mbs357
Member
Here's another.
Calling magazines 'clips'.
Calling magazines 'clips'.
Actual Gun Terminolgy vs MEDIA
- Thread starter Ermac
- Start date
- Status
Steamship Trooper
Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2005
- Messages
- 52
Sometimes you can turn it around 
I bought my first CMP M-1 a few years ago. The lady at the Mailbox's Etc. wondered what would come in such an odd package.
This being San Antonio, TX, I opened it up and showed her. She turned pale.
Not the reaction I was expecting. Hmm.
"What's wrong?"
"That's a gun!!"
"Yes, it is. This is an M-1 Garand. Ever see the movie Saving Private Ryan?"
"Guns Kill People!!"
"No, darlin'. People do. Guns are tools. And answer my question: ever see Saving Private Ryan, or Band of Brothers?"
"Yes."
"Well, were those bad men?"
"No, they wern't"
"Darlin, this is what they carried. Your Grandaddy's 'assault rifle', and a bit of history."
Fast forward three weeks.
"Still have that gun?"
"Of course. I try to shoot it every weekend."
"My uncle was in Korea. I didn't know until I mentioned your gun..."
Fast forward two more weeks-
"Can I go shooting, just so I can learn?"
As far as I know, she still has the SP 101 she fell in love with a little later on.
The anti's can take our language: we can take theirs >
I bought my first CMP M-1 a few years ago. The lady at the Mailbox's Etc. wondered what would come in such an odd package.
This being San Antonio, TX, I opened it up and showed her. She turned pale.
Not the reaction I was expecting. Hmm.
"What's wrong?"
"That's a gun!!"
"Yes, it is. This is an M-1 Garand. Ever see the movie Saving Private Ryan?"
"Guns Kill People!!"
"No, darlin'. People do. Guns are tools. And answer my question: ever see Saving Private Ryan, or Band of Brothers?"
"Yes."
"Well, were those bad men?"
"No, they wern't"
"Darlin, this is what they carried. Your Grandaddy's 'assault rifle', and a bit of history."
Fast forward three weeks.
"Still have that gun?"
"Of course. I try to shoot it every weekend."
"My uncle was in Korea. I didn't know until I mentioned your gun..."
Fast forward two more weeks-
"Can I go shooting, just so I can learn?"
As far as I know, she still has the SP 101 she fell in love with a little later on.
The anti's can take our language: we can take theirs >
Thats the truth. I live in about as liberal a place as you can find, and if I'm at a party with friends it'll usually slip out that I'm a shooter. Invariably-the same thing happens: tut tut guns are bad...pause.. where uh, where do you shoot them? How often.. (wait for it) Can I tag along next time you shoot?
Never fails. They are out there waiting to be converted.
Never fails. They are out there waiting to be converted.
MachIVshooter
Member
Creeping Incrementalism said:
The Desert Eagle was, and is, available in .357 magnum. So was the Coonan Arms "1911". I think the Wildey only came in their proprietary cartridges and .45 win mag.
Most in the media woulldn't understand cartridge nomenclature and what it entails if you smashed the headstamp into their forehead and laid out the entire history of said cartridge, along with a "ballistics for dummies" book.
coylh
Member
Saturday Night Special: Pistol owned by a black man.
Silencer: Anything on the end of the barrel.
Armor Piercing Bullet: FMJ.
Deadly Bullet: HP.
Cop Killer Bullet: != .22LR.
Vigilante: Applied for permit after being mugged and beaten.
Reasonable legislation: Concealed carry permit.
Reasonable legislation: Gun database.
Reasonable legislation: Gun owner database.
Reasonable legislation: One gun a month.
Reasonable legislation: Confiscation.
Silencer: Anything on the end of the barrel.
Armor Piercing Bullet: FMJ.
Deadly Bullet: HP.
Cop Killer Bullet: != .22LR.
Vigilante: Applied for permit after being mugged and beaten.
Reasonable legislation: Concealed carry permit.
Reasonable legislation: Gun database.
Reasonable legislation: Gun owner database.
Reasonable legislation: One gun a month.
Reasonable legislation: Confiscation.
Elmer Snerd
Member
I seem to remember a thread here about a media reference to a ".12 gauge shotgun". Someone worked out the bore size of a .12 gauge, it was somewhere in the "pieces of your shoulder will land in the next county" range.
