[Cycler]

This was posted in another thread which I don't wish to hijack:

I am a NRA Instructor and part of our mission is to educate the masses, including law enforcement on the proper terms to use. When asked if I had a weapon in the vehicle, I replied: "With all due respect officer, I do have a firearm in the vehicle. Weapon suggests offensive and my firearms are solely for my defense and the defense of my family."

I'm not an NRA member (though I might become one) and just don't get this distinction. If I look up weapon in the dictionary, I get this:

M-W: something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

Free dictionary and 3 other sites:
1) an instrument or device of any kind used to injure or kill, as in fighting or hunting
2) any organ or part of an organism used for attacking or defending
any means of attack or defense
3) A means used to defend against or defeat another

If I look up firearm I get:

M-W: a weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder —usually used of small arms

Freedictionary: A weapon, especially a pistol or rifle, capable of firing a projectile and using an explosive charge as a propellant.


It sounds to me that a firearm sure is a weapon and there's nothing about the term that implies offense any more than defense.

Why does the NRA get their underwear in a bunch over this and try and re-define a term? Seems like foofaraw to me.

 

[HKinNY]

My .02 is that replying the leo question. That a weapon is something that may/can hurt the officer, where as a firearm is implying that you would only use a firearm in defense of yourself and not on the offense to hurt the leo.

 

[OldVet]

Every firearm is a weapon. Not every weapon is a firearm. A weapon can be used either offensively or defensively.

The quoted person is making a play on words and should try politics instead. Sounds like standard NRA talk to me.

 

[rolyat63]

This was posted in another thread which I don't wish to hijack:



I'm not an NRA member (though I might become one) and just don't get this distinction. If I look up weapon in the dictionary, I get this:

M-W: something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

Free dictionary and 3 other sites:
1) an instrument or device of any kind used to injure or kill, as in fighting or hunting
2) any organ or part of an organism used for attacking or defending
any means of attack or defense
3) A means used to defend against or defeat another

If I look up firearm I get:

M-W: a weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder —usually used of small arms

Freedictionary: A weapon, especially a pistol or rifle, capable of firing a projectile and using an explosive charge as a propellant.


It sounds to me that a firearm sure is a weapon and there's nothing about the term that implies offense any more than defense.

Why does the NRA get their underwear in a bunch over this and try and re-define a term? Seems like foofaraw to me.

Well I am an NRA instructor and I agree with you. It's a semantics issue. The NRA has an agenda, thats what we pay them for. Part of that agenda is to train and educate all aspect of firearms to the public including the youth. Also they have to understand the message that their oppposition (gun control antis) hears and that the term weapon will be used against us.

Ironically, I did more than one pushup for saying gun while in basic, it's a weapon. Bottom line, like the old addage; you dance with who brought you!

As a far training LEO, not my job. IF asked aquestion I'll try to answer but any LEO with two brains cells to rub together will react the same whether you say firearm or weapon. Correcting a LEO on semantics, no thanks! OMOYMMV

 

[Landric]

Its a distinction for people who like to split hairs and feel superior. I won't feel and more or less threatened or assume any specific use based on the term no matter whether you say "firearm" or "weapon".

 

[Divebum47]

I teach Ohio 4-H Shooting Sports. We are instructed not to refer to a firearm as a weapon because "weapon" implies offensive. The idea behind the 4-H Shooting Sports program is youth development and life skills rather than self defense. The primary reason (IMHSHO) is so that we don't upset parents and the public. It's stressed that the firearm is a tool. Being former military, that was pretty foreign to me, and to a degree, still is.

I would guess that different situations ask for different terminology.

 

[tiwee]

This is my weapon, this my firearm.
This is for shootin, this is for harm.

As they say in the barber shop,
"One man's ado is another man's foofaraw."

 

[AWDeanSr]

This was posted in another thread which I don't wish to hijack:



I'm not an NRA member (though I might become one) and just don't get this distinction. If I look up weapon in the dictionary, I get this:

M-W: something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy

Free dictionary and 3 other sites:
1) an instrument or device of any kind used to injure or kill, as in fighting or hunting
2) any organ or part of an organism used for attacking or defending
any means of attack or defense
3) A means used to defend against or defeat another

If I look up firearm I get:

M-W: a weapon from which a shot is discharged by gunpowder —usually used of small arms

Freedictionary: A weapon, especially a pistol or rifle, capable of firing a projectile and using an explosive charge as a propellant.


It sounds to me that a firearm sure is a weapon and there's nothing about the term that implies offense any more than defense.

Why does the NRA get their underwear in a bunch over this and try and re-define a term? Seems like foofaraw to me.

Being an ex Army guy...I use the term weapon. Too many push ups over saying gun! :danceban:

 

[Sunday]

I agree

Every firearm is a weapon. Not every weapon is a firearm. A weapon can be used either offensively or defensively.

The quoted person is making a play on words and should try politics instead. Sounds like standard NRA talk to me.

I completely agree with you. Guns are weapons, period end of story. If guns were not weapons WHY WOULD ANYONE WASTE THEIR TIME CARRYING THEM!!?:comeandgetsome:

 

[Eagleks]

Every firearm is a weapon. Not every weapon is a firearm. A weapon can be used either offensively or defensively.

The quoted person is making a play on words and should try politics instead. Sounds like standard NRA talk to me.

good way to describe it.

 

[ScubaDuba]

people always go too far when they believe in something very strongly. I also have been trained with the Army term. Pistol, and weapon.

