Firearms, appearing in the 14th century, changed the world forever. It was after the appearance of the first muskets and arquebuses that the knightly army actually ceased to exist. Heavy armor, which successfully protected against bladed weapons, was easily penetrated by bullets. Over the past centuries, firearms have undergone tremendous transformation. The best pistols in the world: today we’ll talk about the most popular and proven types of hand weapons.
Stechkin pistol
The Stechkin automatic pistol opens the top ten best pistols in the world. It entered service with the Soviet army the same year along with the legendary Makarov pistol, but much less is known about it. APS can be considered one of the rarest pistols in the world. In the USSR it was produced in extremely small quantities. In the West, it was customary to scold him, although critics never held this pistol in their hands. Meanwhile, in terms of combat qualities, it was not inferior to the most famous weapons brands. It was developed for special units, where it is still used today. However, already in 1958 the pistol was discontinued. There were several reasons: the high cost of weapons and some shortcomings. It was heavy, bulky and uncomfortable to wear. In combat conditions, the APS lacked the power of a standard cartridge.
Heckler and Koch USP
A pistol developed by a German company in 1993. It was ranked ninth in the list of the best handguns for its highest reliability, quality and high shooting accuracy. There are nine modifications of this pistol. Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting the large dimensions and massive bolt of the weapon.
Desert Eagle
The pistol was developed in 1983 specifically for a large caliber. The manufacturer is an Israeli company, positioning it as a hunting weapon and a weapon for protection against attacks, be it an animal or a criminal. Its impressive size and menacing appearance have made Desert Eagle popular in cinema and computer games in the shooter genre.
Walther P99
Carl Walther Sportwaffen has established itself as a manufacturer of innovative, high quality weapons. The P99 model, the creation of which began in 1994, became one of the company's best developments. The German developer set the following goal: the creation of weapons that would combine the latest technology achievements of those years and high combat qualities. The Walther P99 became a sensation, as previously the company had only produced classic weapon models. The advantages of the pistol are its small size and weight, a comfortable handle, the back of which can be adjusted to any size of the shooter’s palm due to removable elements. All this allows us to consider it one of the best pistols in the world. The weapon is available in several modifications.
Colt M1911
This is one of the oldest pistols with a hundred-year history, which already makes it the best weapon in the world. For more than 70 years it was in service with the US Army, until it gave way to the Italian brand Beretta 92. It is the most popular and famous pistol in the world and has a lot of clones. Disadvantages: large dimensions and weight, small magazine capacity.
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TT pistol
The TT is a legendary domestically produced pistol, developed in the 1930s, which has great stopping power and penetration ability. This is a weapon with high combat and performance qualities. Small size and weight allow concealed carrying. Easy to use and reliable when firing, it quickly gained recognition. Just like Colt, it has a lot of clones all over the world. The main disadvantage of the pistol is the lack of a safety lock and poor magazine retention, as a result of which cases of self-inflicted gunfire have been recorded.
FN5-7
One of the best pistols in the world was developed in 1998 for use by NATO units. It has many advantages: it is lightweight, has a weak recoil force, but when using a certain type of ammunition, it can penetrate a bulletproof vest.
Automatic diagram of the FN Browning M1922 pistol.
Glock 17
It is one of the most popular pistols in the world. It is in service in more than 30 countries. Has a huge number of modifications. The gun is lightweight and has a simple design: it consists of only 30 parts. You can disassemble it using improvised means (for example, a nail) in less than a minute. The Glock 17 is one of the most reliable pistols in the world. Its resource on average is 300-400 thousand shots. The absence of a trigger and safety box allows you to instantly put the pistol into combat condition. Glock breaks out of the framework of generally accepted ideas about weapons. Made mostly of high-impact polymer, black and sinister, it is a true killing weapon. The pistol was loved by law enforcement agencies in many countries because of its lightness. In the USA, more than 40% of police officers prefer to wear it.
