Pet Peeves, 2A, more terminology

[Jim Watson]

If you commit the horrible social blunder of calling a detachable magazine a "clip" you will soon be corrected. But there are other misuses that do not attract the attention of the newsstand ballisticians.

Load your magazine with bullets, fine.
Load each of your revolver's cylinders with them, no problem.
To quote Nero Wolfe, phooey.

And the latest to go over critical mass on my terminology scale; shoot your AR15, M1, Anschutz, etc. with "open sights." It has become widely accepted that if a firearm does not have a telescopic sight, then it has "open sights." We used to distinguish between open sights and peep sights. Called them aperture sights when we wanted to be explicit and expert. Or diopter sights if we wanted to sound Continental. But now even a lot of match shooters call their expensive and precise aperture sights (front and rear) "open sights."

Another battle lost?

 

[Preacherman]

Or "iron sights" - when they're made of plastic...

 

[hso]

Or "iron sights" - when they're made of plastic...

I'm sure there's some Fe in the poly (even if just a trace).

 

[Father Knows Best]

There are two kinds of sights in my world -- optical and iron. Optical sights are typically one piece and have glass that you must look through, with a reticle of some sort etched into or projected onto the glass. They have a single sighting plane. Iron sights have at least two elements that must be lined up with each other and the target. They may be "open" or "aperture" (also known as "peep") type.

And yes, "iron" sights can be made of steel, plastic, aluminum, brass or other metals.

 

[Tory]

How about those luminaries who

call bullets "heads?" This is necessary because they call cartridges "bullets," of course.........

Even worse are the "Gerber Gunnies;" those who refer to firearms in baby-babble terms such as "shottie," "Mossie," "Remmy" and even "Smithie" (no, not the one under the spreading chestnut tree).

If these cretins own Kimbers do they call them "Kimmies?"

 

[Smokey Joe]

Names

Tory--Yr treading on dangerous ground, there, IMHO. My 586 is named Smitty. She told me so.

But the MkII that she shares a pistol range box with, is just "The Ruger." FWIW, the 1911 they live with is Old Slabsides. Not very original, I know. But that's what he wants.

If you are priveliged to be told a gun (or other inanimate object's) name, you don't argue. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes it doesn't. You can't force it.

 

[Tory]

Missing the point

"If you are priveliged [sic] to be told a gun (or other inanimate object's) name, you don't argue."

You miss the point. It is not ONE gun's name; it is puerile slang for the MANUFACTURER.

So, what else do the voices tell you?

 

[azredhawk44]

So, what else do the voices tell you?

They tell me to stay home today and clean the guns.

I have a T-shirt that says that.

Edited to add:

Sorry that I am causing such sorrow in the land of guns by calling the stock sights on my M1A "iron sights." I will call them aperture sights from here on out, or at least "peep sights". I do know that they are precision instruments, however. I achieve very good accuracy from them, limited only by my own vision. Torso-sized targets to 400 yards are very easy with them, however. I just want a scope on it for hitting soda cans at 700 yards.

 

[No_Brakes23]

 

[Thefabulousfink]

I have no problem with people who use terms like 'shottie' 'smithy' or any other slang term when the person is just using them for fun. Most of the people in my company who use those terms have a strong knowledge of firearm terminology, and are just trying to not sound like an egghead.

What does bother me is people who don't know a goh-ram thing about firearms and are only using it to try and sound cool. (mainly because these people use terms like this exessively and at every oportunity):banghead:

 

[Smokey Joe]

What else do the voices tell you?

Tory--The older I get, the more I have learned to trust my guts when I get a "feeling" one way or another. To me, names of guns simply come, and there they are. It's not spoken as such in my head. Happens with automobiles too--sometimes, and less often with some other useful tools.

For those for whom it does not happen, it was not meant to happen, and that is right for them.

As to calling a Mossberg a "Mossy" or a Remington a "Remmy"--These are pretty common contractions, like calling a Chevrolet a "Chevy."

Personally, I wouldn't use the term "shottie," but hey, a gun owner is a gun owner, and we need all the friends we can get.

 

[wallysparx]

what about putting bullets in a bp revolver?

