Review of Pistols, Crime, and Public:
Safety in Early America by Clayton Cramer

Pistols were commonly owned in America at the time of the Revolution. Clayton Cramer & Joseph Edward Olson lay out extensive evidence in their paper.

This correspondent has noted numerous people make the claim pistols were not common at the time of the American Revolution. This is done to imply concealed arms were not included in the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Clayton Cramer and Joseph Edward Olson published a paper laying out the extensive evidence of pistol ownership at the time of the American revolution. The paper was published in the Willamette Law Review dated June 3, 2008, pages 699 - 722.

In early America, pistols were distinguished from guns or firearms. The literary separation of pistols from guns and firearms continued in common usage until 1828. One of the most telling pieces of evidence showing the commonality of pistols is the accounting of the weapons turned in to General Gage after the battles of Lexington and Concord occurred on April 19, 1775. On April 23, 1775, General Gage offered to allow Boston residents to leave, *if* they surrendered their arms. Boston, through the selectmen, voted to accept the offer. By April 27 the people had delivered over 3,400 weapons. From the paper: …