Favorite slang gun terms?

Carmike · March 23, 2018, 09:08 PM

Hello all,

Every once in a while, as I peruse this forum, I encounter a slang term for "gun" or "firearm" that I find eminently amusing. Unfortunately, I haven't collected them or written them down anywhere, so I keep forgetting them.

What's your favorite slang term for a gun?

Of the ones I can remember, I think "front-stuffer" is my favorite (for a muzzleloader).

Carmike

kenny53 · March 23, 2018, 10:47 PM

1911, Fight Stopper.

Mike38 · March 23, 2018, 10:47 PM

I have one I absolutely hate. "Peace". Or is it "Piece"? Piece of what?

Water-Man · March 23, 2018, 10:54 PM

A 'gat'.

A 'roscoe'.

**Aguila Blanca** · March 23, 2018, 11:11 PM

Old slabsides. (1911)

Erno86 · March 24, 2018, 11:21 AM

'Trench broom' - The famous Winchester Model 1897 shotgun.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war...7-shotgun.html

'9' - A nine millimeter pistol

'Boomstick'

'Heater'

"Smoke pole' - A BP firearm

'Smelly' - SMLE Lee Enfield

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Enfield

'Ma Duce' - Browning M2 50 caliber Machine Gun

'Angel King' - Code word for AK --- in the 'Lord of War' movie...starring Nicholas Cage

'Chicago Typewriter', 'The Chopper' - Thompson Submachine gun

TruthTellers · March 24, 2018, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike38

I have one I absolutely hate. "Peace". Or is it "Piece"? Piece of what?

That's my favorite. "Look at that polished nickel High Point... what a nice piece."

Kvon2 · March 24, 2018, 01:21 PM

"All 1911's aside" instead of "all jokes aside"

reteach · March 24, 2018, 04:26 PM

Seems like there was a thread on this a while back, but I can't find it now. I've heard "ratchet" for a revolver. I've seen "biscuit" in old fiction (think Dashiel Hammet) used for any handgun.

gw44 · March 24, 2018, 04:43 PM

I have herd that in PA they call a 760-7600rem pump rifle a (Amish machine gun ) !!!

Growlers · March 24, 2018, 05:56 PM

Skin that smokewagon (draw your pistol). From the movie Tombstone,

Purple Bikerr · March 24, 2018, 05:59 PM

Wheel Gun- Revolver

Bottom Feeder- Magazine Fed Gun

Tupperware- Polymer Gun

jmr40 · March 24, 2018, 06:27 PM

When speaking to my wife when others are present that don't need to know I'm carrying I'll sometimes refer to a gun as a nug. Gun spelled backwards.

Picked that up from an old episode of M*A*S*H when Frank Burns is armed when he isn't supposed to be and he used the term to inform Margret. It started as a joke, but has become a useful technique for us to communicate around grandkids and others.

Carmike · March 24, 2018, 11:03 PM

I did look for any old threads, but I couldn't find one. I just discovered this "general" forum (I usually get stuck at the top in the revolver and lever forums), so I'm not surprised I missed it.

And jmr40, be careful when referring to 'nug.' Where I come from, that's marijuana...."Well, yes, officer, I do have nug in my pocket, but I'm licensed to carry it."

Rob228 · March 25, 2018, 03:37 AM

Quote:

When speaking to my wife when others are present that don't need to know I'm carrying I'll sometimes refer to a gun as a nug. Gun spelled backwards.

That could also imply that you are carrying marijuana. Might be a regional or generational slang. I do appreciate the reference though, My mother is still mad at me for arriving on this planet during the final episode of M*A*S*H, she missed it, but her doctors didn't.

**44 AMP** · March 25, 2018, 12:36 PM

It surprises me that no one has yet said..

"Hawgleg" = SA revolver

Just what are you kids reading/watching these days,that you missed that one???

some of the slang terms are historical, some are amusingly descriptive, some are even sarcastic. And some are just juvenile. Sometimes we know pretty well where the term originates, sometimes, we can only guess.

Two terms I put in the juvenile class are "shotty" - referring to any shotgun, and "Deagle" - referring to the Desert Eagle pistol. I'm unsure where "shotty" originated, but "DEagle" came from a video game which didn't have enough characters in its weapon name slot to write Desert Eagle, so the wrote DEagle.

Gat - probably comes from Gatling gun, and meant revolvers, due to the similarity of revolving parts. Also became used at a time when semi autos were not very common civilian guns, so by extension, used for all handguns.

