Assault pistol
The term assault pistol includes a special handgun that has been modified or modified or (re) constructed for use in the military or police . Examples include:
- fully automatic pistols based on semi-automatic pistols, often provided with stop shafts:
- smaller submachine guns in the usual military caliber 9 mm (or similar):
- small submachine guns with small caliber, such as the Scorpion type (submachine gun)
such as
- signal pistols intended for firing grenades ( grenade pistols )
- civil semi-automatic pistols with a large magazine and (often) small caliber, such as the Calico M950 or TEC-9
It was only a small step from the automatic pistol to the fully automatic variant, around the same time as the development of the first submachine guns. In contrast to the pistol, it promised more firepower and, thanks to the stock and sight, under certain circumstances a little more accuracy at greater distances, which in turn can be seen relatively through the weak cartridge compared to the rifle. The compact way of carrying the pistol is partly given, but the effectiveness of the submachine gun in terms of maneuverability, dirt resistance and manufacturing costs is not achieved.
In contrast to pistols and submachine guns, assault pistols lead a niche existence, their small number is not least due to their limited usability. Functionally defined, the term includes both fully automatic pistols ( row fire pistols ) and smaller submachine guns . Attempts with grenade pistols remained unsuccessful and widespread even during times of war, the rifle or carbine shape prevailed here. Some civilian weapons, sometimes sold as self-defense weapons or for leisure and sport in the United States, can be assigned to assault pistols despite their semi-automatic function due to their otherwise largely senseless design.
literature
- M. Christian Ortner : Stormtroopers. Austro-Hungarian storm formations and hunting commandos in the First World War. Verlag Militaria, Vienna 2005, ISBN 3-9501642-7-8 (illustrated, with photos of assault pistols).
- Robert A. Slayton: Arms of Destruction. Ranking the World's Best Land Weapons of World War II. Citadel Press, New York NY 2004, ISBN 0-8065-2582-7 .