Most of the following are rules and some are suggestions. Using them will not necessarily guarantee that you do not break the rules in other ways, but will help you be welcomed as a polite member of the group. Vulgarity: 1. The quality or condition of being vulgar. 2. Something, such as an act or expression, that offends good taste or propriety (American Heritage Dictionary). This is in opposition to being polite, which is what you agreed to when you registered. "Creative" attempts to get around the language filter are not acceptable. They are an obvious disregard for other members and THR's mission of reaching out to the uninformed and undecided people that we have a chance to better inform on RKBA issues. Such a violation of the principles of civil discussion may subject you to disciplinary action. There are words that are not blocked out by the language filter, usage of which will demean what you have to say and that will lower the level of conversation to the "locker room". The bottom line is, "If you wouldn't say it in front of Art Eatman's sainted Grammaw, then don't say it here." Don't insult people, but challenge arguments. Correcting factual information or discussing how your experience varies from another member's is very different from slinging personal insults. If a poster has been sufficiently challenged already, don't gang-post them and put them on the defensive .. give them a chance to respond to the first challenge. Insults: In the same vein, don't insult others indirectly by posting stories, articles, jokes, etc., for the sole purpose of disparaging a group, profession, state, or country. We have a wide variety of members from many professions, states, and countries; nothing is gained by attempts to belittle them, but a great deal can be lost. Posting off topic posts: These can range from confusing to distracting to being rude so it needs to be avoided. We see frequent complaints about someone asking about experience or recommendations about an item or product and someone chiming in with something outside of their scope (e.g. get a revolver in question about a specific semi, get a semi in a question about revolvers, get a shotgun in a question about carbines, etc.). If you can't address the OP's question your post may be deleted to keep from derailing the discussion. "Colorful" stories: Less is more. No one will be impressed at your deft comparison of any action with a firearm with any type of sexual act. You reduce the maturity of the board and firearm owners in general. Also, we are completely uninterested in your sexual exploits of any type. This equates to vulgarity and can result in deletions, warnings, or infractions that may limit your activity. PM's: Private messages are considered just that. In general, sharing or posting the contents of a private message will be considered inappropriate, unless the message violates the law (containing a physical threat, for instance, in which case notifying staff is more appropriate). Try to be as courteous in PM's as you would in any of the open forums. Introductions: You are welcome but not obligated to post an introduction in the New Member thread in the General Discussion forum. You may also include an introduction if you begin a thread or reply to one. Goodbyes: If you decide for any reason that you will no longer share your time with us here, posting a public goodbye will only make us think you are an attention-seeking drama queen. If you decide to go, do so quietly and with decorum. You may always change your mind at your leisure. Posting links: Don't post a link to a news article and let it go at that. Please post the first paragraph or a summary of the article. That would help members decide if they want to go to the linked article for the remainder of the story. It is also considered to be bad form to post a link to a site that requires "sign up" before the article can be read. Only post links that are accessible by all and a description of the article in your own words along with a link. Remember that copyright rules and "fair use" don't allow us to post the entire article or even parts thereof as freely as we used to so until there's a change in the fair use laws or the courts establish limits don't excerpt any part of material from anyone other than solidly pro2A sources. Please take our low bandwidth members into consideration when posting links to a large file or a picture heavy site. A warning given along with the link will help them decide if they want to continue to the link. Searches: The search engine exists for more than one