Rifle vs. Gun

[Bob Seijas]

IMO the insistence on "rifle" is only USMC tradition and jargon, like "deck" for "floor." According to the dictionary definition, rifles qualify as guns, just as pistols do. It seems to be fading... in the "American Sniper" book by SEAL Chris Kyle just out, he uses gun all the time. I occasionally use "gun" in GCA Journal articles because rifle gets very repetitive.

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[Bill Hollinger]

And the Navy has always referred to them as "guns" on a ship. Big guns but guns

[browningautorifle]

Once out of the military, I had to learn that civvies talk this way. They don't like you to call your favorite your weapon and they don't understand the discipline of calling it rifle or pistol. They just group them all together with guns. They won't be corrected, and I found it's not worth my time to argue about it.

[Chuckindenver]

agreed, it bugs me sometimes,..but i get lazy and call it a gun from time to time...i usually use the term weapon.. in my eyes...a gun is anything over .50 cal. and a rifle is a shoulder fired weapon under .50 cal..
what bugs me the most is the term clip.... example...i had a box of AR mags for sale at a local show...guy asked how much for the clips.??said what clips...i dont have any clips?
sure those M16 clips..so i pulled out a stripper clip and guide for the M16...said here ya go..i have a few more in a box under the table....he just looked dumbfounded.
i said, i have a few Magazines to load up with these clips if you like...and then smiled...

[Sarge1998]

Sorta like if your address is 2005 Main Street, that's two-zero-zero-five.

[rugersworld]

I totally agree with you guys. It bugs the heck out of me when people use incorrect words either through laziness or lack of education.

[Woodsy]

They are all guns (ie. a device that propels a projectile by force of explosive) but they are then divided into families of various types (rifles, pistols, etc.). 'Pistols' may be further subdivided into pistols and revolvers. Everyone knows what a rifle is, and it is the terminology I prefer, even though I am a gunsmith!

[Bob Seijas]

I prefer "rifle" as well, but I'm not too strict about it. SEAL Chris Kyle holds the record for documented sniper kills (over 150) and at one point he left his weapon in the hide when they were being extracted. He realized "I had forgotten my gun..." and went back to retrieve it

[mweiler]

'Pistols' may be further subdivided into pistols and revolvers.

You were doing ok right up to this point, but fell down hard here.

This is absolutely untrue, a pistol is synonymous with a handgun, and includes a number of different types of actions. People have tried to create a differentiation between revolvers and other types of handguns (typically this involves calling a semiautomatic pistol a "pistol"...and a blank stare when you ask about a break action derringer, pepperbox, flintlock, etc), but it is a relatively new and completely wrong differentiation. Even the wording is rather bizarre "Pistols can be broken up into pistols and revolvers"...the fact that makes no sense should be an indication. If you logically parse that statement, you're saying that "pistols"="pistols and revolvers", meaning "pistols"="pistols and pistols and revolvers" which then rapidly degenerates to "pistols"="pistols and revolvers and pistols and revolvers and revolvers"...etc...etc...ad nauseum.

Since this thread is completely about definitions, it really needs to be corrected. Normally I wouldn't do so because there is a group of people in general which doesn't really understand this is wrong and they get quite militant about their misunderstanding so there's no particular need to abuse them with the truth, as it's generally harmless, and correcting them does nothing but antagonize since they are dead set in their misunderstanding.... but if you're going to jump in a thread about correct referencing of a particular type of firearm, I have to, sorry.

BTW, the reason for civilian referring (correctly) to "gun", of which rifles and pistols and cannon are subsets as pointed out above, rather than use the DI approved "weapon" is largely political. In the battle of rational thinking vs "gun control", it's politically better to just refer to a "gun" rather than a "weapon" as it creates less of a hysterical underwear soiling reaction by some people. Yes, it's silly and they shouldn't have that reaction, but they do vote and count the same as anyone here so if we can reduce their desire to go to the polls and try to make stupid laws, we probably should. It's important.

Carry on.

[Joe W]

They are all guns (ie. a device that propels a projectile by force of explosive) but they are then divided into families of various types (rifles, pistols, etc.). 'Pistols' may be further subdivided into pistols and revolvers. Everyone knows what a rifle is, and it is the terminology I prefer, even though I am a gunsmith!

This sums it up for me.