Evil Roy Got It Wrong!!

[Leo Tanner]

Had fergotten all bout this thread.

Alot of words have changed meaning over time.  It's natural evolution.  The fact that "back then" cowboy meant cattle rustler proves that.  Us folks that enjoy this sport get obsessed with period correctness but all we have to go on is literature.  There's no one left to ask, "hey, did you ever call your gun a pistol back then in 1872?"  A lot of the writers back then were easterners and used the words they were familar with, and pistol was common for hand gun to them folk.  A lot of the writers of the day took up using "sixgun" in leiu of pistol or revolver.  Folks still say it, but rarely. 

[Professor Honeyfuggler]

Sorry to be late to the party, better give me a few drinks right away so I can catch up...

The word "pistol" has been in the English language since 1570, adopted from the Middle French word "pistole," which was in itself adopted from Middle High german, which was adopted from Czech, etc. The original word meant "pipe." The so called "correct" meaning is a handgun with the chamber attached to the barrel. But then again, as has been so copiously elucidated heretofore, cowboys weren't all too particular about what they called things, as long as everyone understood their meaning. So when some hombre said something like "I'ma gonna break this pistol over yer cussed head," nobody bothered to interject that the handgun in question was a revolver, therfore not strictly speaking a pistol.

All in the way of advertising my professional services, since I'm new in town, which include:

Letters read, and wrote
Fine elocution taught
Estate planning for the recently widowed

Soon to be offering, in this very community, my celebrated "Give me all your cash and I'll make you rich" seminar

Professor Honeyfuggler
Recently returned from the Sandwich Islands and Feejee

And in closing I'd just like to say they can't prove a thing, there's no evidence whatsoever, and it's just her word against mine.

Pleased to meet you.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

There is always a good time to be had when you posse with me pards. 

Its downright colorful too -- and I ain't talking about his duds.  I don't know what he puts in them black-power loads, but I've seen just about ever' color smoke you can imagine.

[GunClick Rick]

That's why a good hat is a resistol I can tell by your hat you carry a revolver pistol

[Fairshake]

I can't believe that this thread is still alive. Hey Leo it seems that would be incorrect by calling them six guns when most loaded only five. I'm going to draw these five guns at the count of three. Somehow that does not gel. I guess we'll stick to the pistols as the correct nomenclature

[Professor Honeyfuggler]

I can't believe that this thread is still alive. Hey Leo it seems that would be incorrect by calling them six guns when most loaded only five. I'm going to draw these five guns at the count of three. Somehow that does not gel. I guess we'll stick to the pistols as the correct nomenclature

Even worse, can you imagine being on the lookout for some guy on a wanted poster who was described as a "FiveGunolero?"

Since pistolero was a term known to be in use back in the day, it's pretty safe to say that so was the word pistol.