Jargon

2A Skills · Say It AccuratelyPrecise words earn trust before the argument starts.Know the terms, the history behind them and the loaded ones to avoid.

Shorthand speeds up talk among gun owners and confuses everyone else. Know it, then translate it.

Learn itRange and industry slang you will hear at the counter and online.
Translate itExplain terms in plain words when talking to newcomers.
Skip itSome slang sounds alarming to outsiders. Pick words for the audience.

Jargon: The Working Vocabulary of Gun Owners

Every craft has its shorthand, and the firearms community has more than most. Range talk, gunsmithing, military service, hunting camps and online forums have each added terms that are second nature to experienced shooters but confusing to newcomers, reporters and lawmakers. Knowing the jargon helps a new owner follow a class or a gun-counter conversation, and helps any advocate explain an issue clearly to people outside the hobby.

Jargon also carries weight in public debate. Some terms began as neutral shop talk; others were coined by one side of a policy argument and are avoided by the other. “Ghost gun” is the clearest example: it is widely used by gun-control groups and the press for unserialized, home-built firearms, while the federal government’s own rule uses the term “privately made firearm” (PMF), which many gun owners prefer. The ATF’s frame-or-receiver rule took effect on August 24, 2022, and the Supreme Court upheld it against a facial challenge in Bondi v. VanDerStok on March 26, 2025. Using the precise term, and knowing why others choose a different one, makes for clearer conversations.

The terms below expand on the list further down this page. Several describe mistakes worth learning from, such as the “Glock leg” and “M1 thumb,” so jargon doubles as a quick safety lesson.

Table of common firearm jargon terms and their meanings

Common Terms and What They Mean

  • Ghost gun / PMF: a firearm made by an individual without a manufacturer’s serial number; “PMF” is the federal regulatory term.
  • Glock leg: slang for a negligent discharge into the thigh while holstering, usually caused by a finger on the trigger or clothing caught in the holster. The name refers to the common striker-fired pistol, but it can happen with any handgun.
  • M1 thumb: the painful pinch when an M1 Garand’s bolt slams forward on the thumb used to press an en bloc clip into the action.
  • Mare’s leg: a cut-down lever-action firearm, popularized by Steve McQueen’s TV series Wanted Dead or Alive (1958-1961). Built from a rifle with a short barrel it is an NFA short-barreled rifle; commercial versions are made as pistols from the start.
  • Mexican carry: carrying a handgun tucked in the waistband with no holster. Trainers discourage it because the trigger is exposed and the gun can shift or fall.
  • Mouse gun / pocket gun: a very small pistol, often .22, .25 or .380, sized for a pocket holster.
  • Put lead downrange: to shoot, especially to practice often.
  • BUG: backup gun, a second handgun carried in case the first fails or cannot be reached.
  • Hot range / cold range: whether guns may be loaded (hot) or must be unloaded (cold) when shooters are not on the firing line.
  • Limp-wristing: holding a semi-automatic pistol so loosely that the slide cannot cycle properly, causing malfunctions.
  • Slide bite: a cut on the web of the shooting hand from a pistol’s slide moving rearward.
  • Fudd: online slang for a hunter or sport shooter who supports restrictions on firearms they personally do not use. It is often used as an insult, so use it with care.

Tips for Using Jargon Well

  • With newcomers or the press, define a term the first time it comes up.
  • In legal or policy writing, use statutory terms (for example “short-barreled rifle” or “privately made firearm”) rather than slang.
  • Treat safety slang as a reminder: keep your finger off the trigger when holstering, and keep fingers clear of moving parts.

Related Pages

Across the Gun Websites Network

Sources

noun

  1. special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.”legal jargon”
  • Ghost gun
  • Glock leg syndrome
  • M1 thumb
  • Mares leg
  • Mexican carry
  • Mouse gun
  • Pocket gun
  • Put lead down range

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