ogive

From late Middle English ogif, egeve, egeove, from Old French ogive, œgive, augive. Doublet of ogee.

Coordinate term: bourrelet

However, Ordnance tests revealed that the existing metal ogive (nose cone) tended to telescope on impact, cushioning the impact shock, and resulting in the failure of the impact fuze. In addition, the ogive tended to shear off from the rest of the body at impact angles of 20 degrees or more, […]

2016, Steven J. Zaloga, Bazooka vs Panzer: Battle of the Bulge 1944, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 32:

Nose: The forward end of a warhead. May have a fuze-well, be solid, or be defined by the shape of the ogive.
Ogive: Is aft of the nose, and forward of the bourrelet. May house a fuze adapter with a shape consistent with the contour of the ogive.

2019, Thomas Gersbeck, Practical Military Ordnance Identification, 2nd edition, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 111:

(weaponry, ballistics) The pointed, curved nose of a bullet, missile, or rocket.


trigger

Originally tricker, from Dutch trekker (“pull”, noun, as in drawer-pull, bell-pull), from Dutch trekken (“to drag, draw, pull”).

laukaisin

music: electronic transducer allowing a percussion instrument to control an electronic device

Just pull the trigger.

[W]e pull'd aſide the Tricker, and obſerv'd, that according to our expectation the force of the Spring of the Lock vvas not ſenſibly abated by the abſence of the Air.

1659 December 30 (date written), Robert Boyle, “[Experiment 14]”, in New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall, Touching the Spring of the Air, and Its Effects, (Made, for the Most Part, in a New Pneumatical Engine) […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] H[enry] Hall, printer to the University, for Tho[mas] Robinson, published 1660, →OCLC, page 89:

(firearms) A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun.


lat

Borrowed from Hindi लाट (lāṭ, “pillar; minaret; staff, club”), लाठ (lāṭh, “long staff; cudgel”), etc.

bor+

(weaponry, rare) A staff, particularly one of an Indian kind.


inlet

en-verb

inlet (third-person singular simple present inlets, present participle inletting, simple past and past participle inlet)

inlets (present singular third-person)
inletting (participle present)
inlet (participle past)
inlet (past)

From Middle English inleten, equivalent to in- + let. Cognate with Dutch inlaten (“to let in, admit”), Low German inlaten (“to let in”), German einlassen (“to admit, let in”), Swedish inlåta (“to enter, engage”).

(firearms) To carve the wooden stock of a firearm so as to position the metal components in it.


point-blank

From French point blanc (“white point”), originally referring to the white spot to be aimed at on a target (see blank's "bull's eye") or alternatively into empty space being fired horizontally.

(ballistics) The distance between a firearm and a target where a projectile in flight is expected to strike the centre of the target without adjusting the elevation of the firearm.

(ballistics) The angle between an airplane’s gun turret and a target aircraft, where a projectile in flight is expected to strike the centre of the target without adjusting the angle of the gun.


stadia

(firearms) Hash marks or other reticle etchings on a riflescope's lens which are used for stadiametric rangefinding; lines or curves for estimating the range of a target of known height, such as an enemy soldier or a game animal.


bascule

A device for coupling and releasing the trigger mechanism in a bascule of a gun

1997, Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office:

(firearms) The portion of a breech-loading firearm that pivots open in order to allow access to the chamber.


charger

/ˈt͡ʃɑɹd͡ʒɚ/

-ɑː(ɹ)dʒə(ɹ)

From Middle English chargere, equivalent to charge + -er.

dækketallerken

a large platter under the dinner plate in a formal dinner setting

(firearms) A speed loader that holds several cartridges together in a single unit for easier loading of a firearm's magazine.


bourrelet

The bourrelet is a slightly raised surface on the rocket designed to maintain a light contact with the inside of the launching tube to center the rocket when fired.

(firearms, weaponry) An accurately machined portion around the diameter of a shell of a gun, which acts to increase accuracy of projectile fit to the barrel.


Thompson

Variant of Thomson, from Tom + -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas".
* Calque of Scottish Gaelic MacTamhais (“McTavish”); also an anglicisation of the Gaelic name MacTamhais, meaning "son of Thomas".

calque

Thompson submachine gun
Thompson submachine gun#English

(firearms) Ellipsis of Thompson submachine gun (“Tommy gun”).


forearm

From fore- + arm. Compare Dutch voorarm (“forearm”), Danish forarm (“forearm”), German Vorderarm (“forearm”).

(firearms) A section of the weapon between the receiver and the muzzle, used to hold the firearm steady.


full house

American Handgunner, Heavyweight Bullets In The .357 Magnum
An occasional pig, and not so occasional ram, would quiver and then settle back down without toppling, even when hit dead center with a full-house load with a 158-gr. jacketed .357 Magnum bullet.

(firearms) Having ammunition loaded to full allowable power, usually in reference to magnum handgun cartridges and shotgun shells.


tschinke

(firearms) A light wheellock hunting rifle once used for shooting wildfowl.


cannelure

(firearms) A ringlike groove, such as that around the cylinder of an elongated bullet for small arms to contain a lubricant, or around the rotating band of a gun projectile to lessen the resistance offered to the rifling.


zero deflection

(firearms) The adjustment of a sight, exactly parallel to the axis of the bore of the gun to which it is attached.


deflection change

en-noun

deflection change (plural deflection changes)

deflection difference
deflection difference

(weaponry) A change in azimuth setting applying to all guns in a battery when the target moves, or when a shift is made from one target to another. A deflection change does not include the deflection difference which allows for the difference in positions of the various guns firing at the same target.


bridge mount

(firearms) A sight mount with a strong metal frame between the rings, used on large-caliber rifles to negate the effects of recoil on accuracy.


cocked

(firearms) Of a firearm or crossbow; to have the cock lifted or prepared to be fired.

viritetty

firearms: having the cock lifted or prepared to be fired


repeater

(firearms, dated) A gun that has a store of cartridges and does not need reloading after each shot.

автоматична пушка

a gun that has a store of cartridges and does not need reloading after each shot


plunger

(firearms) The firing pin of a breechloader.


plink

en-verb

plink (third-person singular simple present plinks, present participle plinking, simple past and past participle plinked)

plinks (present singular third-person)
plinking (participle present)
plinked (participle past)
plinked (past)

We plinked all week long in the slow-moving days between hunting seasons. Life Savers or Necco Wafers at 25 yards offhand, or 50 yards prone, and vanilla wafers offhand at 50 yards or prone at 100, were challenging targets.

1992, Ken Warner, Gun Digest, 1993, page 19:

(firearms) To take part in the sport of plinking.


disintegrating link

en-noun

disintegrating link (plural disintegrating links)

(firearms) A pressed metal or plastic link, used to join cartridges for a machine gun, which is expelled when the cartridge is removed during loading.


headless

From Middle English heedles, hevedles, from Old English hēafodlēas (“headless”), equivalent to head + -less. Cognate with Dutch hoofdloos (“headless”), Danish hovedløs (“headless”), Swedish huvudlös (“headless”), Icelandic höfuðlaus (“headless”).

A headless shell doesn't have a flange.

(obsolete, firearms) Rimless, not having a cartridge case rim (flange).


preponderance

preponderance (countable and uncountable, plural preponderances)

(specifically, weaponry, historical) The excess of weight of that part of a cannon behind the trunnions over that in front of them.


floorgrip

(firearms) A device used to steady firing and counter the effects of recoil, resulting in far more accurate fire when shooting in full auto mode. It can be incorporated in some rifles as part of the Rail Integration System.


overbore

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-overbore.wav

(firearms) Such that the capacity of the burning cartridge powder is greater than the volume within the barrel.


overbore

en-verb

overbore (third-person singular simple present overbores, present participle overboring, simple past and past participle overbored)

overbores (present singular third-person)
overboring (participle present)
overbored (participle past)
overbored (past)

(firearms, transitive) To modify so that the capacity of the burning cartridge powder is greater than the volume within the barrel.


bullseye

→ German: Bullauge (calque)

→ Esperanto: bovokulo (calque)

From bull's + eye. May have come from the practice of English archers shooting an arrow through the eye socket of a bull's skull as a test of skill. The connection to philately comes from the shape of the key plate or vignette.

(military, firearms) The centre of a target, inside the inner and magpie.

འབེན་མིག ('ben mig, literally “target-eye”)


en-noun

M1 (countable and uncountable, plural M1s)

(firearms) A semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War.


dry fire

en-verb

dry fire (third-person singular simple present dry fires, present participle dry firing, simple past and past participle dry fired)

dry fires (present singular third-person)
dry firing (participle present)
dry fired (participle past)
dry fired (past)

Rob finished cleaning his empty gun then pointed it at an imaginary target and dry fired.

2009, Debra Parmley, A Desperate Journey, →ISBN, page 32:

(firearms) To discharge a weapon without ammunition in the chamber.


lapping

en-noun

lapping (countable and uncountable, plural lappings)

From Middle English lapping, lappyng, lappinge, equivalent to lap + -ing.

(firearms) The process of rubbing away the lands, or metal between the grooves of a rifled gun, to increase the bore.


pepperbox

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-pepperbox.wav

She had her knees up, resting her wrists on them; the pepperbox muzzle of a flechette pistol emerged from her hands.

1984, William Gibson, Neuromancer (Sprawl; book 1), New York, N.Y.: Ace Books, →ISBN, page 21:

(firearms) A repeating firearm with three or more barrels grouped around a central axis.


holdover

holdover (countable and uncountable, plural holdovers)

This rangefinder not only measures the distance to the target, but also provides a digital readout of the inches of holdover at that distance.

(firearms) The distance (at target) by which a rifle scope is aimed higher than the intended point of impact in order to compensate for bullet drop over the distance to the target.


headspace

headspace (countable and uncountable, plural headspaces)

en:gap inside firearm action, bolt face to cartridge stop

(firearms) The gap between the face of the bolt and the stopping surface for the cartridge.


headspace

en-verb

headspace (third-person singular simple present headspaces, present participle headspacing, simple past and past participle headspaced)

headspaces (present singular third-person)
headspacing (participle present)
headspaced (participle past)
headspaced (past)


deprime

deprime (third-person singular simple present deprimes, present participle depriming, simple past and past participle deprimed)

deprimes (present singular third-person)
depriming (participle present)
deprimed (participle past)
deprimed (past)

(firearms) to remove the (remnant) primer from a cartridge casing (from the brass).


chronograph

chronograph (third-person singular simple present chronographs, present participle chronographing, simple past and past participle chronographed)

chronographs (present singular third-person)
chronographing (participle present)
chronographed (participle past)
chronographed (past)

/ˈkɹɒnəɡɹɑːf/

/ˈkɹɑnəˌɡɹæf/

From Ancient Greek χρονογράφος (khronográphos, “chronicler”). Equivalent to chrono- + -graph.

uder

(firearms) To make an accurate measurement of the speed of a projectile.


wildcatter

Audio (US)

Roy Weatherby began his career in the firearms industry as a “wildcatter”, developing his revolutionary ideas about rifle cartridge performance and design.

a. 2005, “Ammunition”, in Weatherby, archived from the original on 2005-02-15:

(firearms) A person who makes wildcat cartridges and the guns that use them.


ray gun

Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe / Put your ray gun to my head

1972, “Moonage Daydream”, in The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, performed by David Bowie:

(science fiction, weaponry) A weapon that shoots harmful rays.


tige

Borrowed from French tige (“stem”), from Latin tibia (“shin bone, leg”). Doublet of tibia.

