Cody may have gotten the idea for the name from playwright Victor Hugo's famed Lucretia Borgia. Nice read! 1873 Winchester Rifle. Though often referred to as the Auto-5 or A-5, with period advertisements stressing how the firearm provided Five shots under your fingers, the Humpback nickname is what stuck the most. Creating your gaming name is also very important if you're playing most of your games on popular platforms such as Steam, Epic, and Origin, as the name of your account will apply and be set as your in-game name for most titles you play there. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Hitler's Buzzsaw was the MG-42's nickname. Lewis set off across the Atlantic to produce his gun in Europe instead, where it was first adopted by Belgium and Britain. So each of the firearms in this list is not only a significant gun of the American West, but each belonged to some of the most famous and infamous frontiersmen (and women), soldiers, and icons who forged the frontier both in myth and realitya West we nostalgically remember . Its informal gun name stems from the figure 8 shape made by the cocking lever and trigger guard. Die Hard. Sometimes a gun nickname is a term of endearment. This Vietnam-era gun name was a pejorative some American troops gave to the new M16 rifles. The Brown Bess nickname appears to be derived from the slang Bess, which was an 18th-century reference to women of ill repute. In an effort to narrow our list, well try to avoid overly broad-brush terms like smoke wagon and boomstick, as well as artillery slang like Stovepipe, Thumper, and Screaming Mimi, and instead keep our focus on firearms. The Chicago Typewriter. The Street Sweeper. The rat-tat-tat. The Thompson submachine gun gained dozens of colorful labels as it earned its reputation in the Melting Pot of South Side Chicago, toted by gangsters, bandits, and lawmen alike. How about a thread full of cool names for guns? #18. In 1785, English author Francis Grose published an index of informal words titled 'Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue and his entry for the Bess reads, Brown Bess. A soldiers firelock. The distinctive tacka-tacka-tacka rattling of the weapon and the hit-and-run tactics employed by the Belgian forces earned the gun the fitting appellation of Belgian Rattlesnake from the Western media. After the Civil War, the War Department wanted a standard-issue breechloading rifle that would chamber a self-primed, metallic cartridge. This is a list of Old West gunfighters, referring to outlaws or lawmen, of the American frontier who gained fame or notoriety during the American Wild West or Old West. Click to copy. The '73 was Winchester's first centerfire arm, and was manufactured in 1873-1919, with total of 720,000 guns made. The Burp Gun, a nickname for the USSRs go-to infantry submachine gun in WW2. Some of the destiny gun names are listed below. Old Bigmouth, The Army Automatic, The Yankee Fist, Colt .45 or simply Forty-Five are some common favorites, but perhaps the most prominent is Old Slabside. The name alludes to the guns slab-type grip panels, one of the many distinguishing features the M1911 had over its military-issued predecessors like the Colt M1892 revolver. Sir Douglas Bader was a Royal Air Force hero of the second World War known for his exploits in the air and frequent escape attempts as a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany. The MG42 machine guns high cyclic rate (about 1,200 rounds per minute) gave it a distinct and intimidating sound, very alien to Allied troops trained around slower-firing weapons. However they originated, the most memorable gun nicknames include an element of truth and help cement a weapon's legacy. Breeze. The M60often found itself in the mud and muck during combat, and its slow cyclic rate made this beast of a machine gun sound akin to a grunting boar. Its lack of trigger disconnector allowed this combat shotgun to be slam fired as well, the act of holding the trigger while working the slide, repeatedly firing, ejecting a spent shell, and chambering a new shell. The Air Force has a heavy bomber, the B1, called 'Bone' because when you look at 'B-one,' it looks like 'bone' when spelled out. Combined together, and you have an affectionate handle for a gun that became a second mother to the troops who relied on Brownings .50 caliber behemoth to protect themselves and their company. John Brownings 1903 recoil-operated design. Widely dubbed The Lemon Squeezer, the Smith & Wesson Safety Hammerless, or Smith & Wesson New Departure revolver, earned its nickname from the grip safety on its backstrap