GUN LANGUAGE

[crazyphil]

About 2,500 years ago a guy by the name of Hippocrates said:
"The chief virtue that language can have is clearness, and nothing
detracts from it so much as the use of unfamiliar words."

Of course guns had not even been invented when he said that,
but here are some examples as it pertains to gun language:

A revolver is not a pistol, and a pistol is not a revolver.

Does your revolver have grips or do you grip your stocks?

Does your pistol kick or does it recoil?

Do you carry extra bullets or extra cartridges?

Do you carry your pistol or revolver in a holster or scabbard?

Last but not least, do you keep your booger hook off the bang
switch or do you keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot?

Do you have some favorites?

 

[Eric300]

Well here's my spin on it....

About 2,500 years ago a guy by the name of Hippocrates said:
"The chief virtue that language can have is clearness, and nothing
detracts from it so much as the use of unfamiliar words."

Of course guns had not even been invented when he said that,
but here are some examples as it pertains to gun language:

A revolver is not a pistol, and a pistol is not a revolver.

But, they are both Handguns

Does your revolver have grips or do you grip your stocks?

Your handgun may have side plates, or, a 1 piece grip

Does your pistol kick or does it recoil?

Basic physics: Recoil

Do you carry extra bullets or extra cartridges?

A bullet is the projectile. 1 cartridge equals 1 complete round (Case, Primer, Powder, Projectile)

Do you carry you pistol or revolver in a holster or scabbard?

Handguns are typically carried in a holster. Long guns are typically carried in a scabbard


Last but not least, do you keep your booger hook off the bang switch or do you keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot?

Whoever coined that phrase should be drawn and quartered, shot, hanged, and burned at the stake.


Do you have some favorites?

 

[mrchick]

Do I dare bring up “Is it a clip or is it a magazine”?

 

[Rustyt1953]

Do I dare bring up “Is it a clip or is it a magazine”?

My dad called magazines "clips" from 1944 until his death in 1999. I knew what he meant and I sure wasn't going to correct him.

 

[sigp220.45]

Its a revolving pistol.

 

[Onomea]

I enjoy pointing out to folks that insist on calling grips "stocks" that RL Wilson calls 'em "grips" in his seminal The Book of Colt Firearms, and Walter F. Roper called 'em "handles."

 

[TheHobbyist]

Some people really get bent outta shape on terminology in this hobby and others.

Who cares?

In 100 years it won't matter that someone did not use your preference. Good grief.

 

[Chubbo]

Nitpicker

A Nitpicker, is defined; One that is concerned with or finds fault with insignificant details.

This is intended in a joshing way.

 

[Imissedagain]

I enjoy pointing out to folks that insist on calling grip "stocks" that RL Wilson calls 'em "grips" in his seminal The Book of Colt Firearms, and Walter F. Roper called 'em "handles."

When asked what are my favorite types of woodwork, I may reply,
"I love to handle loud."

Six strings or six shooters... five if an X frame and four if a bass.

 

[375hh1973]

My buddy is all hung up on gun terms. The other day I called and asked him if he wanted to tag along to a couple of gun shops. He asked if I was looking for anything in particular.

Told him I needed some more clips for my assault rifle.

Dude was still grumbling about that hours later

 

[rockquarry]

Run (when you mean use), chassis, platform, truck gun, thingy, pointy, dialing in, the very adolescent "hilary hole", grail gun...

 

[M29since14]

Run and platform are my favorites.

 

[Dave.357]

Run (when you mean use), chassis, platform, truck gun, thingy, pointy, dialing in, the very adolescent "hilary hole", grail gun...

Odd you should mention truck gun.
I picked up a new to me truck,
so it was necessary to pick up a new
To me 25-5 4” truck gun.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I had a friend that had been a small weapons specialist in the Green Berets starting in 1960. He was always wincing when some neophyte used the terms "Clip" and "Magazine" incorrectly.

I would get to the range before him and get some shooting in. He would ask what I had been shooting, and I told "6 clips of 45!" Then as he was taking his breath to harangue me, I tossed him a full moon clip from my 1917. Some of the guys kept M-1 Garand end blocks ready just to throw at him (sometimes empty, sometimes not!). People get tired of continual bombardment, with "Truth, Facts, & just plane Bravo Sierra"

The actual terms have been used by our government in their training manuals interchangeably since these items were invented!

If a person is talking about his magazine, and calls it a Clip, Then you interrupt him to correct his terminology, YOU just answered the question, Who is the bigger tail orfice?

Ivan

 

[Rustyt1953]

I know what everyone here means. I don't need this:

 

[30-30remchester]

Its a revolving pistol.

This has always been an arguable, argument concerning the whole whole pistol vs revolver debate. I am in the revolver, pistol camp. When this add was new, no self loaders were available and had yet to be invented. Revolving pepper boxes and multi barreled small hide out guns were all, one barrel, one round guns, the definition of the word pistol. The exception were single shot pistols. The other "rub" about this ad is, who wrote it? Did Colt or was it some printing shop trainee?

The gun language words that are finger nails on a blackboard to me are Winny, Remmy, Leouy, and heaven forbid, weapon. Makes me cring.

 

[rockquarry]

How about "boolits"?

 

[Doug627]

What kind of furniture does your weapon have?

 

[meaneyedcatz]

Those who are not fluent in a particular subject or maybe a hobbyist does not always know the correct terminology, and that’s okay. NOBODY STARTS OFF AS AN EXPERT.
If a shooter says shell we all know cartridge.
If a vehicle owner says front quarter panel we all know fender, etc., etc.

Seems like it should be a problem if a person walks into a gun store and says “I’m looking for a big noisy thingy.” Then find out he’s looking for his wife or mother in law, then correct terminology is important.

 

[rockquarry]

What kind of furniture does your weapon have?

Yes, that sounds goofy.