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A duelling pistol is a type of pistol that was manufactured in matching pairs to be used in a duel, when duels were customary and not illegal. Duelling pistols are often single-shot flintlock or percussion black-powder pistols which fire a lead musket ball. They were made in identical pairs to put both duellists on the same footing. Not all fine pairs of pistols are actual duelling pistols, though they may be called so. == Design == Standard flintlock pistols have a noticeable delay between pulling the trigger and actually firing the bullet. Purpose-built duelling pistols have various improvements to make them more reliable and accurate, such as longer and heavier barrels, spurs on the trigger guards, saw handles, platinum-lined touch-holes and hair triggers. All component parts were manufactured, hand-finished and then adjusted with great care and precision, which made duelling pistols much more costly than standard firearms of the period. Special care was taken when moulding the lead bullets to ensure that there were no voids which would affect accuracy. Pistols were carefully and identically loaded, and each duellist was offered his choice of the indistinguishable loaded pistols. As duels were generally fought at short distances which were paced out, typically ,〔http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/EM/_events/last_duel.php〕 between stationary opponents, extreme accuracy was not required. Duelling pistols had long smoothbore barrels (typically ) and fired large, heavy bullets. Pistols with calibers of , , or even were common. The bullets loaded in them could weigh half an ounce () in .52 caliber, or more in larger calibers. Bullets were fired with a muzzle velocity of approximately , which made a .52 caliber bullet about as lethal as a current .45 ACP round, capable of inflicting very severe wounds. These injuries, coupled with the primitive state of emergency medicine at the time when duels were commonplace, meant that pistol duels frequently resulted in fatalities, either immediately or afterwards. This was the fate of Alexander Pushkin, a highly experienced pistol duellist who had fought 29 duels before being wounded in the stomach by Georges-Charles de Heeckeren d'Anthès on 8 February 1837. Pushkin managed to return fire, slightly wounding d'Anthès, but died two days later. Most English pistols had smooth bores, though some had ''scratch rifling'', a subtle form of rifling which was difficult to see with the naked eye. Pistols with rifled barrel spin-stabilise the shot when it is fired, resulting in much improved accuracy. As a result, duelling pistols with rifled barrels were considered unsporting by many, although there was no unfairness so long as the pistols were identical.〔 In continental Europe, the use of smooth-bored pistols was considered cowardly, and rifled pistols were the norm. The short range most duels took place at, combined with the accuracy of rifled pistols meant their use substantially increased the chances of a fatality during a duel. Pairs of duelling pistols can be easily confused with holster pistols and traveling pistols. These types are similar to duelling pistols in that they are large, muzzle-loading weapons, that were often expensively made and came in matched, cased pairs with a set of accessories. Traveling pistols, also known as overcoat pistols, were intended for use by travelers to protect themselves from highwaymen and footpads; unlike dueling pistols, they were commonly rifled. Holster pistols were carried in pairs in a leather holster slung across a horse's saddle. Although best suited for military use, they were often owned by civilians. Although their purpose was self-defense, holster pistols were used on occasion to fight duels.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Duelling pistol」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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