PHRASES ORIGINATED IN SHOOTING

[Quiet 1]

'Like shooting fish in a barrel'

'Give 'em both barrels'

'Shotgun wedding'

'Ready, fire, aim'

'Circular firing squad'

'Shot himself in the foot'

 

[bulletslap]

Ramrod is another.

 

[2tall79]

"Fill your hands you son of a bitch"

 

[Stevens]

Aim for the stars.
Steve W

 

[Quiet 1]

'Hair trigger' As in... that guy's temper has a hair trigger.

 

[crazyphil]

Have heard that "flash in the pan" was a gold panning term.
Have also heard that "lock, stock, and barrel" could have been a mercantile term: lock on the door, stock on the shelves, and barrel of pickles.

redlevel on a flintlock when the hammer drops the flint striking
the steel frizzen sends a shower of sparks into the pan, igniting
the powder in the pan and the barrel, firing the shot.

Sometimes the powder in the pan would ignite but the powder
in the barrel would not. Just a flash in the pan.

Yes, the Forty Niners used the same term when the sunshine
hit a speck of gold in their pan, but I think the Flintlock came
much earlier.

 

[Kurusu]

redlevel on a flintlock when the hammer drops the flint striking
the steel frizzen sends a shower of sparks into the pan, igniting
the powder in the pan and the barrel, firing the shot.

Sometimes the powder in the pan would ignite but the powder
in the barrel would not. Just a flash in the pan.

Happens mostly when you prime the pan but forget to load the barrel.

 

[Ματθιας]

Riding shotgun.

 

[Quiet 1]

'Lock and load.'

 

[Rudi]

"Run & gun".
"Gun running".
"Guns or butter".

 

[Quiet 1]

'Outgunned' and 'Big Guns' As in... John made a great presentation to win the contract but he was outgunned when his competitor sent all the Big Guns in from headquarters.

 

[Texas Star]

That's a long shot.
Bring in the big guns.
Gut shot.

The "the whole nine yards" is a nautical term, no? (This is added later: There are a number of theories on the origins of "the whole nine yards," and among them both the machine-gun belt and the sailing ship. None are definitive, however: The whole nine yards - Wikipedia)

I've read that it referred to the ammo belts in the wings of P-51D Mustangs. These had deeper wings and six guns compared to four on earlier P-51s.

I don't know the length of belts for P-38 or P-47 fighters, or for the P-40, P-61, or various Naval and Marine planes. I think gunners on bombers had shorter ammo belts.

 

[Hugh WW]

The Mexican version

While shooting PPC matches in Calexico, CA. A shot way out of the group was called "una Paloma". The dove, because it flew away from the group.

 

[crazyphil]

I haven't seen any mention of dry fire yet. There is a company now that
makes mens underwear called dri fire. Matter of fact I have some on right
now. I like em.

 

[crazyphil]

At my range the sign in the restroom says If you can't hit the target,
keep it in your holster.

 

[crazyphil]

How about Roscoe?

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

Get the lead out!

John

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My brother's most used gun phrases, "I couldn't possibly have missed!" and "Did I hit that?" (normal response is "heck no!")

Ivan

 

[Golddollar]

Silver bullet.

 

[nicky4968]

I triple dog dare you.