"Assault Weapon": Anything even vaguely resembling an AK or AR.
"Arsenal": A shotgun and two rifles.
"Survivalist": Anyone with a box of MREs in the basement.
"Right-Wing Gun Nut": NRA member.
"Paranoid": Anyone who is even vaguely concerned about civil rights going down the tubes.
"Sniper Rifle": Any scoped rifle.
"High-Powered Rifle": Any centerfire rifle.
"Assault Weapon": Anything even vaguely resembling an AK or AR.
"Arsenal": A shotgun and two rifles.
"Survivalist": Anyone with a box of MREs in the basement.
"Right-Wing Gun Nut": NRA member.
"Paranoid": Anyone who is even vaguely concerned about civil rights going down the tubes.
"Sniper Rifle": Any scoped rifle.
"High-Powered Rifle": Any centerfire rifle.
sm
member
Military-Like:Non-Serf
Surveillance.:Safety.
Yeah I like it when the Media says: Person was "caught" on surveillance tape, .... If the person was "caught" how come they flash a number for serfs to call in if they see this person. Whaddya mean Person has not been "apprehended" yet.? Oh I know we are supposed to throw more money into Surveillance cameras that do the apprehending part...
How about the surveillance camera catches a person in military like pants? Is this good, bad or depends on slow news day?
Hearing Sheep gasp upon seeing Milsurps for sale in the paper...must be evil, being Military-like and all...
Note: During semester we viewed real time use of surveillance cameras , such as one in a elderly ladies birdhouse across the street from a park where "activity" was known to happen. LEO sits behind monitor at station. If camera gives a suspicious look [ military like pants] he calls units to head to park.
Oh the community is eating this up. They feel safer...they want to spend more big bucks on these to be safe.
'The UK is doing it - look how much safer they are"
Me and another student had to go out and smoke, lest we start choking other classmates with Cat 5e ...folks really scare me at times...
Surveillance.:Safety.
Yeah I like it when the Media says: Person was "caught" on surveillance tape, .... If the person was "caught" how come they flash a number for serfs to call in if they see this person. Whaddya mean Person has not been "apprehended" yet.? Oh I know we are supposed to throw more money into Surveillance cameras that do the apprehending part...
How about the surveillance camera catches a person in military like pants? Is this good, bad or depends on slow news day?
Hearing Sheep gasp upon seeing Milsurps for sale in the paper...must be evil, being Military-like and all...
Note: During semester we viewed real time use of surveillance cameras , such as one in a elderly ladies birdhouse across the street from a park where "activity" was known to happen. LEO sits behind monitor at station. If camera gives a suspicious look [ military like pants] he calls units to head to park.
Oh the community is eating this up. They feel safer...they want to spend more big bucks on these to be safe.
'The UK is doing it - look how much safer they are"
Me and another student had to go out and smoke, lest we start choking other classmates with Cat 5e ...folks really scare me at times...
Subby
Member
Hunter=someone that shoots animals, as in "An unknown hunter shot farmer Brown's cow. The cow is expected to survive."
I especially love when they interview a witness to a crime on TV. Numerous "ak-47" and ".357" references. I mean, if an unidentified car tried to hit me, and I reported it to the police, I'd say it was a car, not a "Shelby Mustang" or an "AC Cobra."
Sub
I especially love when they interview a witness to a crime on TV. Numerous "ak-47" and ".357" references. I mean, if an unidentified car tried to hit me, and I reported it to the police, I'd say it was a car, not a "Shelby Mustang" or an "AC Cobra."
Sub
MikeIsaj
Member
In the past year I've made the aquaintance of a local reporter and now columnist. She is very liberal, knows of my interest in firearms and we've had many rational discussions. She has come to a much better understanding of firearms. Eventually I will get her to the range with me but, in the meantime she will call me to make sure she gets the terminology right. She knows she will hear from me if she gets it wrong.
Changing minds one at a time.
Changing minds one at a time.
GoBrush
Member
I think you pretty well nailed it. They never get any other facts right no reason to start with the truth now. The only gun related stories you hear are the ones about the latest murderer in the city. Never about the CCW holder that protected his/her family.
Who needs news when there is THR
Who needs news when there is THR
williamlayton
Member
Most would believe without being coerced:
Gun-nut--A person whose sole sexual based experience is related to a weapon.