(firearms, historical) A steel pin in early rifles.


stovepipe

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-stovepipe.wav

From stove + pipe. The firearms sense is due to the trapped cartridge case resembling a stovepipe of the stove sense.

(firearms) A type of malfunction affecting breechloading firearms, where a spent cartridge casing fails to eject completely, instead becoming stuck in the firearm's ejection port, usually oriented vertically or nearly so.


stovepipe

en-verb

stovepipe (third-person singular simple present stovepipes, present participle stovepiping, simple past and past participle stovepiped)

stovepipes (present singular third-person)
stovepiping (participle present)
stovepiped (participle past)
stovepiped (past)

(intransitive, firearms) Of a cartridge case, to become wedged vertically in the ejection port of a breechloading firearm, rather than ejecting completely from the weapon.


reload

reload (third-person singular simple present reloads, present participle reloading, simple past and past participle reloaded)

reloads (present singular third-person)
reloading (participle present)
reloaded (participle past)
reloaded (past)

(firearms) To load a gun again; or recharge a used cartridge.


reload

(firearms) An ammunition cartridge prepared from previously fired ammunition.


misfire

misfire (third-person singular simple present misfires, present participle misfiring, simple past and past participle misfired)

misfires (present singular third-person)
misfiring (participle present)
misfired (participle past)
misfired (past)

Either a univerbation of earlier miss fire, or the compound mis- + fire (or possibly a confluence of both).

(firearms) To fail to discharge properly.


sporter

(firearms) A firearm suitable for sporting use.


pan

→? Irish: panna

→ Japanese: パン

From Middle English panne, from Old English panne, from Proto-West Germanic *pannā, from Proto-Germanic *pannǭ, from Late Latin panna, from Latin patina (“broad, shallow dish, pan, stewpan”), from Ancient Greek πατάνη (patánē, “kind of flat dish”), which is probably from Pre-Greek.
Cognate with West Frisian panne, Saterland Frisian Ponne, Dutch pan, German Low German Panne, Pann, German Pfanne, Danish pande, Swedish panna, Icelandic panna.

pan

flat vessel used for cooking — see also frying pan

flash in the pan

[…] he pull’d the Trigger, but Providence being pleas’d to preserve me for some other Purpose, the Cock snapp’d, and miss’d Fire. Whether the Prime was wet in the Pan, or by what other Miracle it was I escap’d his Fury, I cannot say […]

1743, Robert Drury, The Pleasant, and Surprizing Adventures of Mr. Robert Drury, during his Fifteen Years Captivity on the Island of Madagascar, London, pages 95–96:

And he […] glared on the cold pistols that hung before him—ready for anything. And he took down one with a snatch and weighed it in his hand, and fell to thinking again; and, as he did, kept opening and shutting the pan with a snap, […]

1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard:

(firearms) The part of a flintlock that holds the priming.


wheellock

(historical, firearms) An early type of firearm, using a spring-driven wheel against a flint to make sparks in the firing pan.


petronel

From Middle French petrinal, alteration of poitrinal, from poitrinal (“of the chest”) (the weapon is thought to have been braced against a chest-pad when firing), from poitrine (“chest, breast”), from Latin pectorina, feminine of pectorinus (“of the breast”) (from pectus (“chest”) + -inus (“-ine”)).

[…]And putting vp good ſtore of gold and Iewels for that iourney, and taking with him a good horſe, that was browne Bay, with a Petronell hanging at the arſon of his Saddle[…]

1634, Matheo Aleman, “Wherein Guzman de Alfarache relateth the Story of thoſe two Louers, Ozmin and Daraxa”, in Don Diego Puede-Ser, transl., The rogue: or The life of Guzman de Alfarache, volume 1, pages 68–69:

(obsolete, weaponry) A short but large-caliber, heavy 16th- and 17th-century firearm that used a matchlock or wheellock mechanism, intermediate between the arquebuse and pistol.


billhook

→ Irish: bileog

→ Welsh: bilwg

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-billhook.wav

Earliest use in weapon (and later, agricultural) sense, bill (“a bladed pike”) + hook; other senses formed anew from various meanings of bill.

(weaponry) A medieval polearm, fitted to a long handle, sometimes with an L-shaped tine or a spike protruding from the side or the end of the blade for tackling the opponent; a bill.


gaffle

From Middle English gaffolle, a borrowing from Middle Dutch gaffel, gafel (“fork”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *gabulu (“fork”), related to Old English gafol, ġeafel (“fork”).

(historical, weaponry) A portable fork of iron or wood in which the heavy musket formerly in use was rested that it might be accurately aimed and fired.


peashooter

Compared to my forty-five, it's a toy. Christ, Thanet, why did you buy it in the first place? I would have given you one of mine, a real weapon, one with knock down power, compared to that peashooter on your hip.

2012, Wayne Greenough, The Ferguson Murder, page 41:

(weaponry, slang) Any small or ineffective gun or weapon.


undercharge

en-verb

undercharge (third-person singular simple present undercharges, present participle undercharging, simple past and past participle undercharged)

undercharges (present singular third-person)
undercharging (participle present)
undercharged (participle past)
undercharged (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-undercharge.wav

to undercharge a gun

(transitive, firearms) To put too small a charge into.


priming

(firearms) The powder or other combustible used to communicate fire to a charge of gunpowder, as in a firearm.


out-of-battery

An out-of-battery discharge can produce a catastrophic failure of the weapon.

(weaponry) In firearms and artillery, having a condition in which a live round is at least partially in the firing chamber and capable of being fired, but is not properly secured by the usual mechanism of that particular weapon.


concentrator

(firearms) A frame or ring of wire or hard paper fitting into the cartridge case used in some shotguns, and holding the shot together when discharged, to secure close shooting; also, a device for slightly narrowing the bore at the muzzle for the same purpose.


smoke wagon

From smoke + wagon, probably a humorous reference to a conveyance or implement which “carries” or generates smoke.

[…] Bourcey, the blacksmith, who was fitting on a mule's shoe, returned with the shoe at the end of the tongs, and, thrusting it into the fire, began blowing the bellows. It was laughable to see the stampede among the redskins when they saw this ominous maneuver—they thought he was going to fire the "smoke wagon."

1858 (date written), William P. Seville, “[June 27, 1858]”, in John W. N. Schulz, editor, Narrative of the March of Co. A, Engineers from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to Fort Bridger, Utah, and Return: May 6 to October 3, 1858 […] (Occasional Papers, Engineer School, United States Army; number 48), Washington Barracks, D.C.: Press of the Engineer School, published 1912, →OCLC, page 18:

The boss of construction across the river is a little sawed off individual named Nelson, and to see him standing like Napoleon, on the huge fill which issues above the river, with a great big smoke wagon, pointed forward, strapped to his leg and pulling him over sideways from its weight; is a picture which would surely make angels weep.

1909 January 17 (date written), Galbraith, “An Irishman’s View of Mexico”, in W. B. Marquis [et al.], editors, The Stentor, volume XXIII, number 17, Lake Forest, Ill.: The Lake Forester Press [for Lake Forest College], published 18 February 1909, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 199, column 1:

But come morning, we agreed to forgive and forget. Bain he says he was sure glad to hear that, but he'd take our guns away with him any how. Bain says we could have our smoke wagons after a week, by which time he figured we got this worm out of our brains.

1911 February, Herbert Corey, “Lonesomeness”, in Pearson’s Magazine, American edition, volume 25, number 2, New York, N.Y.: The Pearson Publishing Co., →OCLC, page 182, column 2:

[page 650] The following list of hobo words, presented in glossary form, was collected by me during twenty years of experience with hobo cases in my profession of attorney-at-law. I have consulted no books or records in compiling it but made it directly from experience. […] [page 653] Smoke wagon—pistol.

[1926 September, Nicholas Klein, “Hobo Lingo”, in American Speech, volume I, number 12, Baltimore, Md.: The Williams & Wilkins Company, →DOI, →ISSN, →JSTOR, →OCLC, page 653, column 1:

Go ahead. Skin it. Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens. […] I'm getting tired of your gas. Jerk that pistol and go to work.

1993 December 25, Kevin Jarre, Tombstone, spoken by Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), Burbank, Calif.: Hollywood Pictures, →OCLC:

I soon heard two smoke-wagons [pistols] banging. […] There they lay both shot and dying.

1997, Mike Cox, quoting John P. “Slim” Jones, “The Battle of Borger”, in Texas Ranger Tales: Stories that Need Telling, Lanham, Md.: Republic of Texas Press, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 201:

Culhane turned up his palms in a vague gesture of surrender that brought both hands an inch closer to the smoke wagons slung in his holsters.

2018 August, Eric Red, chapter 37, in Noose (A Joe Noose Western), New York, N.Y.: Pinnacle Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., →ISBN, pages 236–237:

(weaponry) A handgun, especially a revolver.


speed loader

With a speed loader, a practiced user can dump and reload their revolver's cylinder surprisingly fast — even, in some cases, no slower than someone can swap magazines in a semiauto.

(firearms) A pressed metal (or plastic) clip, holding a set number of cartridges for a firearm, and used for rapid reloading of the weapon or its magazine.


saucisse

Borrowed from French saucisse (“sausage”). Doublet of sausage.

(mining, firearms) A long and slender pipe or bag, made of cloth well pitched, or of leather, filled with powder, and used to communicate fire to mines, caissons, bomb chests, etc.


plinking

en-noun

plinking (countable and uncountable, plural plinkings)

(firearms) Informal target shooting done at non-traditional targets such as tin cans, glass bottles and wood blocks.


astragal

From Ancient Greek ἀστράγαλος (astrágalos). Doublet of astragalus.

(weaponry) A circular molding near the mouth of a cannon.


oiler

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-oiler.wav

From Middle English oyler, equivalent to oil + -er.

(firearms) A small (typically thumb-sized) metal container of oil, often containing an integral brush.


TRB

(military, firearms) Initialism of tap, rack, bang.


muzzle velocity

muzzle velocity (plural muzzle velocities)

(firearms) The velocity of a discharged projectile at the muzzle of a firearm.


free float

en-verb

free float (third-person singular simple present free floats, present participle free floating, simple past and past participle free floated)

free floats (present singular third-person)
free floating (participle present)
free floated (participle past)
free floated (past)

(firearms) to alter a firearm so that no part of the barrel touches the stock.


barrelled

a barrelled action

a double-barrelled shotgun

(firearms) Having a barrel or specified number of barrels.


proxy mine

2000: "twopinacoladas", review of The World is not Enough http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/n64/review/R12476.html
In mid night departure (forest with the air control) base the frame rate ''SUCKS'' out side far worse then PD with 4 players 8 sims and proxy mines.

Proxy mines are always good because the computer doesn't seem to defend against them.

2002: "yc", Super Smash Bros. Melee: Marth http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/file/516492/18648

2004: "TerranRedneck", review of Custom Robo http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/review/R73394.html
Pods are like "little buddies" that help you out. Some buzz around your rivals head obscuring his vision and annoying him, some serve as proxy mines, while others simply bounce off the walls blowing up on the first bot they meet.

