Pistols and Revolvers (Research Note 22)

Pistols and revolvers are short-range weapons, designed to hit targets at distances of around 25–30 metres, with rapidly diminishing accuracy beyond these ranges.

The basic design of pistols and revolvers has changed very little since the early 20th century.

Recent acquisitions by national military and police forces suggest that there is little demand for radical changes to pistol and revolver design, with most governments prioritizing the reliability and durability of tried and tested models.

Worldwide, the most common pistol calibres in service with defence and security forces are the 9 x 19 mm Parabellum, .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), and 7.62 x 25 mm.

In some countries, there is widespread civilian ownership of pistols and revolvers for self-defence and sporting purposes, such as range shooting. However, some national governments have come under pressure to control civilian ownership of handguns, because of their use in armed crime.

In 2007 the Small Arms Survey estimated 650 million small arms and light weapons to be in the hands of civilians worldwide. Many of these are long guns, but in the United States, for example, the cumulated stock of pistols and revolvers from 1945 to 1994 is estimated at around 84.6 million.

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