@NathanD Re Pistols
From my book on such stuff :-) It says:
Colt invented the first revolver which was aptly named after its revolving cylinder. Colt was issued a patent in 1836 for the "Colt firearm equipped with a revolving cylinder containing five or six bullets" this came with an innovative (as the time) cocking device as seen in many early "cowboy movies".
As for pistols they were intended for single-handed use at short ranges. There are three basic types:
First a single shot weapon from which others were developed. Now manufactured for target shooting where accuracy is called for.
Second the revolver carrying the cartridges in chambers <- with a mechanism which is actuated by the user each time a new round is fired and ejected.
And third, the automatic - which has been mis-named, as it is actually a semi automatic or self loading pistol, firing one shot each time the trigger is pressed - a truly automatic pistol "would" fire a burst of bullets as does a machine gun and as such would be classed as a machine gun and not as a pistol.
History of the word (or device known as a) "pistol" is thought to come from Pistoia which is located in northern Italy where around 1540 the first pistols came from. However the other side of the fence says that early pistols were carried in holsters which were slung across the "pistallo" or pommel of a saddle when used as single shot weapons.
And *unf* learning on Friday! Plus I always liked Ludo it had all you needed in a friendly family orientated game ... and the yellow rope you could never ever find after you had played the game once and your mum replaced with blue wool for you ...
Steve
It was Gordon Brown with the economy in the 2000's.