The proxy mines detonate when anyone comes near them (including the one who set the mine) and are absolutely wonderful for laying traps.

2006: "ProtectorOne", Perfect Dark: Multiplayer Scenario FAQ http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/n64/file/198275/43519

If you get too close it'll trigger. Shoot it from a safe distance and it will blow up. … Leave the room and go through the door that was previously protected by a proxy mine.

2007: "UnknownMercernary", Die Hard: Vendetta: FAQ/Walkthrough http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/file/479800/47821

(slang, weaponry, video games) A proximity mine; a mine that explodes when something approaches within a certain distance.


softnose

Questions that have arisen regarding the "stopping power" of the modern small-caliber bullet, particularly in view of the reduction of the caliber of the rifle in some services to 0.25 inch, or even less, have led to propositions to adopt soft-nose or "mushrooming" bullets, which will be deformed on striking an animate object, inflict a more dangerous wound, and increase the shock over that given by a hard bullet of the same caliber and weight, which would penetrate the body without deformation. […] The soft-nose bullet is inferior in accuracy, and is especially inferior in its ability to penetrate hard substances used for defensive purposes, making it almost useless to reach troops under cover that would be dislodged by the service bullet.

1897, “Seacoast Guns”, in Annual Report of the Chief of Ordnance to the Secretary of War for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1896, Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 21:

When I got the rifle I shot a coyote in a trap, to see what effect the soft nose bullet would have. He was struck back of shoulder, and a hole torn, where bullet entered, about 3½ inches in diameter.

1898 September, A. A. Haines, “The Ideal Gun for Coyotes [letter]”, in G[eorge] O[liver] Shields, editor, Recreation, volume IX, number 3, New York, N.Y.: G. O. Shields (Coquina), →OCLC, page 216, column 1:

The soft nose bullet if it is fired and hitting any hard object, especially bone, it flattens and becomes distorted and is no longer round and has a tearing force with it.

1935 November 11, J. C. Shields, witness, New York Life Insurance Company, Petitioner, vs. Stella Jane Gamer, as Executrix of the Will of E. Walter Gamer, also Known as Edward W. Gamer, Deceased: Transcript of Record (Supreme Court of the United States; no. 323), Washington, D.C.: Judd & Detweiler, […], published 31 December 1937, page 184:

The softnose technique involved placing an inhibitor on a blaster, which allowed a laser to travel at slower speeds, actually penetrating the target. Initially developed for mining purposes, they were quickly adapted by some greedy weapons manufacturer.

[2002, Eoin Colfer, “Cruisin’ for Chix”, in Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Miramax Books; Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, →ISBN, page 35:

(firearms) Of a bullet: lacking a jacketed nose and thereby deforming greatly on impact, causing a large amount of damage; soft-nosed.

pehmeäkärkinen

of a bullet: lacking a jacketed nose and thereby deforming greatly on impact


softnose

en-noun

softnose (countable and uncountable, plural softnoses)

Coordinate term: hollow point

The soft nose when it strikes a hard substance, mushrooms, would leave ten times as large a hole as a hard nose bullet striking the same substance. A soft nose bullet would leave a ragged edge.

1935 November 11, Clyde L. McNeil, witness, New York Life Insurance Company, Petitioner, vs. Stella Jane Gamer, as Executrix of the Will of E. Walter Gamer, also Known as Edward W. Gamer, Deceased: Transcript of Record (Supreme Court of the United States; no. 323), Washington, D.C.: Judd & Detweiler, […], published 31 December 1937, page 215:

And get a couple of boxes of .40 caliber Glasers, too. And about a dozen boxes of .30 caliber softnoses for my SKS. You need some cash for all that?

2000, John W. Myers, “Can Your Home Fort be Defended if Attacked? Or, ‘Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition’”, in The Crossland Shootpout: Adventures of a Photojournalist, Lincoln, Neb.: Writers Club Press, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 116:

The softnoses were just as quickly outlawed, for the obvious reason that these weapons were designed to kill, and not to incapacitate.

On the upside, I guess the sniper keeps the kids home at night. They're at that age where they prefer tear-assing around town to spending time at home. Judy's 15, and that means all she thinks about is boys. Too bad for her none of her knights in shining armor have been willing to risk a .270 Winchester softnose between the eyes.

2004 October 27, William Gussie [pseudonym], “Man, I Wish that Sniper would Go Away”, in The Onion, archived from the original on 2018-03-14:

(firearms, countable) A bullet of this kind; (uncountable) bullets of this kind collectively.

pehmeäkärkinen luoti

bullet of this kind; bullets of this kind collectively


automatic rifle

automatic rifle (plural automatic rifles)

(weaponry) A rifle that loads itself either from a belt or magazine; a machine gun. (Compare fully automatic rifles vs semi-automatic rifles.)


reloader

(firearms) A shooter who makes their own ammunition from separately purchased components.

(firearms) The equipment used by such a shooter, particularly a levered press used to force the components together.


Thor's hammer

kinetic energy weapon
kinetic energy weapon

(weaponry, slang, science fiction) An orbital drop hypervelocity kinetic energy weapon (KEW). A theoretical weapon, originating from a U.S. government study, Project Thor, from the 1950s.


stylet

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-stylet.wav

From French stylet (“stiletto”), from Middle French stilet (“stiletto”), from Old Italian stiletto. Doublet of stiletto.


ray-gun

(science fiction, weaponry) Alternative spelling of ray gun


smoothbore

(firearms) A cannon, gun or other firearm that has an unrifled barrel.


unrifled

(firearms) Having a bore with a smooth interior, i.e. one that has not been rifled


chicken wing

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-chicken wing.wav

(firearms) A 20th-century shooting stance where the two elbows are positioned inline with the neck.


yari

(weaponry) Any of various sizes of spear used in Japanese martial arts.


traverse

en-verb

traverse (third-person singular simple present traverses, present participle traversing, simple past and past participle traversed)

traverses (present singular third-person)
traversing (participle present)
traversed (participle past)
traversed (past)

From Middle English traversen, from Old French traverser, from Latin trans (“across”) + versus (“turned”), perfect passive participle of Latin vertere (“to turn”).

to traverse a cannon

(weaponry) To rotate a gun around a vertical axis to bear upon a military target.


plasma rifle

(science fiction, weaponry) An assault rifle-styled gun that shoots plasma.


round shot

Just then, with a roar and a whistle, a round-shot passed high above the roof of the log-house and plumped far beyond us in the wood. Treasure Island (1883), Robert Louis Stevenson

(military, weaponry) A solid, usually iron, spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon.


solid shot

(military, weaponry, dated) A solid round shot or cannonball.


proximity mine

(weaponry) A mine with a proximity fuse.


autofire

autofire (third-person singular simple present autofires, present participle autofiring, simple past and past participle autofired)

autofires (present singular third-person)
autofiring (participle present)
autofired (participle past)
autofired (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-autofire.wav

(video games, weaponry) To fire automatically.


SLBM

The Circular Error Probable (CEPs) of SLBMs and SLCMs ought thus to be deliberately kept above the 'Hard Target Kill' (HTK) level.

1989, Marlies ter Borg-Neervoort, Wim Smit, Non-provocative Defence as a Principle of Arms Reduction:

ballistic missile
ballistic missile#English

(weaponry) Initialism of submarine-launched ballistic missile.


LRBM

long range ballistic missile
long range ballistic missile#English

(weaponry) Initialism of long range ballistic missile.


IRBM

intermediate-range ballistic missile
w:intermediate-range ballistic missile

(weaponry) Initialism of intermediate-range ballistic missile.


MRBM

medium range ballistic missile
medium range ballistic missile#English

(weaponry) Initialism of medium range ballistic missile.


SRBM

short-range ballistic missile
w:short-range ballistic missile

(weaponry) Initialism of short-range ballistic missile.


hakapik

From Norwegian Nynorsk hakapik, from hake (“hook”) + pik (“spike”).

(weaponry) A hunting implement, a long pole with a pick and hammer on the end, used by sealers to bludgeon seals and drag their carcasses to the sealing boat.


section automatic weapon

en-noun

section automatic weapon (plural section automatic weapons)

squad automatic weapon
squad automatic weapon

personal machine gun
personal machine gun

(weaponry) squad automatic weapon, a class of light machine gun; a machine gun issued to a section of troops, being heavier than the standard assault rifle and personal machine guns issued per trooper.


squad automatic weapon

squad automatic weapon (plural squad automatic weapons)

(military, weaponry) A kind of light machine gun; a machine gun issued to a squad of troops, being heavier than the standard assault rifles, personal machine guns, machine carbines, battle rifles issued per trooper.


sidelock

(firearms) The design of a gun that has the lockwork mounted to the inside of a plate; compare boxlock.


CCW

(US, firearms) Initialism of concealed carry weapon.


CCW

(US, firearms) Initialism of carrying a concealed weapon.


headstamp

Photographs were taken of the weapons' serial numbers and [of the] markings on the bottoms of the cartridge casings, known as headstamps, which can reveal where and when ammunition was made.

2009 Chivers, C.J. (The New York Times), Is U.S. Ammo going to Taliban?; run in Austin American-Statesman, May 20, 2009, p A-1

(military, firearms) The identification marking on the base (bottom) of a cartridge casing.


DAO

DAO (countable and uncountable, plural DAOs)

(firearms) Initialism of double action only, a trigger mechanism for revolving cylinder and semi-automatic firearms.


autoload

en-verb

autoload (third-person singular simple present autoloads, present participle autoloading, simple past and past participle autoloaded)

autoloads (present singular third-person)
autoloading (participle present)
autoloaded (participle past)
autoloaded (past)

(firearms, weaponry) To load (firearms or artillery) automatically.


autoloading

(firearms, weaponry) The act or process of loading automatically, as done by an autoloader.


TEC

I strap out, step out in every direction / Glock, TECs, jimmy hats, in case I need protection

1993, “Just Another Day”, in Black Reign, performed by Queen Latifah:

Rep your set, grab a TEC / Leave you wet and project / In the cut like Gillette / Where they serve and don't protect

2019, “ZUU”, in ZUU, performed by Denzel Curry:


POI

/ˌpiː ˌəʊ ˈaɪ/

(ballistics) Initialism of point of impact.


hammerless

(firearms) Without a visible hammer; said of a gun having a cock or striker concealed from sight, and out of the way of an accidental touch.


catapeltic

PIE word
 *ḱóm
The adjective is a learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κᾰτᾰπελτῐκός (kătăpeltĭkós, “of or for a catapult”) + English -ic (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives from nouns). Κᾰτᾰπελτῐκός (Kătăpeltĭkós) is derived from κᾰτᾰπέλτης (kătăpéltēs) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives from nouns); while κᾰτᾰπέλτης (kătăpéltēs) is a literary form of κᾰτᾰπᾰ́λτης (kătăpắltēs, “catapult; torture instrument”), from κᾰτᾰ- (kătă-, prefix meaning ‘against’) + πάλλω (pállō, “to poise or sway a missile before it is thrown; to brandish a weapon; (passive) to swing or dash oneself”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pel- (“to beat; to drive; to push”)) + -της (-tēs, suffix forming masculine agent nouns).
The noun is derived from the adjective.

lbor

κᾰτᾰπελτῐκός

der

[T]he superior discipline and skill of the Romans were fully compensated by the strength of position and the catapeltic engines of the Macedonians.

