[ I am pleased to present this guest post written by Matt Groom.]

For many of us, our window to the world of guns is books, magazines, and the internet. Unfortunately, when you see a word or a name that you aren’t familiar with, you tend to do what you learned to do in school, sound it out in your head. This has lead to a plethora of often mispronounced words and names in the firearms community, and it makes us all look like rubes. I would like to point out some often heard examples along with the proper enunciation of each. Please note that I am neither German nor Scandinavian and I speak no languages other than American English, but I have asked and been corrected by people who do speak these languages.

Heckler & Koch

Probably one of the most well-know arms companies in the world is known by its initials because nobody seems to know how to pronounce the last names of its founders. And everybody says their marketing department is SO great...

How most people say it: Heck-ler and C-au-k like “Cock”, or Coach, or KA-t-ch (?)

How it’s actually pronounced: “Heck-ler and Coke” Example: “Well, I’ll have a coke, then.”

Why is it mispronounced? “Cock” would be a very appropriate name for a gun company “Cock your hammer!” or “Those guys at H&K are a bunch of… Germans.”

Krag-Jorgensen

America’s first military repeater is also the most mispronounced of all service rifle names. No less and authority than the late great Col. Jeff Cooper corrected me on the proper way to say this name, and ultimately, he was incorrect.

How most people say it: Ker-Ag ,or Ker-egg Jor-gen-son

How it’s actually pronounced: Kr-Ah-g (like “Frog”) Yor-gen-sen.

Why is it mispronounced? A popular ballad during the Spanish-American War and the Pilipino Insurrection had a refrain that went “Underneath our starry flag, civilize ‘em with a Krag!” which certainly had a better ring to it than “If you want to eat a frog, do not shoot him with a Krag”. The proper enunciation may have been intentionally bastardized for pop-culture.

Makers of everything from Weed whackers to Motorcycles to full-auto military rifles, this name seems to dumbfound even the people who sell them. A Swede who was a former employee of the firm in the 1960’s told me how to say it.

How most people say it: Husk-a-varn-a, Husk-Q-var-na

How you’re supposed to say it: Who-sk-Var-na

Why is it mispronounced? It’s Swedish.

These Serbian makers of high quality ammunition available at bargain basement prices have rapidly earned popularity in the US. After being sold for a number of years under different names by different distributors, they are now selling ammo under their own name and confusing many people with their Balkan-esque spelling.

How most people say it: Pervy Party-san

How you’re supposed to say it: PR-iv-A Part-iZ-on

Why is it mispronounced? Triple Consonants don’t make a whole hell of a lot of sense to most English speakers.

I have it on good authority that these are correct, but nobody’s perfect. There are lots more of these, but we’ll save those for another post. Let’s hear some suggestions for gun related names and words that are often mispronounced or which are confusing in the comments!

UPDATE:

Roy recorded himself pronouncing Heckler & Koch, Walther, Sauer, Luger, Mauser, Blaser, Weihrauch and Schmeisser.

Stefan recorded himself saying Anschütz, Heckler & Koch, Mauser, Sauer, Steyr Mannlicher, Walther and Weihrauch.

Ruger 10/22

Ruger 10/22 rimfire autoloading rifles provide reliable performance with the following key features:

** America’s favorite .22 rifle.

** High-speed, pivoted hammer for short lock time.

** Proven performance in a wide range of styles for every rimfire application.

** Barrel that is locked into the receiver by a unique two-screw V-block system.

** Unique, removable rotary magazine that offers superior reliability, no exposed magazine to dent and no uncomfortable protrusions at the rifle’s balance point.

** .22 Magnum model only (10/22 RBM) incorporates a rugged steel receiver with integral scope mounts and free Ruger medium height scope rings.

** The .22 Magnum model holds nine rounds and features an 18 1/2″ barrel.

** Compact model features a shorter 16 1/8″ barrel, short 12 3/4″ length-of-full, high-visibility fiber optic front and rear sights, and correctly proportioned tapered forends with no barrel bands.

mspasfeh056

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Scope Mounts

It will take the most force just to break the pins loose… once they are loose, we can use the small punch to tap them all the way out:

3. Now, lubricate the FSB and the area on the barrel in front of the FSB with CLP, WD40, gun oil…etc… this it to ensure we will scratch the barrel as little as possible upon removing the FSB. Wiggle the FSB back and forth to loosen it… you may need to put the scope mounts back in the upper receiver to hold it for this step. Then, pull the FSB from the barrel, going slow and taking care. If you go slowly, you shouldnt place any AR15s on the barrel from this step. Remove the barrel nut and delta ring as well:

mspmwg47

Ruger 10/22

Ruger 10/22 rimfire autoloading rifles provide reliable performance with the following key features:

** America’s favorite .22 rifle.

** High-speed, pivoted hammer for short lock time.

** Proven performance in a wide range of styles for every rimfire application.

** Barrel that is locked into the receiver by a unique two-screw V-block system.

** Unique, removable rotary magazine that offers superior reliability, no exposed magazine to dent and no uncomfortable protrusions at the rifle’s balance point.

** .22 Magnum model only (10/22 RBM) incorporates a rugged steel receiver with integral scope mounts and free Ruger medium height scope rings.

** The .22 Magnum model holds nine rounds and features an 18 1/2″ barrel.

** Compact model features a shorter 16 1/8″ barrel, short 12 3/4″ length-of-full, high-visibility fiber optic front and rear sights, and correctly proportioned tapered forends with no barrel bands.

mspasfeh056

-

Ruger 10/22

Ruger 10/22 rimfire autoloading rifles provide reliable performance with the following key features:

** America’s favorite .22 rifle.

** High-speed, pivoted hammer for short lock time.

** Proven performance in a wide range of styles for every rimfire application.

** Barrel that is locked into the receiver by a unique two-screw V-block system.

** Unique, removable rotary magazine that offers superior reliability, no exposed magazine to dent and no uncomfortable protrusions at the rifle’s balance point.

** .22 Magnum model only (10/22 RBM) incorporates a rugged steel receiver with integral scope mounts and free Ruger medium height scope rings.

** The .22 Magnum model holds nine rounds and features an 18 1/2″ barrel.

** Compact model features a shorter 16 1/8″ barrel, short 12 3/4″ length-of-full, high-visibility fiber optic front and rear sights, and correctly proportioned tapered forends with no barrel bands.

mspasfeh056

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