Rifle vs. Gun

[Bob Womack]

I fell in love with the Colonial term for hand-held weapons a while back. In that period, by the very name they emphasized the most important part of a daily use weapon and the hardest to get right with current technology, the safety and ignition system. They called that portion of the weapon the "lock." The generic name of any hand-held weapon was a "firelock." Thus, the command given to the British soldiers to surrender their arms at the British surrender at the end of the Revolutionary War Battle of Yorktown and reported by the Colonial observers was, "Ground your firelocks!"

Firearms of all types have become so controversial that I've taken to labeling anything weapons-related that will be carried in a public place by this term. It has style and leave's 'em wondering...

Bob