1835, William Martin Leake, “Illyria, Epirus”, in Travels in Northern Greece. […], volume I, London: J. Rodwell, […], →OCLC, page 386:

[Dionysius, governor of the Cassandrian garrison of Munychia] held out valiantly for two days; but at length the superior forces of the enemy, and the mischief done by their catapeltic engines, drove the defenders from the walls, when Demetrius [of Phalerum] entered the fortress, Dionysius was taken, and his garrison laid down their arms: […]

1841, William Martin Leake, “Section IX. Of Maritime Athens, and Its Divisions, Peiræeus, Munychia, and Phalerum.—Their Harbours, Monuments, and Fortifications.”, in The Topography of Athens. With Some Remarks on Its Antiquities, 2nd edition, London: […] J. Rodwell, […], →OCLC, page 409:

The western or outer, which was the narrowest front of the fortress, consisted of four towers of solid regular masonry connected by walls of equal breadth, but lower than the towers, so that balistic or catapeltic engines might be mounted upon the walls between the towers, like cannon in embrasures.

1848 February 24 – March 23, William Martin Leake, “VII.—Topographical and Historical Notes on Syracuse.”, in Transactions of the Royal Society of Literature of the United Kingdom, volume III (Second Series), London: John Murray, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 255:

Has not the pulpit, which was ordained to the exhibition of Christ crucified as the Healer of human woe, been made the arena of inflammatory debate, the platform of catapeltic controversy, destructive rather than conservative, more the instrument of the Furies than of the Graces?

1859, Baron Stow, “Considerations that Render Christian Union Desirable”, in Christian Brotherhood: A Letter to the Hon. Heman Lincoln, Boston, Mass.: Gould and Lincoln, […], →OCLC, pages 64–65:

It missed the other's jaw by two inches, that catapeltic blow—striking him full in the mouth, breaking his yellow teeth and smashing his thick lips so that the blood sprang out in a spray over his hairy chest, and as his head rocked backward David followed with a swift left-hander, and a second time missed the jaw with his right—but drenched his clenched fist in blood.

1918, James Oliver Curwood, chapter XXIV, in The Courage of Marge O’Doone, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Co., […], →OCLC, page 263:

Today I will transform you into a catapeltic arrow, / and I'll send you spinning like a missile from a catapult.

2010, Michael Fontaine, “Equivocation and Other Ambiguities”, in Funny Words in Plautine Comedy, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 118:

(military, weaponry, archaic) Pertaining to a catapult or catapults.

catapeltique

pertaining to a catapult or catapults — see also catapultic


catapeltic

lbor

κᾰτᾰπελτῐκός

That artillery which afterward so much promoted the victories of the Roman armies, machinery for shooting darts and stones of size far beyond the strength of man's arm to throw, (Diodorus [Siculus] calls it the catapeltic) was now either invented, or first perfected, so as to be valuable for practice.

1808, William Mitford, “Affairs of the Sicilian and Italian Greek Cities, from the Establishment of the Syracusan Empire to the Death of Dionysius”, in The History of Greece, volume IV, London: […] Luke Hansard & Sons, […], for T[homas] Cadell and W[illiam] Davies, […], →OCLC, section I, page 69:

(military, weaponry, obsolete, rare) A catapult.


semi-infinite

(ballistics, of a target) Sufficiently thick that the level of penetration of a projectile is not affected by its thickness.


nonrecoil

(firearms, physics) Without recoil; recoilless.


RAS

rail accessory system
rail accessory system#English

(firearms) Abbreviation of rail accessory system.


MPBR

(firearms) Initialism of maximum point blank range.


AHO

(Australia, firearms) Initialism of approved hunting organisation, an organisation of which membership is one of several possible prerequisites for a firearms license.


(singular only, informal, firearms) The .303 British rifle calibre.


neck down

en-verb

neck down (third-person singular simple present necks down, present participle necking down, simple past and past participle necked down)

necks down (present singular third-person)
necking down (participle present)
necked down (participle past)
necked down (past)

(firearms, transitive) To alter (a cartridge) by forcing it into a smaller calibre and size.


bullpup

From bull + pup. The firearms sense originated from firearm designers in the United States during the 1930s. The unconventional configuration of bullpup rifles was compared by analogy to bulldog puppies, which were considered "squat, ugly, but still aggressive and powerful".

(firearms) A firearm configuration in which the trigger is located forward of the magazine and breech, as opposed to a conventional configuration in which the trigger is located rear of the magazine and breech.


unsharp

en-adj

unsharp (comparative more unsharp, superlative most unsharp)

more unsharp (comparative)
most unsharp (superlative)

From Middle English *unscharp, from Old English unsċearp, from Proto-West Germanic *unskarp, from Proto-Germanic *unskarpaz, equivalent to un- + sharp. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uunskäärp (“unsharp”), West Frisian ûnskerp (“unsharp”), Dutch onscherp (“unsharp”), German Low German unscharp (“unsharp”), German unscharf (“unsharp”), Danish uskarp (“unsharp”), Swedish oskarp (“unsharp”), Norwegian uskarp (“unsharp”).

Not sharp, as:
(tools) dulled or intentionally blunt.

Not sharp, as:
dulled or intentionally blunt.


hang fire

(firearms) The situation when a gun does not immediately fire when the trigger is pulled, but may fire shortly after.


firing pin

(firearms) the part of the firing mechanism which strikes the cartridge's primer to ignite the gunpowder.


saddle ring

(firearms) A small metal ring on the side of a firearm, allowing it to be hung on a saddle hook or attached to a lanyard.


wadcutter

(firearms) a special-purpose bullet designed for shooting paper targets, usually at close range and at subsonic velocities.


Nosler

The bullet is named after gunsmith John Nosler.

(firearms) A bullet having two lead-filled partitions separated by a copper or brass section, intended to retain hitting power after the initial expansion on impact.


windage

en-noun

windage (usually uncountable, plural windages)

(ballistics) The difference in diameter between the bore of a firearm and the shot.

(ballistics) Horizontal adjustment of the sight of a firearm or bow.


wristguard

(firearms) A metal band between the stock and the receiver.


sight in

en-verb

sight in (third-person singular simple present sights in, present participle sighting in, simple past and past participle sighted in)

sights in (present singular third-person)
sighting in (participle present)
sighted in (participle past)
sighted in (past)

(firearms) To align the sights of a firearm.


SxS

en-noun

SxS (plural SxS or SxSes or SxS's or SxSs)

SxS (plural)
SxSes (plural)
SxS's (plural)
SxSs (plural)

(firearms) Abbreviation of side by side (a double barrelled shotgun with both barrels beside each other, rather than over and under).


Mannlicher stock

Mannlicher stock (plural Mannlicher stocks)

* From a 1903 carbine designed by Ferdinand Mannlicher.

(firearms) A stock on a rifle that runs the full length of the weapon.


breechblock

(firearms) The metal block that closes the breech of a breech-loading gun after insertion of the cartridge.


ACP

(firearms) A class of handgun ammunition; Initialism of automatic Colt pistol.


running target

(firearms) A target that is towed across a range as the shooter shoots.


obturation

obturation (countable and uncountable, plural obturations)

From Latin obturare (“to stop up”): compare French obturation.

(firearms) The process of a bullet expanding under pressure to fit the bore of the firearm, or a cartridge case expanding under pressure to seal the chamber.


tape out

en-verb

tape out (third-person singular simple present tapes out, present participle taping out, simple past and past participle taped out)

tapes out (present singular third-person)
taping out (participle present)
taped out (participle past)
taped out (past)

Tracks made of wooden slabs fastened together were the only roads by which men and pack-mules could cross this quagmire, and each of these ways became taped out by the enemy's artillery, and very perilous.

1918, Philip Gibbs, From Bapaume to Passchendaele, on the western front, 1917, G.H. Doran Co., page 25:

(weaponry) To measure out (a piece of land) so as to be able to accurately fire upon it.


Yellow Boy

From the golden yellow colour of its receiver.

(firearms, informal) A Winchester Model 1866 lever action rifle.


mil-dot

(firearms) A type of firearm scope reticle using a thou dot as an aiming point and reference for range and holdover estimation.


double action

(firearms, primarily of revolvers) Requiring only a trigger pull to both cock and fire.


double action

(firearms) A trigger mechanism requiring a single pull to both cock and fire.


Maxim gun

After the inventor, Sir Hiram Maxim (1840-1916).

(firearms) A British machine gun of various calibres used by the British army from 1889 until World War II.

(firearms) A machine gun which derives after some manner from the patented gun mechanism of Sir Hiram Maxim

(firearms, informal, obsolete) A machine gun


tertiate

tertiate (third-person singular simple present tertiates, present participle tertiating, simple past and past participle tertiated)

tertiates (present singular third-person)
tertiating (participle present)
tertiated (participle past)
tertiated (past)

Borrowed from Latin tertiāt-, the perfect passive participial stem of Latin tertiō, from tertius (“third”).

(firearms) To examine, as the thickness of the metal at the muzzle of a gun; or, in general, to examine the thickness of, as ordnance, in order to ascertain its strength.


backstrap

(firearms) The rearmost surface applied to the grip especially of a pistol below a possible beavertail.


blaze away

blaze away (third-person singular simple present blazes away, present participle blazing away, simple past and past participle blazed away)

blazes away (present singular third-person)
blazing away (participle present)
blazed away (participle past)
blazed away (past)

Scott, somewhat stunned and now worried that everybody might have opened fire at the U.S. destroyers (he presumably missed Laffey and Farenholt merrily blazing away with their own guns into the darkness), ordered all firing to cease after a couple of minutes.

2020 December 9, Drachinifel, 20:18 from the start, in Guadalcanal Campaign - Cape Esperance (IJN 1 : 2 USN), archived from the original on 2022-12-04:

(firearms, intransitive, idiomatic) To fire (firearms) repeatedly.


SPRG

(firearms, with regard to the 30'06 cartridge) Abbreviation of Springfield Armory.


bec de corbin

Borrowed from Old French bec de corbin (literally “crow's beak”).

bor

(weaponry, historical) A poleaxe with a modified hammerhead and a spike mounted on the top of the pole.


Quaker gun

An allusion to the pacifism associated with practitioners of the Quaker religion.

"At all events, your honour, I will carry the quaker in," said Joyce, tossing the stuffed figure on a shoulder. "He do to man the quaker gun at least, and may be of use in frightening some one of the other side."

1843, James Fenimore Cooper, chapter 21, in Wyandotte:

The Quaker gun found there was consigned to the flames to-day, and in its stead heavy artillery, of the genuine sort, commands all the surrounding country.

1861 October 4, “The Great Rebellion”, in New York Times, retrieved 2011-10-30:

(chiefly US, idiomatic, military, weaponry) A nonfunctional imitation of a gun or of a piece of artillery, typically made of wood and usually intended to deceive enemy forces into overestimating one's available firepower.


crusher gauge

(ballistics) An instrument for measuring the explosive force of gunpowder, etc., by its effect in compressing a piece of metal.


(firearms) The Mauser model 98, or a firearm action based on this design.


straight pull

(firearms) Alternative spelling of straight-pull


recapper

(firearms) A tool that applies a fresh percussion cap or primer to a cartridge shell in reloading it.


