Do you say "firearm" or "gun?"

Words can be important sometimes

I never use the words 'Gun' or 'Weapon' - because they can be 'Red Flag' words that stir paranoia to a police officer in a traffic stop or to an airline ticket agent at the check-in counter. Instead, I refer to my Kimber 1911 or my S&W 99 simply as my 'sidearm' -- the same term used by both police and military. It conveys the correct concept of the sidearm being a 'tool' to be used in appropriate circumstances.

 

Usually, I refer to them as "firearms"; but admittedly I do use the term "gun"
on occassion~!

 

I use "gun" when the conversation isn't about a specific type.

When being more specific, I say pistol or sidearm when referring to handguns. I found that pistol or sidearm doesn't get the moment of pause or raised eyebrows from LEOs that handgun or gun does (duty to inform in NC).

Longarms are called longarms unless I'm specifically talking about shotguns or rifles.

 

I try to be diplomatic while at the same time promoting the sport. I don't get too pushy trying to convert people though. I respect their opinions even if they are wrong.

 

Every time I say " gun " people look at me like I'm going to shoot them in the face.

So I say " Firearm " most of the time to get a better reaction, really weird I hate how people act like your crazy for using one of your rights. It erks me.

 

Firearm for 99% of the time. Rarely say gun and never say weapon. I probably use boomstick more than gun

 

It depends on who I'm talking to. With my family I say gun. With my shooter friends I use the brand or model. With the police I say "it". With acquaintances I don't say anything.

 

I've expressed some difficulty calling any firearm a gun. Yesterday while driving home from work I passed a couple of independent firearm retailers and I noticed a bit of irony. Both establishments refer to themselves as just gun shops and in both cases their only advertising was a huge sign out front in massive block print that said "GUNS".

For some reason I had never paid notice to the irony until this thread started.

 

We use firearm and sidearm around my house.