Who you gonna believe, WIKI or Robert Johnson?
Copy that! Same here. 
Wiki is, sadly, written predominantly from an American perspective. British/Commonwealth usage regards “Pistol” and “Handgun” as synonyms, FWIW- so “pistol” can refer to revolvers, semi-autos, or single-shot handguns.
And as for my personal preference: I prefer revolvers overall, but I’m comfortable with autoloaders as well. It depends on the individual gun, basically.
Hmm, the differenciation between pistols and revolvers is the exact same in French, it’s not a purely American thing (that’s also why I was wondering why the OP and other posters kept saying revolver Vs semi-auto. Normally semi-autos are still revolvers, no? Isnt the difference between single action and other types of revolvers, but inside of the whole revolver category?).
I haven’t shot too many different handguns (6 or 7 maybe) but of the ones I tried the semi-autos were far lighter than the revolvers. That’s key for me as my hands are not very strong and a heavy gun is difficult to aim.
I’d rather shoot a semi-auto 22 and be able to aim several shots, then get one shot off on a larger gun or a revolver and then be reduced to shooting in the general direction of the target.
No, they aren’t. A revolver is a specific type of pistol, which has a revolving cylinder typically containing six cartridges (Hence the nickname “Sixgun”).
A Semi-auto loads from a magazine typically located either in the handgun’s “Grip” (handle) or sometimes in front of the trigger.
A “Single Action” revolver requires the hammer to be cocked by the firer to rotate the cylinder and allow the gun to be fired- the trigger performs a “Single Action”; ie releasing the cocked hammer and causing the gun to fire.
A “Double Action” revolver means the trigger does two things- rotates the cylinder AND cocks/fires the gun. The firer can also cock the hammer manually if they choose.
A Colt Peacemaker (the typical “Cowboy handgun”) is a Single Action pistol- the firer must manually pull the hammer back first before they can pull the trigger to fire the gun. A Smith & Wesson “Victory” revolver is a double-action pistol- pulling the trigger will rotate the cylinder, cock the hammer, and fire the gun.
There is also an action known as “Double Action Only”- this means the firer cannot manually cock the hammer, and must pull the trigger to cock the hammer, rotate the cylinder, and fire the gun.
Just to be extra confusing, these terms can also be applied to semi-automatic (self-loading) handguns as well, but unless you’re getting seriously into your firearms you can safely assume that the terms “Single” and “Double” action are being used in reference to revolvers.
Nearly all modern revolvers are Double Action; the exceptions are the modern reproductions of 19th Century “Wild West” revolvers, which are predominantly used in Single Action Shooting competitions, sometimes called Cowboy Action Shooting.
Single action is better for target shooting- once you have cocked the gun, it only requires a light pull on the trigger to fire. Double action is better for “practical” shooting, where speed is more important than accuracy. The heavier pull required to make the gun work in double action mode tends to throw one’s aim off unless the shooter has quite a bit of practice.
The very short answer to your second question, though, is “Yes, Single-Action revolvers are a further subset of the “Revolvers” category of Handgun”. 
Ninja’d by Martini Enfield! (With an excellent post, IMHO.)
I have piles of both. My every day concealed carry piece is a 30-some year old S&W .38 snubbie. When concealment isn’t an issue, I tend toward 10mm or .45 autos for self-defense.
For hunting, got to love the .357 revolvers.
For cheap fun at the range, my pair of ancient Ruger .22 automatics can’t be beat.
Mostly, looking over my collection would indicate that I prefer old guns.
Pistols can be fun & I’d be lying if I said a 1911 didn’t fit perfectly in my hand & fire sweet as you please. But it has the weight to handle the jumps better than some of the 9s. I prefer a pattern, not a zipper. 
But there’s something about sending the target to the back of the range & threading that needle consistently that makes a revolver just plain fun.