purpose. If you have an exciting news article to report or you are looking for information on a particular subject, the chances are very good that the article has been posted or the information you seek is already available. Try a search before posting if there is any chance that the information already exists on THR. Never assume you are the first to the forum with a fast breaking story. On the other hand, if by chance another member does post an old article or asks a question that has been answered a thousand times in the past, please don't be so rude as to simply say "Try a search". If you don't have useful information for the member such as a link to the old info, simply don't post. Closed threads: If a Moderator closes a thread that you think should have stayed open please send a civil well reasoned PM to them explaining why you think the thread was on topic or relevant before posting a rant in Technical. This will accomplish two things: It will allow you to express your position on the thread and permit the Mod to explain theirs, and it will prevent you from suddenly having a large number of other members remind you to PM the Mod before posting in the open. If there's no indication about which Mod closed a thread, you should PM one of that forum's Mods about it. If you're not satisfied with the answer to your PM then you may start a civil reasonable thread in Technical seeking an explanation. Be sure to note that you have already PMed the Mod to avoid having others remind you to do so. The Grammar Police: If someone has made a spelling or keystroke error, and which of us has never done that, there's no need to point it out unless there's no way to tell what they meant. Asking for clarification isn't poking fun at another member, but making fun of them or correcting their spelling is pointless and mean spirited and is low road behavior. Consider that their contribution to the forum, regardless of spelling and grammar, may be greater than that of the "schoolmarm" that makes no other contribution than picking at spelling. Much of the above can be summarized by our simple slogan: "Think twice, post once." On a lighter note - ********************************************* We have left this thread open, not for comment, but to encourage any member who has a good addition to the primer to append it. Please don't use this thread for commentary or conversation on grammar, courtesy, etc. Please note that all additional posts will be eventually deleted. So if your contribution disappears, don't take it personally, we simply want to keep the thread simple. If your contribution is considered to be worthwhile, you will see it added to the primer above. Thank you, The THR Staff
Basic Abbreviations Common Firearm Related Abbreviations (Also see post 3 below) AWB - Assault Weapons Ban BT - Boat Tail [Ammo] BUG - BackUp Gun CC - Concealed Carry CCW - Carry Concealed Weapon (carry permit) CHP - Concealed Handgun Permit (carry permit) CMP - Civilian Marksmanship Program CWP - Concealed Weapons Permit (carry permit) DA - Double Action [Firing Mechanism] DAO - Double Action Only [Firing Mechanism] HCP - Handgun Carry Permit (carry permit) FFL - Federal Firearms License FMJ - Full Metal Jacket [Ammo] FTE - Failed To Eject [Semi-auto] FTF - Fail To Feed [Semi-auto] HP - Hollow Point [Ammo] IWB - Inside Waist Band [Holster] JHP - Jacketed Hollow Point [Ammo] LEO - Law Enforcement Officer NRA - National Rifle Association OWB - Outside Waist Band [Holster] OC - Open Carry [Carrying your firearm in open view] POTUS - President Of The United States RKBA- Right to Keep and Bear Arms SCOTUS - Supreme Court Of The United States SA - Single Action [Firing Mechanism] SA/DA - Single Action/Double Action [Firing Mechanism] SO - Sheriff's Office Buying and Selling FTF or F2F- Face To Face (Transaction) SPF - Sold Pending Funds WTB - Want To Buy WTS - Want To Sell WTT - Want To Trade General Webspeak AFAIK - As Far As I Know BF - BoyFriend BFF - Best Friends Forever BTTT - Back To The Top Bump - Outside of a For Sale type thread, an effort by someone that doesn't have anything to contribute to get a thread back into discussion. DFTT - Don't Feed The Troll DSTSS - Don't Sweat the Small Stuff FWIW - For What It's Worth IANAL - I Am Not A Lawyer IBTL - In Before The Lock! IIRC - If I Remember Correctly IMO - In My Opinion IMHO - In My Humble (or Honest) Opinion KWIM - Know What I Mean? NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard OP - Original Post or Original Poster ROTFL - Rolling On The Floor Laughing ROTFLMAO - Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off SWMBO - She Who Must Be Obeyed (wife) WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get YMMV - Your mileage may vary
