Science Fair Project Encyclopedia A pistol or handgun is a
usually small, projectile weapon, normally fired with one hand.
Thus either a revolver or a semiautomatic pistol meant for
personal use (used by one person) in short-range action. In the
15th century the term pistol was used for small knives and
daggers which could be concealed in a person's clothing. By the
18th century the term came to be used exclusively to refer to
small firearms, or additionally, and more recently, similar
devices designed for the aimed discharge of projectiles by the
force of gas pressure stored by other than chemical means ("air
pistol"). Although all handguns are generally referred to as
pistols, many people restrict the term "pistol" to single
chamber handguns, such as semiautomatic or single shot pistols,
as opposed to multi-chambered revolvers or multibarreled
derringers, and use handgun for the broader category. They are
used mainly by police officers, military commissioned officers,
and civilians who want a compact self-d