Is A Revolver A Pistol? I Say Yes.

[Dee]

 The word was coined around 1570. They say in either France, or possibly  Czechoslovakia. The term described ANY GUN fired "in your hand".
I've heard revolvers referred to by old men from the time I was able to comprehend the English language, and also for the last 70+ years as "pistols".
Old gunmen were sometimes referred to as "pistoleros" in my part of the country.

But now we have "gun experts" that say: wheelguns are correctly called "revolvers", and "pistols" are single chambered in the barrel.

Well, political correctness be damned, I've got a 5 shooter, and a 6 shooter, and their both fired in the hand.
So both are pistols at my house.

What say you?

[Ranger99]

Way way back many years ago,
public arguments were settled with
single shot muzzleloading
" duelling pistols"
Many nowadays insist that only
semi auto handguns are pistols

[Dee]

Yeah, the "language people" whom are "self proclaimed",want us to speak more precisely. According to "their interpretation".

But who am I to argue with these "recent experts" and how could we have made such a misidentification for some 450 years?

[Land_Owner]

Does it make a hill of beans or really matter which it is called?

The category "pistol" includes both revolver and semi-auto as hand held defensive weapons. 

Were it offensive weaponry, it would certainly be a SHOTGUN!

[Lloyd Smale]

theyve been called pistols before any of us were sperm. Id say its your gun. call it sally if you want. ITs about the same thing with calling a gun a rifle or carbine. Today a carbine is usually a 20 inch or shorter gun but wichester called 22 inch guns carbines way before the know it alls made that rule. Military rifles were called carbines too with longer barrels. Id say pistols are  guns that are shot without a stock but ar pistols even put the kahoots to that. Short barrels. Tc puts even 16 inch barrels which darned near qualify them as carbines on pistols. People get to hung up on names. Kind of like clips or magazines. Who really cares.

[darkgael]

All revolvers are pistols; not all pistols are revolvers.

[ironglows]

.
  Click onto the letter "P" and scroll down to 'pistol'.

 http://www.hallowellco.com/abbrevia.htm

  ..From Pistola province of Italy (nearby Florence)

[Doublebass73]

Josey Wales settled it for us when he said "are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?".

[HWB13]

My  LGS uses pistol for semi's and revolver for wheel guns on their web site to divide the two.  In general conversation I use firearm and lump every thing that goes bag together. If it gets specific I generally use the make and model and the people I get specific with know what I'm talking about.

[Dee]

All revolvers are pistols; not all pistols are revolvers.

LOL, there ya go.

[scattershot]

All handguns are pistols to me. The folks who say different are the same ones who get their panties in a bunch when someone says .45 long Colt. It’s really not that big of a deal.

[Drilling Man]

  I'm with you Dee, I say yes too.

  SR

[Dee]

Yeah, I'm just curious about it. It really ain't an issue, its just sometimes I see these so called experts on TV or eavesdrop a conversation in a gun store with some youngster "enlightening" somebody on proper terminology.

[Goldie]

Good day Gentlemen, good to be back. I'm going to do my best and not P O anyone. As far as terminology is concerned my ole pappy called his 45 Colt a pistola as long as I can remember. Him being born in Oklahoma and moving to Arizona I guess the term pistola followed him there and was a part of my life growing up. When i was about seven he shot himself in the leg with the same pistola and he made a keyring out of that bullet that i carry with me every single day. Yes I guess to some, pistol and wheel gun means the same. 

[O-mega]

Meh, here is my pistol.

[ironglows]

.
  I remember when we were kids of about 9 or 10, a neighbor lad brought a hand made pistol to try out.

  It was some old rolling block 22, which he had cut down to about a 3" barrel and took the stock off.

  It didn't thrill us much, since it wasn't very accurate, and I suspect he later wished he had not chopped up that little rifle..

[DDZ]

Josey Wales settled it for us when he said "are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?".

One of my favorite scenes in any movie.

I have always referred to my revolvers as pistols.

[NWBear]

.
  I remember when we were kids of about 9 or 10, a neighbor lad brought a hand made pistol to try out.