General Acronyms and Initialisms 2A 2nd Amendment ACOG Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight ACP Automatic Colt Pistol AD Accidental Discharge (see also ND, negligent discharge) AE Action Express AF Alternative Force AFAIK As Far As I Know AI Ackley Improved AOP Assault on Principal [exec protection] AOW Any Other Weapon (zip guns, other non-standard small-bore firearms) AWB Assault Weapons Ban (part of the 1994 Crime Bill) [legislation] BAR Browning Automatic Rifle BB Bull Barrel BBL Barrel BC Ballistic Coeffecient BG Bad Guy, or Big Grin BHP Browning Hi-Power BMG Browning Machine Gun BOB Bug-Out Bag (or "Go Bag") BOHICA Bend Over, Here It Comes Again BP Black Powder; Black Powder Cartridge Rifle BUG Back-Up Gun (second or third gun carried in case the primary malfunctions) CC Concealed carry CCW Concealed Carry Weapon (license) CHL Concealed Handgun License CHP Concealed Handgun Permit CIAO This is not an acronym. It's Italian for "bye." COD Cash On Delivery COM Center Of Mass CONUS CONtinental United States CPL Concealed Pistol License CQB Close-Quarters Battle CQC Close-Quarters Combat CRISAT Cooperative Research Into Small Arms Technology CRPA Certified Royal Pain in the A-- CUP Copper Units of Pressure; a method of measuring chamber pressure, most common with shotguns CWP Concealed Weapons Permit DA Double Action DAO Double Action Only DARFC Duck And Run For Cover DD Destructive Device (generally bombs and large-bore weapons) DOA Dead On Arrival [police] DPS Department of Public Safety (most states have them) DVC Diligentia Vis Celeritas (latin for Accuracy, Power, Speed) EBR Evil Black Rifle EDC Every Day Carry EDP Emotionally Disturbed Person [NYPD] EIN Employer Identification Number EO Executive Order ETA Estimated Time of Arrival ETA Edited To Add (Internet speak) ETS End tenure of service. FFL Federal Firearms License or Licensee FOF Force-On-Force FOIA Freedom of Information Act FPS Feet Per Second FTE Failure to Eject FTE Failure to Extract FTF Face to Face (referring to non-FFL-mediated gun transfers) FTF Failure to Feed FTF Failure to Fire FTLOG For The Love Of God FUBAR F---ed Up Beyond All Recognition FWIW For What It's Worth FYI For Your Information GC gas check; a copper-zinc alloy cup used as gilding to protect the base of lead bullets from hot gas obduration during internal ballistics. GD&R Grin, Duck, & Run GF GirlFriend GFSZ Gun free school zone GG Good Guy GI Government Issue GMT Greenwich Mean Time (timezone, equivalent to Zulu/UTC) HAND Have A Nice Day HBAR Heavy Barrel AR HCP Handgun Carry Permit HD Home Defense HDC Home Defense Carbine HMG Heavy Machine Gun HSLD High Speed Low Drag HSO Handle for a moronic Moderator on the best firearms boards around (Health & Safety Officer) HSP Highly Sensitive Person HTH Hope That Helps IANAL I Am Not A Lawyer IBTL In before the lock, or In before thread lock IDLE International Date Line East IDLW International Date Line West IINM If I'm Not Mistaken IIRC If I Remember Correctly IMHO In My Humble Opinion IMNSHO In My Not So Humble Opinion IMO In My Opinion IOW In Other Words IRL In Real Life IWB Inside WaistBand JBT Jack Booted Thug JMB John Moses Browning JMO Just My Opinion JSP Jacketed Soft Point KB Kaboom KISS Keep It Simple, Stupid KWIM Know What I Mean KYPD Keep Your Powder Dry LDA Light Double Action LE Law Enforcement LEA Law Enforcement Agency LEO Law Enforcement Officer/Official LGS Local gun store LLEA Local Law Enforcement Agency LMAO Laughing My A-- Off LMG Light Machine Gun LNIB Like New In Box, usually means the item looks new but has been lightly used (see also NIB) LOL Laughing Out Loud LOS Line Of Sight MG Machine Gun MIM Metal Injection Molding MOA Minutes Of Angle (angular measurement, 1/60 of a °, 360° in a circle) MOB Middle Of Back MOS Military Occupational Specialty MV Muzzle Velocity NAP Non-Aggression Principle (and criticism) ND Negligent Discharge ( see also AD, accidental discharge) NIB New In Box, usually means the item has not been used since bought, but can also mean LNIB. NOYB None Of Your Business NSFW Not Suitable/Safe for Work (inappropriate content for the workplace - video with profanity, for example) OAL OverAll Length OC Open carry OMG Oh My God OOTB Out Of The Box OP Original Poster ORM-D Other Regulated Materials - Domestic (seen on boxes of shipped ammo) OT Off-Topic OTOH On The Other Hand OWB Outside the WaistBand