Part 2 Pistols
A pistol is, simply put, a handgun that may be either semi-automatic or a revolver. (These are not the only options, but the most common) A revolver has a slower rate of fire and is, without practice, more difficult to reload in a crisis situation. An automatic uses expended gasses to cycle the action of the weapon.
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/x2jones/Glock22.gif)
The above is a Glock semi-automatic pistol which is commonly used by law enforcement and many gun enthusiasts. It is composed of a mixture of metal and polymer parts and has a simplified design which allows it to endure a variety of working conditions. The Glock is only one of many common automatic designs. Prior to the Glock, the most common pistol design was the John Browning patented Colt 1911;
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/x2jones/welcome.jpg)
The Colt 1911 was used by US forces for over seventy years. It is among the most common pistol designs in the world.
A revolver is a pistol with cartridges contained in a cylinder. This cylinder cycles once with each trigger pull. The revolver is the oldest design still in use and was among the first firearms to use cartridges rather than black powder.
![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v28/x2jones/10.gif)
The above is a Smith and Wesson Model 10, which was a police and military standard for about fifty years.
If anyone has anything to add, any technical details missed, please feel free to do so. I want this to be informative and we have the collective knowledge here to assist our fellows who may want information of firearms.