Single-shot Single-shot handguns were mainly used during the era of
flintlock and
musket weaponry where the pistol was loaded with a lead ball and fired by a flint striker, and then later a
percussion cap. The handgun required a reload every time it was shot. However, as technology improved, so did the single-shot pistol. New operating mechanisms were created, and some are still made today. They are the oldest type of pistol and are often used to hunt wild
game. Additionally, their compact size compared to most other types of handgun makes them more
concealable.
Revolver single-action "New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol"|alt=Single-action revolver shown with the loading gate open, exposing the cylinder. A brass cartridge lies beside the revolver, along with a separate coiled metal spring, all arranged on a fabric surface. With the development of the
revolver, short for revolving pistol, in the 19th century, gunsmiths had finally achieved the goal of a practical capability for delivering multiple loads to one handgun barrel in quick succession. Revolvers feed
ammunition via the rotation of a
cylinder, in which a cartridge, or a loaded and primed shot otherwise, is contained within its own ignition chamber and is sequentially brought into alignment with the weapon's barrel by an
indexing mechanism linked to the weapon's trigger (
double-action) or its hammer (
single-action). These nominally cylindrical chambers, usually numbering between five and eight depending on the size of the revolver and the size and pressure of the cartridge being fired, are bored through the cylinder so that their axes are parallel to the cylinder's axis of rotation; thus, as the cylinder rotates, the chambers revolve about the cylinder's axis.
Semi-automatic Target, produced in
Slovakia|alt=Black semi-automatic pistol shown in left profile, with textured grip, trigger guard, slide serrations, and adjustable rear sight; markings visible on the slide. After the revolver, the
semi-automatic pistol was the next step in the development of the pistol. By avoiding multiple chambers—which need to be individually reloaded—semi-automatic pistols delivered faster
rates of fire and required only a few seconds to reload, by pushing a button or flipping a switch, and the magazine slides out to be replaced by a fully loaded one. In
blowback-type semi-automatics, the
recoil force is used to push the slide back and eject the shell (if any) so that the magazine spring can push another round up; then as the slide returns, it chambers the round. An example of a modern blowback action semi-automatic pistol is the
Walther PPK. Blowback pistols are some of the more simply designed handguns. Many semi-automatic pistols today operate using short recoil. This design is often coupled with the Browning type tilting barrel.
Machine pistol 18, a machine pistol derived from the semi-automatic Glock 17|alt=Black pistol shown in left profile with textured grip, trigger guard, slide-mounted selector switch at the rear, and slide markings reading "18C," "Austria," and "9x19." A
machine pistol is a pistol that is capable of
burst-fire or
fully automatic fire. The first machine pistol was produced by
Austria-Hungary in 1916, as the
Steyr Repetierpistole M1912/P16, and the term is derived from the German word
maschinenpistolen. Though it is often used interchangeably with
submachine gun, a machine pistol is generally used to describe a weapon that is more compact than a typical submachine gun.
Multi-barreled Multi-barreled pistols, such as the
pepper-box, were common during the same time as single shot pistols. As designers looked for ways to increase fire rates, multiple barrels were added to pistols. One example of a multi-barreled pistol is the
COP .357 Derringer.
Harmonica pistol Around 1850, pistols such as the Jarre
harmonica gun were produced that had a sliding magazine. The sliding magazine contained pinfire cartridges or speedloaders. The magazine needed to be moved manually in many designs, hence distinguishing them from semi-automatic pistols.
Lever-action Lever action pistols are very rare, the most notable of which is the
Volcanic pistol and
Pistola Herval. ==See also==