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A pistol is a handheld firearm distinguished from a revolver due to a chamber that is integral with the barrel, whereas with a revolver the chamber (or cylinder) is separate from the barrel. The two most common pistol actions are semi-automatic and single-shot.

The semi-automatic pistol followed the revolver in the evolution of handguns. Using the energy from a fired shot to reload the chamber for the next, the semi-automatic pistol proved to fire shots quicker and more accurately than a revolver. While recoil energy from a fired round is mechanically harnessed in a semi-automatic pistol, more powerful cartridges may require gas-operation.

Other advantages of a pistol, when compared to a revolver, include lighter weight, slimmer profile, and a softer recoil process. They are also thought to be safer, since revolvers traditionally do not have an external safety.

Derived from the French word pistole, the origin of the word remains difficult to pinpoint. Some believe it was taken from the Italian city Pistoia, where handheld guns were first produced in the 1540s. Others believe the Czech word píšťala, translating to 'flute' or 'pipe', helped shape the English meaning of the word.

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