Weapons?

[Ray S.]

When I was growing up, hunting and shooting, everyone referred to "guns, pistols, rifles and shotguns", and still do around my neck of the woods. When did that change to "weapons"? Just curious.

[DogmaDog]

My introduction to firearms was in the Marine Corps, where it's NEVER a "gun". Always "rifle" or "weapon".

The roots of IPSC are in the use of a pistol as a weapon, so possibly it's a trend that started there if you encounter it at your local matches.

So it's always been a "weapon" to me...but then, being a jarhead, EVERYTHING is a weapon.

DogmaDog

[Gun Geek]

Ray:

Sorry to say, but you are a little behind the times. They are now called firearms. It has been deemed that the words "gun" and "weapon" are to offensive. The idea is to emphasize the sport aspect over the killing capability.

This is standard wording in an NRA training course.

Heck, we are nervous about shooting at something that vaguely resembles a human. We shoot at an indoor range and occasionaly someone will see an IDPA and remark that we seem to be training to be killers by shooting at a person-like target.

It is a strange time indeed.

[AikiDale]

Just to be safe I refer to " This little light of mine........"

[mcoliver]

I also affectionately call mine my "little thunder-maker..."

[Run n Gun]

It seems every time I hear someone refer to a gun as a weapon it’s some tactibilly (thanks Matt, that’s a perfect descriptor) with a beer gut hanging out of his cammo. Hey, I’m a BFG (Big Fat Guy) too but you don’t see me running around in Tiger Stripes and a Boonie Hat. So yeah Ray, it’s one of my pet peeves too (sorry Dog).

Ed

[AikiDale]

Coming from a martial arts background, my first exposure to firearms was also in a martial setting. I was not in the service, but the gentlemen who encouraged me to first pick up a gun were former military, LEO's in my regular Aikido classes. From there I was asked to train the members of the local PD's dignitary protection squad. This lead to training with them on the police range under the kind tutelage of the department firearms instructor who is also a USPSA competitor. My first formal instruction outside the local PD was from a former military now professional firearms instructor. They all refer to the sidearm as well as long guns as weapons and I am quite comfortable with it and have been for many years.

It is only within the last year and a half I took the NRA instructors course and at 25 cents a pop it cost me $2.75 in fines for refering to the pistol as a weapon.

After 42 years of studying me within the venue of the martial arts I am the weapon and anything I pick up, as an extension of me is also a weapon.

DogmaDog had it right!

[Sam]

I must have grown up around Ray.

In my nine year old mind, a rifle wasn't a weapon. It was an awesome object of wonder, a mystical slayer of snake and possum. When I was totin my .22, I was John Wayne, Audie Murphy, and Sgt. Alvin York all rolled into one. I was a damn dangerous man.....

Later, I also drove a '74 Ramcharger. And it wasn't an SUV.

Ray, to answer your question, I think a gun became a weapon about the time men stopped being men and started being males.

[D.Hayden]

where it's NEVER a "gun". Always "rifle" or "weapon".

They drill this pretty good in all the Services... you only make that mistake once, or if you're lucky you just see someone else make it... and it's not just the weapons themselves, it's the platoon names, titles, everything.

it sticks with you.. habits are hard to break. I'd never even thought it would be taken differently.

[John Dunn]

A poster on another shooting forum named his rifle "BTAPS".

Stands for: Better Than A Pointy Stick!

I suggest we substitute BTAPS for weapon whenever possible.

[Run n Gun]

Main Entry: 1weap·on

Pronunciation: 'we-p&n

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English wepen, from Old English w[AE]pen; akin to Old High German wAffan weapon, Old Norse vApn

1 : something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

2 : a means of contending against another

I don’t call my guns weapons because I don’t think of them as weapons (with one exception) sure they can kill people but so can kitchen knives, golf clubs and baseball bats and they’re not generally considered weapons. My competition guns and even my hunting rifle COULD be USED as weapons but that’s not why I bought them or how I use them. So by MY definition and Mr. Webster’s (above) they’re NOT weapons, just plain ol’ GUNS. The exception? My carry gun, its sole reason for being is to STOP a person who is about to take a life of another. Everything about it is optimized for that very purpose; it’s a weapon in every sense of the word.

I see that I might have ruffled a few feathers here with my thoughtless first post, if so, I do apologize. I’ve tried to follow a lifelong rule; “don’t antagonize people with guns” especially if they can shoot better than you!

Ed

[D.Hayden]

Ed, I never even notice these things... people say guns/firearms it never even enters my mind. If you had to drop and do 20, or sing that stupid song in front of your whole plattoon... not saying it's right. I got confused when they called multiple things M-xx (M-60 = tank, M-60 = light MG)

Not like hearing fishing pole, instead of rod - now that's downright insulting

Or people calling APC's (M-113, M-2s [bradleys]) tanks!