PASGT Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops PBR Point Blank Range PCS Permanent change of station PDW Personal Defense Weapon PHB Pointy-Haired Boss (Dilbert reference, a boss without a clue) PITA Pain In The A-- POA Point Of Aim POI Point Of Impact POI Person Of Interest POS Piece Of S--- PSI Pounds per Square Inch PT Physical Training PTL&PTA Praise The Lord & Pass The Ammunition QC Quality Control REMF Rear Eschelon Mother F---er (derogatory name for a non-combatant in a combat zone or a military occupational specialty that would keep one from seeing combat) RSC Residential Security Container - Often sold as a "Gun Safe", an RSC doesn't meet the requirements of a safe. RINO Republican In Name Only (usually a rightwingnut calling a moderate Republican a leftwingnut) RKBA Right to Keep and Bear Arms RUM Remington Ultra Mag SA Single Action SAA Single Action Army (famous Colt revolver design that shows up in Westerns) SA/DA Single Action/Double Action [Firing Mechanism] SAK Swiss Army Knife SBR Short Barrel Rifle SD Self Defense; Sectional Density (weight [lbs] to cross-section area [in^2]) SHTF S--- Hits The Fan SKS Samozaryadnaya Karabina Simonova, or Self-loading carbine Simonov. Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov was one of the old Soviet Union's foremost arms designers. The rifle was adopted by the USSR in 1945, and was made both there and in China. SLR Self-Loading Rifle SMG Sub-Machine Gun SNAFU Situation Normal: All F---ed Up SO Significant Other (boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife) SO Sherriff's Office SOB Small Of Back (6 o'clock carry) SOP Standard Operating Procedure SOT Special Occupational Tax license (administered by the BATFE) SWAT Special Weapons And Tactics SxS Side by Side (i.e. a shotgun) TDY Temporary duty TEOTWAWKI The End Of The World As We Know It TIA Thanks In Advance TID Tax ID number TLA Three Letter Acronym TMI Too Much Information TNSTAAFL There's no such thing as a free lunch TPTB The Powers That Be TTW Taunting The Wookie (someone known to rip arms out of sockets when inflamed) TU Tits Up (military origin, meaning dead; often spelled phonetically as "Tango Uniform") URL Uniform Resource Locator UTC Universal Time Coordinate (timezone, equivalent to Zulu/GMT) VCA Violent Criminal Assailant WSM Winchester Short Magnum WTSHTF When The S--- Hits The Fan WWB Winchester White Box (ammo) WYSIWYG What You See Is What You Get YMMV Your Mileage/Methods May Vary Bullet Design AP Armor Piercing API Armor Piercing, Incendiary APT Armor Piercing, Tracer BBWC Bevel Base WadCutter BT BoatTail FMJ Full Metal Jacket FP Flat Point HP Hollow Point J Jacketed JFP Jacketed Flat Point JHC Jacketed Hollow Cavity JHP Jacketed Hollow Point JSP Jacketed Soft Point L Lead LRN Lead Round Nose LSWC Lead Semi-WadCutter LWC Lead WadCutter RN Round Nose SJ Semi-Jacketed SJHP Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point SP Soft Point SWC Semi-WadCutter TC Truncated Cone TMJ Total Metal Jacket WC WadCutter
National Membership-type RKBA Organizations AKTI American Knife and Tool Institute CCRKBA Citizens' Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms GOA Gun Owners of America JPFO Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership Kniferights Knife Rights NRA National Rifle Association PP Pink Pistols SAF Second Amendment Foundation SAS (2AS) Second Amendment Sisters SCCC Students for Concealed Carry on Campus Other Organizations (both pro and anti-gun) ACLU American Civil Liberties Union AHSA Americah Hunters and Shooters Association (false flag gun banners pretending to be pro) ARFCOM AR15.com ASA Australian Shooting Association BCPGV Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence BF Blade Forums CAS Cowboy Action Shooting CLDF Civil Liberties Defense Foundation COA Citizens of America CPHV Center to Prevent Handgun Violence (Brady Center offshoot) DU Democratic Underground FOP Fraternal Order of Police FOUP Firearm Owners Unification Project GT GlockTalk HCI Handgun Control Inc. (Brady Center) IALEFI International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors IDPA International Defensive Pistol Association IPSC International Practical Shooting Confederation KABA Keep And Bear Arms LEAA Law Enforcement Alliance of America MMM Million Mom March NRAILA National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action NSSF National Shooting Sports Foundation SAAMI Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute SASS Single Action Shooting Society SATF Second Amendment Task Force SDF Self Defense Forums SHOTShow Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Travel Show TFL The Firing Line THR The High Road TRT Tyranny Response Team USPSA United States Practical Shooting Association
