Gun-related sayings that need to go away

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

ATLDave

Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Messages
8,906
Gun people tend to fall in love with hoary old sayings. There's a lot of wisdom to be found in some old sayings, and a lot of nonsense to be found in other old sayings. What are some gun-related sayings that need to be taken out and shot? I'll put in a few:
  • Beware the man with one gun/rifle/pistol; he probably knows how to use it.
    • Not true now, if it ever was. People who are interested in guns are the ones who put in the time to learn how to use them. People who are interested in guns tend to acquire more than one, either for different purposes or simple interest. Having a bunch of guns doesn't make you competent, but having only one is a pretty good sign you haven't been "into" guns for very long, or have only a very causal level of interest.
  • A pistol is for fighting your way back to your long gun.
    • Nonsense in civilian gun world. If you can leave the situation, there's almost no circumstance under which it is prudent or wise to then voluntarily return with a long gun.
  • Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
    • Nobody gets to be actually-fast at anything by trying to be slow. And that includes firearms stuff. Slow-motion practice may be good for ingraining certain pathways of motion, but you have to try to go fast to go faster. People who are already fast may perform best by focusing on feeling smooth, but increases in speed require trying to increase speed.
What other sayings need to go the way of the dodo?
 
ATLDave said:
A pistol is for fighting your way back to your long gun.
Click to expand...
Well, I think this one started and remains mostly in a military context- of course, in the past, most folks were issued a pistol in lieu of a rifle or carbine, rather than in addition to one.
It's probably more accurate to say a pistol is for fighting your way back to your mortar or machine gun.;)
 
Last edited:
Totally agree with your list ATLDave. A few pet peeves of mine.

"Rugers are built like tanks.":

Ruger builds very robust guns but they will and do break and need service from time to time. Many THR threads point to this.

HK's customer service model is "You suck and we hate you.":

I had to contact HK about a faulty part. They responded to my email within a minute (not exaggerating) and sent me the new part for free. I've talked to several other folks that have had the same experience. It was maybe true in the past but no longer IMO.

"Guns are sexy.":

People are sexy not inanimate objects. Saying guns are sexy makes us sound like weirdos who have moved past being passionate about our hobby to other deranged levels of interest.

"The 5.56 was adopted by the military because it was more likely to injure a foe than kill, and thereby draw in more foes seeking to help their fallen ally that can then be targeted."

I still hear this nonsense from time to time and it's exactly that, nonsense.

"A shotgun is the quintessential home defense gun."

This is only true if you have trained extensively with a shotgun and have a home layout that it makes sense for. I shoot handguns most frequently so FOR ME the quintessential home defense gun is a pistol.
 
What's the word cap on this forum because I could go on for days. The ones that bother me do so because I always think how my mother or some other non-gun person would take it. Dang near all my family is at least anit-handgun if not altogether anti-gun so I have to answer for these phrases most family gatherings.
Top ones that irk me:
  • Hardware solution to software problem
  • ANY use of booger hook, bang switch, fun switch, dick beater, hair trigger, assault/tactical, and other phrases that are "guy talk"
I know I'm over sensitive so I don't say anything but I don't repeat them. I just get really tired of getting grilled at Thanksgiving just because I own a pistol.
 
460Shooter said:
HK's customer service model is "You suck and we hate you."
Click to expand...

I always thought that was a more apt characterization of their marketing philosophy than their CS. Their emphasis on military and large LE contracts and desires appeared, at times, to influence their choices on what (not) to bring to market, how to price guns sold on an individual basis, etc. This is hardly unique to H&K (Colt, I'm looking right at you), and the challenges of European firearm export laws no doubt played a role, too.

Agree with the rest, especially about calling guns "sexy." People use that word to describe cars, guitars, and all kinds of other things they are interested in or excited about - but in a totally non-sexual way. If a gun (or car or guitar or whatever) actually arouses you, you should consult a qualified psychiatrist.
 
The two most important rules in a gunfight are: always cheat and always win.
- What does that actually mean?

"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." -- Sigmund Freud
Probably never said in the texts. Also, not correct.

The Yamamoto quotes about not attacking the USA because there would be gun behind every tree. Probably never said and exhaustive studies of Japanese war plans indicate NO interest in invading the continental USA.
 
