1. A PISTOL COMPRISING A LIGHTWEIGHT, ELONGATE FRAME HAVING A TRIGGER MEANS, A GRIP DEPENDING FROM THE FRAME AT THE REAR THEREOF, A BARREL FOR FIRING CARTRIDGES SLIDABLY CARRIED BY THE LOWER PART OF THE FRAME AND DISPOSED ABOVE THE TRIGGER AND NORMALLY URGED TO A RETRACTED POSITION, SAID GRIP HAVING A GRIPPING SURFACE FORMING AN ANGLE OF 38* WITH THE AXIS OF THE BARREL, SAID AXIS BEING ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE BOTTOM THREE FINGERS AND PASSING THROUGH THE PALM OF THE HAND GRASPING THE GRIP AND IN LINE WITH THE FOREARM, SAID BARREL HAVING A NORMALLY RETRACTED POSITION AND HAVING MEANS FOR MOVING THE BARREL FORWARDLY OF THE FRAME UPON THE FIRING OF A CARTRIDGE, AND A FIXED BREECHBLOCK SLIDABLE CARRYING A FIRING PIN AND A HOUSING HAVING SPRING-URGED STRIKER MEANS, A SEAR ON THE STRIKER MEANS, A SEAR LINK PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE HOUSING AND HAVING ONE END MOVABLE UNDER THE SEAR ON THE STRIKER MEANS AND THE OTHER END COOPERATING WITH THE TRIGGER MEANS SAID BARREL HAVING A REARWARD EXTENSION PROVIDED WITH MEANS OPERABLE ON THE FORWARD STROKE THEREOF FOR MOVING THE SEAR LINK AND HOUSING RELATIVE TO THE STRIKER MEANS TO CAUSE SAID LINK ON THE RETURN STROKE OF THE BARREL TO MOVE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SEAR AND COCK THE STRIKER MEANS.