an automatic term refering to a handgun

[Excalibur]

Well that makes sense though nowadays ppl do get confused with that terms

[Nyles]

I have a Colt 1903 Pocket Hammer and a foreign contract 1911, both made in 1919. They're marked Automatic Colt and Colt Automatic, respectively. I also have a Webley & Scott 1910 marked '38 Automatic Pistol, and while I don't read Czech, I have a CZ-38 from 1940 that I'm fairly sure also says automatic pistol. The term was used quite widely for a long time.

[MoviePropMaster2008]

It's because it referred to auto-loader not auto firing, but nowadays people get them confused all the time. As a side note, by 1902 we DID already had full auto firing guns. People forget that we had full autos, semi autos for over a hundred years now.

[Gunmaster45]

We can thank Hyrim Maxim and John Browning for those. Kudos to Richard Gatling for trying.

[Excalibur]

On a different note but similiar on weapons terms, the B.A.R. Is it so wrong to call it "Bar" as in the word it spells. I heard some people never call it that. Why is it such a problem? I mean it sounds like calling a BAR "bar" is almost as bad as calling the Desert Eagle a Deagle.

[Clutch]

Originally Posted by Excalibur

On a different note but similiar on weapons terms, the B.A.R. Is it so wrong to call it "Bar" as in the word it spells. I heard some people never call it that. Why is it such a problem? I mean it sounds like calling a BAR "bar" is almost as bad as calling the Desert Eagle a Deagle.

My guess is because it's a fad term, and not a particularly good one at that. Though I could see the potential confusion that could arise from something like this...

*As we see a group of US Army infantry surrounding a seemingly vacant house's door on the French countryside during WWII...*

Soldier 1: Door's shut tight. But I bet I could pry this open if I had something to do it with. Anyone got a bar or something?
Soldier 2: Yeah, I got one. *runs up to Soldier 1 and gives him his B.A.R.*
Soldier 1: ...

As for Deagle...that just sounds BAD, man. Especially so when you consider how highly video games and the entertainment industry regard the Desert Eagle. Takes away from the potential perceived badassery of the gun.

[Excalibur]

What about the FAL? I've seen a lot of docs that just spell it out, so do people just pronounce it as it is? A "Fal"

[MT2008]

Originally Posted by Excalibur

On a different note but similiar on weapons terms, the B.A.R. Is it so wrong to call it "Bar" as in the word it spells. I heard some people never call it that. Why is it such a problem? I mean it sounds like calling a BAR "bar" is almost as bad as calling the Desert Eagle a Deagle.

My grandfather is a vet and he pronounces the Browning Automatic Rifle in acronym form as "Bar". I've always been under the impression everyone else does, too?

Originally Posted by Excalibur

What about the FAL? I've seen a lot of docs that just spell it out, so do people just pronounce it as it is? A "Fal"

Most Americans seem to pronounce it as "Fal", but I've heard Brits pronounce it "F-A-L". I have no idea which is correct. Of course, the U.S. never adopted it, so it's kind of a moot point.

[Spartan198]

I've always pronounced BAR in acronym form (as I do the AUG), but occasionally I'll find myself pronouncing FAL in word form without realizing it, though I prefer to use the acronym form.

Blame TV for the latter. The first place I ever saw an FAL was in a movie, where it was never referred to by name. I first learned the name when I saw it on paper, so naturally I put the letters "FAL" together as the word "fal". I know better now, but I sometimes still call it in word form without realizing it (like I said above).