Gun Review Jargon Explained and How To Understand It

At Handguns, we try to make every article easily understood by everyone—whether you’re a beginner or advanced—but having jargon creep into reviews is unavoidable. Here are some often-used terms that can help some of you make better sense of the articles you read in this and other gun magazines.

TERMS TO KNOW:

1911:

A single-action semiautomatic pistol designed by John Browning in 1911. Long a military sidearm, it has maintained a loyal following among shooters due to its ergonomics, dependability and trigger pull.

Backstrap:

The rear of a handgun’s grip or frame. Many polymer-frame pistols today feature interchangeable backstraps to easily modify fit.

Break:

When referring to a trigger pull, the point at which the hammer or firing pin is released to strike the cartridge’s primer.

Checkering:

A type of texturing with intersecting lines, usually expressed in lines per inch. The more lines per inch, the finer the checkering.

Commander 1911:

A 1911 with a barrel in the 4.25-inch range.

Compensator:

Integral machining or added muzzle device that redirects firing gases in order to reduce felt recoil and muzzle rise.

Co-witness:

The ability (or lack thereof) to see an iron-sight picture through the window of a reflex sight—enabling the handgun’s open sights to be used if a reflex sight fails or becomes unusable.

Creep:

Movement in a trigger after the full pull resistance is encountered but before the hammer or firing pin releases. Less creep is better.

Dehorn:

Removing sharp edges on pistols for improved carrying and handling qualities. Also called “melting.”

DLC:

Diamond-like carbon. A very hard finish applied to firearms that also has extremely low friction. It’s highly resistant to wear and self-lubricating.

Double action/single action:

In a revolver, the double-action pull cocks and releases the hammer; in single action the hammer is cocked manually. With a semiauto, the double-action pull also cocks and releases the hammer, but the cycling action of the slide cocks the hammer so the next shot is single action. In both cases, the double-action pull is long and heavy while the single-action pull is shorter and lighter.

EDM:

Not electronic dance music but rather electrical discharge machining. The method produces parts with extremely tight tolerances.

Fiber optic:

A type of sight incorporating a light-transmitting plastic rod that’s highly visible in the presence of ambient light.

Footprint:

This refers to the interface between a reflex sight and a slide cut or adapter plate that allows such a sight to be mounted on a handgun. Sights from different makers may share the same footprint.

Frontstrap:

The forward part of the frame, where the fingers of the non-shooting hand curl around to grip the gun. Can be smooth or textured.

G10:

A popular type of grip-panel material made of fiberglass laminate that’s durable and can be made in a variety of textures and colors.

Government 1911:

A 1911 with the original-length five-inch barrel.

HRT:

Design characteristics originally sought by the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team in its search for a duty pistol. These are sometimes incorporated into high-end production or custom pistols.

Lowered and/or flared:

An ejection port that provides extra clearance for spent brass to exit the gun, improving reliability.

Mainspring housing:

A part on the rear of a 1911 frame, below the grip safety, incorporating a spring vital to the gun’s function.

Memory bump:

A protuberance on a 1911 grip safety that makes it easier to deactivate the safety.

MIM:

Metal injection molding. An inexpensive way to produce firearm parts—inexpensive because it’s a one-step process requiring no extra finishing

Nitride:

A nitrogen-based metal finish chosen for its toughness and corrosion resistance.

Novak style:

The Novak Sight Co. designed the LoMount, a low-profile sight that’s a top choice for defensive uses.  Some gun makers use actual Novak sights; some use facsimiles, hence “Novak style.”

Off hand:

The hand playing a support role and doesn’t fire the handgun. Also referred to as “weak” hand. When used as one word, “offhand,” it refers to shooting from the standing position.

Officer’s 1911:

A short 1911, with a barrel length around 3.5 inches.

Overtravel:

Trigger movement that occurs after the hammer or firing pin has been released. Some pistols can be adjusted to reduce or eliminate this; some have molded-in stops to halt that movement.

Polymer pistol:

A semiautomatic built on a polymer frame.

PVD:

Physical vapor deposition forms a thin film of a metal finish via a vacuum process. Titanium nitride is commonly used.

Red dot:

See “Reflex sight.”

Reflex sight:

Often referred to as a “red dot,” this refers to a type of sight in which focused light is projected onto a lens—creating a red or green dot that’s visible to the shooter and simplifies aiming.

Reset:

The point at which the trigger, on its travel to return to its forward-most position, is again ready to fire. Shorter resets can make for faster follow-up shots.

Serration:

A saw-like or toothed pattern machined into parts to impart a non-slip surface.

Stacking:

A point in a double-action revolver trigger pull where the resistance increases. Usually occurs to some degree; less is better.

Stippling:

While stippling is strictly speaking a repeating series of dots, the term has become interchangeable with “texturing.” Both can indicate a pattern or series of patterns molded into a pistol’s grip to improve control.

Striker-fired:

A cartridge’s primer is struck by a spring-driven firing pin instead of a hammer. The spring is pre-loaded when the slide cycles, reducing the amount of force necessary to pull the trigger.

Take-up:

When referring to trigger pull, the amount of slack that has to be “taken up” before encountering the full resistance of the trigger pull.

Topstrap:

The top portion of a revolver frame above the cylinder.

Three-dot:

A sighting arrangement that pairs two dots on either side of a rear sight’s notch with a single dot on the front sight. The dots can be white or colored/luminescent paint, fiber optic, tritium or some combination thereof.

Tritium:

A radioactive element that glows in the dark and is often used in night sights.

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