Roscoe, and Heater are, like Gat, terms from the 20s/30s or possibly earlier.

Ma Deuce is the M2 .50 cal machine gun (not Duce)

And tis "combat Tupperware" a sarcastic reference to polymer frame pistols. Tupperware, (only) is something I use in my kitchen

"Bottom feeder" refers to semi auto pistols (where the magazine goes in from the bottom).

Wheelgun - revolver.."wheelies" -from the same kids who say "shotty"..

"the Mighty Mattel" - Vietnam era slang for the M16

Crank and Yank - SA revolver shooting
Spray and pray - unaimed rapid fire

"piece" most likely, originally comes from "piece of ordnance"

"mousegun" - small size, small caliber pistol

Racegun - heavily customized pistol used for competition shooting where speed is a factor.

"Bellygun" - short barrel pistol (usually revolver) meant for close range defense (belly to belly distance, etc.)

there are lots of them, most I can't think of, right now...

and then there are personal names for guns...
My first deer rifle, I nicknamed "Killdeer" after Hawkeye's gun in Last of the Mohicans... because, well, it DID!

Back in 1980, I got a Browning BDA .45. One of my friends took to calling it "Alice". Said the initials BDA stood for "Big Dirty Alice". I wasn't thrilled, but my wife found the name amusing, and ever since, that gun has been "Alice".

Works very well when needing to refer to the gun without others knowing. "have you seen Alice lately?" is our "code" for if I am carrying...

Big Motor · March 25, 2018, 02:16 PM

A piece or a heater.

Erno86 · March 25, 2018, 02:26 PM

"Hitler's buzzsaw" - "Giving rise to the MG 42's nickname, with the distinctive sound caused by the high cyclic firing rate."

"Spandau" - "By British troops, a traditional generic term for all German machine guns, where the majority were made in Spandau, Germany."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_42

In The Ten Ring · March 26, 2018, 03:11 AM

My favorite is "Nasal Decongestant from Hell" about the NAA mini revolver, printed in a Guns & Ammo magazine.

I called the weapon "The Loud Knife" as you almost had to touch someone to hit them.

"Artillery" = pistol

I had a supervisor ask me once if I was "packing heat." I had never been in that motel when I wasn't armed, including when I was delivering pizzas 25 years before. LOL

T. O'Heir · March 26, 2018, 12:59 PM

Shootin' iron. Geezuz, ya'll are young. snicker.
"Shotty" originated on internet forums.
Mattel, in the late 50's/early 60's, was probably the biggest and most experienced plastics extrusion companies on the planet.
And it's 'A Chopper', not 'The Chopper'.
"...there was a thread on this a while back..." At least once per annum on every forum.

photographix · March 26, 2018, 04:13 PM

I liked "heater" from old gangster movies, and "firestick" that was a term a Native American used from some old Western I saw a thousand years ago. And didn't Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies say to Jed "git yer shootin' iron"?

lamarw · March 26, 2018, 05:09 PM

...
One of my favorites: Quad Fifty, It was a gun truck we had in Nam as part of our security which had a WWII matched up four 50 calibers which were then used as an anti-aircraft gun.

2ndtimer · March 26, 2018, 05:13 PM

My least favorite shooting slang term is "boolits", instead of bullets or projectiles. It reinforces the liberal snobs opinions of us as dumb country Hicks too stupid to know what is good for us.

griz · March 26, 2018, 05:31 PM

Scattergun

Don Fischer · March 26, 2018, 05:47 PM

I think I know all of them but I don't like them and I don't use them. Problem is some one new to shooting can be left with not a clue what is being talked about. Same with a lot of slang words. One had me stumped for a long time before I finally found out what it meant. Don't even remember it any more. You'll find most time's I won't even use well known abbreviations without writing it first. Example would be Max Point Blank Range. How many new people would have an idea what that was if i just wrote MPBR? I find the use of abbreviation's and slang appalling! Probably because there are time's I haven't a clue what someone is talking about with their newly invented slang word or abbreviation! Rant over! :-)

March 23, 2018, 09:08 PM	#1
Carmike Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2016 Posts: 106	Favorite slang gun terms? Hello all, Every once in a while, as I peruse this forum, I encounter a slang term for "gun" or "firearm" that I find eminently amusing. Unfortunately, I haven't collected them or written them down anywhere, so I keep forgetting them. What's your favorite slang term for a gun? Of the ones I can remember, I think "front-stuffer" is my favorite (for a muzzleloader). Carmike

