Pistol and revolver are both handguns which were made to make the firearm easy to shoot with one hand and can be used for close range firing. Both pistol and revolver are rifled firearm.
Let us now check out the differences between these two handguns.
Pistol
A pistol is a short range handgun with a very short barrel (not more than 10 inches) and has a grip with which one can easily hold the firearm. This grip has what is called ‘magazine‘ that carries ammunition and has to be taken out for reloading, every time the ammo gets over.
The barrel is usually rifled. It has an effective range of around 100 yards.
Generally the pistols are semi-automatic and use short recoil action.
Revolver
Revolvers refer to firearms that feature a rotating cylinder. This rotating cylinder is housed just behind the breech end of the barrel. Usually the cylinder can accommodate five to six Ammunition, in a separate chamber. The cocking of the hammer or the movement of the trigger “causes the cylinder to rotate, bringing the next cartridge in line with the barrel.
Revolvers can be single-action and double-action or double-action.
It was Patented by Samuel Colt in 1835.
The differences between pistols and revolvers can be summarized as follows –
| Pistols | Revolvers |
| The ammunition is placed in a removable magazine | The ammunition is placed in a barrel |
| Magazine is arranged in the grip. | A cylindrical magazine is arranged behind the breech end of the barrel. |
| The magazine accommodates more than eight cartridges. | Normally the cylinder accommodates less than eight cartridges. |
| It ejects the casings with each shot. | It keeps the shell casings in the barrel. |
| The trigger pull is less. | The trigger pull is more. |
| The weapon is light in weight. | It is somewhat heavy (due to its cylinder) |
| A misfired cartridge cannot be easily remove. | A misfired cartridge can easily be removed. |
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