What do you call your revolver?

[fistful]

Why do so many people insist that a revolver is not a pistol?

Where does this notion come from?

[Skunkabilly]

Hmm.not sure about all the definitions and terms out there but I call my S&W "Shoulda got a Glock 26" :p

[J Miller]

Well, I've read that Sam Colt called them "Revolving Pistols" in his early adds, so that's fine with me. I suppose people like to diferentiate what they are talking about .
So they refer to handguns with cylinders as 'revolvers' and handguns without cylinders as 'pistols'.

Personally when refering to my S&W revolvers, I call them someting to the effect of: You miserable @$%$#%% pieces of @$%@#$%!!!!

And my Ruger revolvers as the good old reliable work horses they are.

J:De

[Preacherman]

I call mine "whirlygiggle"...

:what: :neener: :D

[P95Carry]

I call mine ''friend''!! :p

I regard ''pistol'' as the main weapon's genus - appropos handguns .. within which is are sub divisions of revolver, single-shot etc.

Over time the ''pistol'' term has been used more to define a semi auto/self-loader, thru I think its vernacular useage.

[Hardtarget]

I think of pistol as generic for handgun...as in "go ahead, pull them pistols' I know I heard that in a movie...just don't know what movie it was. Really though, it does help seperate the two. I like the almost "retro" feel of revolvers even though there is nothing old fashion about the revolvers being produced today. Also, the semiauto guns of today have a cool factor thats out of sight...even the 1911. There! I've hit all the bases. I think.
Mark.

[horge]

There are revolver pistols and magazine pistols.
Someone thought the ambiguous (and incorrect) term 'auto' was neat,
and condemned us to a future of confusion.



:D

[Nick96]

In the begining - with regard to handguns (i.e. firearms used without the use of a shoulder supporting stock) - there were muzzel loaders, then breach loaders. These handguns were generically distinguished from rifles & shotguns as pistols. Then came the radical technological advancement of the multi-shot revolving cylinder handgun. Such a "wonder gun" deserved special distinction - thus the term revolver to denote the ultimate in handgun technology.

This continued for some sixty or so years until the advent of the reliable (still a point of contintion) self loading and cocking handun. Thus the new "wonder gun". Since the auto loader shared some of the characteristics of the old "pistols"and it wasn't a revolver, thus the name was applied to the newest "wonder gun".

If you ever had the opportunity to talk with people that were alive during this transition time (late 1800's & early 1900's) about handguns - you would note that they made a special distinction to differentiate a revolver from a pistol (probably much like the people alive during the late 1700's to early 1800's differentiated pistols from revolvers). The revolver (from the perspective of the 1800's to 1900's group) being the tried and true handgun technology - the pistol being the new technology.

So here we are in the erly 2000's, at the point where revolvers have probably come to the zenith of their technological advancement. Auto loaders have further evolved into lighter, more compact & higher capacity devices (though the "reliability" thing is still a point of debate).

The bottom line is - to someone not particularly "into" handguns - a "pistol" is ANY sort of handgun. The debate continues as to what is the "best" handgun. But the word "pistol" is immediately recognizable as the definition of a handgun to anyone - whereas the term revolver may be a foreign term to those disinterested persons born after 1970 or so.

Personally, in general social situations, I present myself as completely neutral in the areas of religion, politics, sexual preference, gun rights and so forth. Where I encounter those individuals of similar views to mine (or in situations where a defence is really necessary), I may go into further detail regarding my opinions and supporting arguements. And yes, I do have definite opinions. But age and experience has taught me where to pick my battles.

So, fistful, any handgun can correctly be identified as a "pistol" to probably 70+% of the general population. Those "in the know" about firearms in general - and handguns in particular - will inquire further. Those that don't - don't even bother to try to explain further. It ends up being an excercise in futility.

[fistful]

Such a "wonder gun" deserved special distinction - thus the term revolver to denote the ultimate in handgun technology. That seems like a plausable explanation.

Nick,

I don't know if the non-gunnies are more likely to call a revo a pistol. It seems to me the split is about 50/50 amongst the gun folks, while the term pistol is uncommon among non-gunnies, who are more accustomed to the terms handgun, revolver and sidearm.

[Thirties]

Pistol, schmistol. As long as you successfully communicate what you are trying to say, it is correct and appropriate to refer to a revolver as a pistol.

Pistol is a very old word which pre-dates revolver, automatic, or semiautomatic. In general terms, pistol means handgun — period!

Automatic pistol means a self-loading pistol, revolver means exactly what it says. Semiautomatic pistol is a newer and more precise way to say automatic pistol.

But anyone who refers to their .45 m1911 as a .45 automatic is not wrong to say so, nor are they wrong to call it a .45 automatic Colt pistol (ACP).

And it was correct for Raymond Chandler to refer to whacking someone in the head with a handgun as pistol-whipping. It certainly referred to either a revolver or an automatic doing the whacking.

I call one of my revolvers Anton. It is a m1895 Russian Nagant.
Another one I call Murphy. It is a S&W m10.

[JuniorG]

I have one revolver and 2 semi auto pistols

All the rest I call Contenders :D

[Kamicosmos]

Here's my nerd factor post:

pis·tol
n. A firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand.

[BluesBear]

I look at the "It's not a Pistol it's a Revolver" bruhaha with the same emotions as the "It's not a Clip, it's a Magazine" hulabaloo.

Who really cares?

As long as it utilizes a cartridge capable of dispatching Radioactive Mutant Ninja Zombie Bearwolves from Outer Space at 100 yards from an in the wasteband holster in less than 1/5th of a second with a 1/27th second splits.

:neener: