You guys, (and gals) have no idea.. Untill I began "lurking" here long ago, ( and then when I did sign up, had a diff screen name,) I had never even heard the term "shottie".
Where I grew up, in the NW tip of PA (called North East.. go figure), these are the terms I grew up with:
.45 or .44 ment a SA revolver. Colt, Ruger, or some other copy. As in, "I wupped out my .45 and had at."
Automatics, be it a handgun, rifle, or shotgun were looked down on, and "Not to be trusted" Mention of using a "automatic" was always followed by a shaking of the head, a short laugh, and either "He's lucky he hit anything with that", or "An autoloader? how fast does he think he needs to miss?"
If someone said "I used my revolver" (pronounced REvolver) it was understood that they ment a DA revolver. This term was interchangeable with "My Thuty-eight" (meaning .38 SP, OR .38 S&W, or .38-40), or sometimes "My Thuty-two, (And THAT could lead to confusion, as many I knew had 32-20 SA revolvers, VS .32 S&W REvolvers,... you had to know the man, (or woman) then you would know the gun.)
As for shotguns, there were "Scatterguns", (ALL side-by-side shotguns), "Pump guns", (ALL pump shotguns, 20, 16, or 12 GA), and "Them autoloaders".
"Shotgun" alone, ment a single barrel, or a bolt-action, again you had to know the man (or woman) to know what they were talking about.
Now, so you understand, from the time I was 8 or so, I "hung out" with all the older folk within about 5-6 miles of where I lived. I don't think a single one of them could step outside to "crack-off" a few rounds without me being there within a few minutes. I would show up, and ask what kind of gun it was, how it worked, and why they used it, for whatever they used it for. Of course, I asked to shoot it, and then I always asked if I could clean it. At the ripe old age of 11, I accended to the "Order of the M1 Thumb"
, and this is after much work learning to handle the .30-40 Kraig, 7.92 Mauser, 7.5 Swiss, and the 6.5 Carcano. ( Not in that order)
It may sometimes be a bit irratating to hear incorrect wording, or bad termonology, but you must also regard where and how the terms were picked up. It never mattered to me when shooting an old issue 1911, that one of those old gents called it a "mag", and another called it a "clip". I was just dang happy to be allowed to try it out.
. Can't wait until I can teach him to ask if they have a speech impediment........lol.