BDC

(ballistics) Initialism of bullet drop compensation.


neck up

en-verb

neck up (third-person singular simple present necks up, present participle necking up, simple past and past participle necked up)

necks up (present singular third-person)
necking up (participle present)
necked up (participle past)
necked up (past)

(firearms) to increase the size of a cartridge's chamber and calibre.


Texas heart shot

en-noun

Texas heart shot (plural Texas heart shots)

(hunting, firearms) A bullet fired through the anal area of an animal.


recurve bow

(weaponry) A bow whose two tips curve away from the archer when drawn, which gives the shot greater power and speed.


keyholing

(firearms) The tendency of a bullet fired down an excessively large barrel to wobble in flight and leave a keyhole-shaped puncture in the target.


doglock

(firearms, historical) The lock that preceded the true flintlock in both rifles and pistols in the 17th century.


Picatinny rail

Named after the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.

(firearms) A bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform.


pinfire

(firearms) An obsolete kind of brass cartridge in which the priming compound is ignited by striking a small pin which protrudes radially from just above the base of the cartridge.


slamfire

(firearms) The premature accidental discharge of a firearm while a round is being loaded into the chamber.


speedloader

Various speedloaders had different colours. You could also hear the data being loaded (1200baud iirc) and some programs had very interesting 'tunes' in them, and it was also possible to work out where you were in the load of your favourite games by the sound.

2002, John Bland, “Thumb Bandits.”, in comp.sys.acorn.misc (Usenet):

(firearms, computing) Alternative form of speed loader


sporterize

en-verb

sporterize (third-person singular simple present sporterizes, present participle sporterizing, simple past and past participle sporterized)

sporterizes (present singular third-person)
sporterizing (participle present)
sporterized (participle past)
sporterized (past)

(transitive, firearms) To modify (a firearm) so that it is suitable for sporting use.


underlug

(firearms) One of the locking lugs on a break-action firearm that extend from the bottom of the barrels under the chamber(s) and connect into the receiver bottom.

(firearms) The metal shroud underneath the barrel of a revolver that surrounds and protects the extractor rod.


frizel

To this succeeded the Snaplance ^([sic]), in which a motion was given to the dog, or cock, and a movable plate of steel, called the frizel, or hammer, was placed vertically above the pan to receive the action of the flint.

1832, The Edinburgh Encyclopaedia, volume 10, page 164:

(firearms, historical) A movable furrowed piece of steel struck by the flint, to throw sparks into the pan, in an early form of flintlock.


snap cap

1187. B. Lilly. Improvements in the construction of "snap caps" or "nipple protectors" for firearms. Dated May 12, 1863.

1863 December 18, The Mechanics' Magazine, page 889:

Snap caps are dummies (no powder, no primer, no projectile) shaped like the ammunition for a particular gun. They're supposed to provide something for the firing pin to hit during dryfiring, so the gun's lockwork doesn't have to absorb this impact. It's a fine idea, but not all snap caps are made right.

2012, Silvio Calabi, The Gun Book for Boys:

However, it does no harm (and may prevent damage) to use snap caps - dummy rounds which are inserted into the chamber to soften the impact of the firing pin.

2014, MAssad Ayoob, Gun Safety in the Home, page 124:

(firearms) A dummy round of ammunition used to check ammo feed and other mechanical problems.


JSP

(firearms) Initialism of jacketed soft point (bullet), a type of lead bullet with a partial metal jacket, where the tip leaves the core exposed without jacketing.


dog

en-noun

dog (countable and uncountable, plural dogs)

Australian Kriol: dog

Bislama: dog

Gullah: dog

Sranan Tongo: dagu

Tok Pisin: dok

Torres Strait Creole: dog

desc

→ American Sign Language: Kop@Inside-PalmForward 1o@Inside

→ Dutch: dog

→ Esperanto: dogo

Ido: dogo

→ French: dogue

→ German: Dogge

→ Italian: dogo

→ English: dogo

→ Portuguese: dogue

→ Russian: дог (dog)

→ Spanish: dogo

→ Volapük: dog, doeg

Inherited from Middle English dogge (akin to Scots dug), from Old English dogga, docga, of uncertain origin.
The original meaning seems to have been a common dog, as opposed to a well-bred one, or something like 'cur', and perhaps later came to be used for stocky dogs. Possibly a pet-form diminutive with suffix -ga (compare frocga (“frog”), *picga (“pig”)), appended to a base *dog-, *doc- of unclear origin and meaning. One possibility is Old English dox (“dark, swarthy”) (compare frocga from frox). Another proposal is that it derives from Proto-West Germanic *dugan (“to be suitable”), the origin of Old English dugan (“to be good, worthy, useful”), English dow, Dutch deugen, German taugen. The theory goes that it could have been an epithet for dogs, commonly used by children, meaning "good/useful animal". Another is that it is related to *docce (“stock, muscle”), from Proto-West Germanic *dokkā (“round mass, ball, muscle, doll”), whence English dock (“stumpy tail”).
In 14th-century England, hound (from Old English hund) was the general word for all domestic canines, and dog referred to a subtype resembling the modern mastiff and bulldog. By the 16th century, dog had become the general word, and hound had begun to refer only to breeds used for hunting. In the 16th century, the word dog was adopted by several continental European languages as their word for mastiff.
Despite similarities in forms and meaning, not related to Mbabaram dog.

hond

morally reprehensible person — see also scoundrel

it is easy to find a stick to beat a dog

on the Internet nobody knows you're a dog

the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

(firearms, archaic) A cock, as of a gun.


personal defense weapon

en-noun

personal defense weapon (plural personal defense weapons)

(weaponry) A compact fully-automatic or semi-automatic firearm similar to a submachine gun but firing a rifle round.


shooting glasses

(firearms) A type of impact-resistant eyewear worn by shooters to prevent injury due to a cartridge or gun malfunction blowing hot gas or metal particles into the shooter's face.


throwing axe

(weaponry) An axe that is used as a missile weapon.


organ gun

/ˌɔːɡ(ə)n ˈɡʌn/

/ˌɔɹɡ(ə)n ˈɡʌn/

From organ + gun. The multiple barrels of the device were thought to resemble the pipes of a pipe organ.

The attempts to re-invest the artillery with its one-time superiority were directed in two channels: one aimed at perfecting shrapnel, which had been rather neglected up to this time (England, Prussia, Austria), while the other resurrected the mediaeval idea of the "barrel-organ gun," with a view of assembling a number of rifle barrels and of combining thereby the accuracy of the small arm with the moral effect of canister.

1911, William Balck, “VI. Machine Guns”, in Tactics, Volume 1: Introduction and Formal Tactics of Infantry, page 259:

(firearms, historical) A large, portable firearm normally supported by wheels, in which bullets may be fired from a row of several tubes in succession; it was chiefly used from the 14th to the 17th century.

Bellifortis
Giuseppe Marco Fieschi
Konrad Keyser
Louis Philippe I
Musée des Archives Nationales

арга́н

portable firearm in which bullets may be fired from a row of several tubes in succession


forend

(firearms) Part of a rifle, underneath the barrel, where it is supported by the hand.


holy-water sprinkle

holy-water sprinkle (plural holy-water sprinkles)

/ˈhəʊliˌwɔːtə ˈspɹɪŋkl̩/

PIE word
 *kéh₂ilos
From Late Middle English haly water spryngelle (“sprinkler for holy water”), from haly water, hōlī water (“water consecrated for use in religious ceremonies”) + sprenkil, springel, spryngelle (“sprinkler for holy water”). By surface analysis, holy water + sprinkle.
Sense 2 (“weapon consisting of a heavy ball set with spikes attached rigidly to a staff”) is from its resemblance to the aspergillum, and apparently from the fact that it scattered blood when it came into contact with a person.

ref

From the collection of the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.

From the collection of the museum of the Château de Dinan in Dinan, Brittany, France.

nb...

bookseller, 132, Fleet Street; and sold by all booksellers and news-agents throughout the kingdom.

The weapons, called by Germans "Morgen-stern," and in old English Inventories "holy-water sprinkles," from a certain resemblance to the aspergillum used in churches, are comparatively rare in the armories of this country. […] In the Tower survey of 1547 they are often mentioned; e.g.—'Great holly water sprincles, 118; Holly water sprincles with gonnes in th'ende, 7; Little holly water sprincles, 392; Holly water sprincle with three gonnes in the topp, 1.' The last-named is, without doubt, the club with iron spikes and short fire barrels still exhibited in the tower, with more or less of sensational additamenta relating to Henry VIII.

1547 (date written), “Proceedings at Meetings of the Royal Archeological Institute. November 1, 1867. [Antiquities and Works of Art Exhibited.]”, in The Archaeological Journal, volume XXV, London: Published at the office of the [Royal Archaeological] Institute [of Great Britain and Ireland], published 1868, →OCLC, pages 87–88:

To sprinkle the holy water was the cant-phrase for fetching blood, which will account for the appellation, as there is no resemblance between the weapon so called and the aspergillum. Fig. 1.—A holy-water-sprinkle of the fifteenth century. It is a wooden mallet, bound with iron and furnished with iron spikes. […] Fig. 3.—A petty-holy-water-sprinkle to hand at the saddle bow. The whole, except the handle, is of iron.

1854, Samuel Rush Meyrick, “Plate XCII. Holy-water Sprinkles, &c.”, in Engraved Illustrations of Antient Arms and Armour, from the Collection at Goodrich Court, Herefordshire; […], volume II, London: Henry G[eorge] Bohn [for John Skelton], […], →OCLC:

The horse-chestnuts showed the little green knobs which would soon enlarge and hang all prickly, like the spiked balls of a holy-water sprinkle, such as was once used in the wars.

a. 1888 (date written), Richard Jefferies, “An English Deer-park”, in J[essie] Jefferies, compiler, Field and Hedgerow: Being the Last Essays of Richard Jefferies […], London; New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], published 1889, →OCLC, page 296:

(by extension, weaponry, historical) A 16th-century weapon consisting of a heavy ball set with spikes attached rigidly to a staff, used mainly in England; a morning star.


(firearms, informal) The .22 Long Rifle calibre.

(firearms, informal) A firearm chambered in that calibre.


Peabody action

Named after the inventor, Henry O. Peabody of Boston, Massachusetts.

(firearms, historical) An early form of breechloading firearm action, where the heavy breechblock tilted downwards across a bolt mounted in the rear of the breechblock, operated by a lever under the rifle.


Bell shot

After Walter "Karamojo" Bell, a Scottish big game hunter.

(hunting, firearms) A shot at an animal's head taken diagonally from behind.


paper hunting

(firearms, informal, sometimes derogatory) target shooting


Broomhandle Mauser

en-noun

Broomhandle Mauser (plural Broomhandle Mausers)

(firearms, informal) The Mauser C96 pistol.


saddle carbine

(firearms) a short carbine intended for use on horseback, typically with a very short barrel and a saddle ring.


gun sock

(firearms) A long tubular cloth covering, sealed at one end, used to provide basic protection for a firearm.


bore sight

(firearms) An optical device, mounted on or near the end of a firearm's barrel, used to align the sights with the bore.

