Slingin’ Sixgun Slang
Can You Talk The Talk?
Wood stocks, not grips, just look right on a sixgun.
Sixgun “speak,” or the talk of revolvers, can be weird for the uneducated or poly-framed packers. Like any foreign language, it’s confusing at times. When sixgunners converse amongst themselves, they know this, speaking their secret code without worry or aplomb. They know any greenhorn within earshot won’t understand what they’re talking about in the first place. And if they do understand the lingo, they’re more than welcome to join in.
The “code” wasn’t intentional. No, sir … it just happened, morphing on its own accord. Evolution isn’t planned; it just happens — as most pertinent things do. A diehard sixgunner hears a catchy phrase or word, chews on it a bit, and if they like it or it fits, they swallow it, saving it for later use. If not, they spit it out like weak coffee.
The more “jawboning” they do with sixgunners, the greater the potential for exposure and absorption of colorful words or phrases. The advent of the internet makes words and phrases spread even faster. Computer geeks call this going viral.
It would take a few volumes of books to break down and decipher every word or phrase of sixgun speak, let alone trying to cover it with a short article. I will attempt to cover the basics as best I can, so you can at least understand some jargon of your sixgunner or talk to fellow sixgunners without sticking out like a sore thumb buster. At the very least, you’ll know it exists.
Stag and sheep horn are better yet!
Sixgun
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary and Microsoft’s built-in dictionary feature, “sixgun” is not a word — which lessens their credibility to all sixgunners. I’m surprised John Taffin hasn’t used his pull to have this corrected. Those institutions do accept a hyphenated version of six-gun, but I don’t like hyphens unless we’re talking cartridges like .44-40.
In my book, hyphens and hernias should be avoided at all costs. Both cause unsightly bulges, and no one wants a bulge, no matter the cause. I hate seeing sixgun underlined in red every time I write something. Just like that. It can give a fella a complex.
A sixgun is still called a sixgun, even if it has a five-shot cylinder. Calling it a fivegun makes you stand out as odd when trying to fit in. Fellow sixgunners will think your plumb loco. Single actions (SA) can be called smoke wagons, thumb busters or cowboy guns, but you run the risk of sticking out again with the last name.
Double-action wheelguns should be referred to as such, double-action. Wheelguns can be either double-action or single-action. However, double actions can be fired either single action, by cocking the hammer, or double action, by simply pulling the trigger. Mastering double-action shooting takes time. If you master it, you can master shooting any gun.
Close up of some heavy-duty slugs.
Slugs
A slug can mean many things. It can be something the French eat, a punch in the arm, a shot of whiskey, but for our purpose, a slug is a bullet — usually a cast bullet, but jacketed bullets still count. Not all slugs are alike. There are flat-nosed, hollow-point, round-nose, semi-wadcutter and wadcutter slugs. When a sixgunner says he really likes those slugs, you can bet he’s not seated at the French Buffet downtown.
Some Simply Rugged shucks with some stag and laminate stocked sixguns.
Rigs
Rigs are the holster and belt combo, with maybe a cartridge slide and knife added to the mix. A sixgunner’s rig, including saddle, is his lifeblood for getting the job done and surviving. Without a worthy rig, a sixgunner is just a man with a gun.
Powder
Powder is the propellant used when loading “slugs” into cartridge brass. It comes in one- and eight-pound containers. The one-pounders are simply referred to as a pound of this or a pound of that. Smart handloaders buy their powder in eight-pound containers, referring to it as a jug of 2400 or a jug of Unique. It’s usually cheaper per pound this way and more convenient to store.
For hardcore sixgunners, a jug can have another meaning. Skeeter Skelton wrote about a fictional character named “Jug” Johnson, who was not very bright, to put it nicely. If anyone ever refers to you as “Jug,” you’ve been insulted to the highest degree. It’s funny how many people confuse Jug for Tank, but I know what they mean.
Primers
These commodities are a better investment than gold with their higher rate of return rate these days. I remember the good old days of buying a “brick” or 1,000 primers for $9.99. Now, it’s not uncommon to pay $99.99 for a brick. Crazy, indeed, and one that has handloaders crawling on their knees when dropping one of these “caps.” At 10 cents a pop, they add up quickly. I told my investment man to shift all my investment funds ($367) to primers last year. I’m steadily watching it grow.
Seeing sixguns and slugs just make you feel good.
Fun and Games
Sure, we’ve had some fun poking around the sixgunner’s world. Hopefully, I didn’t offend anyone with my comments, as everything was meant to be taken in jest. Have some fun with your words. There’s nothing wrong with being colorful from time to time. After all, it’s fun speaking code. I do it all the time. People never know what I’m talking about, and sometimes that’s a good thing. See you at the next roundup.