Personally, my revolvers outnumber my semiautos…
I have a Ruger New Model Super Single Six in Stainless (SSSS?) 6.5" barrel and the rare factory-fluted .22 Magnum cylinder, .22WMR cylinders were only fluted on New Models for a very short time, as it was confusing to those unfamiliar with the gun, current Single Six Magnum cylinders are unfluted, and have “.22 Magnum” engraved onto the cylinder
My SSSS is also the more desirable “Pre-Warning” model, the barrel doesn’t have that stupid and annoying “Warning, Danger Will Robinson, Guns are Dangerous!” lawyer-speak “Billboard” crap stamped on the barrel, it just has Ruger’s company address on the barrel
I also have a Ruger New Model Blackhawk .45 Convertible with .45 Colt and .45 ACP cylinders, the gun is a standard blued model with 7.5" barrel
Both Rugers are Single Action (“Cowboy” style) that require the shooter to thumb back the hammer before shooting
My only semiauto is a Sig-Sauer 1911 Target model (Nitron finish), the 1911 is the only semiauto I found that just naturally fits my hand, the sights line up perfectly, and the gun points naturally, no repositioning or grip adjustments are necessary, plus, the heavier, “Sig-profile” style slide and heavy forged steel frame soak up the recoil from even the heaviest loaded .45 ACP cartridges, the recoil from my Sig 1911 is about like that of a .38 Special, and is a slow, firm push straight back into my hand
I don’t remember the whole joke, maybe it fails in translation, but asking why a Russian rifle doesn’t have a safety…“Is not safe. Is gun.”
The POS Haskell doesn’t kick nearly as much as I expected from a .45 and I can actually hit a target with it, but are you speaking of breaking your thumb or holding it on target for the next shot?
Colt “Snake” series owners would disagree with you. You get what you pay for and those guns are legendary for their workmanship, but when they get out of tune they cost a good bit to get re-tuned. You buy a Mercedes, you pay Mercedes prices.
I have one and only one revolver. I like it very much. But I’ll take a semi-automatic any day over a revolver. Why? Just personal preference and a bunch of arguable opinions, nothing more.
- I like having springs eat up some of the recoil
- I like having larger ammunition capacity
- I like having better choices than .38 Special/.357 Magnum for self-defense (anything bigger out of a revolver is “overkill” and the DA will make it a point to tell everybody that before and during your trial)
- I like the ease and speed of reloading
- I like the considerable variation (manual safeties, 1911/Glock/SigSauer actions, etc.)
Ultimately it comes down to variety. Revolvers look and feel the same to me, but my Glock 27 is vastly different from My Kimber Tactical Ultra II and both are different from my Ruger Mark III, to say nothing of my other handguns.
I’d still take a revolver. In fact, I want to get a .44 Magnum Super Redhawk one of these days. But I favor automatics. YMMV.
With a revolver, you don’t leave empties behind…
I’ve shot many, many thousands of rounds out of both automatics and revolvers. Modern, good quality weapons of either type are very close in reliability with a slight edge to the revolver. Here’s the thing, though. When a revolver does tie up, you quite often aren’t going to correct it without tools. When an autoloader shits the bed, you can clear it most of the time with tap-rack-bang.
Had a S&W .357 tie up on me once when the ejector rod unscrewed itself just slightly. If it had happened when I was depending on that revolver for more than just putting holes in paper, I’d have been well and truly screwed. It wouldn’t fire and it wouldn’t open.
