Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/87

* PISTOL. 63 PITCAIRN. has a length of barrel of 120 millimeters. At the moment of firing, the gas, acting on the base of the cartridge case, forces back the barrel and breech casing, causing them to slide along the grooves of the frame. The detachable breech follows the movement, but both breech and barrel are firmly connected. The cartridge case, which is operated by the extractor, strikes against the ejector projecting out on the interior right wall of the breech casing and is e.xpelled, tlius making way for the top cartridge of the magazine, which is forced in front of the cylinder by an interior spring. A double spring compressed by the recoil forces the detachable breech sharply forward. The trigger is pressed, the firing pin released, and the cartridge exploded. Wien the magazine is exhausted, the lug of the magazine presses a separate spring projecting in the frame and catching in tlic notch of the cylinder. At the same time the breech, instead of moving forward, is held in an elevated position in the rear. The line of sight being concealed, the firer is made aware that his weapon is empty. The pistol is recharged with a fresh magazine, which is insert- ed in the butt, an operation which may be in- stantly performed, and as the weapon may be kept in use for a considerable time without cleaning, this constitutes one of its greatest vahies. The most important American invention is the Colt automatic pistol, invented by J. M. Browning. It consists of three principal parts: the frame, the barrel, and the slidinr) cover. In the first are contained the trigger, the hammer, mainspring, and magazine ; the barrel is secured to the frame by two strong links; and the slidiitfi corer works in grooves on the sides of the frame, and, in the firing position, is locked to the barrel by three ribs, the tops of the latter fitting into corresponding grooves in the slide. Its calibre is 0.38 inch. The magazine is a metal slide which is loaded into the stock of the ])istl from below and held in like position by clips, so that, like the Burchardt-Luger pistol, it may be instantly loaded. To load the chamber and make ready to fire, the slide is held with the thumb and the forefinger of the right hand, the pistol being held in the left hand. The slide is drawn back smartly, a movement which cocks the hammer, while the return action forces the uppermost cartridge of the magazine forward into the chamber and closes the breech. It has a safety device known as the firing-pin lock, which is also a rear-sight and must be raised. This device being raised and one cartridge dis- charged, the force of the powder gases causes the slide and barrel to recoil together about two- tenths of an inch until the barrel is stopped, forced downward by the two links already men- tioned, and mlocked from the sliding cover. The slide, still moving upward, cocks the hammer, ejects the empty shell sideways, and compresses the recoil spring. The moment it arises at its rearmost position the slide is forced forward by means of a recoil spring, and, encountering the second cartridge on its way, carries it forward into the chandler of the barrel, the latter part of its motion carrying the barrel forward and up- ward. -After this the slide engages automatical- ly with the barrel, and the weapon is ready for the next shot. See the article Revolver for descriptions of modern revolvers and pistols ; and Small Abms for automatic and other fire- PISTOL. A character in Shakespeare's Jlcnry I ., Uenry V., and Merry TTiics of ^^'indsor, a braggart and blusterer, the follower of FalstaiT and husband of Dame Quickly. PISUM. The generic name of the pea (q.v.). PITAKA, pit'd-ka ( Pali, basket ). Any one of the three divisions of the Buddhist Scriptures. The three pitakas, collectively termed tripitaka or pitakatlaya, 'basket-triad,' are the Viruiya- pitaka, or Basket of Di.scipline, the Suttapitaka, or Basket of Discourses, and the Abhidhamma- pitaka, or Basket of Metaphysics. The Vinaya- pilaka is composed of five works, the Bhikkhu- Mhhanga (Monk's Division), lihikkhuni-Vibhan- ga (Xun's Division), }[aha-Vagga (Great Chap- ter), Ciilla-Vagga (Little Chapter), and Pari- rara-Pdtha (Concluding Text ). While much of this is dry and technical, it has many pas.sages of interest. The Sutta-Pitaka is the most im- portant of the three for the philosojihy and folk- lore of Buddhism. It is composed of the follow- ing five books: Oigha-yikuya (Long Collection), Majjhima-yikuya (Medium Collection), Samyut- ta-yikaya (Connected Collection). Anguttara- yikaya (Add-One Collection), and Khuddakor yikiiya (Little Collection), which is subdivided into fifteen parts, Khuddnka-Patha (Little Text), Dhammapada (Religious Sentences), I'duna (Out-Breathing I, Itiiuttaka (Thus Said), Sutta-yipata (Descent of Aphorisms), Vinmna-Vattha (Palace-Stories), Pita-Vatthu (Ghost-Stories), Thera-GStha (Stanzas of the elders), ThCrJ-Gutha (Stanzas of the Female Elders), Jutaka (Birth-Stories), yiddvsa (Ex- position). Pafisambhida-ilagga (Way of Analy- sis I, Apadana (Achievement). liuddha-Vanisa- (Lineage of the Buddha), and Cariya-Pitaka (Basket of Conduct). The last pitaka is of all the least interesting. It is composed of seven books. Dhamma-Sangam (Enumeration of Du- ties), l"ifc/io»(/a (Division), /fa(Aa-Ta((ftu (Sub- ject of Discourse), Puggala^Panitatti (Mani- festation of Persons), Dhatu-Katha (Discussion of Elements), Yamaka (Two-fold), and Patlhana ( Cause) . Consult Warren, Buddhism in Transla- tions (Cambridge, Mass., 1896). PITAVAL, pe'ta'val', Fbaxcois Gatot de (16731743). A French legal writer. He entered the army, but afterwards studied jurisprudence, and in 1713 became an advocate at Paris. He is chielly known for the compilation of Causes ci- lehres et interessantes (20 vols., 1734-43). From him a similar collection, begun by Hitzig and Hiiring at Leipzig in 1842, took the name Dcr neue Pitaral (2d ed., 36 vols,, 1857-72; new series, 24 vols., 1866-91). PIT'CAIRIT, JOHX (c.l740-7o). A British soldier liorn in Fifeshire. Scotland. He entered the marine service and became captain in Janu- arv, 176.5, and major in April, 1771. For seven years he was stationed in Boston, and won the respect of the citizens. He was sent by General Ga"e to destroy the militarv stores collected at Concord, April 19, 1775. The minutcmen at Lexington, refusing to disperse at his order, were fired upon and seven were killed. Major Pitcairn maintained until his death that the soldiers fired after the colonists. Tn the battle of Bunker Hill, .lune 17th. he was first in the third and fourth charges, and was mortally woimded by a negro soldier. His widow was allowed a pension of