pistol; handgun
Refers to a small firearm designed to be held and fired with one hand. The term is neutral and widely understood.
犯人はピストルを持っていた。
The criminal had a pistol.
西部劇ではよくピストルが登場する。
Pistols often appear in westerns.
He fired the pistol into the air.
The officer approached the suspect with his pistol drawn.
The robber held a pistol to the store clerk.