House of Eratosthenes

You can’t accumulate this kind of skill without practice. You can’t put in that much practice, without an incident, without a good understanding of the safety rules involved. And in order to have that, you have to appreciate that the capacity an automatic weapon has to have in order to be deadly, is…one. Yes, one is the same as thirty. Like C programming: false and true, zero and non-zero. The limit of magazine capacity is just the silliest bit of chicanery, but it would be great watching all the others getting peeled away, one at a time.

Jessie Duff and David Gregory. Let’s have it!

[…] House of Eratosthenes has women of USPSA. […]
- Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup » Pirate's Cove | 01/20/2013 @ 08:44
“And in order to have that, you have to appreciate that the capacity an automatic weapon…”

Argggghhhh!!!!!

Automatic: continuous rate of fire after trigger is pulled and held.

Semi – automatic: one shot per trigger pull.

Think of it this way; an Automatic transmission (weapon) will go through all of the gears (rounds) by itself after being put into drive (trigger pulled).

A manual Trans. is like a Semi-auto weapon, additional steps (trigger pulls) must be taken to get to more gears (rounds).
- tim | 01/21/2013 @ 10:58
Yeah, that’s the way I was first taught, and I suppose in the technical sense that will be the only correct way to look at it.

However, it seems the language is being morphed as it becomes a more widespread practice to acquire a personal defense handgun & become practiced with using it. It’s still wrong, but I see it on the same level as saying “nucular” while spelling the word “nuclear”: “Automatic” is becoming a shorthand, being applied to semi-auto as well as to full-auto. This might be coming about, in part, because the distinction between these two has to do with the mode in which it is being discharged, but when people want to use the adjective, in context you’ll see they’re usually describing a specific model (and the new legislation upon it). Which creates issues when they seek to describe hardware that can be put in one mode or the other.

Yeah, it’s lazy and wrong. But language does change. And I’m encouraged by the suggestive evidence that this change is being brought about, because more Americans are looking at firearms in a friendlier light. You know, we’ve been watching some of the older movies lately — not that old, really, like made between 15 to 30 years ago — and I’m struck by how many sympathetic, male, studly characters in those days were delivering these smarmy, self-righteous monologues about “I don’t like guns.” This has not aged well, I see, and I’m glad to see that. If the language abuse is going hand-in-hand with this corrective course, and I believe that to be the case, then in my opinion it is a reasonable exchange. I can see why it grates on you though.
- mkfreeberg | 01/21/2013 @ 11:34
I see it more cynically, with the anti-gun crowd intentionally lumping all weapons into the more dangerous sounding and visually terrifying big, bad AUTOMATIC!!! type. “Hide your kids, hide your wife, your neighbor has an automatic machine gun and he might use it!!!”

Just as “ASSAULT WEAPON!!!” sounds more threatening than the more benign but correct “ rifle“ or “semi automatic rifle”.

Considering automatic weapons are extremely rare in the civilian world, (a special license is required) there really should be no confusion. Especially since anyone who uses the word “automatic” has most likely never seen or fired one and never will.

Also, just to set the record straight, while an automatic MAY be able to fire semi-automatically, a semi-automatic CANNOT fire automatically. Two different animals. Like a Yugo versus a ‘69 Roadrunner w/ a 426 Hemi.

Language may indeed change, just as people’s idea’s of what America is, but I, we, don’t have to partake nor encourage it. Anymore than saying healthcare is a “right”.
- tim | 01/21/2013 @ 13:23
But…if I am talking with a casual gun owner, like one whose husband just bought her a .38 revolver and that’s the only gun she’s ever fired or even seen, and I’m telling her about my S&W .40…in that context, it’s okay for me to describe it as an “automatic,” isn’t it? It’s an important distinction to make, in a lot of ways. And like you said, in civilian markets most people can’t get hold of a genuine automatic, so one could be at least understood, if not forgiven, for lopping the “semi” off after awhile. Ms. Duff doesn’t seem to be part of the gun-grabbing Nazi crowd, to me. She’s cute too.
- mkfreeberg | 01/21/2013 @ 14:28
I admit I didn’t initially watch the videos but after watching a few minutes of the second vid. the very fetching young lady did in fact say “semi – automatic” several times. None the less, I’m willing to give her a break if she did incorrectly say “automatic” somewhere because…well…I’m a shallow staunch, heterosexual and she’s right in my wheel house of what I find attractive.

“…that context, it’s okay for me to describe it as an “automatic,” isn’t it?”

Sure. You’d be wrong, (or semi-wrong) but I’m not the fire arms lexicon police (though evidentially I play one on the interwebs) Insert the “semi” so anyone who overhears you will automatically (*cough*) think you know your shit. Plus, go ahead and take the opportunity to educate the lady about revolvers versus semi’s versus auto’s.

And the end of day, no harm, no foul. Just keep firing down range.

Now remember, this is my rifle, this is my gun. This is for fighting, this is for fun.

BTW, just purchased a 40 cal. myself, a Berretta, right before NY went stupid and banned anything with over a 7 round mag.
- tim | 01/21/2013 @ 15:14
[…] Women of USPSA Yvonne Zima Big Boob Friday […]
- Pistol Grip Pump [Rule 5] | 01/27/2013 @ 10:31

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