British Slang For Gun (Explained!)

Common British slang terms for gun include words like shooter, piece, and rod. You might also hear terms like “hardware” or “gear” used for guns in Britain. Some more specific kinds of slang for gun include the term “Lady of Bristol” for pistol used regionally. To be “strapped” means to carry a gun.

Guns are not a part of British culture in the way they are to a greater extent in the U.S., so there is naturally less slang to describe them.

Most people don’t talk about guns that much in their everyday lives.

That said, there are still many terms used to describe guns, so let’s find out more.

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What do the British call guns?

It’s worth starting out by saying that many British people, if not most, will simply refer to guns as guns.

There are certainly many slang terms that the vast majority of British people will understand and many will even use habitually, but for the most part, they just tend to be referred to as guns.

“Gun” works perfectly fine and doesn’t create any confusion, and it also isn’t any more specific, not pertaining to any specific kind of gun.

With less of a gun culture in Britain than in the U.S., there’s less need for it.

That said, there are a few main slang terms you’ll hear used for gun in Britain.

The most common is “shooter”, a fairly self-explanatory word that can be used to describe any gun.

This isn’t geographically specific and is used to some extent in most parts of Britain, though you’re more likely to hear this used in the south of England than anywhere else.

Virtually anyone will know what you mean by the term.

“Is he carrying a shooter?” for example.

Another term you’ll often hear for gun in Britain is “rod”.

This again means any kind of gun, though it is very often used to describe a rifle rather than anything else.

Again, it is not geographically specific, though you are generally less likely to be understood if you use this one anywhere.

This is mostly just down to the fact that the term is less intuitive to understand than “shooter”, for example.

“Piece” is also commonly used in Britain as it is in America.

The term generally means a smaller gun like a handgun, although it can mean any gun.

In some contexts, you may hear terms like “gear” or “hardware”—though you’re only likely to hear this in movies.

Why do the British say “shooter”?

The simple reason the British call guns “shooters” is that guns shoot bullets.

It’s that simple!

This is a very common slang phrase for guns everywhere in the English speaking world, so it’s no surprise it has made its way to Britain, too.

The word itself is naturally very old.

It ultimately derives from the Middle English shetere, meaning “one who shoots”.

This in turn came from the Old English sceotere.

These terms, obviously, related to the shooting of arrows.

It is first recorded as referring specifically to guns in 1812, and has gone unchanged since then.

Why do the British say “piece”?

The term “piece” is older than you might expect as a slang term for gun.

It is first attested in the 16^th Century, first meaning “portable firearm” as far back as the 1580s.

As mentioned, it typically refers today to a small, compact gun that can be concealed on your person.

So, again, the meaning has gone virtually unchanged since the term was first used.

It is more commonly associated with American slang today, but plainly it was originally British and then spread to the American colonies that way.

It is less common today, but certainly, one you’ll hear from time to time.

Why do the British say “rod”?

The slang term “rod” also generally refers to a handgun or pistol rather than a larger gun.

This use is first recorded by 1903, so we can presume that it predates this by sometime.

This, too, was originally an American term that eventually spread to Britain over the course of the 20^th Century.

Why do the British say “Lady of Bristol”?

Lady of Bristol is an example of Cockney rhyming slang, so you’ll really only hear it used in the East End of London.

Rhyming slang involves supplanting the actual word for one that rhymes. Thus, “Lady of Bristol” is rhyming slang for “pistol”.

That’s all there is to it!

Why do the British say “gear”?

“Gear” is a term often used in British slang to refer to contraband of one kind or another.

It could mean drugs or stolen goods, and it can also often refer to guns.

This would typically mean multiple guns, rather than just one, and most often would be used in the context of smuggling or selling them, rather than using them.

This is much the same as how the term “hardware” is used.

It is almost a term used to cover up what you’re actually saying.

So, you’ve got a handful of different terms you might be able to use to talk about guns in Britain.

Again, most people don’t really spend much time talking about guns in Britain, so for the most part there aren’t a lot of slang terms that get used all that much.

For parts of Britain where gun violence is more of a problem, you might be more likely to hear slang terms, otherwise a lot of people will just use the word gun.

More in British Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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