Acronyms

[Mal H]

MAP added
steve4102's terms added (post 22)
SD additional definition added
AMP added

For handy reference on this page, here is the list again:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/faq....earms_acronyms

[Jeff2131]

Sevens,

http://i.word.com/idictionary/acronym

Acronyms are not limited to letters that can be pronounced as a word. Abbreviations are also scronyms.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Missing from government abbreviations and acronyms:

COTUS
SCOTUS
GCA

[steve4102]

DRT = Dead Right There

[Real Gun]

If you simply shorten the word or chop half of it off, that's an abbreviation.
gr, cal, dia, fps, mag, bbl, adj, DA/SA, DAO, FMJ, JHP, etc.
These are abbreviations.

fps, DA/SA, DAO, FMJ, JHP are clearly acronyms. Each letter stands for a word. That's why OAL is common but is not a valid acronym per se. "Overall" is one word. COL instead would be the acronym to make sense. OL on the other hand is awkward as being too brief.

[Mal H]

Jeff2131 and Real Gun - this thread isn't intended to be a debate of what the definition of acronym is or what it isn't. That debate ended with the first paragraph in my post #9.

COTUS, SCOTUS (and POTUS) added
GCA is already in the firearms terms list

[JimDandy]

I saw GCA, and NFA, but not FOPA. The red-headed stepchild of gun control that actually threw us a "travelling" bone.

Edit to Add

SA can all be Semi-Automatic,
FA Fully Automatic, SF Select Fire,
SAO Single Action Only (especially common on 1911's and clones)
DAO Double Action Only (common for law enforcement contract suppliers)
SA/DA Can operate in either Single Action or Double Action mode (best example- many revolvers)

[Cascade1911]

WWB - Winchester White Box

When I saw "AE" on the list my first thought was "American Eagle" but I don't know that anyone would use it as a acronym or not.

At the top of the list shouldn't it be:
AA - Accurate Arms - modern gun powder manufacturer

[Cascade1911]

.... and as I continued down the H, R and BC forum I saw WBY for Weatherby and 2A for 2nd Amendment came to mind.

[higgite]

I suggest modifying the definition of Ogive to read -

Ogive - the curved forward portion of a bullet. The radius of the ogive is usually expressed in multiples or fractions of the caliber. Pronounced "Oh-jive".

[Bart B.]

AA has been the military abbreviation for anti-aircraft fire for almost a century; long before Accurate Arms became a business in the powder making industry.

Note the TFL's glossary should not contradict what SAAMI's glossary says:

http://www.saami.org/specifications_...?page=glossary

[Mal H]

Added FOPA, FA, SAO
Added WWB
Refined definition of AE (added American Eagle and "angle eject" which is what I think of when I see the term, as in a modern Win. 1894)
Refined definition of AA
Added WBY
Refined definition of ogive

[Cascade1911]

You are correct Bart. Many initializations have multiple meanings generally determined by context. I've not seen many (any?) threads here at TFL discussing anti-aircraft guns I have seen many threads discussing Accurate Arms powder.

[Jeff2131]

Im very aware that this thread was not intended to be a debate, im the OP. I simply wanted to allow alot of our new reloaders to be able to identify what these acronyms are that are used on a daily basis when people post and reply. Im also not in concurrence with "the debate has ended in my post #9" you are only partially correct. Sevens listed acronyms correctly, however....gr. bbl. Adj. Etc....are not "initializations. The ARE in fact abbreviations. And grammatically speaking, must end with a period to signify that they are so. "Initializations" is a term used regarding computers; meaning to boot or start a set of calculations. Im assuming you MEANT to say "initials" which are slightly different than acronyms in that intials are the first letters of ones name, seperated by periods. Continuing the "debate" is not my intent but if we are ending what was but a brief debate, we should atleast end it with accurate information so that those who have read, followed, and commented may benefit from learning that accurate information thus they be more likely to use those terms accurately in the future.

[higgite]

The "Molon Labe - click here" doesn't work. Is this the link that should be there?
http://thefiringline.com/HCI/molon_labe.htm


ETA (Edited to Add) one more acronym, abbreviation, initialization or whatever you want to call it.
IFPG = Internet Forum Grammar Police

[Jeff2131]

Hahaha. Ifgp, nice!

[Mal H]

Originally Posted by Jeff2131

Sevens listed acronyms correctly, however....gr. bbl. Adj. Etc....are not "initializations. The ARE in fact abbreviations.

Jeff - did you read what I actually wrote in the post concerning all of that?

And grammatically speaking, must end with a period to signify that they are so. "Initializations" is a term used regarding computers; meaning to boot or start a set of calculations. Im assuming you MEANT to say "initials" which are slightly different than acronyms in that intials are the first letters of ones name, seperated by periods.

Actually I did get it wrong, but not how you might think. I meant to say "initialism". That is the proper term for the series of initial letters of two or more words which is not said as a word (that would be an acronym), but by the letters themselves. Examples - FBI, GCA, IRS, etc. The letters are normally not separated by periods. If that is the case, then they are indeed simply initials.

***********************
[ETA]
Added ETA
Fixed "Molon Labe" link (thanks, higgite, for noticing that one)

[Jim243]

I'm getting a HA (headache) from reading all the PITA acronyms. (LOL) IMHO

Jim

[F. Guffey]

Then there is JIC, just in case, I have small base dies, I do not use them but JIC. I also have neck sizer dies, I do not use them but JIC.

JIC was taken from a story about a car salesman making every effort to sell a car with a manual choke, the prospective buyer could not understand why the auto needed a choke if the auto was as trouble free as he advertised.

F. Guffey

[Daffy]

Just to add a bit of humor:

American
Association
Against
Acronym
Abuse

or AAAAA.

Carry on.

[foolzrushn]

An acronym should be defined upon first usage in each post, and then used thereafter.......that's never going to happen unfortunately. It's going to be impossible to keep up with every new acronym.

What is SMLE? Edit: Never mind, Short Magazine Lee Enfield (Google) good grief, so there is a long magazine?

I find myself keeping two window open...one for The Firing Line (TFL) and another to Google spelling and acronyms. Dang I wish TFL had a spellchecker!

[gyvel]

Here's a fairly common one:

FAL=Fusil Automatique Leger, or its English counterpart, LAR=Light Automatic rifle.

Yes, there is a "long" Lee-Enfield that preceded the SMLE, but they were never known by that nomenclature in the British military. SMLE were called Rifle, Short, Magazine, Lee-Enfield to differentiate them from the originals MkI and MkII Lee-Enfields and Lee-Metfords.

BTW: Fiat is an acronym, too.

[FITASC]

Another to add is DE for Dram Equivalent

DRAM EQUIVALENT
The accepted method of correlating relative velocities of shotshells loaded with smokeless propellant to shotshells loaded with black powder. The reference black powder load chosen was a 3 dram charge of black powder, with 1 1/8 oz. of shot and a velocity of 1200 fps. Therefore, a 3 dram equivalent load using smokeless powder would be with 1 1/8 oz. of shot having a velocity of 1200 fps. or 1 1/4 oz. of shot and a velocity of 1165 fps. A 3 1/4 dram equivalent load might have 1 1/8 oz. of shot and a velocity of 1255 fps. Abbreviated Dram Equiv.

[aarondhgraham]

Why don't we stop using the dang things.

I spent enough time in the service communicating in shorthand,,,
I like to use actual language when I communicate.

Just a thought.

Aarond

.

[higgite]

I usually don't join threads that have been brought back from the dead, but I have to ask, is FITASC an acronym?