Government/Military/International AG Attorney General ANL Argonne National Laboratory ATF bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (see BATFE) BATF Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (see BATFE) BATFE Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (new name) BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs BLM Bureau of Land Management BNL Brookhaven National Laboratory BOP - Bureau of Prisons BXA Bureau of Export Administration CBP u.s. dhs bureau of Customs and Border Protection CDC Center for Disease Control CENTCOM Central Command CERT Computer Emergency Response Team (part of SEI) CIA Central Intelligence Agency CIC CounterIntelligence Center CIFA CounterIntelligence Field Activity (military) CIO Central Imagery Office (see NIMA) CMP Civilian Marksmanship Program (formerly DCM) CNC dci Crime and Narcotics Center CONUS CONtinental United States CSE dci Center for Security Evaluation CTC dci CounterTerrorist Center DARO Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office DARPA Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration DASD Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense DCID Director of the Central Intelligence Directive DCM Department of Civilian Marksmanship (now defunct, see CMP) DEA Drug Enforcement Agency DHS Department of Homeland Security DIA Defense Intelligence Agency DISA Defense Information Systems Agency DISN Defense Information Systems Network DLA Defense Logistics Agency DM Designated Marksman DMR Designated Marksman's Rifle DOC Department of Commerce DOD Department of Defense DOE Department of Energy DOE Department of Education (DOEdu) DOI Department of the Interior DOJ Department of Justice DOL Department of Labor DOT Department of Transportation DPS Defense Protective Service - see PFPA DSS Defense Security Service DSS Diplomatic Security Service DTIC Defense Technical Information Center EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation FCC Federal Communications Commission FDA Food and Drug Administration FEC Federal Elections Commission FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FFA Federal Firearms Act of 1938 - set up the FFL licensing scheme [legislation] FIFRA Federal Insecticide Fungicide Rodecicide (sp?) Act FinCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FISA Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act FNAL Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory FOPA Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 - banned AP ammo and closed the MG registry [legislation] GAO General Accounting Office GCA Gun Control Act of 1968 - restricted firearms purchasing and transfer [legislation] GPO Government Printing Office GSA General Services Administration HHS Department of Health and Human Services HPSCI House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development IC Intelligence Community IC/EXCOM Intelligence Community/EXecutive COMmittee ICC Interstate Commerce Commission ICC Interstate Commerce Clause (Article 1, Section 8) ICE Immigration and Customs Enforcement IDA Institute for Defense Analyses INEEL Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory INR Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research INS Immigration and Naturalization Service, now the BCIS Interpol Interpol (see OIPC, ICPO) IOB President's Intelligence Oversight Board IRS Internal Revenue Service JAG Judge Advocate General JCCC Joint Communications Control Center JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory LANL Los Alamos National Laboratory LBNL Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory LL Lincoln Laboratory LLNL Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory NAIC National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center NARA National Archives and Records Administration NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NCBI National Center for Biotechnology Information NCGR National Center for Genome Resources NCI National Cancer Institute NCI-FCRDC NCI - Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center NCIX National CounterIntelligence eXecutive NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NFA National Firearms Act of 1934 - taxed certain firearms and firearm components [legislation] NFIB National Foreign Intelligence Board NIC National Intelligence Council NIH National Institute for Health NIMA National Imagery and