which required a firm squeeze to operate, much like everyones favorite citrus juicing tool. Another memorable weapon nickname bestowed by everyday troops, the M3 Grease Gun earned its title due to a close physical resemblance to hand-powered grease dispensers, a common auto mechanics tool of the period. Another gun nickname based on a blistering rate of fire, the MG42 machine gun was an imposing weapon to say the least. Here are our selections for the most famous gun nicknames, presented in alphabetical order. Rory. The Brown Bess nickname appears to be derived from the slang Bess, which was an 18th-century reference to women of ill repute. Shadow. That makes picking just 10 of them is a real challenge. Henry "Wolfman" Ruth. The BAR, an acronym for the Browning Automatic Rifle. Another easy-to-understand gun nickname, in this case derived from the Winchester Model 1897 shotguns function in combat. Subscribe to the weekly Rock Island Auction newsletter to receive new gun blogs and gun videos each week on the firearms mentioned above, as well as some of those that didnt make our list such as the M16 Mattel Toy, the Colt Snake Gun family, the Ghost Gun, and the Volcanic pistol, an official designation just as memorable as some of the colorful nicknames mentioned above. This feature was touted bySmith & Wessonwhen the double action top-break revolver was introduced in 1888, advertised as making the gun nearly impossible for a child to fire. Also called the snubby, belly gun, and bulldog, the idea of a snub nose revolver has been around since Samuel Colt first realized the concept of accurately syncing a rotating cylinder to a fixed barrel. Called the most feared German gun on the WW2 battlefield, Hitlers Buzzsaw was an upgrade from the already devastating MG-34. Called the most fearedGerman gunon the WW2 battlefield, Hitlers Buzzsaw was an upgrade from the already devastating MG-34. Lil Uzi. Slang gun names can be derived from a weapon's appearance, its sound when it fires, a defining attribute, its impact on the battlefield, or sometimes as a clever play on the firearm's official designation. One of the classic '80s action movie guns, from its release in 1966 the MP5 was quickly the hottest thing for tactical units the world over. Slang gun names can be derived from a weapon's appearance, its sound when it fires, a defining attribute, its impact on the battlefield, or sometimes as a clever play on the firearm's official designation. John Brownings 1903 recoil-operated design. Agony. Famed frontiersmen like Daniel Boone,Simon Kenton, and Michael Stoner relied on the rifle during their long hunts and during the eventual settlement of the Kentucky wilderness, where the rifle gained both its nickname and its legend. An early example of a Wonder Nine, a rare prototype Colt SSP DA semi-automatic 9mm pistol. Once we heard that soundBurp! Jesse James. Its informal gun name stems from the figure 8 shape made by the cocking lever and trigger guard. A trained soldier could empty a trench gun of its six shells with devastating effect in less than two seconds. 16. In 1785, English author Francis Grose published an index of informal words titled 'Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue' and his entry for the Bess reads, "'Brown Bess. The Thompson submachine gun had lots of nicknames. These traits made the Winchester Model 1897 ideal for the ferocious close-in fighting common to the Great War, earning the gun its Trench Sweeper nickname. In an effort to produce a cheaper and lighter alternative to the Thompson, inventor George Hyde developed a firearm that was stamped, riveted, and welded, taking on a crude, tube gun shape. Annie Oakley's early life in Ohio was troubled. The P7s striker and sear only engage when the cocking lever on the front strap is depressed. The Royal Armouries is fortunate . The guns nickname soon became a catch-all term for the entire series of C96 pistol models manufactured by Mauser and its subsequent foreign copycats. Another memorable weapon nickname bestowed by everyday troops, the M3 Grease Gun earned its title due to a close physical resemblance to hand-powered grease dispensers, a common auto mechanics tool of the period. During her lifetime, Phoebe Ann Moses (Annie Oakley's given name) traveled the world, becoming a legendary shooting star in a very male-dominated sport. At that speed, individual gunshots are replaced with a steady, disturbing roar, earning the MG42 a terrifying reputation. Heckler & Koch MP5. On the list of coolest weapon names, The Devils Paintbrush ranks near the top. The guns nickname sprang from the weapons