  It was some old rolling block 22, which he had cut down to about a 3" barrel and took the stock off.

  It didn't thrill us much, since it wasn't very accurate, and I suspect he later wished he had not chopped up that little rifle..

And if the ATF found out they might have charged him with "manufacturing" an illegal "pistol"...

[Dee]

.
  I remember when we were kids of about 9 or 10, a neighbor lad brought a hand made pistol to try out.

  It was some old rolling block 22, which he had cut down to about a 3" barrel and took the stock off.

  It didn't thrill us much, since it wasn't very accurate, and I suspect he later wished he had not chopped up that little rifle..

And if the ATF found out they might have charged him with "manufacturing" an illegal "pistol"...

Since the ATF wasn't created until 1971, I'm thinking not.

[powderman]

YES, revolvers are pistols, always will be with me. NOW, I'll start a real fight. You know those thingies that hold shells and go into semi autos so they can keep on shooting?? Every since I've been around guns they have been called CLIPS, I have not evolved with the modern magazine crowd. CLIPS they shall remain to be for me. BTW, I need 1 for my Mossy 22 702 Plinkster. CHARLIE. 

[northwoodneil]

Revolvers are pistols to me. The only time they're not is when I'm searching to buy on the net. Magazines are clips as are nails for my nail gun and even the SD cards that go in my trail cameras.

[Freezer]

All revolvers are pistols; not all pistols are revolvers.

LOL, there ya go.

Open the criteria a little, match lock, flintlock, percussion, single action, single shot (contender or bolt action), double action, semi auto, all are pistols.

 Revolvers fall into two categories of pistols but all are wheel guns, single action or double action wheel guns. There are some rare complicate self cocking revolvers butt that's as complicated as it gets.

[darkgael]

”Go ahead....skin that smoke wagon and see what happens”

Wyatt Earp in ”Tombstone”

[billy_56081]

Yes revolvers are pistols.

[NWBear]

.
  I remember when we were kids of about 9 or 10, a neighbor lad brought a hand made pistol to try out.

  It was some old rolling block 22, which he had cut down to about a 3" barrel and took the stock off.

  It didn't thrill us much, since it wasn't very accurate, and I suspect he later wished he had not chopped up that little rifle..

And if the ATF found out they might have charged him with "manufacturing" an illegal "pistol"...

Since the ATF wasn't created until 1971, I'm thinking not.

I assume you are correct about the ATF, however the Treasury agents would be involved if it happened after 1934 when the National Firearms Act made that operation illegal.

If this was done prior to 1934 all's good.  If not... 

[magooch]

The word was coined around 1570. They say in either France, or possibly  Czechoslovakia. The term described ANY GUN fired "in your hand".
I've heard revolvers referred to by old men from the time I was able to comprehend the English language, and also for the last 70+ years as "pistols".
Old gunmen were sometimes referred to as "pistoleros" in my part of the country.

But now we have "gun experts" that say: wheelguns are correctly called "revolvers", and "pistols" are single chambered in the barrel.

Well, political correctness be damned, I've got a 5 shooter, and a 6 shooter, and their both fired in the hand.
So both are pistols at my house.

What say you?

I say that's got to hurt.  Sorry about that, but anyway definitions change all the time.  Today I heard a commercial on the radio advertising a gun store.  The advertiser said" we've got guns and firearms, ammo, etc., etc."

[oldandslow]

It’s another yes from me. All the young whippersnappers that get bent about it are the same that get their shorts twisted about clips and magazines. All have been interchangeable since long before most were born but they insist on educationing us old geezers.

[wtxbadger]

A revolver is a pistol, don't care a whit about who wants to redefine it.

[Fixit]

I am an avowed grammar nazi, and I wouldn't even blink at one's use of the term pistol in reference to a revolver. It is a proper term for a handgun, of pretty much any type.

[powderman]

WE always called our ammo shells whether rifle pistol or shotgun shells. Musta been libs that  started calling our rifle and pistol ammo bullets.
Cousin ALAN and I  burned up thousands of 22s growing up, both of us reloaded too. I can imagine the look on his face as we we were shooting 22s and I asked him for some more bullets.  CHARLIE.