New handgun names sometimes make me wonder…

[.308 Norma]

My dad left a pair of Colt .22 rimfire revolvers to me that Colt labeled "Frontier Scouts" - even though Dad always called them "Peace Makers."
I passed them to my oldest nephew (Dad's oldest grandson) a few years back because I knew he'd appreciate them more than any of my own direct descendants.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

I do agree the names are silly at times. Springfield with their "hell" series of things is on the list of childish for me.

You are talking about the company that came up with the "GRIP ZONE"!!!

 

[UncleEd]

OK, I'm of an age that I am a night stalker. Up to go the
bathroom, up to watch an old movie on TV, up to have
breakfast, or is it lunch, at 4 a.m., up to check if any
other gun forum geezers have posted anything new.

 

[LimaCharlie]

The left is going to hate guns no matter what you name them.

 

[doubleh]

I see it as trying to attract younger people to buy their product. I think they took a cue from vehicle manufactuers that have been doing this for a very long time with names that can be down right silly in a lot of cases. Geezers like me are perfectly happy with model numbers and don't need goofy names for guns. Model 700, 15-22, etc. are enough for me.

 

[Resist Evil]

I've never bought a gun because of its model name. I recognize that some folks like to feel that their firearm of choice is a nearly supernatural Master of Death and by extension, they might feel mystically protected by such an awesomely-named device. I'm with others who've suggested that naming a product is to draw the consumer's attention and pocketbooks.

 

[Pat Riot]

OP's observations carry a heavy load of Californiacentric viewpoints......not ALL this country heels to that atmosphere!

You obviously haven’t been exposed to leftist politicians, lawyers and so-called journalists.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I get a laugh out of some of new names they use.

 

[Barmcd]

You are talking about the company that came up with the "GRIP ZONE"!!!

That was ridiculous. I bought a Springfield around that time and didn't realized I just missed that idiocy.

 

[usaral63]

A lot of you folks are apparently under the impression that this sort of ad is something new. "A man armed with this rifle, especially if on horseback, cannot be captured", mayhaps "ten shots, quick"..............That last for the auto pistol that "burglars fear".

There is nothing new under the sun...........by the way, for those of you that took me task on the first comment I made hereon, most of this nation does not have the phobia expressed in California and like environs........disagree?.....then tell me just why it is that over half our States have done away with licensing concealed carry. Just as in the admonition of "don't use handloads"...........I'd like to see a single citation on that last.

 

[Armored farmer]

My EDC is a Rutgers Security 380. I think that might be more palatable to a jury than “Equalizer” or “Night Stalker.” Owever the name had nothing to do with my EDC choice.

Yeah...
An attorney would base his case around the 'night stalker' model

 

[shoobe01]

I am more annoyed that everything has a name now. Model numbers were fine. Made it clearer what the relationship between models was also. I liked my 5946. And anyone sufficiently smithy would just go "oh, why the DAO?" Current carry:
M&P 2.0 CORE 9mm 4.25"
Yes, all that. No, wait... From the S&W website:
PERFORMANCE CENTER® M&P®9 M2.0 C.O.R.E. PRO SERIES® 4.25" BARREL

JFC.

I am further annoyed when an import replaces the number with the name. A rifle but still: the Coatian VHS-2 is messed with (why is the grip angle ruined?!?!) and imported as the... I forget. I had to google it again despite having had one in my cage for months it's such a meaningless name... the... Hellion.

Nope, never ever gonna stick in my brain. Meaningless names.

 

[Riomouse911]

A lot of you folks are apparently under the impression that this sort of ad is something new. "A man armed with this rifle, especially if on horseback, cannot be captured", mayhaps "ten shots, quick"..............That last for the auto pistol that "burglars fear".

There is nothing new under the sun...........by the way, for those of you that took me task on the first comment I made hereon, most of this nation does not have the phobia expressed in California and like environs........disagree?.....then tell me just why it is that over half our States have done away with licensing concealed carry. Just as in the admonition of "don't use handloads"...........I'd like to see a single citation on that last.

Thompson advertised his machine gun as the perfect ranch protection weapon, too. Neither it, nor the Winchester rifle, Savage pistol, etc. or other guns that you could refer to wasn’t called “The Annihilator”, “Slaughter Shooter” or anything else dumb like “Night Stalker.”

Again, sit in Court and watch what can, and does, happen. Your comments imply that the potential for using dumb marketing campaigns to bite courtroom adversaries and secure a conviction/favorable judgement are limited to one state, region or political leaning.

You will find out very quickly that you may think you are on an island because your town, county, state, region voted for the pro 2A candidates, but in reality you aren’t.

“Night Guard?” This makes sense. “Ladysmith?” Almost soft. “Ronin?” Benign. “King Cobra?” Same. A defendant giving gifts to the opponent to help hang themselves with is every defense attorneys nightmare. In a shooting, allowing stuff like “Night Stalker” to be associated with the shooter is one of those gifts.

My post was intended to point out that dumb gun names like this one can certainly hand these types of gifts out to the detriment of the gun owner…which is dumb.

Stay safe.

 

[GEM]

Is the Taurus 'Judge' too aggressive, it implies you are bringing down judgement on the person you shoot?

How about the 'Governor'?

 

[Jim Watson]

Thompson advertised his machine gun as the perfect ranch protection weapon, too.

An early ad phrase by Tompson was "anti-bandit gun."

I tried counting bullet holes but gave up in the 60s with lots to go. "C" drum, apparently.

 

[Riomouse911]

Is the Taurus 'Judge' too aggressive, it implies you are bringing down judgement on the person you shoot?

How about the 'Governor'?

Personally I think one’s “judge”ment may be questioned by buying a gun that has proven to be not very good at anything, like Ca’s “governor”, but that’s besides the point.

