Sadly, I sometimes even hear these same incorrect words during conversations in gun shops and at ranges.
To avoid confusion, Ive compiled a list of firearm terms I often hear used improperly.
OMG…its like nails on a chalkboard.
This is a clip for your hair.
At a match, it keeps your hair out of your eyes.
Magazinesare usually detachable and refillable.
They hold cartridges under spring pressure in preparation for feeding into the firearms chamber.
Sure, firearms can be almost silenced, with the right jot down of ammunition and a quality suppressor.
However, that is not whats usually seen in movies.
Two other often confused terms are muzzle brake and flash suppressor or flash hider.
Although both attach to the end of a muzzle, they each have very different purposes.
To further explain the differences,The Armory LifepublishedA Guide to Muzzle Devices.
Many people use the words round, cartridge, ammo, ammunition, bullet and shell interchangeably.
A round or cartridge is a complete unit of ammunition.
It contains a casing, primer, propellent and a projectile.
Ammunition (ammo) is measured in rounds, which is whats loaded into a gun.
Ammo is available in hundreds of sizes, and it must match the firearm youre using.
The projectile in a cartridge or round of ammunition is a bullet.
Some people also use it as a term for shotgun ammunition.
