What firearms "terminology" makes you grit your teeth?

"Striker Fired" is confusing and irritating to me. I am not sure if they mean polymer pistols, pistols without manual safeties, or if they really care how the firing pin or striker is actuated. Or maybe they think that is just another, fancier, term for Glock.

I find some of it funny but it doesn't really bother me.

Doc7 said:

I will fourth or fifth “High Power” rifle given that it is nearly universally used to describe one of the least of the centerfire cartridges manufactured and sold in quantity today when discussing 223 rounds. For sure, it may (or may not be, to be honest, I don’t even know) he used in “High Power Matches” but the media has no idea what a High Power Match is and they sure aren’t using it in that meaning.

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The term "High Power" was originated by the gun community to denote any rifle cartridge bigger than .22 rimfire. The press later began (mis)using it as scare terminology.

Shotty seems childish to me. And apparently every rifle is “high powered” because I have never heard a reporter describe a gun as being a “low powered rifle” in any news story.

The one that really burns me is when I say “silencer” and some tool at the range starts in with “Well, akshully it’s a ‘suppressor’ because you can’t really silence the sound of gunfire.” Invariably it is me, the silencer owner being told this by some keyboard operator who has never seen one outside the dealer’s display case before. My standard reply has become “You need to tell that to the ATF so they can change the language on their forms. And while you’re at it maybe you can dig up Hiram Maxim and correct him as well.”

Running....what scope are you running on your rifle. That makes my eyes bleed!
And the word Tactical! Everything is tactical now days. When are we going to have tactical toilet paper?

Elkins45 said:

And apparently every rifle is “high powered” because I have never heard a reporter describe a gun as being a “low powered rifle” in any news story.

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LOL

Kinda like one knowing there is no 45 "long" Colt and definitely no 45 "short" Colt.

In my older age now it is much easier to laugh some things off rather let terms rub me the wrong way, though I do try to correct those that are close to me.

ONLY taking into account things routinely in the community of people who should know better, I agree with these stated above:

• Needless abbreviations or diminutives. Mossy, remmy, etc.
• Formerly slang, stupid, uninformed terms (often from video games) that got used as a joke, now are apparently appropriate. E.g. Deagle for Desert Eagle.
• Stupid terms with no clear history I can understand like boolit for bullet for... some reason?
• Names/terms that are made up, niche, but we're supposed to understand. "M series" in some circles means M4/M16. Which is nuts as all sorts of things are Model designated in the US.
• Over-use of civilian terms for weapon families. e.g. when a whole conversation emerges about how the Marines should have kept the M1A in Vietnam instead of switching to the M16.
• Anyone who answers For Sure something incorrectly. Quora is rife with authoritative and wrong answers on a lot of firearms related topics. If you don't know, say so or shut up and listen.

I'm so old and worn down none of this raises my blood pressure at all. I find some of the terms funny, some asinine, and some childish but I just let it go.

Mispronouncing the word carbine.

Biggest peeve is Caliber when they actually mean Cartridge
Second is using teenage terms like Shotty, Mossy, Remmy
Third is assuming everyone knows whatever acronym you use is easily understood by everyone else

Whiterook808 said:

"Striker Fired" is confusing and irritating to me. I am not sure if they mean polymer pistols, pistols without manual safeties, or if they really care how the firing pin or striker is actuated. Or maybe they think that is just another, fancier, term for Glock.

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I know what they are talking about.
and... respectfully, I think you do too

I have mainly heard it used as a way to quickly differentiate between hammer fired SA, hammer fired DA/SA, and... hammerless semi autos (Glocks/XD's/etc)

When I hear "Striker Fired" I am thinking Trigger style.

I haven't seen It here, but I would go nuts if someone started calling their gun, their “baby” and using a female pronoun for it. “ She”. That would be the last straw. You see that stuff on bicycle forums. Grrrrw!

If you can convey your message, I am pretty easy going. I’ll wait until I am asleep to grit my teeth.

Whiterook808 said:

"Striker Fired" is confusing and irritating to me. I am not sure if they mean polymer pistols, pistols without manual safeties, or if they really care how the firing pin or striker is actuated. Or maybe they think that is just another, fancier, term for Glock.

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Never saw a HK P7 I take it?

Subtracting incorrect terminology ie clip vs magazine, "Safe Action" is probably my biggest irritant in terminology.

Whiterook808 said:

"Striker Fired" is confusing and irritating to me. I am not sure if they mean polymer pistols, pistols without manual safeties, or if they really care how the firing pin or striker is actuated. Or maybe they think that is just another, fancier, term for Glock.

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Are you annoyed when it's used incorrectly or used at all? Obviously it doesn't mean polymer framed. There are poly frame guns that are hammer fired and metal frame guns that are striker fired (or whatever term you prefer).

George P said:

Never saw a HK P7 I take it?

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Or a Hudson H9.

Many have covered the “irritating” terms that bug me so I won’t beat them into the ground mentioning them again, but one term I have been hearing lately by Americans is “piece of kit”.

“That’s an interesting piece of kit” when referring to an accessory or anything to do with a gun or anything really. If one says that and they are from Great Britain I figure it’s just their slang, but when an American says it I want to scream colorful expletives at them.

Yeah I don't care for all the short and cute nick names. But the clip/mag is settled for me as Jmorris showed. Clip is acceptable. Clip is acceptable if the factory call them that.

Magazine clip. For when you want to piss off everyone!

Platform. Unless your actually standing on the thing, and Im sure there are those that do. To all concerned, we speak English on this forum, and in English you are not limited to a phrase, but rather can use any logical combination of words to convey a point, so from Websters:
clip 2
(klĭp)
n.
1. Any of various devices for gripping or holding things together; a clasp or fastener.
2. A piece of jewelry that fastens with a clasp or clip, such as an earring or a brooch.
3. A cartridge clip.
tr.v. clipped, clip·ping, clips
1. To fasten with or as if with a clip; hold tightly.
2. Archaic To embrace or encompass.



clip
(klɪp) n
1. any of various small implements used to hold loose articles together or to attach one article to another

"PEW, PEW, PEW!!!" is getting kind of old, as is calling your weapon a "blaster"....

I don’t really get upset or care. You can usually get a pretty good understanding of someone’s familiarity with firearms by the language they’re using. If they sound like a fool, I assume they are a fool until they prove me wrong.

If they actually sound like they know what they’re talking about and use the proper terminology it’s much more likely they know their stuff.

If everyone used the correct terminology it’d be harder to distinguish the fools from the more knowledgeable.

"Wheel Gun" instead of revolver. Like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

jags said:

"Wheel Gun" instead of revolver. Like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

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Then "wheelie", "revo", and "Fudd" gun must make you scream