 

[Father Knows Best]

Sorry that I am causing such sorrow in the land of guns by calling the stock sights on my M1A "iron sights." I will call them aperture sights from here on out, or at least "peep sights".

I think you misunderstood. The stock sights on your M1A are indeed "iron sights." That is correct terminology for them. They are also correctly called "aperture" or "peep" sights. An aperture sight is a particular kind of iron sight. They are NOT, however, "open sights." An open sight is something like a blade or buckhorn rear, i.e., it is "open" at the top.

So you're just fine calling your M1A's stock sights iron sights, or aperture sights, or peep sights, or all three. The grammar nazis will shoot you, though, if you call them "open" sights.

 

[Father Knows Best]

what about putting bullets in a bp revolver?

No problem, as it's technically correct. You load the bullet over the powder and seat it with the ram. It sounds odd to my ears, though, as most people use the term "ball" for the projectile in a bp revolver. If you are using a conical projectile, it would be common to refer to it as a "bullet" or even just a "conical."

 

[Thefabulousfink]

what about putting bullets in a bp revolver?

you can put bullets in a bp revolver, unless you are loading ball

 

[azredhawk44]

Okay, now that I have iron sights for my M1a again, I am going home right now to load up all the clips I have for it with bullets.

I'll also load all my glock clips with bullets too.

Then I'll go out and shoot my guns. After that, I will collect the pieces and re-assemble them again after being impacted by all that lead.

After that I'll reload some more bullets. I'll put the bullet in the bullet on top and then crimp the bullet to the bullet (why do I feel like a smurf?).

I feel your pain, but what does it really matter if its a clip rather than a magazine? Or a bullet instead of a cartridge?

Are we going to get into "rifles" vs. "guns" next?

 

[mfree]

I think the "open" came about because the space between the rear and front sight is, as said, open.

 

[R.H. Lee]

Shells. I need some shells for my clip.

 

[Henry Bowman]

If these cretins own Kimbers do they call them "Kimmies?"

"Kimbies."

 

[CAS700850]

Would that make the gun on my hip a Model 21 "Glockie"?

 

[Old Dog]

To those who have no pet peeves when it comes to firearms terminology and references, I applaud you ... y'all are mellow, non-judgmental and compassionate ... I, however, am a curmudgeon and grow weary of some of the silly slang myself (although I have slipped on occasion and referred to some of my 1911s as "Springers") ... I too cringe when I hear someone say "shottie" although I seem to recall hearing Mossbergs referred to as "Mossies" back in my youth -- before the hip-hop slang intruded into the gun culture ...

Other day down at the gun show, I watched in amusement as a few young males (who didn't look old enough to buy handguns, but somehow each had scraped together enough money to buy three hundred dollars worth apiece of baggy pants and shirts over those silly big yellow boots) referred to a 1911 as "old-school" while indicating a preference for a Ruger .22, "I wants to gets wunna dese here deuce-deuces, yo, dis is da sh**, yo."

 

[thereisnospoon]

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[Tory]

"What does bother me is people who don't know a goh-ram thing about firearms and are only using it to try and sound cool. (mainly because these people use terms like this exessively and at every oportunity)."

Precisely. And the gunnie-wannabe that referred to S&Ws as "Smithies" had a vacuous look on his face when I mentioned my Garand.

Said he'd never HEARD of them.

Yeah, he's an operator............

 

[Smokey Joe]

Opportunity knocking!!

Said he'd never HEARD of them.

Tory--You had at that point hit upon what educators refer to as a "teachable moment!" Taking the comment seriously, giving an explanation of the term "Garand," and a little history, would have made you an authority in the eyes of the wannabe, and, who knows, you might have made a friend. We all started out as newbies and wannabes at some point, and we all appreciated those who helped us along the way.

Certainly the wannabe would have been made a firmer ally for the RKBA, and as I said earlier, we need all the friends we can get.

As to being angered or disgusted by the wannabe, well, I for one just don't allow others to dictate my mood or my responses. I can feel and act cheerful and positive when I choose to.

 

[nfl1990]

Load your magazine with bullets, fine.

I don't see a problem with that, you do indeed put bullets in your mags, you also put brass, powder, and primers too, though I perfer to just say 'round' or 'cartridge' and say it all at once.