WA pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in ca. 1570 – when early handguns were produced in Europe and is derived from the Middle French pistolet, meaning a small gun or knife. In colloquial usage, the word "pistol" is often used to describe any types of handgun, inclusive of revolvers and the pocket-sized derringers.
WThis is a list of pistols.
WThe 2mm Pinfire is a pistol cartridge for small 2 mm-chambered pinfire guns.
WAn air gun or airgun, is a gun that fires projectiles pneumatically with compressed air or other gases that are mechanically pressurized without involving any chemical reactions, in contrast to a firearm, which pressurizes gases chemically via oxidation of combustible propellants that generates propulsive energy by breaking molecular bonds.
WCoin shooting pistols are devices designed to fire common currency of various denominations.
WA derringer is a small handgun that is neither a revolver nor a semi/fully automatic pistol. It is not to be confused with mini-revolvers or pocket pistols, although some later derringers were manufactured with the pepperbox configuration. The modern derringer is often multi-barreled, and is generally the smallest usable handgun of any given caliber and barrel length due to the lack of a moving action, which takes up more space behind the barrel. It is frequently used by women because it is easily concealable in a purse or a stocking.
WThis is a list of pistols.
WThe Mare's Leg is the name given to a customized shortened rifle used by Steve McQueen's character on the television series Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958–1961). McQueen's character was named Josh Randall, and the gun has also been referred to as a Winchester Randall, or a Randall Special. Mare's Leg is now a generic term for a Winchester Model 1892 with a shortened barrel and stock.
WThe Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a pair of late 18th century flintlock pistols belonging to Catherine the Great in its collection. Made from steel, brass and adorned with ivory and gold, the pistols are currently on display in Gallery 375.
WA pellet is a non-spherical projectile designed to be shot from an air gun, and an airgun that shoots such pellets is commonly known as a pellet gun. Air gun pellets differ from bullets and shot used in firearms in terms of the pressures encountered; airguns operate at pressures as low as 50 atmospheres, while firearms operate at thousands of atmospheres. Airguns generally use a slightly undersized projectile that is designed to obturate upon shooting so as to seal the bore, and engage the rifling; firearms have sufficient pressure to force a slightly oversized bullet to fit the bore in order to form a tight seal. Since pellets may be shot through a smoothbore barrel, they are often designed to be inherently stable, much like the Foster slugs used in smoothbore shotguns.
WThe Scorpion silent pistol is a special purpose suppressor integrated weapon which was designed by STC Delta solely for special operation forces. It was introduced in 2012 along with other new side arms.
WA service pistol is any handgun or sidearm issued to regular military personnel or law enforcement officers. It is also known as a personal weapon or ordnance weapon.
WStoeger STLR-4 is a .22 caliber 10-round, blow-back operated, semi-automatic pistol introduced by Stoeger in 1969 and was discontinued in 1985.
WThe Volcanic Repeating Arms Company was an American company formed in 1855 by partners Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson to develop Walter Hunt's Rocket Ball ammunition and lever action mechanism. Volcanic made an improved version of the Rocket Ball ammunition, and a carbine and pistol version of the lever action gun to fire it. While the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company was short lived, its descendants, Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Smith & Wesson became major firearms manufactures.
WThe Walther CP 88 is a sport and training pistol that shoots pellets using compressed CO2 according to the principle of an air gun. The design of the gun is borrowed from the widely used pistol Walther P88. It is manufactured by Umarex.
WThe Welrod is a British bolt action, magazine fed, suppressed pistol devised during World War II by Major Hugh Reeves at the Inter-Services Research Bureau. Station IX, being based near Welwyn Garden City, gave the Welrod its unusual name, being derived from "Wel" from "Welwyn Garden City" and "rod", gangland slang for gun, as a way to obscure its purpose.
WThe Werder pistol model 1869 was an infantry and light cavalry falling block pistol, invented by Johann Ludwig Werder in Bavaria and based on his rifle design of 1868. It was one of the first centerfire pistols to be adopted for use by a European military.
WZigana is an automatic pistol produced by Turkish firearm manufacturing company TİSAŞ. The pistol was started to be produced in 2001 and is one of the first pistols in Turkey with an original design. Zigana pistols have a locked-slide short recoil operating mechanism with a modified Browning-type locking system. In addition, these pistols also have an automatic firing pin block. Zigana PX-9 model is produced in Malaysia in partnership with Turkey. In Pakistan, Zigana models are produced and sold illegally by local workshops.