(firearms) A dummy cartridge containing a small battery-operated laser, used to align the sights.


bore sight

en-verb

bore sight (third-person singular simple present bore sights, present participle bore sighting, simple past and past participle bore sighted)

bore sights (present singular third-person)
bore sighting (participle present)
bore sighted (participle past)
bore sighted (past)

(firearms) To align the sights and aiming point of a firearm using a bore sight optical tool.


vest buster

Yet, according to data published by the company, the gun press, and the federal government, it appears that the .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum is plainly capable of defeating the highest level of police body armor worn in all but SWAT-type situations. It is a vest buster.

2004, Violence Policy Center, Vest Buster: The .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum—The Gun Industry’s Latest Challenge to Law Enforcement Body Armor:

Joby nodded, “I'll wait,” and offered his support—two live rounds of 9mm Black Talon ammunition. “Vest busters,” in case the cops harassed him.

2008, Kerrie Droban, Running with the Devil: The True Story of the ATF's Infiltration of the Hells Angels, page 121:

for, among other things, improving regulations to combat “straw purchases,” better regulating how weapons that are particularly attractive to criminal groups (such as “vest-buster” […]

2011, Clare Ribando Seelke, “Merida Initiative for Mexico and Central America: Funding and Policy Issues”, in Current Politics and Economics of the United States, Canada and Mexico, volume 13, number 4:

A related design and marketing innovation has been the sale to civilians of “vest busters,” handguns specifically designed to penetrate body armor.

2013, Tom Diaz, The Last Gun: How Changes in the Gun Industry are Killing Americans and what it Will Take to Stop it, page 166:

After the vest-buster big boomers came out and appeared on the scene in Seattle, Jax bought the forty-four.

2016, Melanie Thompson, The Virgin Shifter:

(firearms) A handgun or cartridge that can fully penetrate a contemporary bulletproof vest.


halfcock

This was bad both for the alibi reshoots it caused and subsequent delays in a match, but if the hammer fell to halfcock enough times, the half-cock notch would mar the sear tip, adversely affecting trigger pull.

2010, Patrick Sweeney, 1911 The First 100 Years: The First 100 Years:

(firearms) The position when the cock of a gun is at the first notch.


halfcock

halfcock (third-person singular simple present halfcocks, present participle halfcocking, simple past and past participle halfcocked)

halfcocks (present singular third-person)
halfcocking (participle present)
halfcocked (participle past)
halfcocked (past)

(firearms) To set the cock of a firearm at the first notch.


CEP

The Circular Error Probable (CEPs) of SLBMs and SLCMs ought thus to be deliberately kept above the 'Hard Target Kill' (HTK) level.

1989, Marlies ter Borg-Neervoort, Wim Smit, Non-provocative Defence as a Principle of Arms Reduction:

circular error probable
w:circular error probable

(ballistics) An initialism of three synonymous phrases, namely:

circular error probability
w:circular error probable

Initialism of circular error probability.

circle of equal probability
w:circular error probable

Initialism of circle of equal probability.


poacher's gun

(firearms) A small-bore shotgun hidden in a walking cane.


selective fire

(firearms) The ability to choose whether a weapon fires automatically or semi-automatically.


backbore

backbore (third-person singular simple present backbores, present participle backboring, simple past and past participle backbored)

backbores (present singular third-person)
backboring (participle present)
backbored (participle past)
backbored (past)

(firearms, transitive) To modify (a weapon's barrel) so as to increase the bore diameter.


foregrip

(firearms) A pistol grip-type forestock on the front of a firearm that improves handling characteristics, counters the effects of recoil, and is cooler to the touch than a standard forestock.


forestock

karera

part of a firearm under and supporting the barrel


rebounding lock

en-noun

rebounding lock (plural rebounding locks)

(firearms) A lock in which the hammer rebounds to half cock after striking the cap or primer.


stub twist

(firearms) Material for a gun barrel, made of a spirally welded ribbon of steel and stub iron combined.


proof charge

Thus the proof-shot with proof-charge may in reality be proving the gun less faithfully than its first service-charge and service-shot,—a mode of proof-practice for heavy artillery very different from that imposed for safety on every fowling-piece.

1862, Edward Pellew Halsted, The Armstrong Gun. A Rejoinder to the Letter of Sir W. Armstrong, page 37:

The late Ordnance Select Committee therefore, after having obtained particulars of proof of guns in nearly all theother countries in Europe, came to the conclusion that the proof should be based on the highest charge which the gun will fire on service, and recommended the following proof which was approved in July 1864 and remains still in force, viz., two rounds of 1 1/4 the highest service (battering) charge, and service projectiles; but, in consequence of the results obtained in recent trials with Pebblepowder, experiments are being carried on to determine the future proof charge.

1872, Francis Sadleir Stoney, Charles Jones, A Text-book of the Construction and Manufacture of the Rifled Ordnance in the British Service, page 112:

Amd. the official "Extracts of Artillery Proceedings" tell us, 4:3:72, tha the Superintendent, Royal Gun Factories, "proposes tha the proof charge for the 12-inch gun of 35-tons shall be 115 lbs.

1873, W. Dawson, “Powder Pressures in the First 35-Ton Gun”, in Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, volume 17, number 70, page 4:

In case barrels sent for proof for the use of nitro powders are intended by the senders to sheet charges of powder or shot greater than the ordinary service charges of the like respective bores set forth in Scale 6, in the said Schedule, then the quantities of powder and shot so intended to be used shall be declared in wwriting, and a proof charge proportionate thereto shall be used.

(firearms) A charge of powder and ball, greater than the service charge, fired in an arm, as a gun or cannon, to test its strength.


gaining twist

(firearms) In rifled firearms, a twist of the grooves, which increases regularly from the breech to the muzzle.


boxlock

(firearms) A style of double-barrelled shotgun with concealed, self-cocking hammers that use a break-open action.


lockwork

(firearms) The assembly forming the firing mechanism of a gun.


lockplate

(firearms) The plate that covers the lockwork of a gun.


ribauldequin

/ɹɪˈbəʊdɪkɪn/

ribauldequin

synonym of organ gun — see also organ gun


mag book

From the shape and opening method of the container, similar to a codex (colloquially referred to as books), and being used to store and carry "mags".

(weaponry) A container used to store and carry ammunition clips.


recoil pad

(firearms) A soft rubber (or similar) attachment added to the butt of a long firearm to absorb some of the recoil.


cup discharger

(firearms) A cup-shaped bracket, mounted on the end of a rifle barrel, used to propel hand grenades.


safetied

He looked at his guys; nervous and fingering their safetied weapons. One of them hunched over and vomited

2014, The Twilight of Liberty, page 205:

Others had unloaded and permanently safetied weapons on their arms. Thanks to nanobot enhancements, others were now extraordinarily powerful

(firearms) On which the safety mechanism is engaged.


déculassement

déculassement (countable and uncountable, plural déculassements)

(firearms) An accidental blowing off of, or other serious damage to, the breechblock of a gun.

(firearms) The removal of the breechblock for the purpose of disabling the gun.


forecharge

The fore-charges were individually packed in thin metal containers and loaded in the gun that way;

2014, Arthur J Marder, From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow:

(weaponry) The shot in the forward part of a firearm cartridge.


underhammer

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-underhammer.wav

(firearms) A firing mechanism where the hammer is mounted under the frame, behind the barrels, and forward of the trigger.


gun furniture

(firearms, obsolete) The trigger, trigger plate, its guard, and (when present) the heel plate to the stock.


RIS

rail interface system
rail interface system#English

(firearms) Abbreviation of rail interface system.


isomer bomb

From isomer + bomb from being a bomb fuelled by nuclear isomer changes.

A more useable size might be 1 g with an accelerated decay of 200 kg of TNT. The isomer bomb obtained funding, but was canceled as nonsensical.

2013, David Hafemeister, Physics of Societal Issues: Calculations on National Security, Environment, and Energy, Springer, →ISBN, page 23:

But in recent years, a group of fringe scientists aided by defense industry insiders has convinced the Pentagon that America's post-9/11 survival depends on developing an isomer bomb. While proponents compare it to the Manhattan Project, opponents point out that independent researchers have not been able to duplicate the results attained by isomer enthusiasts, and that many assumptions behind the bomb contradict the laws of physics. Though Congress canceled isomer bomb development in 2004, the Department of Energy found $5 million to continue the research.

2011, Karolina Dean...Where the HELL is my monkey?, “The Pentagon's fascination with fringe science”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet):

Danger Room has closely followed developments related to miniature nuclear weapon, such as the “isomer bomb,” a notional weapon based on some rather controversial physics of accelerating the decay of nuclear isomers. Like Red Mercury, nuclear isomers never grows old. In January, the first ever isomer bomb was detonated in front of millions of viewers. Of course the bomb in question was fictional, a handy plot device in the new Knight Rider series. It was set to go off if the car dropped to below 100 mph; how original is that as a plot device?

2009, David Hambling, “Red Mercury Mania Returns as Saudis Buy Up “Mini-Nuke” Material”, in Wired:

The AWE's emphasis is on basic research and the potential for energy storage. But Thomson does not believe that an isomer bomb can be ruled out, saying that the controversy over Collins' claims has not been fully resolved. He adds: "A secondary role of AWE is to provide independent advice to the UK government on potential threats to the security of the UK, so an understanding of the fundamentals of isomer physics is essential."

2008, David Hambling, “Discredited pseudoscience or a newly useful technology?”, in The Guardian:

In America, the most controversial research has involved trying to "trigger" — get energy out of — a Hafnium isomer. In Russia, there has been plenty of controversy over Hafnium, as well. A 2005 paper on induced decay of the nuclear isomer 178m2Hf and the ‘isomeric bomb’ written by E. V. Tkalya, is deeply skeptical of the physics involved.

2008, David Hambling, “Russia’s Isomer Bomb, Funded by Your Taxes”, in Wired:

The hafnium isomer bomb concept is the product of a physicist's imagination. The hafnium, or isomer, bomb, is proposed by an expert who needs research funding to prove that the reaction takes place.

2008, Richard M. Swiderski, Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore and Effects of Mercury, McFarland, →ISBN, page 229:

For those who want all the nitty gritty details on the very weird life and death of DARPA’s isomer bomb, you can read my book, or for a shorter overview, you can read David Hambling’s New Scientist article along with my Washington Post Magazine article.

2008, Sharon Weinberger, “Is the Pentagon Funding Isomer Bombs Again?”, in Wired:

Washington bureaucracy works in strange ways. I was immediately asked what stake the arms control groups at State had in a fight over whether or not DARPA was to be allowed to waste $40 million on what my instincts said was very bad science. But we did have a reason to get involved: the proponents of isomer weapons suggested that–although the energy release derived from excited states of nuclei–because the mechanism did not involve either fission or fusion, an isomer bomb would not be a nuclear weapon. That would mean it could be tested even under the terms of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and could even be tested in the atmosphere, despite the 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty

2007, Peter D. Zimmerman, “The Strange Tale of the Hafnium Bomb: A Personal Narrative”, in American Physical Society News:

Take the so-called hafnium bomb, also known as the isomer bomb. According to its proponents, this futuristic weapon would harness the immense energy in subatomic particles known as isomers to deliver kiloton yields in a tiny package.

