Firearm Nomenclature

[joeintexas]

As long as I can figure out what they are saying it doesn't bother me a bit. When someone at the range asks me how many rounds my clip holds in my 1911 I don't bother to correct them, I just tell them 8. Everybody's happy. Now I think I'll have a coke....uh I mean Dr. Pepper.

 

[armorer951]

"nomenclature"

I will have to freely admit that pride is often at the root of all of my attempts to "insist" on the use of proper terminology. As if, by the use of these "prescribed" terms and my familiarization with them, I somehow prove my level of knowledge and usefulness here.

While we should always strive to be understood as fully and completely as words will allow, we can all (or almost all) agree that it's rude to browbeat and condemn others for not knowing or, for not using the "proper" terms for parts and procedures, especially those members or visitors who may not possess the same level of experience or expertise.

Clarifying and explaining a problem or concern is at the heart of the issue, and if we use proper terminology, those who understand more fully will be satisfied, and those with a desire to learn will be fed......not thown to the dogs.

 

[Mainsail]

If someone posts that they just put a new break on their gun's muzzle, I warn them not to shoot it. Muzzle breaks are dangerous!

 

[JSR III]

Hey guys, I just read that there is a sale on bullet heads at my LGS.

 

[TTSH]

As long as I can figure out what they are saying it doesn't bother me a bit.

My problem is twofold:

1) I honestly can't figure out what some folks are saying , and,
2) If I do eventually manage to figure it out, I start to make the very same mistakes myself.

My advanced age and former career probably have a lot to do with it. My hideously old, half-senile brain just isn't as quick or adaptable as it used to be.

 

[DBenn]

Hey what came first the Crane or the Yoke?

 

[Marshwheeling]

Yes, I am a spelling, grammar, definitions, punctuation, capitalization and general English language Nazi... even if I barely past my high school and college English classes and still make enough mistakes myself to fill a book.

There, I fixed that fer ya.

 

[Muss Muggins]

There, I fixed that fer ya.

No, you didn't . . . ? ? ?

 

[TTSH]

No, you didn't . . . ? ? ?

Methinks he was just goofing on me. At least I hope he was!

 

[Doug627]

My grandmother would occasionally same something wrong. Someone would correct her and she would respond with: "Did you know what I meant?" The correcting person would say: "Yes." She would then tell the person: "If you understood me, then you should shut up." I have followed this advice and have avoided many an argument.

 

[Mike G 0351]

codenamedave....
The picture you showed of Navy Magazine, Isn't that Port Chicago.

 

[meaneyedcatz]

Taking this to the work place I can tell you it would not be prudent or polite if......
a customer called a fender a quarter panel,
called a qtr panel a fender,
called a bumper a fender,
called a rocker panel that under thing,
called a wheel cover a hub cap
called a radiator support that front straight thing,
(all of which happens everyday)
and then tell the customer it drives me nuts that they do not know the proper names of the parts of something that costs them 50G!

Same thing here.

 

[DavidWJ]

OK, we can use a clip to load catridges (bullets?) into an AR detachable magazine, an 03A3 rifle's in-place magazine, or a revolver's cylinder. Is a speedloader considered a clip or a magazine or neither?

A clip is something that holds cartridges before they're inserted into a gun, which could be a source of confusion between a clip and a small-arms magazine.

I stand with the folks that say terminology is shared by a group so they can communicate between themselves any way they want, so it doesn't really matter if it's consistent. Now, when experts are trying to communicate with someone who doesn't know anything about a subject, terminology needs to be consistent.

To a reloader it makes a big difference whether a thing is called a bullet or a cartridge. To the guy that needs to load his gun before the other guy shoots him it doesn't matter what the thing is called. "Gimme some bullets" works just fine...

Try understanding drug nomenclature sometime. For every manufacturer name there is a scientific name. Take Lexapro as an example. For the typical person it's called Escitalopram to identify it on the shelf, but for the expert, it's called (1S)-1-[3-(Dimethylamino)propyl]-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2-benzofuran-5-carbonitrile.

 

[rburg]

Lets try this...

This is my rifle,
This is my gun,
This is for fighting,
This is for fun.

Followed by the idea we don't let the military dictate terms to us. They make their own and if you know whats good for you, you'll use their terms while serving. They're the real sticklers about it.

And I usually defer to those who live in a town on how to pronounce the towns name. Its their town, not mine. Same for people's last names. Except Steven Colbert, which I refer to as 'Col-bert' because he's a disgusting lefty who prefers to be called 'Col-bear". If it irritates him, all the better.

And just for fun, some firearm manufacturers provide exploded diagrams with the ammunition holding device referred to as the clip. They built it, and if they want us to call it that, its fine with me. Unless its a gun I don't like, in which case I feel no duty to honor them.

 

[soFlaNative]

Taking this to the work place I can tell you it would not be prudent or polite if......
a customer called a fender a quarter panel,
called a qtr panel a fender,
called a bumper a fender,
called a rocker panel that under thing,
called a wheel cover a hub cap
called a radiator support that front straight thing,
(all of which happens everyday)
and then tell the customer it drives me nuts that they do not know the proper names of the parts of something that costs them 50G!

Same thing here.

If not for people like that, there would be no business.
Tradesmen with attitude like that better be the best in the biz or go hungry

 

[FifthWheel]

Hey what came first the Crane or the Yoke?

....or the chamber, or is that a charge hole? Charging hole?

 

[Mistered]

I can (and have) accepted a lot of incorrect firearm terminology over
My lifetime but the one that really burns my butt is when people refer to the bullet , IE the projectile, as 'tips' or 'pills' !

 

[JSR III]

To the guy that needs to load his gun before the other guy shoots him it doesn't matter what the thing is called. "Gimme some bullets" works just fine...

unless his friend, understands correct terminology, and hands him a box of bullets instead of cartridges.

 

[Muss Muggins]

unless his friend, understands correct terminology, and hands him a box of bullets instead of cartridges.

And if it was me, that friend would learn how to play "50 bullet pickup . . . "

 

[rwt1405]

OK, we can use a clip to load catridges (bullets?) into an AR detachable magazine, an 03A3 rifle's in-place magazine, or a revolver's cylinder. Is a speedloader considered a clip or a magazine or neither?

A clip is something that holds cartridges before they're inserted into a gun, which could be a source of confusion between a clip and a small-arms magazine.

I stand with the folks that say terminology is shared by a group so they can communicate between themselves any way they want, so it doesn't really matter if it's consistent. Now, when experts are trying to communicate with someone who doesn't know anything about a subject, terminology needs to be consistent.

To a reloader it makes a big difference whether a thing is called a bullet or a cartridge. To the guy that needs to load his gun before the other guy shoots him it doesn't matter what the thing is called. "Gimme some bullets" works just fine...

Try understanding drug nomenclature sometime. For every manufacturer name there is a scientific name. Take Lexapro as an example. For the typical person it's called Escitalopram to identify it on the shelf, but for the expert, it's called (1S)-1-[3-(Dimethylamino)propyl]-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-2-benzofuran-5-carbonitrile.

Well said David!