Sig-Sauer P226
It is also called a weapon for the elite. It receives second place among the best pistols in the world for the high recognition of this brand by the security forces of many countries. This pistol is the result of a fruitful collaboration between two well-known arms companies: the Swiss SIG and the German Sauer. As a result of a fruitful union, the Sig-Sauer P220 pistol appeared in the mid-1960s, which became the basis for the creation of a whole line of high-quality weapons. The first thing that catches your eye when you pick up the gun is the excellent quality of its workmanship. Let's say right away - if you need a compact small pistol model, then the Sig-Sauer P226 is not for you. The impression it makes in photographs is very deceptive - the pistol is actually heavy, large and with a massive handle. It costs an impressive amount and not everyone can afford it. The most important thing why a pistol is valued in the world is its excellent combat characteristics. Sig-Sauer brand weapons are always distinguished by high accuracy of fire. It was developed in 1981 specifically to participate in a competition for new weapons for the American army. The pistol lost to the Beretta 92, but only because the Italian company offered a lower price for its weapon. But, most likely, the choice of the Americans was dictated by political motives. Among the disadvantages of the weapon are its heavy weight and high price.
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Beretta 92
The Beretta 92 ranks first among the best pistols in the world. The weapon was created by the oldest company in Europe, which began operations in 1526. The Beretta 92 pistol and its further modifications are in service in many countries. Disadvantages: thick handle, sensitivity to contamination, heavy weight.
The first pistols appeared in Europe during the period of matchlocks and were a musket with a cut off barrel and a greatly shortened butt. What caused them to occur? The cavalry needed firearms that could be fired with one hand, since the other rider controlled the reins. Such a musket with a cut barrel was called a blunderbuss. The first known example dates back to 1420.
Gradually, the barrel length decreased to about 30 cm. The wheel lock appeared around 1500, and a decade later a new weapon was created using such a mechanism, but with a handle instead of a butt. They began to call it a pistol after the Italian city of Pistoia, where similar samples were produced in 1536 by master Camilio Vetelli.
The first patents for pistols, in which the operation of the mechanisms is automated (thanks to the use of the energy of powder gases), were taken by the European Plesner in 1872, the Americans Luce (in some sources - Lutse) and Wheeler in 1874. Initially, automatic pistols were just prototypes, and it took some time before they had the opportunity to be widely used, especially as military weapons. During the first decades of the 20th century, a wide variety of automatic pistol systems were produced. Thanks to the improvement of the overall layout of the pistol mechanisms, their compactness has increased even more and their combat qualities have increased. For example, the return spring, which was located above the barrel in most early models, is now located under the barrel or around it, and this allows, while maintaining the existing dimensions of the pistol, to increase the magazine capacity or, without reducing the number of charges, to reduce the height of the weapon. Various mechanisms were also improved - trigger systems became increasingly popular, and then self-cocking trigger mechanisms even began to spread. More convenient safety devices appear, cartridge indicators in chambers, bolt stops that signal when the magazine is empty and speed up reloading, and much more.
Modern automatic pistols.
The most common pistols are 7-9 calibers, although large-caliber ones are also found, for example 11.43 mm. Smaller calibers (5-6.5 mm), as a rule, are more often used for self-defense and when solving special problems. There are also types of pistols with extended barrels and attached holsters-butts. Due to this, target destruction is ensured at distances of up to 100-150 m with single fire or bursts. The characteristic differences between pistols and revolvers from other types of firearms are their firing and maneuverability. They allow you to defeat enemy personnel only at short distances - up to 50 m (possibly up to 75-100 m); low weight, usually even less than 1 kg; small in size, which is very convenient, as it allows you to carry a weapon with you and open fire from various positions. At the same time, the shooter’s personal skills, such as the characteristics of the weapon’s grip and aiming, play a very important role, having a great impact on the accuracy of the shot. Therefore, this type of weapon is often called personal. From the above, we can conclude that pistols and revolvers are weapons designed for both attack and defense, as well as for hitting the enemy at short distances. In addition to combat pistols, there are also sports, civilian and signal pistols.
