Why do we use "action" to denote the locking system? Most other European languages use the word "system" as that is what it is or some derviative of the word "lock". When I speak to a gun persion who is a native speaker of English they understand what I am talking about, when you try to translate it to another language it becomes more difficult.

A very common instance is explaining that a Winchester M70 is "systema de mauser" as the Spanish would call it.


Why do we refer to the sights on a gun as fore and aft or front and back? When muzzle and breach would be more explanatory.


The older I get the more I realize that the English language has made some very strange choices on how firearm vocabulary.

While bochsbuchflinte is a very large mouthfull it does tell you what you are holding boch rifle shotgun. And especially the Acronym BBF makes it easier, but combination gun explains it very nice as well. Then you have to remember of what it is a combination of as a M16 with a grenade launcher on it would be a combination gun by the vocabulary established as well.

And these are the reasons I can't sleep at night!

I think the difference is due to, for lack of a better term, two different laguages. British (King's ?) English and American English.

In electrical systems we refer to "ground", the Brits call it "earth". We have hoods, they have bonnets, their windscreens are our windshields. The list goes on.

As far as I'm concerned, front is front and rear is rear. Fore and aft is on a boat, not a rifle or shotgun.

I'm sure not loosing any sleep over it.

Then there is beer and cervesa

The question is, Why do THEY use something else??? And why do I care?

Muzzle and breach do not apply when the rear sight is 1/3 up the barrel or on the tang.
As far as the Brits go, consider these:
Gudgeon pin = piston wrist pin
Gaiter = rubber boot between motorcycle fork lower and upper legs
Gun screws = pins
and on and on.

Personally, I love these regional terms...were it not so, the English language would be pretty boring!

And another thing, a revolver is not a pistol. So there!

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:
I think the difference is due to, for lack of a better term, two different laguages. British (King's ?) English and American English.

In electrical systems we refer to "ground", the Brits call it "earth". We have hoods, they have bonnets, their windscreens are our windshields. The list goes on.

As far as I'm concerned, front is front and rear is rear. Fore and aft is on a boat, not a rifle or shotgun.

I'm sure not loosing any sleep over it.

where's the forearm on a boat ??...tee-hee-hee

quote:

Originally posted by merlinron:

quote:

Originally posted by craigster:
I think the difference is due to, for lack of a better term, two different laguages. British (King's ?) English and American English.

In electrical systems we refer to "ground", the Brits call it "earth". We have hoods, they have bonnets, their windscreens are our windshields. The list goes on.

As far as I'm concerned, front is front and rear is rear. Fore and aft is on a boat, not a rifle or shotgun.

I'm sure not loosing any sleep over it.

where's the forearm on a boat ??...tee-hee-hee

Is it a port or starboard model?

The term "headspace" came from Bill Clinton when he designed the table in the Oval office!

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
The term "headspace" came from Bill Clinton when he designed the table in the Oval office!

Deep throat is another Bill Clintoon "gun" term

Starboard means steer board which was the board the Vikings used to steer and was always on the right side.

quote:

And another thing, a revolver is not a pistol. So there!

The term 'Pistol' comes from pocket dagger or weapon. The term has 'evolved' somewhat!

Here in the UK, bullets are now being called "heads" by some, that seems to have stared when we still had pistols. Now the receiver is the chassis, these terms are mostly used by writers in magazines aimed at the novice.

quote:

Gun screws = pins

Not quite on shot guns! Pins are screws that screw into the metal parts of the shot gun. And are usually parallel sided. Screws are screws that screw into the wooden parts!

Thus a top lever pin but a (trigger)guard screw.

quote:

And another thing, a revolver is not a pistol. So there!

All revolvers ARE pistols (to whit "Pistol, Revolver No1 Mk6" aka the Webley 455 Mark 6) but not all pistols are revolvers!

roger

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
The term "headspace" came from Bill Clinton when he designed the table in the Oval office!

Now that really deseves a chuckle.

quote:

All revolvers ARE pistols

Aah... but...! Actually, I held this view myself but got shot to bits! Thing is, by definition, a revolver is no longer a 'pistol'. Just like 'pistol' used to mean 'small pocket dagger', it came to mean a small pocket or hand held firearm, it now does not mean revolver! Why, I don't know! (Maybe in the UK it might still mean that?) Now we have to use the term 'handgun' instead of 'pistol'!

But even worse - a bullet is no longer the thingy that comes out the end of the barrel! No, now we have to say 'projectile' to avoid confusion! What the .... !

Pistols, Revolvers? I heard about those things , Used to have them in the U.K. once upon a time!

I have a friend who is given a gun a month by his father. My friend never knows what his father will buy him. He wants to show the gun to me, but to be politically correct in front of liberals, he tell me he has a "nug" he wants to show me in the car.


Now from playing Scrabble with a teen age relative, I learned that a "nug" is a unit of marijuana.
Not too politically correct.