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There is no shortage of acronyms in the gun industry. Use our Gun Acronym Guide to help you decipher some of the more common gun acronyms.
Gun Acronyms
Click on the gun acronym to learn more.
– A –
- ACP – Automatic Colt Pistol
- AIWB – Appendix Inside the Waistband
- AO – Adjustable Objective
- ASR – Advanced Sniper Rifle
- ATF – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
– B –
- BC – Ballistic Coefficient
- BJHP – Brass Jacketed Hollow Point
- BT – Boat Tail
- BTHP – Boat Tail Hollow Point
- BUIS – Back Up Iron Sights
– C –
- CCW – Concealed Carry Weapon
- CLL – Cowboy Lead Load
- CRO – Chief Range Officer
- CT – Copper Tip
– D –
– E –
- EDC – Everyday Carry
- EMJ – Enclosed Metal Jacket
– F –
- FFL – Federal Firearms License
- FMJ – Full Metal Jacket
- FN – Flat Nose
- FNEB – Flat Nose Enclosed Base
- FP – Full Patched
- FPS – Feet Per Second
- FTE – Failure to Eject
– G –
– H –
- HP – Hollow Point
- HSP – Hollow Soft Point
– I –
- ICORE – International Confederation of Revolver Enthusiasts
- IDPA – International Defensive Pistol Association
- IHMSA – International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association
- IMR – Improved Military Rifle
- IPSC – International Practical Shooting Confederation
- ISSF – International Shooting Sport Federation
– J –
- JHP – Jacketed Hollow Point
- JSP – Jacketed Soft Point
– K –
– L –
- LHP – Lead Hollow Point
- LOS – Line of Sight
- LRN – Lead Round Nose
- LSWCHP – Lead Semi Wad Cutter Hollow Point
- LWC – Lead Wad Cutter
– M –
- MC – Metal Case
- ME – Muzzle Energy
- MIL-SPEC – Military Specification
- MOA – Minute-of-angle
- MOLLE – Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment
- MR – Mean Radius
- MRT – Mid-range Trajectory
- MV – Muzzle Velocity
– N –
- NBRSA – National Bench Rest Shooters Association
- NFA – National Firearms Act
- NICS – National Instant Criminal Background Check System
- NRA – National Rifle Association
- NRMA – National Reloading Manufacturers’ Association
- NROI – National Range Officers Institute
- NSSF – National Shooting Sports Foundation
– O –
– P –
- PALS – Pouch Attachment Ladder System
- PCC – Pistol Caliber Carbine
- PDW – Personal Defense Weapon
- PG – Partitioned Gold
- PSCA – Professional Sporting Clays Association
- PSP – Pointed Soft Point
- PTHP – Platinum Tip Hollow Point
– Q –
– R –
- RCO – Range Conducting Officer
- RF – Rimfire
- RM – Range Master
- RMI – Range Master Instructor
- RO – Range Officer
- RSO – Range Safety Officer
– S –
- SAAMI – Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers Institute
- SBR – Short Barreled Rifle
- SCSA – Steel Challenge Shooting Association
- SJHP – Semi Jacketed Hollow Point
- SJSP – Semi Jacketed Soft Point
- SP – Soft Point
- STHP – Silver Tip Hollow Point
- SWC – Semi Wad Cutter
– T –
- TFSP – Total Fragmenting Soft Point
- TMJ – Total Metal Jacket
- TTSX – Tipped Triple Shock X
- TOF – Time of Flight
– U –
– V –
– W –
- WC – Wad Cutter
- WCF – Winchester Center Fire
- WFN – Wide Flat Nose
- WFNGC – Wide Flat Nose Gas Checked
– X –
- WC – Wad Cutter
- WCF – Winchester Center Fire
- WFN – Wide Flat Nose
- WFNGC – Wide Flat Nose Gas Checked
– Y –
– Z –
Be sure to also check out our Gun Glossary.