Common Acronyms / Terms
AK – Avtomat Kalashnikova ; What most people call an ‘AK-47’ when they see what is most likely an AK-103 or AKM.
AR-15/AR-10 – Armalite Rifle ; Sometimes misattributed as ‘Assault Rifle’, the AR-15 and AR-10 pattern rifles are common rifle patterns used for a variety of applications including self-defense, recreation shooting, and hunting.
ATF / BATFE – Bureau of Alchohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives ; The federal government’s executive branch that oversees compliance of gun laws.
Bullet – The projectile fired from a gun ; Sometimes misattributed for a whole round of ammunition.
Caliber – The size of the ammunition a given gun will use ; Generally referred to using the metric (mm) or imperial (fraction of an inch) designation, the caliber refers to the diameter of the bullet that will be fired.
CCW – Concealed Carry Weapon ; Generally a handgun that someone that is hidden on a person.
EDC – Everyday Carry ; A common assortment of items that a person will carry on any given day, ranging from their phone, wallet, and keys, to medical supplies, a handgun, and multi-tool.
FFL – Federal Firearms License ; A license allowing the owner to transfer firearms.
NFA – National Firearms Act A federal gun control law that dictates special class firearms such as Short Barrel Rifles, Short Barrel Shotguns, Destructive Devices, and related items such as silencers.
NICS – National Instant Criminal Background Check System ; The federal system to perform background checks for all firearms purchases made through an FFL.
PTC/LTC – Permit to Carry / License to Carry ; In the states that require a PTC, this is a card issued to an applicant after successfully completing a requisite course and application to permits the ability to carry a firearm on their person while outside their living space.
Round – A self contained combination of bullet, gunpowder, casing, and primer that are ready to use ; The term for a completed, ready to fire piece of ammunition, this is the most correct term to avoid accidentally buying a set of projectiles for making your own ammunition.