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I never use the word weapon. I use pistol, handgun, rifle, shotgun, and correct students that use the w word. Same as correcting clip for magazine.
Your pistol which is intended to be used against a threatening person is in fact a weapon. Sorry.
My Ruger MK II is a pretty fine handgun. Not a very good weapon. My Ruger 10/22 is a pretty fine rifle. Not a very good weapon. I'm the weapon, not an inanimate object in my hands.
Re-read my post. A firearm intended to be used for defense or offense is a weapon. If you carry a gun with the intention of using it to stop a threat or in any way engage a living subject its a weapon. If you own a gun designed for ultimate use against personell it is still a weapon. My garand is a weapon even though I never intend to use it as such. A ratchet wrench is still designed to manipulate nuts and bolts even if you use it to bash things loose.
I'm yet to have one person take NRA BP with zero inrerest or question/concern with regard to using a firearm for defense.
I cover what the NRA wants me to and a good deal more with regard to laws and self defense and concealed carry.
Those guns are weapons. Period. Its irresponsible in my eyes to pretend they are not.
Eta: they should be aware of a guns design and capability.
I dont exclusively refer to all guns as weapons, but I don't dodge the term like the NRA would like me to.
Just say "W-word" instead, so nobody gets offended.
In short, they are not necessarily weapons.
Jasons: If you belong to a Club with a range rule that you dislike, because from your point of view it's illogical, will you do what you want anyway?
I'm not saying that the NRA is Infallible - Heston was Moses, not the Pope, after all - but if it's their course, you should follow their syllabus. Or dogma if you prefer.
But when they are, is it OK to refer to them as such?
Sure
Then you, like me, disagree with NRA dogma. Better turn in your instructor card.
And this is why I always say:
Anything you say can and will be edited, remixed, and used against you.
Habits go a long way folks.
Drilling the habit of not using the "W" word protects your students from this type of linguistic gerrymandering.
NRA Instructor Guide said:Do not use the term "weapon" in this course. "Weapon" has a negative connotation.
Call me a fudd if you like, but I'm actually more inclined (and do) call them my "toys".
If you've grown up or were trained to think of the primary purpose of a firearm is to kill a man, then I could see you wanting to call it a weapon. That's fine I suppose.
If you grew up using a firearm to put food on the table because your family was dirt poor, then you'd probably call it a firearm or rifle.