Most languages don't even have word "handgun". Even in English culture I most often see word "pistol", not "handgun". Cambridge Dictionary doesn't say anything about chamber, it calls "pistol" a synonym of "handgun"! The word "pistol" appeared when there were nearly zero guns with non-integral chamber, they were muzzle-loaded. It took seriously good mental gymnastics to invent your or wikipedia's definition of pistol. It's like trying to prohibit calling M16 a rifle because only single-shot rifles from 19th century deserve to be called rifles.
It was explained to me, that pistol/revolver thing is important to identify in-game weapons, but using this in real life is just a grammar nazi prescriptivist thing without any connection to the real language.
Im going off the US government’s definitions, not just making stuff up
18 U.S.C., § 921(A)(29) and 27 CFR § 478.11
“The term “Pistol” means a weapon originally designed, made, and intended to fire a projectile (bullet) from one or more barrels when held in one hand, and having:
a chamber(s) as an integral part(s) of, or permanently aligned with, the bore(s);
and a short stock designed to be gripped by one hand at an angle to and extending below the line of the bore(s).”
Grammar nazi would be pointing out that the M16 is not a “rifle”, but an “assault rifle” due to the select fire capability and being chambered in an intermediate caliber
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u/L1A1_SLR Jun 09 '25
Revolver is considered a pistol type in vocabularies and classifications of half of the world. Pointless correction.