I don't think one should name a gun until it's been used defensively. Thoughts?

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No names, yet

My brother's CZ is "Gladys," though -- that the name of our grandmother; he bought that gun years ago using money left to him by her.

And his planned but unpurchased shotgun will be Tillie, after our other grandmother, who worked for Remington Arms way back when. (And Yes, it'll be a Remington ;))

I (vaguely) intend to name mine, but only if certain traits remind me of real life people I intend to either mock or honor by the name, not just to give them names.

timothy
 
I can absolutely agree with the OP. None of my guns have been used defensively, fortunately, but my girlfriend keeps naming them, and the names are absolutely ridiculous. Shotty, Shiny, Meany, Blacky, etc; it's freakin' absurd! :fire:

I refer to them by what they are: My XD, my 45, my 357, my snubby, my AK, etc. In the case of guns where I have duplicates, it's "the older one" or "the newer one". That's not really ever an issue though. If I ever have to say, "Get my shotgun," she better grab one that's loaded with buckshot rather than a bird gun, and I won't care if it's the newer one or not. ;)
 
I like the idea of naming a gun. But none of mine have developed enough "personality" to warrant a name yet.

The concept postulated by the OP reminds me of something I read in Science Fiction. Ever read any of Larry Niven's "Known Space" series? There's a species called the Kzinti, who are basically sentient beings descended from large cat-like ancestors. They are a warrior species. Anyway, the Kzinti are not granted names until they have earned them. Instead they are called after their profession until distinguishing themselves somehow. The idea (I think) was that one person is pretty much interchangeable with another, until they prove otherwise. A proper name was granted in the same way that rank or title can be acquired by people of low birth who distinguish themselves through achievement.

Anyway, I like the idea. If I ever have a firearm that distinguishes itself in service, I'll probably feel it has become worthy of a proper name.
 
I think jlbraun and bruss01 have the right idea.

It's still tradition in some circles and some cultures to name their weapon. I bought myself a decent t'ai chi sword and decided to name it after a very wonderful and special friend of mine gave me a small crystal blue moon to symbolize how she felt I was "rare as a blue moon." So I named my sword (in chinese) Blue Moon Crescent. (And if y'all are curious, neither she nor I are Chinese.)

I think there must be some kind of significance attached to any name given to anything, so I will wait until something strikes me as being appropriate and worthy before I name my EDC pistol.
 
Everyone names children, pets and boats. :cool: I can even see someone naming something frivolous like a favorite baseball bat or golf club or the like. :barf: But a firearm? :confused:
Ohhhkay... :scrutiny:
It's not one of your toys you know... or is that what some think it is? If you ever had to use one in a life saving defensive situation, you already know how serious a tool they are.


Throughout thirty seven years plus of firearms ownership and a having owned close to a hundred of them at that, never a one was or is named. Never even entertained the thought of doing so. I see no reason to change my ways now. But, as the saying goes, different strokes....:)
 
I don't name anything that doesn't come when you call it. The dog has a name, the fish doesn't. I still can't figure out why the girlfriend named the cat.:evil:
 
Does calling a gun a "jamming piece of $%$#" count as naming it?
Click to expand...
:D :D :D

With regards to the original questions; to each their own, but I find it rather silly to name one's firearms.
 
My .62 caliber smoothbore fowler, 42" barrel with iron furniture "saved" me from a charging doe four years ago. Sure, she was at 20 yards and walking the other way....but deep down I knew....So I her "Bambi"! The fowler, not the deer.....

My oldest Princess calls her G19 "Gangster", and her Heritage Rough Rider "Teddy". My youngest Princess calls her Henry Carbine "Annie O".

I shamely call my chromed Hi Point 995 carbine "Bling-Bling"!

My old 30/30 Westerfield is called "Chuck" after The Rifleman and my Uncle Charile. It was bought the day I was born. He gave it to my dad when he quit deer hunting in MO. I still have seven of the ORGINAL rounds and the box!

My standard weight Remington 870 20ga is called "one heavy SOB" after all day hunting quail.

Jerry
 
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Its different ways of looking at items.....

To some folks, weapons are just tools. And its true, its all they are. But take a M1 Garand that landed in Italy and France, then you got a tool with a history. Every ding, every mar, and every scratch was earned while making history. It might just be a personal history, like my old 30/30 that was purchased on my birthday 37 years ago, but it is a history a memorial to someone.

Jerry, getting all choked up inside......
 
I dunno, I named my gun "Mr. Happy" long before I ever used him for real.

Biker:)
 
It's not common for anyone I know to give anything any particular name. Some of us do refer to some of our possessions as a him or her.

Well except me, my Glock's "The G-Man" I've called it that a few time as a joke but after referring to it as said name I find my friends referring to my gun as "The G-Man" it's frickin hilarious. But to be hoenst I treat The G-Man more as a pet then a gun, weird right. It's casue I respect my gun more then anyone alive.
People do it to give their inanimate object a feeling of personality and soul, also a bonding thing. Just don't take it to far and not a persons name since it's not a person. But to be honest after you carry it for some time it dose become your companion.

Oh yeah, I sort of named my first 45. "The Four-fif" but to be honest my next 45 will be called the "The four-fif"
 
Something my father and I have in common is the fact that we view basically all of our possessions as responsibilities. We baby our belongings and consider ourselves to have failed if, after ten years of solid use, it doesn't look completely factory fresh.

Naming with me is about reminding myself of my responsibility to keep something in working order. Thus, I name my guns, my car, and my computer.

So, though none of our guns have been used in a hostile manner, I'm quite happy with Myrna, Mila, Clint, Remington Steele, Betty, and Princess Katinka.
 
Naming a deadly weapon?!!

Whatever... :rolleyes:

These guys really need to grow up, stop anthropomorphizing, and realize it's just a tool, and a deadly serious one at that. ;)

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I should also point out that, if I ever wind up in court to defend my actions (that I hope I'll never have to undertake,) We never had this conversation...
 
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