"A pistol is a type of handgun, the most common types of which today are the revolver, semi-automatic pistol and the derringer. The English word was ...
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introduced in ca. 1570 from the Middle French pistolet (ca. 1550), when early handguns were produced in Europe. Single-shot pistols are now less common and used primarily for hunting, while fully automatic pistols are rare due to strict laws and regulations governing their manufacture and sale." - (en.wikipedia.org 09.03.2020)