverero?
Seriously, I'm with George on this one.
John
Seriously, I'm with George on this one.
John
BluesBear
member
From Merriam-Webster (who was not Richie Cunningham's mother)
Main Entry: pis·tol
Pronunciation: 'pis-t&l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French pistole, from German, from Middle High German pischulle, from Czech pÃst'ala, literally, pipe, fife; akin to Czech pistet to squeak
Date: circa 1570
: a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel; broadly : HANDGUN
If you want to use broad terms then the M1 Garand is an automatic rifle.
The word pistoleer, from which the word pistolero is derived, predates the revolver.
Welcome to America where you can call anything what you wish. Correctly or incorrectly. Heck fire you can even make up your own words for stuff.
As for me, my S&W N-frame is a Revosnizzle and my Colt Series 80 is a Pistnizzle.
Main Entry: pis·tol
Pronunciation: 'pis-t&l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French pistole, from German, from Middle High German pischulle, from Czech pÃst'ala, literally, pipe, fife; akin to Czech pistet to squeak
Date: circa 1570
: a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel; broadly : HANDGUN
If you want to use broad terms then the M1 Garand is an automatic rifle.
The word pistoleer, from which the word pistolero is derived, predates the revolver.
Welcome to America where you can call anything what you wish. Correctly or incorrectly. Heck fire you can even make up your own words for stuff.
As for me, my S&W N-frame is a Revosnizzle and my Colt Series 80 is a Pistnizzle.
JohnBT
Member
Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (my neighbor has my library-quality unabridged dictionary - you know, the BIG one) says:
pistol 1. a short firearm intended to be aimed and fired with one hand.
2. a handgun whose chamber is integral to the barrel.
So from here it looks like a matter of pick one and run with it.
I did a little searching and found relatively early uses of the word pistoleer, but haven't found too much on pistolero.
John
pistol 1. a short firearm intended to be aimed and fired with one hand.
2. a handgun whose chamber is integral to the barrel.
So from here it looks like a matter of pick one and run with it.
I did a little searching and found relatively early uses of the word pistoleer, but haven't found too much on pistolero.
John
Sean Smith
Member
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This is very simple, though I hate to introduce logic into a gun board discussion of semantics.
The pistol predated the revolver. It also predated firearms having a distinct "chamber" at all, so a dictionary definition of "pistol" depending on the location of the "chamber" is quite "silly," because it means that all those handguns predating development of a handgun with a distinct chamber are no longer "pistols," even though the users and makers of the same called them "pistols" hundreds of years ago.
Pistol was the original term for any and all small, hand-held firearms. Revolver describes a specific type of pistol that was invented later. All revolvers are pistols. Not all pistols are revolvers.
The pistol predated the revolver. It also predated firearms having a distinct "chamber" at all, so a dictionary definition of "pistol" depending on the location of the "chamber" is quite "silly," because it means that all those handguns predating development of a handgun with a distinct chamber are no longer "pistols," even though the users and makers of the same called them "pistols" hundreds of years ago.
Pistol was the original term for any and all small, hand-held firearms. Revolver describes a specific type of pistol that was invented later. All revolvers are pistols. Not all pistols are revolvers.
RUT
Member
>>All handguns are pistols... but not all pistols are revolvers.<<
This sums it up in a proverbial nut shell.
This sums it up in a proverbial nut shell.
Brad Johnson
Member
Run Forrest, RUUUUUUUNNNNNNN!!!
It's amazing what people will argue about. It's a great part of the reason why I stopped going to church. I got tired of hearing the constant bickering about who's version of religion was correct. I equate it to fleas arguing over the name of the dog.
Call it a banana for all I care, just stop whining about linguistic technicalities. It's a useless waste of time and bandwidth.
Brad
It's amazing what people will argue about. It's a great part of the reason why I stopped going to church. I got tired of hearing the constant bickering about who's version of religion was correct. I equate it to fleas arguing over the name of the dog.
Call it a banana for all I care, just stop whining about linguistic technicalities. It's a useless waste of time and bandwidth.
Brad
BluesBear
member
How can you possible say there was no "distinct chamber"?
The area where the propellant is ingnited IS the "chamber".
It was not by accident that the first cannons had a flash hole.
Waitone
Member
This thread points out the problem with language pro-RKBA'ers have. It is important we gain control over our own language because anti-RKBA types are busily imputing their own definitions into the popular discourse.
Has anyone noticed that since Feinsten et al introduced AWB On Steroids that the language has shifted ever so slightly. Use to be we saw news reports talking about handguns used in crimes. Well now I'm seeing new reports being uncharacteristically specific by referring to "semi-automatic" handguns. In other reports I've noticed the evil assault weapons being referred to as "semi-automatic assault weapons." Again, uncharacteristically specific.