Governor is rather benign. Judge can be made dumb, as anyone with an IQ over room temperature who wants to make a point that the shooter intended to kill will automatically state, “Judge, Jury and Executioner” when the gun name is mentioned. But judge or governor are far is less “offensive-minded” sounding than night stalker, which without effort is implying one intending nefarious or predatory activity under the cover of darkness.

Night stalker is not a good name for any gun. Tisas marketing folks booted this one.

Stay safe.

 

[Leon tP]

It's marketing to the younger and impressionable.

Which is more appealing? The 357 Punisher or the 357 Bambi?

Without knowing anything else about this new gun, which way would you lean?

Marketing: influencing the way people make choices.

Dang! I can't believe you guys have already forgotten Edward Woodward and Denzel Washington! (I'll give you a pass on Queen Latifah! )

The Equalizer - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

No worries, I have The Equalizer series on DVD. Yes, the Edward Woodward version.

...
“Night Guard?” This makes sense. “Ladysmith?” Almost soft. “Ronin?” Benign. “King Cobra?” Same
...
Stay safe.

Ronin and King Cobra don't sound too benign.

The word rōnin is usually translated to 'drifter' or 'wanderer'; however, per kanji, rō (浪) means "wave" (as in body of water) or "unrestrained", while nin (人) means "man" or "person". It is an idiomatic expression for 'vagrant' or 'wandering man', someone who finds the way without belonging to one place.

Rōnin - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Similarly, King Cobra and Diamond Back conjure up imagery of "Not to be messed with". Not unlike the tough, fearsome names by Charter Arms like the Bulldog or Pitbull.

It's all about projecting an image of strength and self-reliance and 'Yes' if you find yourself in the hotseat in court, the prosecutor is going after you any way he can. I suspect they'll look at your social media footprint first, such as these posts.

Anyway, manufacturer's marketing strategy and their hyper competitive need for their product to stand out above all others. And yes, sometimes they make dumb choices.

Such as, who came up with the Platypus?

 

[WisBorn]

Here ya go, a Hello Kitty Glock, looks friendly, has a heart on it.

The scary part is that it looks like a toy

 

[Old_Grouch]

I wonder what would sound more innocuous to a jury if I were on trial after a self defense shooting: "Equalizer", "Judge", "Terminator", "Night Stalker", etc. or "Model 642", "Model 10", "1911", etc.

 

[Riomouse911]

I wonder what would sound more innocuous to a jury if I were on trial after a self defense shooting: "Equalizer", "Judge", "Terminator", "Night Stalker", etc. or "Model 642", "Model 10", "1911", etc.

I’m not trying to ignite flame wars, Tisas makes good stuff and all the listed guns guys mentioned are potentially excellent choices for fun or defense.

I was just amazed last night when I saw that ad and how the name immediately struck me as a huge negative.

It’s like the Bud Light hoopla, no one did any research or played devils advocate in meetings. Someone has to bring forth any potential negative things, so those who make the final decision are doing so with a wide angle view. Knowing about issues but being tone deaf, obliviousness to issues, or, “Screw ‘em, do it anyway!” hubris are all product killers via bad PR.

Tisas can do better!

Stay safe.

 

[.308 Norma]

"Model 10", "1911", etc.

If I was the prosecutor, I’d point out that the 1911, or the Model 10 you used was a “military handgun” for many years. By doing that, I’d be implying that the type of handgun you chose to use was somehow more powerful and deadly than what the average “civilian” should have.
I mean, Model 10 Smiths were also called the “Military and Police” and “Victory” models, and they “fire deadly 38 Special bullets!” And don’t even get me started on 1911s. Most 1911s shoot “powerful 45 caliber bullets” - the same “bullets” that are used in submachine guns, and submachine guns were banned from civilian ownership way back in the 1930s.”
Just kidding around, of course. The truth is though, I actually used to work with a guy that must have asked me a dozen times, "Which is the more powerful, a 44 or a 45?" And what he meant by "45" was a 1911 like he fired a few times in the service.

 

[ECVMatt]

I am with you Rio....I think the names of models often reflect the over all culture of the time. It seems a lot of today's shooting is focused around survival, CCW, self-defense, and tactical oriented perspectives. From that we get some of these names, with one manufacturer trying to top the other.

I have friends that no longer shoot for fun and everything has to be related to "training". While I agree that training with a gun used for CCW or self-defense should be practiced with often, I think we might have lost sight of the fact the shooting can also be a recreational endeavor. As much as I like to practice with my CCW guns, I love to sit around and plink. Thankfully the majority of my friends feel the same. We have fun just taking turns shooting at targets and giving each other a hard time during the process.

I would also never use a gun with a crazy name for CCW. I think you are spot on with the implications on jury members should you ever have to defend your actions in court.

Lastly, as to a Californiacentric point of view, I remember the days when folks in Colorado, Oregon and Washington used to say "never us" and now look at them. We need to stick together.

In the meantime, I am getting ready to head up to the desert this weekend for a rimfire bonanza! I plan on setting up, relaxing, and spending several hours plinking, just for fun.

 

[Jonesy814]

I was kind of put off by the Equalizer name myself. The Shield is a top seller and the name brings up thoughts of defense as opposed to if they had named it the Sword.
To me the Equalizer name immediately was associated with getting even or revenge. Don’t know why but that’s where my mind went

 

[JeffG]

New handgun names sometimes make me wonder

Me too.

 

[.308 Norma]

The Shield is a top seller and the name brings up thoughts of defense as opposed to if they had named it the Sword.

Actually, my wife's "Shield" is a M&P 380 Shield - it says so right on the box. And my wife has never been in the military nor on a police force. She was once "deputized" as a "Deputy County Clerk" though.