 

[rstrainii]

I teach Ohio 4-H Shooting Sports. We are instructed not to refer to a firearm as a weapon because "weapon" implies offensive. The idea behind the 4-H Shooting Sports program is youth development and life skills rather than self defense. The primary reason (IMHSHO) is so that we don't upset parents and the public. It's stressed that the firearm is a tool. Being former military, that was pretty foreign to me, and to a degree, still is.

I would guess that different situations ask for different terminology.

In the Marines we called our rifle a weapon, but I can see the sense behind calling it a firearm. Weapon is used to hurt or destroy, firearm does not sound as bad, but again no sense in splitting hairs and the officer might want to know if you had a weapon because clubs, knives, guns etc are weapons.

Correcting an officer is not a smart thing ever, I think my reply would have been "yes sir and here is my permit to carry it and it is located ?????" All while my hands are in plain view.

 

[Deanimator]

Every firearm is a weapon. Not every weapon is a firearm. A weapon can be used either offensively or defensively.

My Giles .38 Special M1911 is a LOUSY weapon, defensive or offensive.. For 50 and 25 yard NRA Conventional Pistol competition, it works VERY well.

"Weapon" is a description of the USE of an object, in this instance, a firearm.

A genuine katana is a better weapon than my Giles. Everything about it is optimized for killing people. Most of the killing utility of my Giles has been removed or severely degraded. Of course you might CHOOSE to engage in combat using a five shot semi-auto handgun firing a 148gr. L-HBWC over 2.8gr. of Bullseye. I'll stick with my Glock 22, or even a Hi Point for combat, defensive or offensive.

As a famous oxycodone user once said, "Words mean things."

 

[JonInNY]

Seems to me, that if you tell an officer you have a "weapon", he may assume it was a firearm, but it could be a baseball bat, a can of mace, a switchblade, etc.

If you say you have a "firearm", there is no confusion whatsoever.

I would use the latter response to a LEO, just for the sake of clarity, if nothing else.

 

[rolyat63]

Seems to me, that if you tell an officer you have a "weapon", he may assume it was a firearm, but it could be a baseball bat, a can of mace, a switchblade, etc.

If you say you have a "firearm", there is no confusion whatsoever.

I would use the latter response to a LEO, just for the sake of clarity, if nothing else.

I agree that you may respond to the weapon inquiry with the specific type(s) of weapons (gun, knife, dirk, etc) but without the condesending tone correcting the LEO, or anyone for that matter.

 

[Anubis]

If an officer asks me "do you have a weapon?", he's looking for "yes" or "no". I will reply accordingly.

 

[John Luttrel]

After serving 24 years in the military, any firearm in my possession is a weapon.

 

[pax]

The NRA is in the wrong on this one, and here's why: by surrendering the language, we are surrendering the moral high ground.

I carry a weapon. I don't carry a toy or a piece of sporting equipment. It's a weapon -- a tool designed to apply force against another human being -- and I carry it as such.

Usually, the weapon I carry is a firearm. Sometimes it's something else.

But I always have a weapon.

The anti-gunners and the sport-shooters have been engaged in a joint conspiracy for years, trying to convince the whole world that there is no legitimate reason for ordinary citizens like myself to own weapons. It's okay, they say, if we own toys. It's all right if we own sporting goods. It's okay if we want to compete at poking holes in paper, or if we (sometimes, under some circumstances, but reluctantly and never happily!) "harvest" game using firearms "suitable for sporting purposes."

But ordinary people, with weapons?? Shock! Horror! Those don't belong in the hands of the common man... or woman. We should not be able to use a weapon against another human being! That's evil and wrong and --

And it's bullroar.

The sole and only purpose of the firearm I carry every day is to save my life in the gravest extreme, should I need it. It has no other purpose. It is not a toy. It is not a "sporting" anything. In order to fulfill its only purpose, that of defending my life if I am attacked, it will need to be wielded -- as a weapon -- against another living, breathing human being.

Those who cannot stomach that thought really have no business carrying a weapon. Or a firearm, either.

As soon as I start finding euphemisms for my concealed carry weapon, I have conceded that I -- an ordinary citizen -- have no right to be proud of my decision to be prepared to protect myself from deadly violence should I need to do so.

And that, friends, is something I refuse to do.

pax

 

[Inspector_Gadget]

The reason we (LEO) ask about weapons, is because we are interested in more than just fire arms. A weapon need not be offensive, there are many defensive weapons, but any weapon can be used offensively as well as defensively. Personally, I am trying to make sure nothing happens resulting in someone getting hurt, either me or the individual I am talking to.

The response that "I have a firearm <location>" is a fair answer, and tells me exactly what I need to know, to which I am going to say "are there any other weapons in the vehicle?"

Safety first. I have never personally disarmed anyone in the course of a "normal" traffic stop, and don't plan on it. But there is no way I have of knowing when a "normal" stop is going to change. The more information I have, the less likely anyone is going to get hurt.

Normal followup to the "I have a firearm <location>" conversation is going to be: "That's fine, just leave it there, and keep your hands away from it. Do you have a permit for the firearm?"

Also, a really good way to make absolutely sure you get a ticket is to try to give me a hard time about the way things are said. There is a reason most things are asked in the manner they are.

 

[natticarry]

This is all semantics and its a waste of time being concerned what an officer calls your firearm/weapon/pistol/boomstick. A firearm is most definitely a weapon and weapon does not mean only offense. The reason an officer asks this question is the same as others have stated. Its because they aren't only concerned with your gun/firearm/doombringer but also your beatin stick/baseball bat or your knife/blade/shank/shiv. If you are concerned about the officer taking your word for it being only for your protection then call it that and see how they respond. "sir I don't have a weapon but my protection is in the glovebox" or "I don't have a weapon but I have my insurance policy stowed in the console."