On the term "Sniper Rifle"

[Michael Courtney]

I recently came across this bit the term "Sniper Rifle" and thought it was worth some discussion.

Trying to force nomenclature to reflect actual usage rather than
capabilities of a tool is a tough battle in all areas of language, and
I can't say that I favor it as a means of pursuing a political end. In
real practice, tools commonly get named by both their capabilities and
their actual usage. I suspect that most cordless drills actually
function as battery-powered screwdrivers than as drills. I certainly
use mine that way. But it's a bit odd to insist that the cordless
drill be popularly relabeled as a screw driver.

If we're waging the battle in terms of language used, we might as well
go home and admit defeat. Any of my deer rifles is completely capable
of the Kennedy or King assasinations, and, in fact, most of them are
capable of more difficult tricks than these. We're being dishonest if
we say that a deer rifle can't do these things.

We're also being dishonest if we say that we don't intend to do these things. Whether or not our deer rifles remain sporting tools or become revolutionary
tools (sniper rifles) depends on whether our elected servants reflect a spirit or servanthood or tyrrany. Realizing that most deer rifles are tools worthy of the term "sniper rifle" should remind them that the citizenry not only has the authority to elect them, we also have the power to remove them and overthrow them should they fail to live up to their oath of office.

Authority without power is useless. A policeman's authority is like
his badge, his power is his gun. Every social instution that claims to
have a certain authority also has to have the power to back it up, or
that claim to authority will eventually be ignored. As citizens, our
authority is our vote and our claims to the Constitution's protections
of our rights. But if government is truly "of the people, by the
people, and for the people" then the people need to have the ultimate
power also. Private ownership of arms is the only way to accomplish
this.


Our elected servants would do well to remember that the citizens sit in
authority over then. Just as the criminal fears the policeman with the
badge and the gun if he breaks the law, the elected servant must fear
the citizen with the vote and the sniper rifle if he threatens
tyrrany. Yes, we should not hide our sniper rifles any more than a
policeman should hide his gun. The sniper rifle (and private ownership
of arms in general) is the greatest and ultimate answer to the
tempation elected servants have to ignore their oath to the
Constitution and turn toward tyrrany.


We have sniper rifles and we're prepared to use them.

 

[Psssniper]

they say that a picture is worth a thousand words

 

[bogie]

Remember too that if a term scares the heck out of someone who is sorta sitting on the fence regarding gun control, well...

Isn't it enough that the media is calling any darn thing out there an armor pierciing cop killing plane shooting sniper rifle?

"Precision rifle."

 

[ctdonath]

Every year, some 14 million American snipers engage in war games wherein each participant is required to provide his own weapons, cammo, transport, comms, etc., pursues an elusive and savvy opponent, and actually kills the opponents. Despite the millions of kills (real, not pretend), the whole operation takes place in relative secrecy, with non-participants having little awareness, and gov't overseers knowing only thru voluntary reporting by the participants. When not engaged in operations, participants blend in with the rest of society effortlessly. Operation "Deer Season" should remind all would-be tyrants & aggressors of the defensive abilities of Americans, a terrible force to be reconed with should they be pressed into action.

 

[Maxwell]

If I recall correct the original "Sniper" did not reference a soldier shooting from concealment, but a hunter of a certain kind of bird.

I have to agree with the author about how playing word games should be ineffective.
Unfortunatly the American public has seen one too many war movies and instantly relates the word "sniper" to a lethal killer that strikes from the shadows. Our opponents would take any chance to attach this word to any and every weapon that rolls off the assembly line, simply for the shock value.
To them, votes based on misinformation and emotion are just as good as normal votes.

I recall Oleg had a poster about this very issue.

 

[ALS]

I like calling my Chandler ****** Rifles a Tactical Response Tool.