Mapping Agency NIPC National Infrastructure Protection Agency NLM National Library of Medicine NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NPC dci NonProliferation Center NREL National Renewable Energy Laboratory NRO National Reconnaissance Office NSA National Security Agency NSC National Security Council NTIC National Threat Integration Center OASD Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (C3I) OCONUS Outside the CONtinental United State ODCI Office of the Director of Central Intelligence (CIA) OFAC Office of Foreign Asset Control OIG Office of the Inspector General OIP Department of justice's Office of Information and Privacy (FOIA) OIPR Office of Intelligence Policy and Review (under DOJ) OMB Office of Management and Budget OPM Office of Personnel Management ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory OSD Office of the Secretary of Defense OSHA Occupational Safety Hazards Association OSS Office of Strategic Services (predecessor of the CIA) PFIAB President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board PFPA Pentagon Force Protection Agency PNL Pacific Northwest National Laboratory POTUS President Of The United States PPPL Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act SBA Small Business Administration SCOTUS Supreme Court Of The United States SDM Squad Designated Marksman SEC Securities and Exchange Commission SEI Software Engineering Institute SIPRNET Secret Internet Protocol Router Network SLAC Stanford Linear Accelerator Center SNL Sandia National Laboratory SRS Savannah River Site SSA Social Security Administration SSCI Senate Select Committe on Intelligence STRATCOM Strategic Command TIGR The Institute for Genetic Research TJNAF Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility TSA Transportation Security Administration TTIC Terrorist Threat Integration Center (housed in the CIA) UI/MRL U. Ill. Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory UN United Nations UNSC United Nations Security Council USAF U.S. Air Force USCG U.S. Coast Guard USCIS U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (INS) USD UnderSecretary of Defense for policy USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture USGS U.S. Geological Survey USMC U.S. Marine Corps USN U.S. Navy USNBC U.S. National Central Bureau USNO U.S. Naval Observatory USPHS U.S. Public Health Service USPTO U.S. Patent and Trademark Office USSC U.S. Strategic Command USSC U.S. Sentencing Commission (often meant to refer to the SCOTUS) USSS U.S. Secret Service VA Dept. of Veterans Affairs WPA War Powers Act
Terminology Anneal To soften metal by heating. Used to extend the useful reloading life of brass cartridge case necks by softening them and permitting more reloading operations to be performed before the work hardening effect of the cold, forced reshaping of the resizing op Anti an individual who opposes the RKBA for private citizens Bearing Surface That portion of a bullet that contacts the bore of the barrel as it travels from chamber to muzzle. Sufficient bearing surface is required for good accuracy. Bedding material and/or methods used to fit rifle action to a stock. Bore the inside of a firearm's barrel. Bore sight to align the sights of a firearm by sighting through the barrel bore Brisance the "shattering" effect of explosives; the burn rate, in terms of acceleration, i.e., how quickly is the maximum burn rate of an explosive mass reached? Bullet - the projectile which is expelled from a firearm's barrel at firing Burn rate the relative speed at which gun powders burn (explode) This is determined by the size and shape of granules, amount and nature of any coatings and, in some cases, specific physical design of the granules, such as perforations, tubes, rods, ball (beads) or Cal. Caliber (inches or millimeters); projectile (bullet) diameter or diameter of some specifically defined point in the bore of a barrel; the nominal or approximate diameter of a bore expressed similarly. NOT the same as a cartridge chambering! Caliber is dia Cartridge completed assembly, comprised of a case (the central component), primer (for ignition), powder (primary energy source) and bullet (projectile). The cartridge is placed into the chamber and confined by a breech device for firing. Chamber the portion of a firearm which contains the cartridge at firing. Chambering i.e., "This rifle is available in the following chamberings: "; Specific machined dimensions to the interior rearmost portion of a barrel which results in a chamber that will accept and safely fire one cartridge design