He/She is actually looking for a legal opportunity to kill or maim some with a weapon.
Are demented, ill-educated, tobacco chewing, beer swilling, toothless wonders with no self-esteem, seeking a sexual high by touching and fondeling a gun.
In dire need of counciling.
Have need to be detained, branded, property properly identifed by warning signs.
Are people who are looking for an opportunity to or would support the overthrow of the government.
Cannot carry on a meaningful conversation about any subject that will not detonate an explosive device.
Have their soul existance defined by the fact that they were once in the military and were taught how to kill someone.
Well, I have never met one of these but I suspect they do exist.
Blessings
Gun-nut--A person whose sole sexual based experience is related to a weapon.
He/She is actually looking for a legal opportunity to kill or maim some with a weapon.
Are demented, ill-educated, tobacco chewing, beer swilling, toothless wonders with no self-esteem, seeking a sexual high by touching and fondeling a gun.
In dire need of counciling.
Have need to be detained, branded, property properly identifed by warning signs.
Are people who are looking for an opportunity to or would support the overthrow of the government.
Cannot carry on a meaningful conversation about any subject that will not detonate an explosive device.
Have their soul existance defined by the fact that they were once in the military and were taught how to kill someone.
Well, I have never met one of these but I suspect they do exist.
Blessings
X Who
Member
Cheap You can afford it.
Easily concealed It fits in your garage.
High power More than a spitwad blown through a straw.
Sniper Rifle Any gun with sights.
Arsenal More than one gun.
Huge quantity of ammo More than one box.
Armor piercing It'll penetrate one layer of denim.
The news is like Hollywood. They write the story to excite the audience, not to convey facts or represent reality.
.12 gauge shotgun? The ball that fits the bore is over 8 pounds.
Easily concealed It fits in your garage.
High power More than a spitwad blown through a straw.
Sniper Rifle Any gun with sights.
Arsenal More than one gun.
Huge quantity of ammo More than one box.
Armor piercing It'll penetrate one layer of denim.
The news is like Hollywood. They write the story to excite the audience, not to convey facts or represent reality.
.12 gauge shotgun? The ball that fits the bore is over 8 pounds.
Creeping Incrementalism said:
True, unfortunately. I worked as a reporter for about 15 years, and as a group they are intelligent and eager to learn. But most general assisgnment and police beat reporters are relatively young, products of the suburbs and liberal arts colleges and have had little if any experience with firearms. Most of their knowledge about guns comes from TV, movies and what the police tell them, and we all know that cops are all gun experts, right?
Fortunately, not all reporters fit this mold. At every paper where I worked there would be at least a handful of hunters/shooters, and we constantly tried to educate the others by inviting them to go shooting with us. Some did, some didn't, but most who did seemed to enjoy it.
Trust me, firearms isn't the only subject where most reporters are weak. Just ask any pilot. Tell a reporter the plane stalled and he'll write that the engine quit. Tell him the engine quit and he'll write that the plane fell from the sky. Any unscheduled precautionary landing becomes an emergency landing. (For you non-pilots, when talking about an aircraft the word "stall" is an aerodynamic term meaning the wing (or rotor) loses lift and is unable to support the weight of the aircraft. An aircraft can stall by either flying too slowly, or by increasing the angle of the wing to the point where the air no longer flows smoothly over the wing. Various things, including ice or damage can effect either the speed, or the angle of attack, at which the wing stalls.)
Reporters have a tough job. They're asked to write about a variety of topics, many of which they're not very familiar with. At my last job we were expected to write 10 stories a week. That doesn't sound like much until you break it down. That's two a day, or one every four hours. Take away the time spent in staff meetings, the time spent traveling to and from the assignment location, the hours spent sitting through town council meetings and chamber of commerce lunches and the time spent actually writing the stories and it doesn't leave much time for researching a topic with which you're not familiar. Frankly, it's a miracle they make so few mistakes.
The shooting industry needs to take a page from the aviation industry's play book. Several years ago the General Aviation Manufacturer's Association (GAMA) launched a program which encouraged flight schools, charter operators and even individual aircraft owners to invite reporters from their local papers and TV stations to go for free airplane rides. GAMA provided educational handouts the reporters could take with them and refer back to when they were assigned an aviation story. The handouts included the names and phone numbers of industry experts the reporters could call for a quote or an explanation of something they didn't understand.
