ALL ABOUT GUNS DICTIONARY-S
SAAMI -- Acronym for Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, a U.S. based organization formed in 1926 that is responsible for developing and maintaining standards and specifications for the manufacture of ammunition, firearms and components. SAAMI is a private sector organization that was created as a result of a federal government request. -- January 31, 2014
Savage, Arthur William (b. May 13, 1857 - d. Sept. 22, 1938) -- Inventor and businessman best known for designing the Savage Model 1899 lever action rifle. Less well known is Arthur W. Savage’s development work on the electrical system used in the Savage-Halpine torpedo, which was adopted by the Brazilian Navy. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Arthur W. Savage led a semi-nomadic life in his early years. He eventually settled in America after living in Jamaica, Australia and the UK. After being diagnosed with cancer and suffering a great amount of pain, he took his own life in 1938. A short biography of Arthur W. Savage can be found in the October 2007 and November 2007 issues of Precision Shooting. A more detailed summary of his life may be found in Savage Pistols, pgs 1-10 by Bailey Brower, Jr.-- October 25, 2016
Selective-fire -- A type of automatic firearm that allows the shooter to fire the weapon either in semiautomatic or fullautomatic mode. The firing mode is usually chosen via a selector switch, button or lever. To a lesser extent, the term has also been applied to multibarrelled firearms such as the Colt Defender shotgun that allow the shooter to select the individual barrel to be fired. -- April 30. 2013
Semiautomatic -- A firearm that allows the shooter to fire a single cartridge with a single pull of the trigger and have the firearm mechanism perform all other operations necessary to cycle the action and make the firearm ready to shoot again. Modern semiautomatic firearms are usually either gas operated or recoil operated. -- Nov. 1, 2012
Shoe -- Archaic British term for rifle receiver (aka action body). The Lee-Enfield Story, pg. 21 by Ian Skennerton documents that the term was initially used in the Patent Specifications of the Snider rifle to describe the action body. The term is no longer used. -- Feb. 19, 2014
Short recoil -- A type of recoil operated firearm mechanism that has the barrel and bolt/slide locked together for a fraction of the length of a cartridge during its movement rearward when the weapon is fired. -- Dec. 9, 2013
Sidelock -- A firearm mechanism that has the hammer, sear and other parts that are necessary for its use located on a lockplate that is on the side and partially or wholly to the rear of the firearm action. The most common sidelock firearms made today are double-barrelled shotguns and rifles but other types of firearms such as single-shot rifles have been made with sidelocks. Sidelock mechanisms are generally either of the bar action or back action type. -- Aug. 21, 2013
Single-base powder -- Smokeless powder that uses nitrocellulose as its main ingredient. One of the more common single-base powders is IMR 4350. -- Aug. 14, 2013
Smokeless powder -- Chemical compound used as a propellant in modern firearms. Smokeless powder meant for use in small arms is usually either single-base or double-base. Smokeless powder generates little, if any, smoke upon firing and generates much higher pressure than black powder. Smokeless powder, depending upon how it is stored, has a shelf life that can vary from a few years to many decades. Smokeless powder that has deteriorated usually takes on a reddish appearance, often emits an acrid odor and should be discarded. The first successful smokeless powder used on a large scale in rifles, poudre B, was developed for the French government by Paul Vielle in 1884. -- July 31, 2013
Smoothbore -- A term used to describe a gun barrel that is devoid of rifling. Smoothbore barrels are most commonly found on shotguns but many antique, muzzleloading, military weapons such as the “Brown Bess” musket were smoothbores. In addition, some handguns and long guns that were originally designed to use rifled barrels were made with smoothbore barrels. A small number of Colt New Service revolvers were manufactured with a smoothbore barrel, two of which are documented in Colt New Service Revolvers, pg. 36 by Bob Murphy. The Winchester Book, pg. 502 by George Madis states that Winchester Repeating Arms Co. once offered the Model 67 bolt action rifle with a smoothbore barrel that fired 22 Long Rifle rounds loaded with shot. -- October 26, 2016
SPIW -- Acronym for Special Purpose Individual Weapon, a series of firearms that fired cartridges that used steel fletchettes as projectiles. Mr. Irwin R. Barr, of Aircraft Armaments, Inc. first proposed the development of firearms that used fletchettes instead of bullets as projectiles and although the idea had considerable merit, the project never got beyond the manufacture and testing of prototypes. -- May 8, 2013
Stinger -- Generic term applied to pen guns that fire metallic cartridges or shotgun shells. The first stingers made in the U.S. were modified forms of tear gas pen guns that were developed in the 1920’s. Stingers largely disappeared from the American marketplace after passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934 that strictly regulated their manufacture and possession. -- Feb. 20, 2013
Sturmgewehr -- German language term for assault rifle or automatic rifle. The first Sturmgewehr adopted for German military use in World War 2 was the MP43/MP44/StG44 series of assault rifles. -- Jan. 9, 2013
Submachinegun -- Compact machinegun designed to fire cartridges that are normally chambered in handguns such as the 9mm Para, .45 ACP and 7.62 x 25mm Tokarev. Submachineguns can be either fullautomatic or selective-fire. The UZI, HK MP5, German MP40, MADSEN Model 1950, Walther MPL, British Sten, Czech Model 25, Soviet PPSh-41 and PPS-43 are just some of the more commonly known examples of submachineguns. The world’s first submachinegun was the Italian 9mm Para. Pillar Verosa (aka Revelli) introduced in 1915. -- Feb. 17, 2013
Sulfur -- Raw ingredient used in the manufacture of black powder -- January 20, 2015
Copyright October 2016 John Swikart
