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corvid_booster t1_iup9700 wrote

Yeah, saying "long gun" has gotten a lot more common over, let's say, the last 10 years, certainly the last 20. I have to wonder what purpose it serves that "rifle" doesn't.

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BendTheSpoonNeo t1_iupanef wrote

“Long gun” includes rifles and shotguns. Doubtful someone was shooting slugs but who knows maybe 🤷🏻‍♂️

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microm3gas t1_iupk1u3 wrote

It’s not sensational and accurate if they don’t know what it is. 🤷‍♂️

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gorgewall t1_iupqqqy wrote

Because if you say "rifle" and it turns out to have been a shotgun or a carbine or whatever-the-fuck-else that just looks like a rifle to the guys who witnessed it from 20 yards, you'll have a bajillion gun nuts shattering their teeth in rage and playing pedant. Vague terms like "long gun" allow for the basics of a story to be communicated while the details are worked out with time.

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