Is a revolver a pistol?

Question

I'm in an argument with a friend. He claims that a revolver is not a pistol it is in a catogory by itself. I know that a pistol is a firearm designed to be shot with one hand regardless of the type of action. A revolver is a revolving pistol. Ask the Brit's. They know.

Answer 1

This was taken from Wikipedia.org:

"Multiple senses of the word "pistol"

The word "pistol" is often synonymous with the word "handgun". Some handgun experts make a technical distinction that views pistols as a subset of handguns. In American usage, the term "pistol" refers to a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel, making pistols distinct from the other main type of handgun, the revolver, which has a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers. However, Commonwealth usage makes no distinction at a technical level—"pistol" may refer to revolvers, semi-automatics, or muzzle-loading/cap-&-ball handguns. For example, the official designation of the Webley Mk VI was "Pistol, Revolver, Webley No. 1 Mk VI", and the designation "Pistol No. 2 Mk I" was used to refer to both the Enfield Revolver and the later Browning Hi-Power semi-automatic.[1],[2],[3],[4]

The first pistols were made as early as the 15th century, however the creator is unknown[5]. By the 18th century, the term came to be used often to refer to handheld firearms. Practical revolver designs appeared in the 19th century, and it was in that century that the (sometimes-observed) technical differentiation in usage of the words "pistol" and "revolver" developed.[citation needed]"

Answer 2

Loosely speaking the revolver is a pistol but technically speaking it is incorrect to refer to a revolver as a pistol except in the broadest of sense.  Usage of the word ‘pistol’ dates back to when all handguns were single-shot or multi-barrel jobs like the Derringer and the Pepperbox and these were the norm.  Then came the revolver, a new and innovative departure from what was known as a ‘pistol.'  The revolver was so revolutionary that a brand-new name had to be coined for it and so to differentiate it from the older single-shot and multi-barrel pistols it was christened: The Revolver.  Later, when auto-loading handguns came along they just called them ‘automatic pistols’ and the revolver simply retained it name, The Revolver.  So you see, the revolver is not really a pistol. A pistol is still a single-shot, multi-barrel or self-loading handgun and a revolver is still a revolver.

I hope that helped.

H

ADDENDUM:  And rankl, your point is?  "Revolver" stuck, 'revolving-pistol' did not.  

H

Answer 3

yes it is, they go back a long way!

For example:

pistol revolver percussion double action is a British revolver by Robert Adams

Answer 4

Check this out.

A pistol is a handgun that fires either a single shot OR from a magazine that feeds the ammunition into the chamber of the barrel.

A revolver is a handgun that uses a revolving cylinder that aligns the ammuntion to be fired down the barrel.

Your friend is technically correct.  In the gun industry, we do not refer to a revolver as a pistol.

Answer 5

NO

A pistol is different from a revolver

A pistol has a chamber that is integral to the barrel. like semis and the old dueling pistols

Revolvers have several chambers that will align with the barrel but are not integral to it

A revolver lacks one of the defining characteristics of a pistol so therefore it cannot be a pistol

Just like what so many wrongly call an assault weapon lacks one of the defining characteristics of an assault weapon and can therefore not be an assault weapon

No matter how many ignorant people wrongly use the term

Just like the term pistol has been accepted by the ignorant masses for revolver

the term assault weapon  has in time been accepted by the ignorant masses to mean any gun that has the cosmetics of an assault weapon

The Brits don't know jack

That's why we kicked them out way back when every one was using pistols

The last person I am going to ask about firearms is someone who lives in a firearm free society

Answer 6

It's all a matter of semantics.  Both a revolver and a pistol are handguns.  The destinction, according to some sources, is that a pistol has no revolving cylinder while a revolver does have the revolving cylinder.  According to other sources, a handgun and a pistol are the same thing and a revolver is a special class of pistol.  

Neither definition is solidly accepted by everyone but I think the former is the most generally accepted definition.  A pistol has no revolving cylinder while a revolver has a revolving cylinder.  Both are handguns.

Since an arguement can be made either way, your best resolution is to simply accept thte fact that there are two different definitions and you have each taken a different one.  You then agree to disagree and let it go.  It isn't worth the effort to continue an endless unsolvable arguement.

Answer 7

By definition, a pistol is actually a single shot handgun. The word was used to describe a handgun (incorrectly) too frequently, and the two words became interchangeable. A pistol is a handgun. A handgun is not necessary a pistol. A revolver is a handgun but definitely not a pistol.

Answer 8

In most instances, YES a revolver is a pistol. On the Other Hand there is a revolver that is a rifle. its called a Remington Revolving Carbine made by Uberti. it comes in .38 and .44.

Check out the link below and scroll halfway down and see for yourself.

So to answer your question, YES and NO. there are revolver Pistols and Rifles

Answer 9

99% of the time yes, revolvers are pistols, as a pistol is a firearm designed to be used one handily! BUT in the 19th century some gun manufacturers made revolvers with a stock attached and an extra long barrel designed to be fired from the shoulder, thus not a pistol!

Answer 10

Actually it can be classified as two different types of weapons.  Since it is so compact and a similar style it is a pistol but also it can be classified as a hand cannon because of the power that they have.

Answer 11

No, a pistol is a semi-automatic handgun like a Luger or a Springfield XD. A revolver therefore is not a pistol, but it is a handgun.