I sense a move to blur the distinction between handguns and shoulder guns by emphasizing the semi-automatic function. The latest boogie man appears to be the semi-automatic function. How do you procted the children from the semi-auto boogie man? Why you outlaw the function and force handgunners into using wheel guns and shoulder gunners into single shot, bolt operated rifles (which BTW is precisely where Feinstein has said she was headed).
We had better control our own language because it is being manipulated for political purposes.
--It a hand gun has a cyliner, it is a "revolver."
--Anything else is a pistol.
Neat, clean and self-evident.
Has anyone noticed that since Feinsten et al introduced AWB On Steroids that the language has shifted ever so slightly. Use to be we saw news reports talking about handguns used in crimes. Well now I'm seeing new reports being uncharacteristically specific by referring to "semi-automatic" handguns. In other reports I've noticed the evil assault weapons being referred to as "semi-automatic assault weapons." Again, uncharacteristically specific.
I sense a move to blur the distinction between handguns and shoulder guns by emphasizing the semi-automatic function. The latest boogie man appears to be the semi-automatic function. How do you procted the children from the semi-auto boogie man? Why you outlaw the function and force handgunners into using wheel guns and shoulder gunners into single shot, bolt operated rifles (which BTW is precisely where Feinstein has said she was headed).
We had better control our own language because it is being manipulated for political purposes.
--It a hand gun has a cyliner, it is a "revolver."
--Anything else is a pistol.
Neat, clean and self-evident.
"I guess something I was taugh 40 years ago could be considered to be a recent phenomenon.
Of course my father was taught the same thing about 40 years before that.
"""""""
Thats about the right time frame alright. the more impolite gunwriters were urinating down on anybody who called a Revolver ( technically a 'Rotator'}, a pistol . And sure enough, somebody noticed that colt called his invention a " Revolving Pistol."
Novelists used to catch it over the phrase " Automatic Revolver" but no doubt they found it while looking through the catalogs-and not at Webley Fosburys. Here's an Automatic Revolver- so cataloged because of its automatic ejector;
Of course my father was taught the same thing about 40 years before that.
"""""""
Thats about the right time frame alright. the more impolite gunwriters were urinating down on anybody who called a Revolver ( technically a 'Rotator'}, a pistol . And sure enough, somebody noticed that colt called his invention a " Revolving Pistol."
Novelists used to catch it over the phrase " Automatic Revolver" but no doubt they found it while looking through the catalogs-and not at Webley Fosburys. Here's an Automatic Revolver- so cataloged because of its automatic ejector;
Brad Johnson
Member
Fleas and dogs, gentlemen, fleas and dogs.
Brad
Brad
Mike Irwin
Member
Up until around World War I pistol was as generic a term as handgun.
Colt and Smith & Wesson, as well as others, advertised revolving pistols and, as technology progressed, they advertised semi-automatic pistols, as well. S&W, with its single-shot target guns based on revolver frames, advertised target pistols.
As it has developed over the past 70 or so years, though, pistol has become somewhat generic for the semi-automatic, just as auto pistol or auto is now pretty generic for semi-automatic.
To say that a revolver is a pistol is technically correct, but it's really no longer common usage.
To say that calling a revolver a pistol is incorrect, though, is also wrong.
Colt and Smith & Wesson, as well as others, advertised revolving pistols and, as technology progressed, they advertised semi-automatic pistols, as well. S&W, with its single-shot target guns based on revolver frames, advertised target pistols.
As it has developed over the past 70 or so years, though, pistol has become somewhat generic for the semi-automatic, just as auto pistol or auto is now pretty generic for semi-automatic.
To say that a revolver is a pistol is technically correct, but it's really no longer common usage.
To say that calling a revolver a pistol is incorrect, though, is also wrong.
JoeWang
Member
Dave R said
"The way I was raised, pistol=handgun. Revolver is a subset of Pistol. Semi-auto is a subset of pistol. But both are pistols."
And both sets are exclusive
"The way I was raised, pistol=handgun. Revolver is a subset of Pistol. Semi-auto is a subset of pistol. But both are pistols."
And both sets are exclusive
BluesBear
member
mec, yes the term "Automatic Revolver" was widely used in the 19th Century.
From my collection:
All are from the 1884 E.C. Meacham Arms Co. St. Louis catalogue
I have hi-res versions of these if anyone is interested
From my collection:
All are from the 1884 E.C. Meacham Arms Co. St. Louis catalogue
I have hi-res versions of these if anyone is interested
45crittergitter
Member
Both sets of answers are correct. A revolver is, and is not, a pistol. How can this be? Well, the feds/ATF, and probably some states have legally defined pistols and revolvers separately, using the "chamber integral with the barrel" business. However, Sam Colt, who presumably invented the revolver, called his new invention a "revolving pistol." I suggest either answer has equal merit as far as being correct, but if a legal issue is involved, I would stick to the legal definition.
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