 

[MrTwigg]

I wondered where you were going with this

Every year, some 14 million American snipers engage in war games wherein each participant is required to provide his own weapons, cammo, transport, comms, etc., pursues an elusive and savvy opponent, and actually kills the opponents. Despite the millions of kills (real, not pretend), the whole operation takes place in relative secrecy, with non-participants having little awareness, and gov't overseers knowing only thru voluntary reporting by the participants. When not engaged in operations, participants blend in with the rest of society effortlessly. Operation "Deer Season" should remind all would-be tyrants & aggressors of the defensive abilities of Americans, a terrible force to be reconed with should they be pressed into action.

Until I got to the; Operation "Deer Season" part. Well said ! +1

 

[BigRobT]

I, too, disdain and loathe the terminologies that are attached to various tools or people. Like the "D.C. Snipers". They weren't snipers at all, they were merely killers or murderers. Like our "assault weapons", they are no more assault weapons than many deer rifles. IMO, people do this for political gain, nothing more. They have an agenda and to make an item "fit" into their agenda, they give it an evil or terrible sounding nomenclature.

 

[Husker1911]

It's only a matter of time before the agenda-driven media starts labelling scoped deer rifles as "sniper rifles". They've done it with other classes of firearms, and helped the anti-gun cause by doing so. This is an insidious force, seeking to tip the balance of power from the everyday joes (citizens) to a governmental agency(ies).

 

[0007]

+1, ALS...

 

[Waitone]

Control the language and you control the culture.

--Create a term not generally used by the public--old=assault weapon, new=sniper rifle
--Over time infuse definition of choice.
--Pick out an extreme example of the definition of choice
--Demagogue the extreme example
--Create legislation to ban or outlaw the extreme example
--Ban the extreme example
--Ratchet down the definition from the most extreme example to a lower level example.
--Demonize next tier definition
--Adjust laws to account for the spreading problem
--Continue until goals are achieved.

Sniper rifle is not the goal. Centerfired cartridges is the goal. Can't outlaw all centerfired rifles but you can outlaw evil sniper rifles, make a technical adjustment to the law to clarify the technology of the cartridge used, then proceed to attack all centerfired rifles. Same tactic was used with "assault weapons". Remember, the key to the AWB was the creation of confusion in the mind of the public. There was a deliberate attempt to confuse people over the difference between an "assault rifle" (which exists) and "assault weapon" (never found in captivity).

We may feel disgust at the use of word games, but just remember words is the stuff of law.

 

[shermacman]

I have a non-center fired cartridge sniper rifle. It has a magazine that takes 20 rounds of ammo. It has a scope. It has a bipod. It is bolt operated and very quiet.

It is even more dangerous than you can believe. It has wood hardware, an ancient leather strap and sort of looks "cute". Looks can be deceiving, I have slaughtered thousands of soda cans with it. It is my Dad's Winchester .22lr.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Funny since all my snipe hunting was done with a paper bag and a flashlight...

 

[Falconeer]

Have to love Wikipedia

The traditional definition of a sniper is an infantry soldier especially skilled in field craft and marksmanship, who kills selected enemies from concealment with a rifle at long distances. Typically and ideally, a proficient sniper approaches an enemy unaware of his presence, uses a single bullet per target, and withdraws without being seen. The word originates from the snipe, a game bird known for being difficult for hunters to sneak up on.

In the last few decades the term 'sniper' has been used rather loosely, especially by media in association with police precision riflemen, those responsible for assassination, any shooting from all but the shortest range in war and any criminal equipped with a rifle in a civil context. This has rather expanded the general understanding of the meaning of the term. It has also given the term 'sniper' distinctly pejorative connotations. This explains the increasing use of alternative terms, especially for police snipers such as counter-sniper, precision marksman, tactical marksman, sharpshooter and precision shooter.

Sums it up fairly well I think. Here is the full entry.

 

[another okie]

Great post, ctdonath.

 

[UnintendedConsequences]

No sniper rifles here...

...just Triple Ts (Tyrant/Terrorist/Threat Termination Tools) and HDDs (Homeland Defense Devices).

I don't snipe. I simply set up to make one shot kills. Deer, squirrels, racoons and turkey make good practice (and are quite tasty) if one day I might need to use my arms against a more dangerous adversary, with less acute sensory capabilities.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Control the language and you control the culture.

Yep. Those who define the terms generally win the arguments.