Naming Your Rifle?

[Patched]

“Widowmaker”….is what I call the rifle that made 12 widows with one shot…that rifle took out the herd bull elk.

Some advice;
If you give your gun some sweethearty “term of endearment“ name like you’re in love with it….soon it’s gonna start arguing with you.

Give yer gun a derogatory name like “Ol Big Mouth“, “Stench“ or “Hoghips”…..it’ll spend it’s life wanting to please you instead of the other way around.

 

[Shadowalker164]

I named my truck Vidalia, but my daughters just called her Red Truck.

I named my 50 cal Kentucky pistol Clementine.

Named me 50 cal Kentucky long rifle Ellsbeth.

My 50 cal Bounty Hunter Black Bess.

And my 50 cal Colonial long rifle is Alba.

Shadowalker

 

[4575wcf]

That would be Hammerin' Hannah. My plains rifle. For elk she carries 150 grains FFG with a .526 ball, and she hammers on both ends. 120 grains for everything else is more tolerable.

 

[Tenmile]

I really don't see a big deal in it by referring to the Arizona by its given designation. If you were implying that that would be " disrespectful " in some sorta way... I don't get that at all.

I guess “disrespectful” is a little strong. People who have served on ships affectionately refer to them by names such as Big Mo (Missouri), Old Ironsides, Indy (Indefatigable), etc, so that they take on a personality. Maybe it’s a poetic thing, but you can have affection for inanimate objects. Boone thought enough of his rifle to name it. It’s a personal thing.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I always appreciate hearing when other folks name their rifles. Whether they be a production piece or a kit that required a little more love and affection to build, I feel that it gives them unique character and reveals some personality.

So what did YOU name your rifle (or other smoothie or fowling piece)?

My .54 flintlock with which I take deer is Trudy, short for Gertrude, which in German means "strong spear" and she knocks down deer.
My .40 is Patience, as she took a long time to arrive.
My trade gun is Red, since she's painted not stained, with oil paint with red pigment.
My DIY snub nosed, brass framed, .44 cap-n-ball is shorty.
I have four more revolvers, six muskets, and about a half dozen other long guns, but they have not been memorable enough to me, to get named.

LD

 

[Ninering62]

I guess “disrespectful” is a little strong. People who have served on ships affectionately refer to them by names such as Big Mo (Missouri), Old Ironsides, Indy (Indefatigable), etc, so that they take on a personality. Maybe it’s a poetic thing, but you can have affection for inanimate objects. Boone thought enough of his rifle to name it. It’s a personal thing.

Thanks for your perspective on that.

 

[tim-jon]

How ever a firearm is referred to is a name. Whether we call it gun, rifle, pistol, smooth bore , or Bessy we have use words to describe an object. The difference is in emotional attachment. We tend to give personal names to things we care about, referring to them fondly. Not all of my firearms have names, those with shared experience are more likely to mean more to me.

To me it enhances my life experience to be fondly attached and to honor “inanimate”objects. Part of the honoring is to recognize an item that is greater than the sum total of its parts.

 

[Bnewberry]

One is called Euodia, the other Syntyche.

 

[kelljp]

All of mine have the same name "Investment" , my wife says that's what I call everyone I bring home and she catches me with it before I get it in the safe.

 

[The Damned Yankee]

If I do, it's because they earn it. My first flinter was a Dixie Gun Works Pennsylvania by Pedersoli. I called it "Finger Cutter". You and many envision this dealer of death causing all the native widows to wail and cut off fingers! In truth, between cutting patching at the muzzle and changing & working on the flints I use to cut my fingers up something awful!
I have an "Early English Trade Gun" that I use to do well in the smooth bore shoots years ago against the Tulles, so I named it "Jacques Dropper".

 

[rich pierce]

I don’t normally name my guns but I have a fowler with major patches in the buttstock. Since the spliced-in pieces are held by wooden pegs. So I call her Peggy.

 

[Pete G]

My Virginia rifle is named “Annabelle Lee”

 

[Robby]

All my guns are pretty accurate so I use one name for all of them, like in,'that LANGUAGE is a real shooter'.
Robby

 

[Iche]

I guess I'm strange but yes I name my guns, my guitars and even our Hot Rod (Clementine). Actually my wife named the Hot Rod. And yes I have more than one of each. My theory is; you can't have too many guns, knives or guitars...........

 

[SciAggie]

Just one, a .62 jaeger style rifle. My boys, after trying out a few shots, handed it back to me saying, "man, that thing is a Thumper...."

My son named my .62 Jaeger "Chuck"...

 

[Ninering62]

How ever a firearm is referred to is a name. Whether we call it gun, rifle, pistol, smooth bore , or Bessy we have use words to describe an object. The difference is in emotional attachment. We tend to give personal names to things we care about, referring to them fondly. Not all of my firearms have names, those with shared experience are more likely to mean more to me.

To me it enhances my life experience to be fondly attached and to honor “inanimate”objects. Part of the honoring is to recognize an item that is greater than the sum total of its parts.

Very nice way of looking at things & elaborating on this. Thanks for your post, I enjoyed reading it.

 

[COTNTOP]

A bunch of us were dog hunting one day when a deer ran across the field at about 500yds. I had bought a High Wall and was having success with accuracy and an older gent said give her a try. So I aimed out front of running deer and bullet struck it dead. Everyone there was impressed but me, I was shocked. I could not believe that I actually hit that running deer. So I hid my surprise and after my legendary fluke of a shot the boys in the club started calling that old single shot rifle "Quigley".

 

[stephenprops1]

I have only named one gun that I own. It is a North American Arms Mini Revolver. I call it, "My Little Surprise." It earned that name about 32 years ago. My wife and 2 sons and I were camping in a remote campsite in rural Ohio. When 5 ruffians started giving us trouble, I surprised them by being armed. Whenever they learned that we were not easy prey they turned around and left the area. --- That little revolver earned its name.

 

[Tenmile]

I have only named one gun that I own. It is a North American Arms Mini Revolver. I call it, "My Little Surprise." It earned that name about 32 years ago. My wife and 2 sons and I were camping in a remote campsite in rural Ohio. When 5 ruffians started giving us trouble, I surprised them by being armed. Whenever they learned that we were not easy prey they turned around and left the area. --- That little revolver earned its name.

A friend stopped at a roadside park in Colorado to get a little sleep when a couple of guys knocked on his window and asked if he were alone. Harold told them it was just him and Old Roscoe as he raised a .45. They said “That’s good man, that’s good enough.” and left post haste. Old Roscoe was a good companion.

 

[Montgomery]

A friend stopped at a roadside park in Colorado to get a little sleep when a couple of guys knocked on his window and asked if he were alone. Harold told them it was just him and Old Roscoe as he raised a .45. They said “That’s good man, that’s good enough.” and left post haste. Old Roscoe was a good companion.

my companion needs no introduction for most people, they know its name! The "Punisher"