Pistol shooting has been in the olympics from at least 1896 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_m_Pistol

There are legitimate uses for pistols, and then there are illegitimate uses for pistols - just like everything else you can use as a weapon; kitchen knives, pens, newspapers, microwaves etc.

Let me just reclarify that even though i'm against the outright ban of handguns I still believe in firearm ownership restrictions like we currently have in Canada.