The NRABlog gives us a firearms vocabulary lesson on a few of the most commonly misused firearm terms.
Note: This article was originally posted on NRA Blog: https://www.nrablog.com/articles/2016/8/misused-firearms-terms/
USA –-(Ammoland.com)- When it comes to firearms, knowing proper terminology is important. From firearm mechanics to shooting skills to Second Amendment rights, understanding these terms is essential. Unfortunately, without proper instruction, many people easily use this terminology incorrectly, leading them to misunderstand firearms. Let’s clear the air and address some of the most commonly misused terms:
“Semi-Automatic Assault Rifle” vs. “AR-15”
Welcome to my biggest pet peeve. There is no such thing as a “semi-automatic assault rifle.” The liberal media is famous for using this phrase to make a certain semi-automatic rifle (i.e. the AR-15) sound scary. An assault rifle by U.S. Army definition is a selective-fire rifle chambered for a cartridge of intermediate power.
A semi-automatic firearm is designed to fire a single cartridge, eject the empty case, and reload the chamber each time the trigger is pulled.
Meanwhile, a selective-fire firearm has the ability to be fired fully automatically, semi-automatically or, in some cases, in burst-fire mode at the option of the firer.
Currently manufactured AR-15s are rifles designed for civilian use and are in fact, semi-automatic. And while we’re on the subject… the AR in AR-15 does not stand for “assualt rifle.” It actually stands for ArmaLite Rifle, the company to first produce the design of these rifles.
“Bullet” vs. “Cartridge”
This is a really common mix up that I’m even guilty of from time to time. Bullets are frequently used to describe ammunition but that’s actually not the case. A cartridge is single, complete round of ammunition that is made up of four components: casing, primer, powder, and projectile.
The case or casing is the envelope or container part of a cartridge. For rifles and handguns, it is usually made of brass or other metal; for shotguns it is usually of paper or plastic with a metal base and is more often called a “shell” or “hull”.
The primer is the ignition component of a cartridge, generally made up of a metallic fulminate or currently, lead styphnate.
The propellent in a cartridge is the chemical composition that is ignited by the primer to generate gas. Gun powder is the chemical substance of various compositions, particle sizes, shapes and colors that, on ignition, serves as a propellant. Today’s smokeless powder emits minimal quantities of smoke from a gun’s muzzle while the older blackpowder emits relatively large quantities of whitish smoke.
The final component of the cartridge is the projectile which is expelled from a gun, aka a bullet. Bullets can be of many materials, shapes, weights and constructions such as solid lead, lead with a jacket of harder metal, round-nosed, flat-nosed, hollow-pointed, etc. This is why bullets and cartridge (or ammunition) are not the same.
“Clip” vs. “Magazine”
This is another big one that often gets confused. These words are not synonymous and actually have very different meanings. YouTuber Hickok45 explains the difference and goes over different types of magazines and clips in this video:
A clip is a device for holding a group of cartridges. It is used as a tool to transfer cartridges into a magazine. There are different styles of clips: stripper, en bloc, and moon and half-moon clips. Stripper clips act as a speed loader to transfer cartridges into a magazine and is removed before the firearm is to be used. En bloc clips are inserted as a unit into an attached magazine and are released once the last round has been fired. Moon and half moon clips are circular and used to quickly load revolvers as opposed to loading and extracting one round at a time.
On the other hand, a magazine is a spring-loaded container for cartridges that may be an integral part of the gun’s mechanism or may be detachable. There are also different types of magazines: box, tubular, and drum magazines. Box magazines are most commonly located under the receiver with the cartridges stacked vertically. Tube or tubular magazines run through the stock or under the barrel with the cartridges lying horizontally. Drum magazines hold their cartridges in a circular mode. A magazine can also mean a secure storage place for ammunition or explosives.
So essentially, clips load magazines and magazines load firearms. They are definitely not used interchangeably.
These were just a few of the most commonly misused firearm terms. To learn more terms and their definitions, check out NRA-ILA’s Glossary!
Uhhhh…I went to look at the banner at the address given:
In the banner it says quite clearly, “So what does ‘AR’ stand for? AR stand for Armalite Rifle”
Two things about this “by back” that I’m curious regarding. 1. As to the monies paid to Australians who complied with the enacted law or regulations, which ever it was, where might this money have come from? 2. Our law abiding Australian, the other sort weren’t concerned, he or she neither wanted nor needed the monies paid to them. Likely, they did want to continue the ownership of the rifle or shotgun, singular or plural involved, items with which they harmed nobody. I’m just peculiar enough to wonder as to the following.How come it seems that there, in Australia, as… Read more »
Re the lengthy comment from jlp, the following is, I submit, noteworthy. The great unwashed, and some gun owners too, people one might assume would know better, keep electing the same monkeys. Re the non gun owner, and how they vote/for whom they vote, one might think that they are unconcerned. Interestingly though, the following question comes to mind. What happens when these oh so concerned, it’s all for your own good types decide to, for the greater good of course, legislate or regulate away that which is of concern to the non gun owner?
Confiscation comes there will be civil strife. Do not give them up…..deep six them in the lake,sell them……any means to keep them out of the government’s hands.
Let’s get over this terminology Nazi thing. With our own version of political correctness, we’re getting more prissy than the liberals. Why do we lose bladder control when somebody calls a mag a clip? I remember back in the 50s and 60s, when even gun writers would use the term “clip” to refer to a magazine. No one suffered. No one died. No one wept or wailed. I mean, some terms can cause political problems, like “automatic” vs. “semiautomatic”, or the fabricated “assault weapons”. But if someone calls a cartridge a bullet, nobody goes to the hospital. Let’s stop attacking… Read more »
While everyone is arguing about the term “Assault Rifles” it is a “moot” point at best as according to the Supreme Courts decision this summer you have no right to own any firearm what-so-ever. The Court ruled that the Sandy Hook bans were legal and that States can ban any and all weapons at will and it is legal. The Attorney General in Massachusetts banned all Assault Rifles by re-interpreting State law that permitted them for over 10 years. She said she did not like them so now they are banned. Dealers had 8 hours notice and she passed no… Read more »