Why do you call it a weapon?

[Capt. Speirs]

I find it strange that someone calling himself "Capt Speirs" would have to ask this question.

[Mitch]

I know that argument.

But I am very specific in my use of language and I also would prefer to educate rather than obfuscate.

Though I was never in the military, much of my firearms knowledge and experience has been derived from people and writers who were, and I tend to accept their terminology. I rarely refer to "guns," always "firearms," "handguns" ("pistols" only if they are semi-automatic), "shotguns," etc. "Weapon" is just a synonym for "firearm," typically employed in a sentence where I have already used one of the former terms and don't wish to repeat myself. It's just a practical and accurate term, but rarely a first choice.

A racing car is a "vehicle," though it is not used to transport anyone or anything anywhere. It's just a special, sporting variety of "vehicle." Though all my firearms were purchased and are possessed for sporting uses, at the end of the day they were designed to be weapons. There is no getting away from this, especially with regard to the many, many milsurp rifles and handguns I own. They were undoubtedly designed and produced to be weapons.

I make no apology for that, even though I think it's a little sad that such beautiful and enjoyable machines were designed to kill people. Too bad.

"Weapon" is also a useful reminder, for those of us who find ourselves being casual around guns (I work with guns every day), of what they are capable of doing if they are misused.

I have taken a fair number of nominally anti-gun people out shooting. My success in changing their attitudes has had much more to do with the principles I communicated to them than with the actual terminology I used.

[SDI]

Ok, here goes...Why do we call our guns a weapon? We don't call baseball bats a weapon, until it is used as one. We don't call screwdrivers a weapon, until it is used as one. So why do we call Guns a weapon? Some never intend to use their guns as weapons and until you do, it is a gun, rifle, pistol, or whatever its birth name was. I asking this because, I think non gun owners or general public would react differently if we called them rifles, pistols, shotguns, and not weapons. Just a thought, what do you think?

I don't usually call them weapons. When teaching NRA classes I am not even allowed to call them weapons!
If I am asked what I do, I say I am a Firearms Instructor, not a Weapons Instructor.

[MudCamper]

People need to get over their irrational fear of weapons. They need to come to the realization that weapons can be used to do good or evil. It all depends on who's hands they are in. We need more good people wielding weapons. Gun control laws leave only evil people with weapons.

Further, I HATE any and all politically correct language filters. Call it like it is.

[SgtDinosaur]

You're the disease, and I'm the cure.

That's the spirit!

[Thefeeder]

So, what is your favorite Skeet weapon? Conventional 900 weapon? Your favorite Duck hunting weapon? Your favorite Silhouette weapon? Your favorite Light Rifle Match
weapon?

Starting to sound funny?

[Vanguard]

So, what is your favorite Skeet weapon? Conventional 900 weapon? Your favorite Duck hunting weapon? Your favorite Silhouette weapon? Your favorite Light Rifle Match
weapon?

Starting to sound funny?

"Weapon" is a catagory that they all fall into, not a proper name. They are all weapons. You wouldn't use the word in the context you're using.

I would say something like "I had a weapon jam" or "I clean my weapons after every range trip".

[Mitch]

"Weapon" is a catagory that they all fall into, not a proper name. They are all weapons. You wouldn't use the word in the context you're using.

I would say something like "I had a weapon jam" or "I clean my weapons after every range trip".

This morning, in another post, I referred to a number of guns in the back of my SUV. That's because there were different kinds back there, shotguns, rifles, handguns, etc. When referring to a handgun, I say handgun. I almost never use the word gun when referring to a single particular firearm.

Weapon is just a synonym for gun, though I find I use weapon singular almost exclusively, never plural. I don't know why. And I will also use a sentence like, "Pick up the handgun and ensure the weapon is unloaded," though I would never say, "Pick up the handgun and ensure the gun is unloaded." Not sure why. Force of habit, I guess.

But I agree with Mudcamper: the NRA's ban on the use of weapon is a form of political correctness which is repellent to me no matter who is promoting it.

[team1320]

i call mine weapons of mass destruction

[thebloodsonthewall]

I call them weapons most of the time because in basic training we called them weapons and we still call them weapons more often than not. So, that is what I got used to calling them.

[Vanguard]

I prefer the terms:

Bambi Killer
Bunny Blaster
Kitten Popper

...but I only use those terms when I'm around children and liberals.


What?

[Irv]

I called it a weapon. Heaven help you if you called it a gun.
With our favorite personality speaker yelling at you half an inch from your face,
This is your weapon and this is for fighting, This is your gun and this for fun.
It wasn't fun running with your company as you held your crotch.

[WeekendWarrior]

WWRTW

[Seesm]

I call them weapons because that is what they are. One of the most silly things I hear them called is tools, tools are something use you build or fix something, if it makes you feel better to call them tools you probably should not own one.

YOU can build stuff with a tool (rifle or handgun) You can build good relationships or FIX relationships... I am just saying.

My mind is the weapon. Everything else is just a tool.

Heck yes I like that

[Beelzy]

I prefer the terms:

Bambi Killer
Bunny Blaster
Kitten Popper

Ahh, that takes me back. I had a Arsenal Garand I nicknamed "Bunny Buster".


I call all mine Lucille, good code word for discussing guns in front of sheeple.