AlexanderA said:
Referring to guns as "platforms" that you "run."
Click to expand...

Yep, or at least this needs to be greatly reduced. There is a potentially-useful application of the word "platform" when you're talking about some family of gun type that has commonality of parts. It's almost never sensible to call a specific gun a "platform." It might be useful to say something like "many benchrest shooters use a Remington 700 platform for their builds." There may literally be ZERO parts on the particular guns being referenced that were made by Remington, much less a particular Remington 700 firearm that was bought and then used.

But calling your Glock 19 that you have stippled a "Glock platform" that you "run" - yeah, super tiresome.

But this is more usage/semantics than a saying.
 
Last edited:
NIGHTLORD40K said:
The term "stainless steel." Most such alloys, especially the rather soft ones used in firearms, are, at best, "somewhat rust-resistant."
:fire::cuss:
Click to expand...
Hmm... that's not really a saying. More of a usage/semantics thing. Also, I'm under the impression that the steel industry itself uses the term in pretty much the same way, with every knowledgeable person aware that there are degrees of corrosion- and stain-resistance.
 
Of the four “rules” the one that drives me nuts is the “never point a gun at something....”. Really? I carry my pistol in my house. There’s nothing in any direction up, down, or sideways that I wanna shoot. If you carry IWB I’ll guarantee it’s pointed to something you’re not willing to destroy

I have an acquaintance who was in the military. Every firearm is a weapon to him. Gets old. Real old.

The”lost my guns in a boating accident”. That has to be THE all time STUPIDEST thing anyone could say. Totally idiotic

A close second are the chimps that reply “send that gun to me and I’ll give it a good home”. Morons. If you think it’s somehow cute, you’re wrong.
 
Last edited:
ATLDave said:
I always thought that was a more apt characterization of their marketing philosophy than their CS. Their emphasis on military and large LE contracts and desires appeared, at times, to influence their choices on what (not) to bring to market, how to price guns sold on an individual basis, etc. This is hardly unique to H&K (Colt, I'm looking right at you), and the challenges of European firearm export laws no doubt played a role, too.
Click to expand...
I've actually heard it many times referencing both scenarios. I like HKs and pay a lot of attention to threads about them. So my perception is probably skewed.

I used to hang out in the HK forum also but I wasn't enough of a tacticool operator for them, so I got fed up and left. I heard the reference there several times in regards to past CS encounters and the lack of attention to the civilian market both. I don't think either is true anymore.

More for my list:

"You're either a wolf, a sheep, or a sheepdog."

This isn't specific to guns but of mentality and I've heard it many times in reference to the philosophy of carrying a gun. It's wrong IMO and can't encompass all the people in the world or even the population of this country. Human mentality is far to variable to fit into one of these three categories. I'm more of a badger or a skunk. I'm content to be left alone, and don't really involve myself in the affairs of others. Leave me be and we're fine. Mess with me, and you won't like the outcome.

I can't stand any use of the terms "sheeple", "liberal", or any other derogatory term used in any stereotypical statements about antigun folks. Their perspective is flawed IMO in most cases but referring to them this way when we talk guns is degrading and not constructive.

"Revolvers are a better choice for carry because they're more reliable than autoloaders."

Well they seem to be less prone to failure due to their design, but it also seems when one goes down it becomes a club. Autoloaders may malfunction more easily, but when they do they can sometimes be quickly brought back to a functional condition by the user. You are taking s chance either way, so pick what's right for you.
 
redneck2 said:
Of the four “rules” the one that drives me nuts is the “never point a gun at something....”. Really? I carry my pistol in my house.
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying, but I would say there are a couple of things to consider. First, I think that particular rule formulation is talking about a gun held in the hand, as opposed to one that is holstered (with the trigger covered) or, say, stored in a safe. Second, there is a subtle difference between a things you don't want to shoot (say, the wall of your basement where you aim during dry-fire) and a thing you are unwilling to shoot/destroy (i.e., pointing the gun at your dog during dry-fire).
 
460Shooter said:
"You're either a wolf, a sheep, or a sheepdog."
I can't stand any use of the terms "sheeple", "liberal", or any other derogatory term used in any stereotypical statements about antigun folks
Click to expand...

