The Journalists’ Guide to Guns (How Not to Look Like an Idiot When Writing About Firearms)

thefirearmblog.com ^ | 9/29/2014 | Steve Johnson

[rktman]

Journalists. Bless their hearts. As a rule of thumb, any time we read a news story about a subject or incident we already know a lot about, it turns out that about 25% of what’s reported is simply wrong.

This is why knowledgeable gun owners distrust many news stories involving guns: because too many “journalists” display an ignorance of firearms that would be laughable if it weren’t so appalling. If they can’t get their facts straight about gun technology and shooting, then we don’t trust them on much else.

For over 24 years as a patent attorney, I’ve taken pride in my ability to explain stuff effectively. I’m known as “The Firearms Patent Attorney” because I represent more firearms companies than any other patent attorney or law firm in the world (by a wide margin). That means I spend lots of time explaining how guns work. And I have to keep it simple because I’m not just writing for specialized patent examiners, but for juries and judges, in case there’s ever a lawsuit.

The best compliment I ever get from inventors about a patent application is “Wow! You really understand my invention!” So maybe if I’m good at making gun tech understandable, I might be the right guy to help out the technically-illiterate journalists. Here we go:

[GraceG]

[ A clip is not a magazine, nor is a mag a clip;
Neither is a grip a stock, and “stock” does not mean grip.
I do not mean to nitpick, but improvement could be seen,
If we could bring ourselves to say exactly what we mean.
-Col. Jeff Cooper ]

Journ-whore-list: I tried shoving a “Cabeleas” Magazine into my reciever, it was made of good paper “Stock” but nothing comes out the end of my “Assault Rifle” when I pull the trigger... AM I using my Magazine Wrong?

Answer: Yes, you need to use the paper magazine to order an actual magain then load bullets into it....

[Hot Tabasco]

A few years back there was a TV news person named Bill Proctor reporting on a shooting here in Detroit. Here is his quote:

"Police are searching for a .357 Smith and Wesson Glock pistol"...........Dats da truth!

In the same year, there was another news report where a Detroit public school kid was busted for bringing an assault weapon into his school. Several days later on a follow-up news report, it was revealed the "assault rifle" was just a shotgun........

[envisio]

The gun snobs can say what they want about HiPoint. That carbine has gone through 1000s of rounds and never, not once, failed to load/eject. I have property where I can shoot all day. That thing is just plain fun to shoot or plink around.

I don’t know if I would go as far as trusting my life with carrying a hipoint pistol... but that carbine is outstanding. I have yet to find a bad review of it online.

(I can also bumpfire the entire magazine, BTW.)

[wbill]

And here I thought by “clip” they meant.....

My dad always says that a "Banana clip" is something used to hold bananas together. And a "Large Capacity Banana Clip" holds A LOT of bananas.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Complete rounds I can find - for $1.57 a pop, which I find extortionate. I have once fired brass, powder, primers and dies but no bullets. I'd really like to find some 128 grain bullets.

My Model 38 was manufactured in 1939 - ano XVII EF. This year, October 27/28 falls on a weekend and I was hoping to take the '38 out to the range to celebrate La Marcia but I only have 18 rounds on hand. Looks like I'll be increasing my stock of once fired brass.

[captain_dave]

Reporters also muck up when they run stories about the military. Every tracked vehicle becomes a tank.

M-113 = tank, M-109 SP Howitzer = tank, ...

[wrench]

They are even worse with anything aviation related.

[longtermmemmory]

so does this make runners dangerous because they eat many bananas in races?