With a 1911 style pistol, the recoil impulse for the most part is straight back towards the shoother, maybe a very slight muzzle lift at the end of the recoil impulse, since the bore axis is relatively low and in line with the shooter’s wrist, there’s not much muzzle “flip”
when I say the recoil is straight back, I mean just that, under recoil, the recoil energy wants to push my hand straight backwards
Also, bear in mind that the .45 ACP is a low-pressure round, and generally is traveling at subsonic speeds, often under 1,000 FPS, it’s a slow, heavy chunk of lead that does a lot of crushing damage to soft targets, think of it like a ten-pin bowling ball, slow, and large kinetic energy dump
the sound report from a .45 is also lower (157 dB) and does not have the supersonic “crack” of a higher speed/higher pressure round, it’s a low, meaty BOOM
9mm and 10mm/.40 have noticeably “snappier” recoil, the impulse is faster, and there is more muzzle rise, torquing the wrist upward, these calibers snap upward and back when fired, they are also louder (159.8 dB for 9mm, 157 dB for .40), have a supersonic crack when fired, and produce a tactile pressure wave that some shooters find unpleasant, .40 seems to be the worst offender in this regard, it has the snappiest recoil impulse of the three (9mm, .40, .45 ACP), the loudest supersonic crack, and the sharpest pressure wave, personally, I find the .40 the least pleasant round to shoot, or to be next to on the range…
That’s why I always keep at least 6-12 “Ruger Only Loads” for my .45 Colt cylinder in my Blackhawk, if I get some inconsiderate shooter rapid-firing away with his “Fo-tay” (usually a Glock or Springfield XD “Tactical Tupperware” pistol), while I’m plinking away with my .22 or .45 ACP, and there’s no other shooters in the booth, I’ll set down my current gun, load up the 'Hawk with the Themonuclear Stompers, and let loose six rounds of wall-shaking fury, rounds that hit the backstop plywood target holders so hard the entire support frame rocks… 
(there’s something indefinable about a 255 grain Lead Flat Nose bullet trucking along at just around 1,000 FPS, not supersonic, no supersonic crack or face-slapping supersonic pressure wave, no, the pressure wave from that 250Gn subsonic load is closer to a slow-moving Tsunami wave of pressure, the 9/40 is a quick and insolent slap to the face, the Big Bada Boomer .45 Colt is more a slow, firm shove of pressure
That usually garners some sweet, sweet quiet, usually accompanied by a meek “what the heck IS that?” from Mr. Tactical Tupperware…
If he’s cordial enough, I’ll chat with him for a bit, and even offer him a try of the Blackhawk (with my “Powderpuff” light loads to start, but if he wants to, I let him try the “Nukes”)
Most “Tupperware” shooters that try my “old cowboy gun” invariably have a huge grin on their face by the end of the cylinder that can only be removed via surgery, and thank me for the opportunity to try a “big boomer”, in fact a few of the guys who have tried it eventually end up with a Single Action “Big Bada Boomer” of their very own a few weeks later
…I’m tellin ya’ , there’s just something… “addictive” about a big-bore single action, gets you in touch with your inner “Cow-Person” right quick like…
Uh…yeah. Fuck anybody who didn’t call you first to see if it was okay with you to shoot what they own and enjoy.
I own a couple single action revolvers. I can’t say I remember what I was thinking when I bought them, as they see the least action out of everything in the safe. Even my old Contender Super 14 .30-30 gets shot more.
Aww, c’mon Scumpup, it’s nothing more than a good, healthy game of One-Upsmanship after all…
In that situation, when a fellow shooter is blasting away with his favorite toy, and I’m getting buffeted by the shockwave, I basically ignore it anyway, maybe loose a few Nukes downrange for fun
“See, I can make big boomy noises too”
One thing I will warn fellow shooters of is when I’m going to light off the Big Bada Boomers, mainly to insure they have good hearing protection on, however, if a fellow shooter is teaching a newbie, I won’t bring out the heavy stuff, so as not to make their range experience unpleasant, I can have just as much fun with a .22 as with a .45, one’s just a bit noiser and makes a bigger hole, is all
(bolding mine)
I second that! 
“Big boomy noises…” +1 
Heh heh…
I have a 9mm and a 44mag. I can shoot the 9mm all day long and it conceals. The 44mag, not at all. I bought it when I encountered a bear and felt I couldn’t carry the 9 in the forest. Open carrying in town makes people act different, especially with a giant revolver.
Never been attacked by a stupid chicken?