March 24, 2018, 11:21 AM	#6
Erno86 Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2012 Location: Marriottsville, Maryland Posts: 1,739	'Trench broom' - The famous Winchester Model 1897 shotgun. https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war...7-shotgun.html '9' - A nine millimeter pistol 'Boomstick' 'Heater' "Smoke pole' - A BP firearm 'Smelly' - SMLE Lee Enfield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee-Enfield 'Ma Duce' - Browning M2 50 caliber Machine Gun 'Angel King' - Code word for AK --- in the 'Lord of War' movie...starring Nicholas Cage 'Chicago Typewriter', 'The Chopper' - Thompson Submachine gun __________________ That rifle hanging on the wall of the working class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." --- George Orwell Last edited by Erno86; March 24, 2018 at 12:30 PM.

March 24, 2018, 06:27 PM	#13
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,809	When speaking to my wife when others are present that don't need to know I'm carrying I'll sometimes refer to a gun as a nug. Gun spelled backwards. Picked that up from an old episode of MAS*H when Frank Burns is armed when he isn't supposed to be and he used the term to inform Margret. It started as a joke, but has become a useful technique for us to communicate around grandkids and others. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

March 25, 2018, 12:36 PM	#16
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,840	It surprises me that no one has yet said.. "Hawgleg" = SA revolver Just what are you kids reading/watching these days,that you missed that one??? some of the slang terms are historical, some are amusingly descriptive, some are even sarcastic. And some are just juvenile. Sometimes we know pretty well where the term originates, sometimes, we can only guess. Two terms I put in the juvenile class are "shotty" - referring to any shotgun, and "Deagle" - referring to the Desert Eagle pistol. I'm unsure where "shotty" originated, but "DEagle" came from a video game which didn't have enough characters in its weapon name slot to write Desert Eagle, so the wrote DEagle. Gat - probably comes from Gatling gun, and meant revolvers, due to the similarity of revolving parts. Also became used at a time when semi autos were not very common civilian guns, so by extension, used for all handguns. Roscoe, and Heater are, like Gat, terms from the 20s/30s or possibly earlier. Ma Deuce is the M2 .50 cal machine gun (not Duce) And tis "combat Tupperware" a sarcastic reference to polymer frame pistols. Tupperware, (only) is something I use in my kitchen "Bottom feeder" refers to semi auto pistols (where the magazine goes in from the bottom). Wheelgun - revolver.."wheelies" -from the same kids who say "shotty".. "the Mighty Mattel" - Vietnam era slang for the M16 Crank and Yank - SA revolver shooting Spray and pray - unaimed rapid fire "piece" most likely, originally comes from "piece of ordnance" "mousegun" - small size, small caliber pistol Racegun - heavily customized pistol used for competition shooting where speed is a factor. "Bellygun" - short barrel pistol (usually revolver) meant for close range defense (belly to belly distance, etc.) there are lots of them, most I can't think of, right now... and then there are personal names for guns... My first deer rifle, I nicknamed "Killdeer" after Hawkeye's gun in Last of the Mohicans... because, well, it DID! Back in 1980, I got a Browning BDA .45. One of my friends took to calling it "Alice". Said the initials BDA stood for "Big Dirty Alice". I wasn't thrilled, but my wife found the name amusing, and ever since, that gun has been "Alice". Works very well when needing to refer to the gun without others knowing. "have you seen Alice lately?" is our "code" for if I am carrying... __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

March 25, 2018, 02:26 PM	#18
Erno86 Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2012 Location: Marriottsville, Maryland Posts: 1,739	"Hitler's buzzsaw" "Hitler's buzzsaw" - "Giving rise to the MG 42's nickname, with the distinctive sound caused by the high cyclic firing rate." "Spandau" - "By British troops, a traditional generic term for all German machine guns, where the majority were made in Spandau, Germany." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_42 __________________ That rifle hanging on the wall of the working class flat or labourer's cottage is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." --- George Orwell

March 23, 2018, 10:47 PM	#2
kenny53 Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2015 Location: My back yard Posts: 971	1911, Fight Stopper.

March 23, 2018, 10:47 PM	#3
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	I have one I absolutely hate. "Peace". Or is it "Piece"? Piece of what?

March 23, 2018, 10:54 PM	#4
Water-Man Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 2,126	A 'gat'. A 'roscoe'.

