Buzzwords/Marketing Jargon in the Gun Industry

[Wooosh]

Like with any industry, I noticed that there's tons of them in the firearms industry.

For example, contemporary pistol frames are often made of a nylon thermoplastic that is filled with fiberglass with some companies skipping the fiberglass to save on costs. Due to plastics being associated with cheapness, the gun industry uses "polymer" instead which is technically true but also incredibly vague. (Polymers are any materials that have repeating molecular subunits, so this would include gelatin.) I think Glock started this trend after a review by Peter Kokalis in Soldier of Fortune called it "plastic perfection," but I could be wrong. For other industries, I've heard "resin," "composite," and even "bioceramic" being used.

Also, who started the trend of using "platform" instead of "family"?

[rob_s]

I actually like “platform” as I think, used properly, it conveys a better intent in some cases than “family”.

Not sure if you are only looking for technical buzzwords, but I’ve gotten to where I just about won’t do business with anyone selling the “gunfighter lifestyle”. Or for that matter, anyone marketing to a “lifestyle”l gun industry or otherwise.

I’m also pretty tired of gun industry marketing that exploits or plays to fear.

[ccmdfd]

Tactical, and Operator.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

As long as a gun is described as the 'ultimate', someone will buy it.

Given the lawsuits based on advertising priming rampages, I think we will see a drop off on the lethal, mankiller, macho terms.

[Cory]

I kind of dislike the way firearm names seem to be made by a 13 year old boy who likes the letter X cause it's edgier.

Springfield XD.
Beretta Xtreme Plus.
92X.
Wilson Combat SFX9. Or EDC X9.
X300 ultra super turbo vampire.

There are a ton. Some of the products are great... but the names seem like they're out of a 90s-00s teenage adventure movie.

[4RNR]

I kind of dislike the way firearm names seem to be made by a 13 year old boy who likes the letter X cause it's edgier.

Springfield XD.
Beretta Xtreme Plus.
92X.
Wilson Combat SFX9. Or EDC X9.

There are a ton. Some of the products are great... but the names seem like their out of a 90s-00s teenage adventure movie.I'm pretty sure XD stands for extreme duty and XDM is is either Modernized or Match, I forget.

Like Rob said, anything "lifestyle" I stay away from and anything aggressive sounding like "Equalizer" "Punisher", "Predator"....

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[Kanye Wyoming]

A little too early for thread drift, but hell, it’s a Saturday. Now that drugs are widely advertised on TV, I often scratch my head at the names they are given.

I wouldn’t want to do it for a living, but I would want to be on the team responsible for marketing an innovative prescription strength laxative. Which, if I had my way, would be called Shidezia.

[Paul D]

A little too early for thread drift, but hell, it’s a Saturday. Now that drugs are widely advertised on TV, I often scratch my head at the names they are given.

I wouldn’t want to do it for a living, but I would want to be on the team responsible for marketing an innovative prescription strength laxative. Which, if I had my way, would be called Shidezia.

I remember as a resident reading that marketing studies shows that people somehow remember names better when they have the letter Q, X, and Z to them. Zetia, Xarelto, Eliquis, remember them?

[HCM]

Like with any industry, I noticed that there's tons of them in the firearms industry.

For example, contemporary pistol frames are often made of a nylon thermoplastic that is filled with fiberglass with some companies skipping the fiberglass to save on costs. Due to plastics being associated with cheapness, the gun industry uses "polymer" instead which is technically true but also incredibly vague. (Polymers are any materials that have repeating molecular subunits, so this would include gelatin.) I think Glock started this trend after a review by Peter Kokalis in Soldier of Fortune called it "plastic perfection," but I could be wrong. For other industries, I've heard "resin," "composite," and even "bioceramic" being used.

Also, who started the trend of using "platform" instead of "family"?

Platform comes from military vehicles where you have a basic vehicle design - such as an APC or aircraft which can be configured for various roles while retaining as much commonality of parts, maintenance and training / operation as possible instead of having completely different vehicles for these roles.

The SOPMOD program applied this concept to small arms for U.S. Special Forces in the 1990s in the form of a modular kit which allowed weapons to be configured for particular mission or individual user preferences.

I agree with RobS that platform is a more accurate description of some modern modulator weapons.

Whi.e the commercial gun industry is guilty of appropriating and overusing the term, itis anacurate description of a real concept for institutional users who are restricted to using what is " in the system."

There are two factors to keep in mind;

- Not everything is made for "you* i.e. the commercial market / individual consumers and in particular many European gun companies users to be their " real" customers.

-Gun companies exist to make money, not guns. If they can make additional money selling institutional products to individuals they are not going to leave that money on the table.

The Glock 47 is a perfect example of this. It's a product designed to meet a need for a large institutional user, in this case the largest law enforcement organization in North America. Initially Glock had no plans to selling commercially. But Glock eventually released it on the commercial market because enough people said they wanted it that it did not make sense to leave that money on the table. Now most of those people only wanted it because they couldn't have it but their money is still good.

Conversely, while all the G47 haters are are bitching Glock is laughing their way to the bank.

The Bill Rugers of the industry spent decades marketing to to Fudds, now the market has changed and the shoe is on the other foot.

[HeavyDuty]

I'm pretty sure XD stands for extreme duty and XDM is is either Modernized or Match, I forget.

Yeah, a gun named “ED” probably wouldn’t go over too well…

[Lex Luthier]

I still think S & W missed the mark by calling it's new EZ variant the Equalizer, when "Alte-Kacker" would have won over so many more hearts, minds, and the occasional jury member.

[Stephanie B]

Also, who started the trend of using "platform" instead of "family"?

Platform:

100921

And while we're at it... Operator:

100922

100923

[Jim Watson]

I have gotten about as tired of "iconic" as I am of "tactical".
And I don't want anything "curated" except bacon.

Another I had forgotten, "venerable."

[WobblyPossum]

I dislike the term “pipe hitter.” You know what hitting the pipe is? It’s smoking crack, or I guess meth these days since crack isn’t as popular anymore. Taking a hit from a crack pipe.

[4RNR]

I remember as a resident reading that marketing studies shows that people somehow remember names better when they have the letter Q, X, and Z to them. Zetia, Xarelto, Eliquis, remember them?Years ago I remember seeing a commercial for a TV show where a young hot paralegal lady does lawyer stuff. Or something like that. The premise was they she was almost a lawyer. The geniuses at that cable channel named it "Barely Legal". I think they ended up changing the name after a few weeks

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[HCM]

Platform:

100921

And while we're at it... Operator:

100922

100923

As a former Naval Officer, you likely know the whole “operator” thing supposedly came from the Naval Special Warfare community - as in the “operator” of a swimmer delivery vehicle back before they became Rangers with flippers and frogman / swimmer delivery vehicle stuff was still their primary focus.

Way…. Over used / over exposed but it significantly predates the GWOT.