16ga.com ~ View topic - There has to be a better word than "weapon" for ou

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

Firearm--smokepole-scattergun- side by side--side by each--over/under or best yet, refer to the 'instrument' by its' proper name e.g. "it's a Parker DH" or "my A.H Fox"--perhaps "my Citori" maybe ever a "laser guided pheasant killin'..............well you know.
You are unlikely to to educate those in the media (and perhaps elsewhere) as to the correct term--you see before one can be a 'teacher' one must have a 'learner' Confused

slim pickens on learners these days.

Ron

Member Joined: 06 Nov 2006 Posts: 128 Location: NE

None of my guns have ever been used as a weapon. I have shotguns, rifles, revolvers, and semi-automatic pistols. They are all tools that have specific purposes ranging from putting holes in paper, ventilating tin cans, eradicating varmints, breaking clay targets, and putting dinner on the table. None of these firearms was purchased to use as a weapon.

I have used a baseball bat as a weapon. I have used a rock as a weapon. I have used several other objects including my hands and feet as weapons.

My long shafted 24 oz. rip claw framing hammer is directly decended from and not very far removed from a midieval war hammer, and would make one heck of a weapon if I chose to use it as such

None of these objects are commonly thought of or referred to as weapons.

The use of the term weapon to refer to any firearm has increased in recent years, coinciding with the media focus on and political villianization of "assualt weapons" and the ever popular "gun violence" which has pretty much replaced drug and or gang related violence.

The rise of the "tactical" crowd and wannabe ninjas/mercenaries has also helped popularize the use of the term weapon as an all purpose replacement for proper names of types of firearms.

Call them what they are, not what they could possibly be used as.

berg

Fowling piece

Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 280 Location: Southern Ohio

Just to be sure I wasn't off base in my terminology, I went to the sites of Beretta, Browning and Remington, Under their sales descriptions of their sporting guns, nowhere will you find the word "weapon". Now with a combined total of over 600 years in the business, I would think they would know what they're making and selling.. Case Closed???? MDC

Member Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 76

As an NRA instructor, we are told to refer to pistols, rifles and shotguns as firearms. Anything can be used as a weapon, including a firearm and they are often reffered to as such. The problem is the antigunners like to use the term weapon to verbally beat us to death as cruel and inhumane individuals who use them. Semantics aside, as sportmans we do not use them as weapons, but they dont care.

Bruce

Member Joined: 09 Jun 2005 Posts: 885 Location: Wisconsin

If it is used for recreational purposes it is a firearm. Even the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources can not get it right. In some of their hunting regs they'll refer to firearms as a weapon. I raise cane about it every year, does it also include golf clubs, bats, etc, I don't know. I do know I get tired of bringing it to their attention. Been a HS instructor since 1968 and have always used the term firearm. During my career with the state I was a firearms instructor, not a weapons instructor, cause I only taught firearms. Yes I did teach on how and when to use them as a weapon, but only firearms. Brought that up to the DNR and they still can't seem to get it straight. And we critize the media for not getting the right termenolgy.

Member Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 258 Location: Nordern MN

Shootingsioux - excellent post!

NR

"weapon" to me implies killing people. Sporting Fireams, or Sporting Arms are for the taking of game, or for target and recreational shooting. I know there is some crossover, like people liking to use "weapons" for recreational shooting (I have a couple handguns and older military rifles that are fun to plink with)... and yes, some folks like to hunt deer with AR-15's and the like, so it's not black and white.... but generally, I define it as either a weapon or sporting arm based upon the original purpose of the firearm when it was manufactured, but I call them all "guns", inappropriately perhaps, when I refer to all firearms in general....

Shootingsioux,

Well said, and I agree. I think it's a kind of "reverse PC" with a big dose of macho, like "I'm not going to apologize for KILLING something!", and while I understand the logic I think there are kinder ways to say it. As you so aptly point out, the kill is not the point. I love to eat game, but I have to admit, there are times when "shoot and release" would suit me just fine if it was an available option.

Fin

Joined: 02 Apr 2007 Posts: 12 Location: St. Paul, MN

22-250 mentioned his experience in the military. I was in the Army about 20 years ago and still have trouble with both "weapon" and "gun." One was used for killing the enemy and the other was for . . . well, fun, as it goes. It's funny how those things stick in one's head. I suppose gun is fine, but I generally stick with shotgun. I'd call it a Freudian hangup if I thought Freud had anything useful to say.

Member Joined: 06 Nov 2006 Posts: 128 Location: NE

Manalive, hows this quote -

"A fear of weapons is a sign of sexual and emotional immaturity" - Sigmund Freud

I don't think Freud was as hung up on penises as is portrayed by the media, after all "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar"

berg

Joined: 02 Apr 2007 Posts: 12 Location: St. Paul, MN

And my shotgun is more than just a shotgun; it's a 16 ga. (AyA 4/53). My other one is a Parker VH (12 ga., sorry), but I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet. I just bought it. It's bit on the hefty side, but I'm looking forward to shooting some trap with it real soon.

This is my rifle, this is my gun. This is for shooting, this is for fun. Never noticed the word weapon when I was in the service, it was either rifle or sidearm. Of coarse my first hitch it was broadaxe and sword.