2006, Daniel G. Dupont, “Far-Out Physics”, in Scientific American, →DOI:

• Pure isomer bomb: 0.1 to 5 MeV gamma-rays;

2005, Andre Gsponer, “Fourth Generation Nuclear Weapons: Military effectiveness and collateral effects”, in arXiv:

The problem of developing the isomeric bomb on the basis of these isomeric nuclei is considered. The experimental data analysis shows that development of the hafnium bomb at present is nonreal, because the existing plans of its creation are based on the noncorrectness of obtained experimental data

2005, E.V. Tkalya, “Induced decay of the 178m2Hf and isomeric bomb”, in Physics Uspekhi:

I think a hydrogen bomb can be made that is started by an isomer bomb not an atomic bomb.

2004, Kurt stocklmeir, “Re: laser cooling”, in sci.math (Usenet):

(military, weaponry) a type of theoretical radiological nuclear weapon that relies on an induced rapid change in the state of nuclear isomers to generate an intense gamma ray flash.


limp-wrist

en-verb

limp-wrist (third-person singular simple present limp-wrists, present participle limp-wristing, simple past and past participle limp-wristed)

limp-wrists (present singular third-person)
limp-wristing (participle present)
limp-wristed (participle past)
limp-wristed (past)

(firearms) To hold a handgun with an insufficiently-firm-and-stiff grip while firing, allowing recoil to move the frame of the gun too far rearward and causing the recoil spring to absorb too little energy from the slide for the action to cycle properly.


LAM

(military, weaponry) Abbreviation of light antiarmor/antiarmour missile.

(military, weaponry) Abbreviation of land attack missile.

(military, weaponry) Abbreviation of loitering attack missile.


unsight

unsight (third-person singular simple present unsights, present participle unsighting, simple past and past participle unsighted)

unsights (present singular third-person)
unsighting (participle present)
unsighted (participle past)
unsighted (past)

Just jeep as the Sten magazine emptied there came a single shot from the far end of the lane and in the same instant a bullet cracked over Butler's head.The jeep swung sharply to the right, unsighting him.


cold weapon

From cold + weapon, possibly a calque of Russian холо́дное ору́жие (xolódnoje orúžije, “cold weapon”), from холо́дное (xolódnoje) (the nominative neuter form of холо́дный (xolódnyj, “cold”)) + ору́жие (orúžije, “arm, weapon; weaponry”): see the 1876 quotation.

calque

холо́дное ору́жие

A fencing-room in which twenty or thirty couples of men are practising, is a fair illustration of a mélée with cold weapons.

1863 January 17, “How to Make Soldiers”, in Charles Dickens, editor, All the Year Round. A Weekly Journal. [...] With which is Incorporated Household Words, volume VIII, number 195, London: […] C. Whiting, […], →OCLC, page 446, column 1:

The most effective weapons in the hands of the Caucasians was the sword, or as the Russians call it "the cold weapon" ["khalodnoye orúdiye," as opposed to firearms "agniovoye orúdiye"], the use of which, in hand-to-hand fight, was their special forte.

1876, Hugo Stumm, “The Field of Operations and the Russian Resources of Operations in General”, in F. Henvey, P. Mosa, transl., The Russian Campaign against Khiva in 1873. […], part I, Calcutta, West Bengal: Foreign Department Press, →OCLC, section II (The Russian Bases of Operations in Central Asia), page 157:

Pistols, carbines and musketoons were the firearms of the cavalry; a sword or sabre the cold weapon.

1890, Theodore Ayrault Dodge, “Army Organization and Tactics. Early Seventeenth to Early Eighteenth Century.”, in Gustavus Adolphus: A History of the Art of War from Its Revival after the Middle Ages to the End of the Spanish Succession War, […] (Great Captains), volume II, Boston, Mass., New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company […], →OCLC, page 571:

There are perhaps more variations of the dao than there are of any other cold weapon.

2009, Zhang Yun, “The History and Features of Dao”, in The Complete Taiji Dao: The Art of the Chinese Saber, Berkeley, Calif.: Blue Snake Books, North Atlantic Books, →ISBN, page 27:

(weaponry) A weapon that does not use explosives or fire.


overpowder

[…] to allow for the extra space taken up by the special overpowder wad.

1908 July 11, “Rubber Sandwich Wads”, in Forest and Stream, volume 71, page 71:

A two part wad column for use in shotshells is provided which consist of an overpowder component comprising inner and outer concentric cylindrical walls attached to a skirted end plate […]

1971, Canada Patent Office, The Patent Office Record, Application No. 085,160:

On firing, some of the hot gases from burning powder were able to bypass the overpowder and filler wads and reach the shot charge.

2015, Vincent J.M. DiMaio, Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques, Third Edition:

(firearms) Serving to hold in the gunpowder.


banana clip

It included 44 AK-47 rifles, and 260 large-capacity banana clips.

2006, Gideon Burrows, Kalashnikov AK47, page 45:

(firearms) A curved ammunition clip for the AK-47 assault rifle.


long rifle

(firearms) An American style of rifle with an unusually long barrel, used in hunting and warfare.


airshoot

The impressive results: naval gunfire support qualification achieved an 86.3 average, scoring 100 in two surface gunnery shoots , and a 95 grade for an airshoot.

1984, Surface Warfare - Volume 9, Issue 2, page 27:

We had an account to settle with these compound mortars, and were therefore pleased when an RAF jeep arrived to link us with two Spitfires to carry out airshoots on these deadly nuisances.

2002, Denis Falvey, A Well-known Excellence, page 160:

(rare, weaponry) A shot at something that is in the air, or a shot in midair.


aerosol bomb

thermobaric weapon
thermobaric weapon#English

(weaponry) A type of thermobaric weapon.


thirty-thirty

"What do you know about thirty-thirties?" "Huh, I know lots. My other pop was tellin' me you could git a man with a thirty a whole heap farther than you could with any ole forty-four or them guns. I shot heaps of rabbits with his."

1919, Hennry Herbert Knibbs, The Ridin' Kid from Powder River, page 16:

Now that the season has arrived in many parts of the country for the nimrods to load their trusty Thirty-Thirties and go forth in quest of the elusive deer, it seems an appropriate time to say a word about the skilleting of venison — which can be a pretty tough and dry proposition if not properly handled.

1960, The Cattleman, volume 47, page 46:

“I'll get one of those thirty-thirties out of the rack and slip her into the boat . Maybe we won't use it, and maybe we will . We might meet that Pirate Shark, you know!”

2014, Robert E. Howarad, The Pirate Story Megapack: 25 Classic and Modern Tales, page 2301:

(firearms) A thirty calibre firearm designed for cartridges that originally held thirty grains of smokeless powder.


wildcat cartridge

en-noun

wildcat cartridge (plural wildcat cartridges)

(firearms) A cartridge modified from another calibre rather than being commercially produced.


KEW

kinetic energy weapon
kinetic energy weapon#English

(weaponry) Acronym of kinetic energy weapon.


Welrod

All clandestine equipment devised at Station IX in Welwyn Garden City had names starting with Wel, e.g. Welbike, Welman.

(firearms, historical) A British bolt-action, magazine-fed suppressed pistol devised during World War II.


EFP

EFP (countable and uncountable, plural EFPs)

The RAF device which killed Herrhausen is generally described as a platter charge, rather than an Iraq-style EFP. That's because the RAF are not thought to have had the skill to produce an EFP.

2008 July 29, David Hambling, “Superbomb Mystery: The Herrhausen Assassination”, in Wired, →ISSN:

explosively formed penetrator
explosively formed penetrator#English

(weaponry, countable) Initialism of explosively formed penetrator.


Makarov

Borrowed from Russian Макаров (Makarov). A transliteration of the Russian surname Макаров (Makarov).

name translit

(firearms) A Soviet service pistol, the PM

A Soviet service pistol, the PM
A Soviet Cold-War era service pistol

(firearms) A handgun deriving from the PM design pattern


Tokarev

(firearms) A Soviet service pistol, the TT-33 and TT-30

(firearms) A handgun deriving from the TT-30 design pattern


pyroballogy

A variant of pyrobology, from pyro- (prefix meaning ‘fire, heat’) (from Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr, “fire; lightning”)) + Ancient Greek βάλλειν (bállein, “to throw”) + -logy (suffix indicating a branch of learning or study of a particular subject) (from Ancient Greek -λογῐ́ᾱ (-logĭ́ā), from λόγος (lógos, “word, speech; reason, reckoning; account, explanation”)). βάλλειν is derived from βᾰ́λλω (bắllō, “to hurl, throw; to strike, touch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- (“to pierce; to throw, to hit by throwing”).

refn

From Codex Vindobonensis 3069, folio 11, recto, from the collection of the Austrian National Library in Vienna, Austria.

der

[H]e was enabled, by the help of ſome marginal documents at the feet of the elephant, together with Gobeſius’s military architecture and pyroballogy, tranſlated from the Flemiſh, to form his diſcourse with paſſable perſpicuity.

1759, [Laurence Sterne], chapter III, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, 2nd (1st London) edition, volume II, London: […] R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley […], published 1760, →OCLC, page 18:

[H]e threw a faithless cipher of moon into the sky, put beneath it a fatherless girl craving affection, and then helpless before the doom of his own contrivances watched in his mind, possibly on that very prom night or in a car parked on an overlook up in the Blue Ridge mountains, the hideous pyroballogy of some vile teenager with a hanging lip, his suspenders disengaged, prying off her gown with his grice-fingered hands and then bucking away like a country stink-cat, whereupon she— […]

1981, Alexander Theroux, Darconville’s Cat, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, →ISBN, page 137:

Pyroballogy, Lieutenant Drinkwater, is the art of throwing fire. 'Tis both scientific and alchemical, and that is why officers in my profession cannot purchase their commissions like the rest of the army, so it is. […] 'Tis an ancient art, this pyroballogy. Archimedes himself founded it at the siege of Syracuse and the Greeks had their own ballistic fireballs.

1984, Richard Woodman, “Powder and Shot: February 1801”, in The Bomb Vessel, London: John Murray, →ISBN; republished as The Bomb Vessel: A Nathaniel Drinkwater Novel (Mariner’s Library Fiction Classics), Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Sheridan House, 2000, →ISBN, part 1 (Tsar Paul), page 45:

And how, by what law of mechanics, can such decisions contribute to the maintenance of its gyration? It is that they are taken suddenly and violently: explosions of disgust. It is what's called repulsion, one of the forces most commonly employed in pyroballogy.

1985, Kris Hemensley, editor, The Best of The Ear: The Ear in a Wheatfield 1973–76: A Portrait of a Magazine, Melbourne, Vic.: Rigmarole Books, →ISBN, page 20:

Instead of clarifying the geometry of fortification, however, the treatises only bring confusion, such that Toby's attempts to follow the rules of pyroballogy result in his mistaking a parabola for a hyperbola, and so on.

2015, Anders Engberg-Pedersen, “The Geometry of War: Siege Architecture and Narrative Form”, in Empire of Chance: The Napoleonic Wars and the Disorder of Things, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, →ISBN:

(weaponry, obsolete, rare) The study of artillery; the practice of using artillery as a weapon.


scrub gun

(Australia, firearms, informal) a short firearm, designed for use in dense foliage.


bump stock

(firearms) An attachment on a gun used to make it fire repeatedly by using the gun's recoil to pull the trigger, modifying it to function in a similar way to a machine gun.


He was wearing the normal jungle fatigues and had a .45 in a holster on his waist.