March 23, 2018, 11:11 PM	#5
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,468	Old slabsides. (1911)

March 24, 2018, 01:21 PM	#8
Kvon2 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2016 Posts: 757	"All 1911's aside" instead of "all jokes aside"

March 24, 2018, 04:26 PM	#9
reteach Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2016 Location: Texas Posts: 379	Seems like there was a thread on this a while back, but I can't find it now. I've heard "ratchet" for a revolver. I've seen "biscuit" in old fiction (think Dashiel Hammet) used for any handgun.

March 24, 2018, 04:43 PM	#10
gw44 Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2015 Location: Michigan Posts: 311	I have herd that in PA they call a 760-7600rem pump rifle a (Amish machine gun ) !!!

March 24, 2018, 05:56 PM	#11
Growlers Junior Member Join Date: March 13, 2014 Posts: 7	Skin that smokewagon (draw your pistol). From the movie Tombstone,

March 24, 2018, 05:59 PM	#12
Purple Bikerr Member Join Date: March 24, 2013 Posts: 31	Wheel Gun- Revolver Bottom Feeder- Magazine Fed Gun Tupperware- Polymer Gun

March 24, 2018, 11:03 PM	#14
Carmike Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2016 Posts: 106	I did look for any old threads, but I couldn't find one. I just discovered this "general" forum (I usually get stuck at the top in the revolver and lever forums), so I'm not surprised I missed it. And jmr40, be careful when referring to 'nug.' Where I come from, that's marijuana...."Well, yes, officer, I do have nug in my pocket, but I'm licensed to carry it."

March 25, 2018, 02:16 PM	#17
Big Motor Junior Member Join Date: March 23, 2018 Posts: 11	A piece or a heater.

March 26, 2018, 03:11 AM	#19
In The Ten Ring Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2018 Posts: 380	My favorite is "Nasal Decongestant from Hell" about the NAA mini revolver, printed in a Guns & Ammo magazine. I called the weapon "The Loud Knife" as you almost had to touch someone to hit them. "Artillery" = pistol I had a supervisor ask me once if I was "packing heat." I had never been in that motel when I wasn't armed, including when I was delivering pizzas 25 years before. LOL

March 26, 2018, 12:59 PM	#20
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Shootin' iron. Geezuz, ya'll are young. snicker. "Shotty" originated on internet forums. Mattel, in the late 50's/early 60's, was probably the biggest and most experienced plastics extrusion companies on the planet. And it's 'A Chopper', not 'The Chopper'. "...there was a thread on this a while back..." At least once per annum on every forum. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

March 26, 2018, 04:13 PM	#21
photographix Member Join Date: January 6, 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 43	I liked "heater" from old gangster movies, and "firestick" that was a term a Native American used from some old Western I saw a thousand years ago. And didn't Granny on the Beverly Hillbillies say to Jed "git yer shootin' iron"?

March 26, 2018, 05:09 PM	#22
lamarw Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2010 Location: Lake Martin, AL Posts: 3,311	... One of my favorites: Quad Fifty, It was a gun truck we had in Nam as part of our security which had a WWII matched up four 50 calibers which were then used as an anti-aircraft gun. Last edited by Evan Thomas; March 26, 2018 at 05:41 PM. Reason: Let's not drag politics into this.

March 26, 2018, 05:13 PM	#23
2ndtimer Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2004 Location: Kennewick, WA Posts: 293	My least favorite shooting slang term is "boolits", instead of bullets or projectiles. It reinforces the liberal snobs opinions of us as dumb country Hicks too stupid to know what is good for us. __________________ NRA Endowment Member

March 26, 2018, 05:31 PM	#24
griz Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2000 Location: Middle Peninsula, VA Posts: 1,588	Scattergun

March 26, 2018, 05:47 PM	#25
Don Fischer Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2017 Posts: 1,868	I think I know all of them but I don't like them and I don't use them. Problem is some one new to shooting can be left with not a clue what is being talked about. Same with a lot of slang words. One had me stumped for a long time before I finally found out what it meant. Don't even remember it any more. You'll find most time's I won't even use well known abbreviations without writing it first. Example would be Max Point Blank Range. How many new people would have an idea what that was if i just wrote MPBR? I find the use of abbreviation's and slang appalling! Probably because there are time's I haven't a clue what someone is talking about with their newly invented slang word or abbreviation! Rant over! :-)