No reason the NSSF, NRA and other firearms groups can't sponsor a similar program and invite reporters to the range for a little hands on experience with a variety of firearms. The ammo mfgs. could supply some free ammo, the NRA the educational handouts, etc. It would go a long way toward de-demonizing guns in the eyes of many journalists.
Several folks have posted various sarcastic definitions of "high-powered rifle," but I wonder, is there some official definition?
How do you decide what is high-powered, and what is not? Is it based on foot pounds of energy? Muzzle velocity? Caliber?
If you base it on caliber is a .50 cal Hawken high-powered?
If you base it on muzzle velocity is a .17HMR high-powered?
Heck, I grew up in a family of hunters and shooters and to me anything larger than .22lr was a high-powered rifle.
How do you decide what is high-powered, and what is not? Is it based on foot pounds of energy? Muzzle velocity? Caliber?
If you base it on caliber is a .50 cal Hawken high-powered?
If you base it on muzzle velocity is a .17HMR high-powered?
Heck, I grew up in a family of hunters and shooters and to me anything larger than .22lr was a high-powered rifle.
Too Many Choices!?
Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2005
- Messages
- 763
Define High Power eh?
How bout if it will do a level III vest with plates, then that is,"High Power"...
And high power compared to what? If pistol ammo, then all center fire rifle ammo is,"High Power".
How bout if it will do a level III vest with plates, then that is,"High Power"...
And high power compared to what? If pistol ammo, then all center fire rifle ammo is,"High Power".
rick newland
Member
I actually received a reply back from a news reporter. Now I admit my email wasnt the greatest drinking boubon at the time I wrote it and sent it.
Mr. Newland -- Thanks very much for writing, and for sharing your
thoughts.
You make some excellent points, which I'll be sure to incorporate into
my
next story on the topic.
Sincerely,
Sam Skolnik
---------------------------------------------------
Sam Skolnik
Reporter
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
phone: (206) 448-8334
fax: (206) 448-8166
email: [email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Newland [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 2:57 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Please Sam
if you are going to write about guns do yourself and
your paper a favor and learn something about them.
"Maldonado fired a semi-automatic assault rifle that
used 7.62 mm bullets, Sorensen said -- possibly an
AK-47 -- as well as a high-capacity, semi-automatic
machine pistol. Neither weapon, unless it has been
converted to fully automatic, would be inherently
illegal to own, he said." There is no such thing as a
semi-automatic assault weapon. An assualt weapon
shoots both semi and full auto. Maldonado carried a
CZ-75 semi-automatic 9mm pistol. There are only two
companies that currently make full auto machine
pistols and that is Glock in Thier model 18 and
Beretta that makes a full auto version of their model
92. Rick
__________________________________
Mr. Newland -- Thanks very much for writing, and for sharing your
thoughts.
You make some excellent points, which I'll be sure to incorporate into
my
next story on the topic.
Sincerely,
Sam Skolnik
---------------------------------------------------
Sam Skolnik
Reporter
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
phone: (206) 448-8334
fax: (206) 448-8166
email: [email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Newland [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, November 26, 2005 2:57 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Please Sam
if you are going to write about guns do yourself and
your paper a favor and learn something about them.
"Maldonado fired a semi-automatic assault rifle that
used 7.62 mm bullets, Sorensen said -- possibly an
AK-47 -- as well as a high-capacity, semi-automatic
machine pistol. Neither weapon, unless it has been
converted to fully automatic, would be inherently
illegal to own, he said." There is no such thing as a
semi-automatic assault weapon. An assualt weapon
shoots both semi and full auto. Maldonado carried a
CZ-75 semi-automatic 9mm pistol. There are only two
companies that currently make full auto machine
pistols and that is Glock in Thier model 18 and
Beretta that makes a full auto version of their model
92. Rick
__________________________________
Too Many Choices!? said:How bout if it will do a level III vest with plates, then that is,"High Power"...
And high power compared to what? If pistol ammo, then all center fire rifle ammo is,"High Power".
Exactly my point. If we can't define exactly what a high-powered rifle is then we sure can't criticize the media when they use it in a context with which we don't agree.
Personally, I consider the .223/5.56 a high-powered cartridge because of the energy it imparts to the target. It may be small and light, but that bullet is moving awfully fast and hits pretty damned hard.
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