Totally agree, although "liberal" and "sheeple" are words, not sayings. I guess there's no stopping that thread-drift!!
 
ATLDave said:
Totally agree, although "liberal" and "sheeple" are words, not sayings. I guess there's no stopping that thread-drift!!
Click to expand...
Sorry, they get used often enough my mind made sayings up that probably aren't actually sayings now that I think about it.

How about this, "When people ask me why I carry a gun I tell them it's because a cop is too big to fit in my pocket." I've heard that one a lot. It's true but just seems overused.
 
Last edited:
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." That sounds like a rip off of Wild Bill's "Take your time in a hurry" That was his suggestion on success in winning gunfights.

"Rugers are built like Tanks" Talked to a guy who was an engineer at Ruger. People relate size to strength. Rugers are bigger because they are cast.
He told me casting need to be larger to have the same strength as a forging.
 
I actually like the saying that a pistol is the gun you use to get to your rifle.

While it's true that as a civilian it's highly unlikely that any of us would ever re-enter a fight with a rifle I think the saying really drives home the point that a pistol is purely a defensive weapon to protect yourself and help get you to safety, and is not an offensive weapon. TV and movies like to show the hero clearing buildings armed with just a handgun and taking out bad guys armed with AR15's and MP5's. And even on the forums you always hear about the guys that "practice 50 yard headshots" or they carry a Glock 17 with 4 extra mags and then a BUG with extra mags, convinced someday they're going to be in an OK Corral type shootout.

If you have the time to get cover and line up a 50 yard headshot or do 4 mag changes you probably had the time to get the heck out of wherever you are.
 
"A pistol is only for fighting your way back to your rifle"

I agree this one is STUPID. I know VERY few people who have access to a rifle when out and about in public. Maybe this is true for home defense, but I've heard it so many times talking about CCW its like wut??
 
JONWILL said:
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." That sounds like a rip off of Wild Bill's "Take your time in a hurry" That was his suggestion on success in winning gunfights.
Click to expand...

Yeah, sort of. I think it probably started as advice to guys on a firing line who were learning some kind of manipulation or movement for the first time. When you go faster than your competence allows, you do start to get the kinds of mistakes that slow you down. So if your goal is to get a class of 20 guys of varying skill level to, say, reload their pistols in a way that looks basically competent and can be done in a length of time that is not ridiculous, it's good advice. It has no relevance, though, when someone has the basic competence and then is actively trying to learn to go materially faster.

The "take your time in a hurry" is really about the need to go as fast as your competence allows, but no faster, when performing under pressure.
 
GEM said:
The two most important rules in a gunfight are: always cheat and always win.
- What does that actually mean?

"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." -- Sigmund Freud
Probably never said in the texts. Also, not correct.

The Yamamoto quotes about not attacking the USA because there would be gun behind every tree. Probably never said and exhaustive studies of Japanese war plans indicate NO interest in invading the continental USA.
Click to expand...

I did track down the source of the quote about Japanese reluctance to attack the US because of private firearms. Indeed, it did not come from Yamamoto, he having met with a flight of P-38s before the quote came into being. It came from post-war meetings with high level military leaders. There were a lot of good reasons that Japan did not invade us, but one of the factors apparently was that they knew their casualty rates against foreign militaries and unarmed civilians, but were unsure of their casualty rates with an armed populace. So, I think it was not the determining factor, and has been embellished over time.

As far as "always cheat, always win", I think it is sound advice. If I my life is in peril, I'll take any advantage I can. But mainly my philosophy is to stay the heck away from situations where it might be an issue.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
  • Locked
Popular gun-related sayings
2
Replies
42
Views
24K
BikerNut
B
M
  • Locked
Why do gun-related internet sites slow down this time of year?
2
Replies
26
Views
958
alan93
A
M
  • Locked
Gun Control Is Never Going Away
2 3 4
Replies
91
Views
4K
MagnumDweeb
M
F
  • Locked
Old Sayings
2 3
Replies
70
Views
3K
mnrivrat
mnrivrat
L
  • Locked
We Need To "Just Say No"
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
Sam1911
S
Back
Top