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.