2013, T. Van Ewell, Recon Airplane Company: III Corps, Vietnam, page 182:

(firearms) A standard kind of firearm designed to fire bullets that are approximately 0.45 inch in diameter.


I had hoped that he had a .38 on him but that wasn't the case.

2012, Arnie Greenberg, A Fine Conundrum: A 'Joey Fine' Mystery, page 165:

(firearms) A standard kind of firearm designed to fire bullets that are approximately 0.38 inch in diameter.


I would rather have a .22 than an axe or a club, that's for sure

2001, Chilco Choate, The Fire Still Burns: A Life of Trail Talk and Contrary Opinions, page 29:

(firearms) A standard kind of firearm designed to fire bullets that are approximately 0.22 inch in diameter.


butt spike

Meanwhile, the men in the middle and rear pushed those in front, while simultaneously providing cover from javelins and arrows with their raised pikes and stabbing fallen adversaries with the butt spikes.

2002, Robert L. O'Connell, Soul of the Sword: An Illustrated History of Weaponry and Warfare from Prehistory to the Present:

(historical, weaponry) A small blade or spike on the rear end of a spear, used as a counterbalance and as a backup if the spear broke.


IWB

(firearms) Initialism of inside the waistband.


SLAM

en-noun

SLAM (countable and uncountable, plural SLAMs)

supersonic low altitude missile
supersonic low altitude missile#English

(military, aviation, weaponry) Acronym of supersonic low altitude missile.

stand-off land attack missile
stand-off land attack missile#English

(military, aviation, weaponry) Acronym of stand-off land attack missile.


nickelling

Further trials were carried out to establish their accuracy life and whether they developed any tendency to nickelling under Service conditions.

1962, Edmund George Barton Reynolds, The Lee-Enfield Rifle, page 158:

(firearms) The metallic fouling of a gun's bore with fragments of bullet casing.


cocoa powder

cocoa powder (usually uncountable, plural cocoa powders)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-cocoa powder.wav

(firearms) A form of brown gunpowder, also known as brown powder.


boltface

(firearms) The front surface of a bolt in a firearm or back of the firing chamber, against which the cartridge rests.


percussion lock

percussion lock (plural percussion locks)

(firearms) A kind of lock for a gun in which a hammer strikes upon a percussion cap on the nipple, igniting the charge.


percussion bullet

percussion bullet (plural percussion bullets)

(firearms) A bullet designed to explode on striking its target.


submissile

(firearms, military) A missile that detaches from a larger missile.


calibered

(firearms, in combination) Having the specified caliber.


unsafetied

(firearms) On which the safety mechanism is not engaged.


mouse gun

(firearms, colloquial) A pocket pistol, especially one of a particularly small caliber.


mustard seed

mustard seed (countable and uncountable, plural mustard seeds)

Being myself much given to the collection of birds for scientific purposes, a line of operation, requiring, in most cases, the finest shot that can be procured, I use mustard seed habitually, and have learned, incidentally as it were, its efficacy when directed against birds which, it might be thought, could not be brought down with it.

1873 November 22, Dr. Elliott Coues, U. S. A., “Use of Small Shot”, in The American Sportsman, volume 3, number 8, West Meriden, Conn., page 117:

“ […] Much as I hated to do it, while that sow was chasing after him, I let him have it in the stern with a light load of mustard-seed shot. That combination worked!” […] The mustard-seed shot he mentions are No. 12's and the load was extremely light.

1972 May, Robert Halverson, “Punishment …Or Reward?”, in Field & Stream, volume 77, number 1, page 223:

Hmmmm... you suppose if you miss, you might blow a 1+1/2" hole anyway, with that rig? :) Even #9? 22rf shot (mustard seed) is supposed to be #12, not sure what that would do either. :/

2007 June 6, alv...@example.com, “Re: the downside”, in rec.knives (Usenet):

(firearms, also attributively) Small lead shot, usually of size No. 12, used for shooting birds and other animals at close range.


spring searcher

spring searcher (plural spring searchers)

(firearms) A pronged tool to search for defects in the bore of a gun.


butt pad

(firearms) A piece of padding placed on the butt of a gun for comfort and to absorb recoil.


safety lock

(firearms) A lock with some device for preventing accidental firing of the weapon.


crowbill

From crow (“bird of the genus Corvus”) + bill (“beak of a bird”). Sense 1 (“kind of forceps”) is probably from its appearance, while sense 2 (“type of poleaxe”) is a calque of French bec de corbin (literally “crow or raven's beak”).

calque

(weaponry, historical) Synonym of bec de corbin (“poleaxe with a modified hammerhead and a spike mounted on the top of the pole”)


proof mark

(firearms) A mark stamped on a gun to show that it has been tested successfully.


decocker

(firearms) A device in certain firearms that uncocks the weapon.


zip gun

As pertaining to my idea of zip guns, we didn't use the old type of zip gun any more because they were too dangerous. That was just a pipe and a piece of wood and nail and rubber band.

1968, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Riots, Civil and Criminal Disorders:

The simplest zip gun seen by the author was a metal tube in which a .22 Magnum cartridge was inserted. It was fired by striking the protruding base of the cartridge with a hammer.

1998, Vincent J.M. DiMaio, Gunshot Wounds, page 282:

During the interview, Flaco whips out a zip gun he's hidden beneath his testicles during the pat-down search prior to transfer to GID, and presents it to Detective Rydell.

. “Oh, so we got annuduh tough guy here,” he said, pulling out a gun from his leather jacket. It looked like a real gun, but who knew, maybe it was zip gun.

2012, Arnold Silveri, Turning the Corner on Life, page 59:

(firearms) A crude homemade weapon that fires a projectile.


buttplate

(firearms) The plate affixed to the rear end of a rifle stock.


bunny buster

(Australia, informal, firearms) a firearm, or type of ammunition, intended for rabbit shooting.


junk gun

Saturday-night special
Saturday-night special#English

(US, firearms, slang) Synonym of Saturday-night special


baton round

(firearms) Any of various generally non-lethal projectiles made of plastic, rubber, wood, etc.


patch box

(firearms) A lidded container fitted to a gun to hold the cloth patches used when shooting round shot.


mag dump

(firearms, slang) The act of firing at a target continuously or repeatedly until the magazine of ammunition is empty.

The act of firing an entire magazine-full of ammunition from a fully-automatic weapon in a single burst.


mag dump

en-verb

mag dump (third-person singular simple present mag dumps, present participle mag dumping, simple past and past participle mag dumped)

mag dumps (present singular third-person)
mag dumping (participle present)
mag dumped (participle past)
mag dumped (past)

(firearms, slang, intransitive) To perform a mag dump.


JHP

jacketed hollow point
jacketed hollow point#English

(firearms) Abbreviation of jacketed hollow point (“bullet”), a type of round. a lead bullet with a metal jacket that surrounds the whole side, and a hollowed out or dented in front tip


FMJ

full metal jacket
full metal jacket#English

(firearms) Abbreviation of full metal jacket.


wire gun

Guns were in rapid transit from Windsor, Portsmouth, Aldershot, Woolwich - even from the north; among others, long wire guns of ninety-five tons from Woolwich.

1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 126:

(weaponry) A former type of canon the construction of which included an internal layer of wire windings.


rearsight

(firearms) A sight at the rear of a weapon.


fascine knife

From fascine + knife, from one use of such knives which was to cut wood for fascines and gabions (“cylindrical wicker baskets or cages filled with earth or stones and used in fortifications, etc.”).

2000 Canteens. 600 Camp Kettles. 200 Fascine Knives. […] It is to be presumed the troops will be provided with these articles.

1779 March 2 (date written), George Washington, “To Major General Nathanael Greene”, in John C[lement] Fitzpatrick, editor, The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745–1799 […], volume 14 (January 12, 1779 – May 5, 1779), Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, published August 1956, →OCLC, page 178:

The [artillery] men have a short rifle and bayonet, and carry also a fascine knife; 10 rounds of ammunition in the pouch.

[1876], W[illiam] S[mith] Cooke, compiler, “Servia”, in The Ottoman Empire and its Tributary States (Excepting Egypt), with a Sketch of Greece, London: W[illiam] Clowes and Son, […], →OCLC, page 162:

The private should have a side arm of the following description: A short sword, about 20 inches long and 2½ inches wide at the grip; the blade to be ground sharp on one side and provided with saw teeth on the other; have a brass guard and buckhorn grip, and to be carried in a leather scabbard on a frog and common black belt. This is called in Europe a fascine knife, and a very useful implement it is in camp and on the field.

1888 September 29, “Toujours Pret” [pseudonym], “The Hospital Corps [letter to the editor]”, in The United States Army and Navy Journal, and Gazette of the Regular and Volunteer Forces, volume XXVI, number 5 (number 1316 overall), New York, N.Y.: [Army and Navy Journal, Inc.], →OCLC, page 93, column 3:

Verily the man must feel as though he were in a dream; only a short time before, at a shoemaker's ordinary work, the knocking of his hammer mingling with the sighs of a sick wife, and now, fascine knife on hip, helmet on closely cropped head, officers' commands in ear, crowds of people, drums, music, and the shrill whistle of the locomotive!—to march far away to Bohemia; […]

1889, Cornelia McFadden, chapter V, in The Seamstress of Stettin, Cincinnati, Oh.: Curtis & Jennings; New York, N.Y.: Eaton & Mains, →OCLC, pages 141–142:

[I]f he were furnished with a hundred natives—whom he would get from the population on the coast—supplied with axes and fascine-knives, he would undertake to lead a caravan of beasts of burden to the Kenia without any delay worth mentioning.

1891, Theodor Hertzka, chapter II, in Arthur Ransom, transl., Freeland: A Social Anticipation, London: Chatto & Windus, […], →OCLC, book I, page 10:

Sappeur sections carry in addition a mattock or a pick apiece, and each ammunition carrier also carries a pick, a fascine knife, or a saw.

1911, [William] Balck, “The Formal Tactics of Infantry”, in Walter Krueger, transl., Tactics […], 4th edition, volumes I (Introduction and Formal Tactics of Infantry), Fort Leavenworth, Kan.: United States Cavalry Association, →OCLC, footnote ‡, page 39:

Later, some military fascine knives were made with saw-toothed backs, notably the Prussian M1810, M1841 and M1855 Faschinenmesser. Fascine knives were widely issued to engineers, pioneers and foot-artillerymen; smaller numbers were issued to other arms as circumstances dictated.

2021, Bill Harriman, “Development: Blades for Firearms”, in Martin Pegler, editor, The Bayonet (Weapon; 78), Oxford, Oxfordshire: Osprey Publishing, →ISBN, page 28:

(military, weaponry, historical) A large, heavy knife or short sword used by 17th- to 19th-century artillery and infantry soldiers as a sidearm and a tool for cutting fascines (“cylindrical bundles of small sticks of wood, used for strengthening purposes”) and other things.

hukari

large, heavy knife or short sword formerly used by artillery and infantry soldiers as a sidearm and tool

砲兵刀 (ほうへいとう, hōhei gatana, literally “artilleryman’s knife”)


Beretta

The officer fired his Beretta at the protesters.

The gun turned out to be an empty, dirty Beretta nine millimeter.

1993, Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower, HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP (2019), page 221:

(firearms) A firearm (especially a handgun) made by the Beretta company.