Henry Rifle Forums

Has the word " Gun " in this day and age become accepted when referring to any firearm? When I entered 22 rimfire competition at the age of 12, ( long time ago ) my instructor, an elder even then, told me a few things. A rifle is any long gun...the only long gun to be called a gun, was any shotgun. Bolt actions and others are rifles. A revolver is a revolver, not to be called a pistol. A pistol is a semi auto ...is this out dated now? I know this is trivial...not really important...just a thought that was passing through this evening. ..I love revolvers, or wheel guns per say so when someone refers to them as a pistol, it seems incorrect.

I think there are some variables on 'firearm' terminology but what scratches its fingernails on MY chalkboard is when I read a loaded round of ammo, IE a cartridge being referred to as a 'bullet'.
Another buzzkiller is when a magazine for a semi auto is called a 'clip'.

Yeah, they are all 'guns'. I don't get hung up on the nomenclature. I have revolvers, they are guns. I have rifles and shotguns, they are guns. I keep it simple when talking with my grandkids and strangers.

With someone familiar with firearms, I am more specific. There is always a line of understanding.

Cofisher wrote:Yeah, they are all 'guns'. I don't get hung up on the nomenclature. I have revolvers, they are guns. I have rifles and shotguns, they are guns. I keep it simple when talking with my grandkids and strangers.

With someone familiar with firearms, I am more specific. There is always a line of understanding.

Appreciate the fact that everyone just says "gun" anymore, and we all understand that. It works....as I said, was just wondering if, technically, the definitions are still correct...

Ya firestick seems to have fallen out of favor...

RanchRoper wrote:Ya firestick seems to have fallen out of favor...

Guess so...NBD...

I'm liking 'bangstick' tho. Brings it back to basics.

And I thought that I was the only one. I think that the worst one is calling a pistol or rifle magazine a "clip" or the loaded round a bullet.I think that the broom handle Mauser used a stripper "clip", but that is the only handgun that I can think of that did .

In the military (USCG) we were taught that we carried 'weapons' not guns. A revolver or semi-auto carried on your person was a 'sidearm.' A 'rifle' was a rifle... bolt action, semi-auto, 1855 Colt Revolving Carbine, it was a 'rifle.' A shotgun was, well... a 'shotgun.' A .50 caliber was a '50 cal.'
The only 'guns' we ever saw in the Coast Guard was when we tied up next to those Navy boys who had big 'ol turrets fore and aft that had big 'ol guns in 'em!!

Even the right word with the wrong pronunciation can get some people's feathers ruffled. Example? Carbine. Is it carbeen, or carbien? It seems to be regional...some say it one way, some say it the other. Either way, you'll likely get a cringe or a stern look if you say it differently than the listener is used to.

roddy wrote:Even the right word with the wrong pronunciation can get some people's feathers ruffled. Example? Carbine. Is it carbeen, or carbien? It seems to be regional...some say it one way, some say it the other. Either way, you'll likely get a cringe or a stern look if you say it differently than the listener is used to.

That's an interesting one. I guess here in the heartland (or at least inside this house in the heartland) we say "Carbeen" (long "E"). Carbien (long "I") just doesn't hit the ear exactly right...

Beyond that, I'm with keeping it appropriate for your audience. For layman, it's "guns" and "ammo." For experts like you all, I try to make it more specific. I'm liking "projectile" instead of "bullet." Pistols and revolvers are different handguns. Rifles are rifles, shotguns are shotguns.

"Weapons" definitely rings of military/LE, so that always catches my ear...

Never, ever, ever is it a clip.

Gun terminology evolves with usage, often straying from the original definition. Simple as that. For instance, the original lever gun definition of carbine is not a rifle with a short barrel, as everyone commonly assumes, but actually a rifle forearm that uses a barrel band. You can still have a short barrel on a lever gun, but if it has an end cap instead of a barrel band, it is a Short Rifle, not a carbine.

Another part of the problem in gun terminology is that new designs blur the boundaries and, in some cases, require new terminology, altogether. For instance, prior to the mid 60s, there was no such a thing as "specialty pistols", such as the Remington XP-100 or my TC Contenders, which aren't really pistols at all, but that's the category label that has stuck.

Personally, I hope we don't give rise to the terminology police on this forum as I have seen on other forums. Can make for some absolutely ridiculous and pointless arguments.

I'm reminded of "45 Colt" vs. "45 Long Colt."

I've been advised that the latter is a complete misnomer, but it's interesting that firearms publications/websites, as well as vendors of ammo, parts and accessories use "45 Long Colt" with great regularity.

I'm gonna try to act like I know what I'm talking about, so I've dropped the "Long" from my 45 Colt conversations.

Actually, not so on the 45 Long Colt thing IF you go back far enough in time and see why the "Long" part of the name came to be. For instance, back when the Schofield 45 revolver was adopted by the Army, along with the Colt 1873 revolver chambered in 45 Colt, everyone had to be careful as to which 45 ammo they were using. The 45 Scofield (45 S&W) could be used in the Colt 1873 Army chambered in 45 Colt, but the 45 Colt -the long Colt cartridge - could not be used in the 45 Scofield guns. In fact, there is evidence that there were versions of a shorter 45 Colt being marketed at one time. See, http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylo ... t_colt.htm

Cofisher wrote:I'm liking 'bangstick' tho. Brings it back to basics.

LOL, I am reminded of this...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx3Bz6cIPiw

North Country Gal wrote:Actually, not so on the 45 Long Colt thing IF you go back far enough in time and see why the "Long" part of the name came to be. For instance, back when the Schofield 45 revolver was adopted by the Army, along with the Colt 1873 revolver chambered in 45 Colt, everyone had to be careful as to which 45 ammo they were using. The 45 Scofield (45 S&W) could be used in the Colt 1873 Army chambered in 45 Colt, but the 45 Colt -the long Colt cartridge - could not be used in the 45 Scofield guns. In fact, there is evidence that there were versions of a shorter 45 Colt being marketed at one time. See, http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylo ... t_colt.htm

Yep, I've read through that backstory. Even though there was not "short colt," the 45 Colt somewhere along the way became the "Long Colt" to some, and it's stuck around in some corners of the firearms world, if I understand it correctly (which, of course, I might not!).

Roddy, is that one of those Hollywood 3 shot double barrel Remington's? Lol

Cofisher wrote:Roddy, is that one of those Hollywood 3 shot double barrel Remington's? Lol

LOL, gotta love Hollywood...I think there are points in that movie where it is at least a 5 or 6 shot double barrel Remington . Bruce Campbell makes me laugh. The whole "Boomstick" speach had me in tears the first time I saw it.

ESquared wrote:Never, ever, ever is it a clip.

Unless you're trying to load 8 rounds of 30-06 into your M1 Garand.

flat_topp wrote:

ESquared wrote:Never, ever, ever is it a clip.

Unless you're trying to load 8 rounds of 30-06 into your M1 Garand.

clips.jpg

Learning is a great thing! Thanks for that!

http://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/9- ... rms/249625#