initials, B-A-R, a term that was easy to remember and soon became the rifles most common unofficial designation. In 1874, Kittredge started marketing the Colt Single Action Army to the civilian market as The Peacemaker. The nickname was far more appealing than official designations for the gun like New Model Army Metallic Cartridge Revolving Pistol, 45-caliber centerfire Colt Single Action Army, M1873, or The Model P. The Peacemaker nickname played to the sentiment that an armed society was a polite society and the mere presence of the Colt revolver would dissuade any troublemakers from picking a fight they might not survive. Most of the notable named weapons in history are swords, but there are plenty of spears, daggers, guns, and cannons with monikers and their own stories to tell. From the bottom upward: The Peacemaker, the Yellowboy, and the Gun that Won the West, three of the most well-known colloquial gun names. One of the most famous gun nicknames in firearms history, the Brown Bess was used to denote the typical British infantry muskets that served from 1722 through the early 1830s. In an effort to produce a cheaper and lighter alternative to the Thompson, inventor George Hyde developed a firearm that was stamped, riveted, and welded, taking on a crude, tube gun shape. These 11 military leaders got awesome nicknames by doing awesome stuff. "Lucretia Borgia" was a.48-caliber trapdoor Springfield rifle owned by Buffalo Bill Cody. Another easy-to-understand gun nickname, in this case derived from the Winchester Model 1897 shotguns function in combat. The titleGun that Won the Westdidnt officially emerge until early 20th-century advertising campaigns, a brainchild of Edwin Pugsley, a Winchester engineer who helped produce famous firearms like theWinchester Model 21 shotgun. The Mauser C96 self-loading pistols Broomhandle moniker quickly caught on in the early 20th century, a reference to the handguns unique round wooden grip. It meant the Chinese were there. John Brownings 1903 recoil-operated designwas the first successful semi-automatic shotgun and continues to be fielded by themodern sportsmantoday. A John Hicks Adams Robert Clay Allison Burt Alvord Charlie Anderson David L. "Billy Wilson" Anderson B Cullen Baker Rattlesnake Dick Barter Sam Bass "Queen" Ann Bassett Charlie Bassett Josie Bassett Tom Bell Jules Beni The BAR, an acronym for the Browning Automatic Rifle. The brainchild of U.S. Army Lt. Col. Isaac Newton Lewis, the light machine gun design that bore his name was initially rejected by the United States. Developed near the end of WW1, the M1918Browning Automatic Riflewas quickly adopted by the US Military and became a signature weapon for American infantry in WW2 and beyond. William Ake - Brother to Jeff Ake, William was a gunfighter who fought in the Mason County War in Texas from 1874 to 1876. How is the first name not listed under wonder nines the Browning Hi-power. Tommy was also a well-known term for British soldiers, and this connection might have proliferated the gun's nickname after the British airborne adopted the Thompson Model M1A1 variant in the early years of WW2. A. Jeff Ake - A gunfighter during the Texas Reconstruction, he claimed to have known all the bad men of the times, including John Wesley Hardin, Jesse James, Cole Younger, Bill Doolin, Sam Bass, and Ben Thompson. The designationModel of 1911 U.S. Army Caliber 45is quite a mouthful, and it didnt take long for soldiers to offer a laundry list of unofficial gun names for Brownings new service pistol. Colt Single Action Army Revolver. The Pepper Box pistol, one of the most famous gun names of the 19th century. This design resembled both the look and motion of a trap door panel when the user opened the rifle to load a new cartridge, giving the gun its now legendary name. Ordnance officers might get to choose official service weapon names, but the everyday infantrymen are always going to come up with a clever title that sticks. With that said, here's a list of our favorite 100 gangster, mobster, and mafia-style names to give you some inspiration! The word "nickname" derives from the Old English "ccennmic," meaning, literally, "add a name." There are many different things to consider when deciding on a new moniker. Famous Gun Nicknames - How Many of These Did You Know? Formerly serving as NATOs official battle rifle, the FN FAL was the Western counter to the Kalashnikov rifle favored by communist forces the NATO allies faced off against in countless conflicts throughout the Cold War. TTAG Contributor - January 8, 2023 65. 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