Okay I admit that I have been struggling with this question. You do remember the scene in Full Metal Jacket wherein the drill instructor drums into the recruits heads: “This is my rifle; this is my gun…”
And I always assumed everyone understood the point of this scene.
But do they? Let me explain why I have my doubts:
It began with an episode of Family Guy of all things. Stewie handles a shotgun (and he says it’s a shotgun; he says something like “I’ve never handled a ten guage before.”). And then he puts the shotgun to his shoulder and parodies the “this is my rifle; this is my gun.” scene from the movie.
Obviously a shotgun isn’t a rifle, so the Family Guy writers don’t understand the point of that scene from the movie! Before this, I assumed everyone got it.
So I started worrying that oh shit, maybe the population in general didn’t understand that scene? Maybe they just think it’s word salad and they don’t know the difference between a rifle and gun?
So please tell me I’m wrong. Most of you understand why Marines have to differentiate between guns and rifles, right?
What do *you *think the point of the scene is? Because when I watch that scene, I don’t get the impression it’s about differentiating between firearms at all.
The point is to drill Marines not to use the word “gun” when talking about their small arms. A gun is an artillery piece. Using one word for the other (e.g. on the radio or in a scouting report) could lead to confusion, which is already in ample supply in battle ;).
I always thought he was trying to impress on them that they need to be very specific with their terminology; they need to be in the habit of making their communication as unambiguous as possible. There’s no time for ambiguity in a combat situation.
That quote is from a risque ditty from WWII.
“This is my rifle, (indicating a firearm.) This is my gun. (indicating his penis) One is for killing, one is for fun.”
That’s how it is in the movie, too. Not being a military man, I still don’t get how identifying one’s rifle as being for fighting and one’s penis as being for fun easily (or at all) equates to a directive not to call a rifle a gun (or vice versa). :: shrug ::
My dad said that once when some Waves were visiting the ship and he was supposed to call hands to for small-arms inspection, he got on the PA and said ‘All hands stand to for short-arm inspection!’ The Waves started giggling. He thought he’d said something incorrectly… so he said it again!
(Knowing dad, I don’t know if this really happened. Could’ve been a sea story.)
It’s called negative reinforcement; supposedly, the march/chant/crotch grab was silly and/or humiliating to the recruits, therefore driving home the lesson to NOT be imprecise in terminology.
I’ve never handled a firearm in my life. My vague understanding is that the distinguishing characteristic of a rifle is a rifled barrel, which allows a more accurate shot. I’m not sure how, if at all, one should define a “gun”, much less how the various branches of the armed services might do so.
So I’m not sure whether I “get” the jingle or the Family Guy parody or not. If someone wants to explain about rifles and guns, I’m all ears. Just leave my schlong out of it.
That ain’t about mistaking rifles for guns, that’s about their dicks (and presumably *not *using their rifles as playthings).