1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Petronel
From Wikisource
| ←Petrology | 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 21 Petronel |
Petronius→ |
| See also Petronel on Wikipedia, and our 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica disclaimer. |
PETRONEL, a 16th or 17th fire-arm, defined by R. Barret (Theorike and Practike of Modern Warres, 1598) as a "horseman's peece." It was the fire-arm which developed on the one hand into the pistol and on the other into the carbine. The name (Fr. petrinel for poitrinal) was given to the weapon either because it was fired with the butt resting against the chest (poitrine, Lat. pectus) or because it was carried slung from a belt across the chest.