Answer 12

Many gunnies claim that a revolver is not a pistol, that pistols are limited to semi-automatic handguns.  I beg to differ.

The word pistol has been used throughout history in referring to handguns, long before the semi-automatic handgun was developed.  The word itself has its origins in the 16th century, and "pistol" duels were originally conducted with single shot handguns.

In short, pistol and handgun are synonymous.  The revolver is a subset of both, as are semi-auto and single shot handguns.

Answer 13

yes it is a pistol

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolver

hope i helped =]

Answer 14

A Revolver is not a pistol.A pistol may be a revolver, although its wrong to call it that way.

Revolver is a category by it self.A revolver is a repeating firearm that consists of multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. As the user c***s the hammer, the cylinder revolves to align the next round with the barrel, which gives this type of firearm its name. In modern revolvers, the revolving cylinder typically chambers 5 or 6 rounds, but some models hold up to 10 rounds

The word "pistol" is often synonymous with the word "handgun". Some handgun experts make a technical distinction that views pistols as a subset of handguns. In American usage, the term "pistol" refers to a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel, making pistols distinct from the other main type of handgun, the revolver, which has a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers. However, Commonwealth usage makes no distinction at a technical level—"pistol" may refer to revolvers, semi-automatics, or muzzle-loading/cap-&-ball handguns.

Answer 15

A pistol is just a firearm that is held in the hand, and not on the shoulder. Obviously pistols are named by their actions. A revolver is a pistol that uses a cylinder to house cartridges and the mechanism aligns the chamber with the barrel to fire.

Answer 16

In the US during the 1850's and 1860's several gun manufacturers made rifles and carbines with revolver actions. I believe the Henry gun company was one, later on known for the Henry repeater rifle the forerunner to the Winchester rifle.

So probably over 99% of all revolvers were made as pistols but there was once a small minority of revolvers made into rifles. These guns were not very popular and now are big among gun collectors.

I'm not sure if this helps your argument. It's like what's the difference between a rifle and a musket. On the outside they both can look the same but the difference is one has a "rifled" barrel meaning it has grooves cut in the barrel to make the bullet spin. Sometimes with guns it can all be very technical.

Answer 17

Simple.

A Revolver is a NOT a Pistol.

It is a certain type of gun Which is NOT Related to the Pistol in anyway.There are various types of revolvers and they are indeed not pistols.

Answer 18

You win.

Answer 19

According to Dictionary.com, a pistol is :

1. a short firearm intended to be held and fired with one hand.

By this definition,  yes a revolving handgun is a "pistol".

However, Merriam-Webster says a pistol is

1. a handgun whose chamber is integral with the barrel.

This means that the breech where the cartridge seats must be apart of the barrel.

A revolving handgun would not fall into this category since the chamber, the revolving cylinder, is not integral to the barrel.

So it is a matter of semantics. Just say that a revolver is a handgun and be done with it.

Answer 20

Actually, that's not a clear question anymore.  Many manufacturers, including American firearms manufacturers, classify their offerings as "pistol" and "revolver."

This nomenclature is finding its way into gun magazines of the day as well, with writers using "handgun" when they want to refer to both, "pistol" for semi-autos, and "revolver" for, well, revolvers.

Answer 21

A revolver is a type of pistol.  A pistol could be a revolver, a lugger,  or a automatic, but still a pistol.

Answer 22

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolver

a revolver will always be a pistol, but a pistol may not always be a revlover.

=)

Answer 23

In addition to all the other answers, I wish to contribute that in MODERN USAGE, a revolver is a revolver, and a pistol is every other kind of handgun EXCEPT revolvers. Of course, there may be regional isoglots, of any description. Bottom line: few call revolvers pistols anymore. Regards, Larry.

Answer 24

A revolver can be a pistol but it does not have to be. Before the Henrys were made there was some attempts at a revolving rifle. But they had to many problems with it. One being that with the powder they had back then and the way the bullet would revolve, there was a possibility of an exsplotion right in the shooter face.

Answer 25

Yes, a revolver is a pistol.  

A "pistol" was originally *any* weapon designed to be fired by one hand.  They included dart guns, spear guns, single shot muzzle loaders, crossbow pistols etc.  The earliest "pistol" to be called such was a 12" candy cane-shaped tube that fired a small dart via force of a compressed spring.

Over the years a lot of different designs and resulting confusion meant that each one would tend to earn a name of its own....a single shot muzzleloader pistol was a "pistol" while a Sam Colt gun was a "revolving pistol".  A self-loading pistol, when they were invented, was called an "automatic loading pistol" or just generally "automatics".  

Modern usage....as in defined as "any know-it-all teenager or Rambo wannabe" will try to tell you that they are "semi-autos, not autos"....or they are "revolvers, not pistols" etc.  Like what they want to call their pistol today has any bearing on the real historic record?

Yes, revolvers are pistols.  Single shots are pistols.  Automatic pistols are pistols.  Crossbow pistols are pistols.  Daisy BB pistols are pistols.  Etc etc etc.

Oh, and H....the "revolutionary brand-new name" was "revolving pistol".  Probably took all of two seconds to come up with that.

Addendum:  The point is, H, that the folks who invented the damned thing named it.  Not you and certainly not a bunch of teenagers who think they know better.  You don't get the right to rename it.  Your opinion on that historic fact is thus a moot point.  It's a revolving pistol.  Live with it.