I was always under the impression that “tactical” refers to close quarter combat. A normal or long distance rifle will have a longer barrel. Tactical rifles will have a shorter barrel better suited for building searches and close quarter combat. (Think trying to swing a long barrel weapon to shoot in a small area with lots of obstacles). In the context of pistols, tactical pistols will have less weight, compact design, are suited for quick draw and things of that nature. So that means that 357 mag revolver would not be considered a “tactical” weapon by design.
