[Venturer]

Posing with a revolver in one hand and a pistol in the other.

And here stupid me always thought a revolver was a pistol.

[READINABLUESTATE]

A revolver is a revolver, a pistol is a pistol, both are handguns.

[Fido969]

And here stupid me always thought a revolver was a pistol.

Pistols are single shot handguns (think a pirate flintlock) and automatics. Oddly, a revolver is not a pistol.

[calex59]

Some people use the term pistol to describe any hand gun that is not a revolver, a semi-auto for instance would be called a pistol. I recall buying guns in CA back in the 1960s and the clerk asking if I was buying a revolver or a pistol, the forms had to be filled out that way.

[CurlyDave]

...And here stupid me always thought a revolver was a pistol.

I was actually happy to see that at least one reporter in the world can use the correct terminology.

Most handguns fall into two categories: revolvers and pistols. Most pistols are are semi-automatic.