Gun Model Names, Letters, and Numbers

[USA1]

What do they all stand for.

Taurus uses P and PT
Khar uses PM and MK
Ect.

I know XD stands for "Extreme Duty" and "LCP" is Lightweight Compact Pistol, but what does "P" and "PT" stand for and so on?

I like how Glock uses numbers...easier to remember.

[A-R]

What do they all stand for.

Taurus uses P and PT
Khar uses PM and MK
Ect.

I know XD stands for "Extreme Duty" and "LCP" is Lightweight Compact Pistol, but what does "P" and "PT" stand for and so on?

I like how Glock uses numbers...easier to remember.

total guesses, but here goes:

Taurus P = pistol?
PT = pistol tactical?

Kahr PM = polymer
MK = K seems to equal steel frame in their lineup

Not sure what the M stands for, but it seems to be their smallest pocket pistol size. So maybe PM = small polymer pistol and MK = small steel pistol ???

Some more for the codebreakers out there ...

H&K USP ... universal service pistol?

Bushmaster XM-15 (why not just AR-15?)

Beretta PX4 .. pistol extreme version 4?

[seamusTX]

The PM in the case of Kahr means Polymer Micro. Kahr also has a CW series with polymer frames.

These things are no more systematic than the letters tacked onto motor vehicle model names. X seems to be popular. It sounded good to someone in marketing.

- Jim

[jimlongley]

You think those are bad, try selling refrigerators at Home Depot - GFSS6KGZXX and LMX25984ST, not to mention washers, dryers, dishwashers, and microwaves, our guns are tame by comparison.

[USA1]

It's all so confusing.

I have been trying learn and I know more than I did a year ago but there's always something new coming out.
I agree with Jim in regard to the automobile reference. As I mentioned above, I like the way Glock keeps it simple.

Some of the iconic gun names make perfect sense such as AK47 and 1911.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

USA1:

I beg to differ on Glock having a superior system
for naming their models. The 2 digit numbers that
Glock uses tell me nothing about their caliber or anything else,
and I haven't memorized their line to know right away which is which.

A Taurus PT145 - you know right away it's a .45 Millenium double stack.
I always imagine a "zero" between the 1 and the 45 since it's a 10 + 1 gun.

A Taurus PT745 on the other hand is a .45 Millenium single stack.
So the '7' stands for the 6 + 1 capacity of this gun.

An XD9 - It's a 9MM weapon.

The reason why an AK-47 is so named:
A = Automatic
K = Kalashnikov, its inventor, a WWII Russian army tank veteran.
47 = 1947, its year of introduction/adoption.

Recognizing guns and their specs kind of reminds me of my years
growing up when I knew ALL the American cars (what else was there,
besides VW, many moons ago?). Then there got to be too many brands
and models, plus they come and they go.

The world of handguns seems kind of compact compared to the number of
cars and trucks out there today.

SIA

[USA1]

I beg to differ on Glock having a superior system
for naming their models. The 2 digit numbers that
Glock uses tell me nothing about their caliber or anything else,
and I haven't memorized their line to know right away which is which.

It was confusing to me at first. But every time someone would mention a Glock XX, I would look it up and eventually started to memorize what caliber/size correlates with the number. Similar to learning the mathematical multiplication tables.

Try me.

And I have never even owned a Glock.

[A-R]

I beg to differ on Glock having a superior system
for naming their models. The 2 digit numbers that
Glock uses tell me nothing about their caliber or anything else,
and I haven't memorized their line to know right away which is which.

It was confusing to me at first. But every time someone would mention a Glock XX, I would look it up and eventually started to memorize what caliber/size correlates with the number. Similar to learning the mathematical multiplication tables.

Try me.

And I have never even owned a Glock.

Same here, just memorization... of the "normal size guns" in the main four calibers - 9mm, .40, .357,.45 I know 'em all by heart (10mm, the non-imported .380 guns, and all the extra-long barrelled guns escape me).

From memory, in order from smallest subcompact to largest full size:

9mm = 17, 19, 26
.40 = 22, 23, 27
.357 = 31, 32, 33
.45 = 36 (slim frame), 30, 21 (and 30 & 21 also each have SF - short frame versions).


By the way, speaking of AK-47 naming history, many don't realize that AR-15 does not stand for "Automatic Rifle 15" but in fact for "Armalite Model 15" - it's original maker - which maybe explains why some manufacturers like Bushmaster (XM-15) and RRA (LAR-15) have to alter the names of their products ... I believe Armalite and Colt own the copyright to the name "AR-15" or something? But if I"m wrong I'm sure someone will correct me soon.

[UpTheIrons]

What do they all stand for.

Taurus uses P and PT

If I remember correctly, P is simply for "Pistole", and PT for "Pistole Taurus", or whatever "pistol" looks like in Portugese.

Can't help you with the rest.

ETA: spelling

[USA1]

If PT145 is a .45
and a PT140 is a .40
Why is a PT111 a 9mm?

Shouldn't it be a PT109?

[jimlongley]

If PT145 is a .45
and a PT140 is a .40
Why is a PT111 a 9mm?

Shouldn't it be a PT109?

Already taken.

And, following the "place an imaginary zero" rule, wouldn't that make a PT745 a seventy round capacity gun?

Sounds like "New Math" to me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Vb8CWJ-Ho" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SecedeTX]

The Kahr MK9 stands for Micro Kahr as it is the smallest version of their all steel gun. Anything with a P is for their line of plastic guns.

[USA1]

Springfield EMP = Enhanced Micro Pistol.

[tacticool]

They should drop the letters and numbers and name them things like Peacemaker, Cougar, Mustang, Pinto, Prius, etc.

[seamusTX]

Taurus does that with Judge and Defender.

These things follow marketing trends. Just as with cars, you have a period where a lot of cars are named for animals, then places (Monterey and Malibu), then a bunch of designations like 750Li that bear little relation to reality.

(The letter i is supposed to mean fuel injected, but every car made for at least 20 years has been fuel injected.)

- Jim