only, i.e., .30-'06 Springfield, .27 Charge quantity of powder; usually in grains. One avoirdupois pound equals 7,000 grains. Choke in a shotgun, the taper in the last few inches of the barrel. This is usually a tightening of the bore to a slightly smaller diameter from the actual gauge measurement of the barrel. Some typical choke names, from least to most taper, are: cylinder (no ta Class III Refers to the Class III FFL required to deal in NFA items (full-auto, suppressors, etc.) Clip A strip of metal that is used to hold cartridges together to facilitate the loading into (usually) an internal rifle magazine. Condition 1 Pistol: Full magazine, cartridge in chamber, hammer cocked, safety on. AKA "cocked and locked." Condition 2 Pistol: Full magazine, cartridge in chamber, hammer down, safety off. Condition 3 Pistol: Full magazine, chamber empty. Condition 4 Pistol: Full magazine separate from gun, chamber empty. Condition Red Under attack. Condition Orange Heightened awareness; alert to potential threats. Condition Yellow Normal awareness of the environment. Condition White Unawareness of the environment. Components (reloading) individual components that make up the "recipe" for a hand loaded cartridge. The four components are: primer, case, bullet and powder. Cruiser Ready Shotgun: Full magazine, chamber empty, hammer down, safety off. Cylinder Gap the distance between the front of the cylinder and the rear of the barrel in a revolver. GA gauge (also: ga.) Headspace measurement between two points in a chamber which are the confining boundaries of cartridge movement during chambering and firing. Insufficient headspace hinders complete chambering of the cartridge. Excessive headspace permits case stretching and can per Mag. magazine; magnum; also: mag. Magazine ammunition holders that are equipped with a spring to move the ammo, these are not clips. mm MilliMeters Ogive a measure of the curvature forward portion of the bullet. The radius of the ogive is usually expressed in multiples or fractions of the caliber. Throat leade, freebore. That portion of the barrel bore immediately forward of the chamber. In some rifle chamber designs, the throat may be long and may transition into a relatively slow taper to full depth of lands and grooves (rifling). In other rifle designs Tin Foil Hat These provide excellent protection against mind control rays which may or may not be transmitted by aliens, the CIA, or the military. Weapons Free Military weapons control policy that allows engagement of anything not positively identified as friendly Weapons Tight Military weapons control policy that allows engagement of anything positively identified as hostile Weapons Hold Military weapons control policy that allows engagement only in self defense.
License/Permit Abbreviations CCW Concealed Carry of Weapons (MO) CDWL Concealed Deadly Weapons License (KY) CFP Concealed Firearm Permit (UT, NV) CHL Concealed Handgun License (AR, NM, OR, TX) CHP Concealed Handgun Permit (AK, LA, NC, VA) CPL Concealed Pistol License (MI, WA) CWL Concealed Weapon License (FL, ID, OK) CWP Concealed Weapon Permit (AZ, CO, MT, ND) FL Firearms License (GA) FOID - Firearm Owner Identification Card (IL residents) FP Firearms Permit (MS) LTC License to Carry (CA, IN, MA, NY) LTCCH License to Carry a Concealed Handgun (OH) LTCF License to Carry Firearms (PA) PL Pistol License (AL, NH) PTC Permit to Carry (CT, IA, ME, MD, MN, NJ)
A reminder about this particular sticky thread. It is meant to be a reference thread, not a discussion thread. We are leaving it open for additions and corrections to the list, but not for discussions on using acronyms, abbreviations, and the various other terms.
How about putting a link to SAAMI's glossary for the arms and ammo standard for terminology? Then delete those terms from this site; some don't agree with SAAMI's version. http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/index.cfm Additional terms that are in common use could be listed here; "case headspace" for example along with "RB" for rebated base bullets.
A "sticky" thread is one the Staff has selected as especially important and set so that the forum software will make it "float" to the top of the first page of that forum or subforum, always. Things like forum guides, rules, collections of resources/links, or very specific types of threads that we feel every visitor needs to be able to see immediately without having to search for it.
CRPA was listed above as one thing, Certified Royal pain... it is also the California Rifle & Pistol Association Thanks for the lists
