88 Famous Gun Nicknames: That Have Shocking Stories Behind Them

Guns have been earning nicknames for as long as they’ve been firing. Soldiers, outlaws, hunters, and Hollywood writers have all handed out names that stuck for centuries. Some nicknames came from the sound a gun made, some from its shape, and some from the person who carried it.

This guide sticks to nicknames with a real, documented story behind them. You won’t find invented names or padded lists here. Every entry below traces back to an actual firearm, a real historical event, or a well-known piece of pop culture. If a name’s origin is disputed among historians, that’s noted honestly rather than presented as settled fact.

Names are organized by theme so you can jump straight to Western legends, military slang, naval guns, or Hollywood favorites. Each one comes with the story behind the name, not just the name itself.

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Most Famous Gun Nicknames

These are the nicknames most people recognize even if they’ve never fired a gun in their life. They’ve crossed over into everyday language.

Name	Firearm	Era / Origin	Story Behind the Name
Peacemaker	Colt Single Action Army	1873, American West	Nicknamed for its role in “taming” the frontier, though the irony is that it was involved in plenty of violence along the way.
Brown Bess	British Land Pattern Musket	1722–1830s	The oldest gun nickname on this list. “Bess” was 18th-century slang, and “Brown” referred to the musket’s plain, drab finish.
Big Bertha	German 42cm M-Gerät howitzer	World War I	Named by German soldiers, likely in honor of Bertha Krupp, heiress to the Krupp arms manufacturing empire that built the gun.
Tommy Gun	Thompson submachine gun	1920s–1930s	Shortened from “Thompson,” made infamous by Prohibition-era gangsters and the law enforcement officers who chased them.
Ma Deuce	M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun	Designed circa 1918, still in service	An affectionate nickname U.S. troops gave the heavy machine gun; often shortened further to “fifty-cal.”
BAR	M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle	World War I onward	Simply the gun’s initials, spoken as a word rather than spelled out, and it stuck as the rifle’s most common name.
Old Slabsides	Colt M1911	Early 20th century	Named for the gun’s flat “slab-sided” grip panels.
Bo Whoop	Custom 12-gauge shotgun	1920s	Belonged to writer and hunter Nash Buckingham; a friend named it for the distinctive hollow “whoop” of its report.
Old Betsy	Davy Crockett’s .40-caliber long rifle	Early 1800s	One of the best-known named guns in American frontier lore, tied directly to Crockett’s own legend.
Gat	Slang for the Gatling Gun and, later, handguns generally	1860s onward	Shortened from “Gatling Gun,” Richard Gatling’s rapid-fire invention, and eventually broadened into general slang for any handgun.

Western-Inspired Gun Nicknames

The Old West produced some of the most enduring gun nicknames in American history, many tied to specific outlaws, lawmen, and gunsmiths.

Name	Firearm	Era / Origin	Story Behind the Name
Buntline Special	Long-barreled Colt revolver	1876	Associated with Wyatt Earp and named for dime novelist Ned Buntline, who reportedly commissioned the extended-barrel Colts.
Yellow Boy	Winchester Model 1866	1866	Nicknamed for its brass receiver, which had a distinct yellow-gold gleam compared to steel-framed rifles.
Beecher’s Bible	Sharps rifle	1850s Kansas	Abolitionists shipped these rifles to Kansas in crates marked “Bibles,” referencing preacher Henry Ward Beecher, who helped fund the shipments.
The Rifleman’s Rifle	Winchester Model 70	1936 onward	Earned this reputation-based nickname among hunters and marksmen for its accuracy and reliability.
The Gun That Won the West	Winchester Model 1873	1873	An informal epithet that stuck to this particular Winchester lever-action thanks to its widespread use across the frontier.
Forty-Five	Colt Single Action Army	1873 onward	A simple, practical nickname based on its .45 caliber chambering.
Two-Gun	Any gunslinger carrying paired revolvers	19th–20th century	Became attached to numerous real and fictional figures who wore two holsters, from lawmen to Prohibition-era gangsters.
Meat in the Pot	Pistols generally	18th–19th century	Period slang tying a sidearm to its practical use in putting food on the table.
Barker	Pistols generally	18th–19th century	Old slang referencing the loud “bark” of a gunshot.
Bulldozer	Pistols generally	18th–19th century	Historical slang for a pistol, predating the unrelated modern construction-equipment meaning of the word.

Military Heritage Gun Nicknames

Military slang has produced some of the most colorful and long-lasting gun nicknames, often coined by the very troops who carried the weapons.

Name	Firearm	Era / Origin	Story Behind the Name
Grease Gun	M3 / M3A1 submachine gun	World War II	Nicknamed for its resemblance to a mechanic’s grease gun, a comparison soldiers made almost immediately after it entered service.
Trench Broom	Thompson submachine gun	World War I	An early nickname reflecting the gun’s role clearing enemy trenches at close range.
Green Dragon	M60 machine gun	Vietnam War era	A nickname referencing the gun’s imposing firepower on the battlefield.
Old Reliable	M60 machine gun	Vietnam War era	Earned for its dependable, sustained rate of fire under combat conditions.
The Pig	M60 machine gun	Vietnam War era	An informal nickname troops used, likely referencing the gun’s bulk and weight.
Puff the Magic Dragon	Douglas AC-47 gunship	Vietnam War	Named after the 1963 Peter, Paul and Mary song, a wry reference to the aircraft’s dragon-like stream of tracer fire.
Spooky	Douglas AC-47 gunship	Vietnam War	An alternate call sign and nickname for the same gunship, used alongside “Puff.”
Light Fifty	Barrett M82 .50 caliber rifle	1980s onward	A nickname describing its relatively portable design for a rifle firing the powerful .50 BMG cartridge.
The Saw	M249 Squad Automatic Weapon	1980s onward	Derived directly from the acronym SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon).
Old Bigmouth	Colt M1911	Early 20th century	One of several affectionate nicknames soldiers gave the sidearm.
Army Automatic	Colt M1911	Early 20th century	A straightforward nickname referencing its standard-issue status.
The Yankee Fist	Colt M1911	Early 20th century	Another period nickname for the .45 pistol, emphasizing its stopping power.
Stovepipe	Various mortars and infantry weapons	World War I–WWII	Generic slang describing the tubular shape of certain military weapons.

Naval Gun Nicknames

Warships and their guns picked up nicknames of their own, often given by the sailors who served them or the enemies who feared them.

Name	Weapon	Era / Origin	Story Behind the Name
Long Tom	Naval pivot cannon	18th–20th century	A generic nickname applied to many long-barreled naval guns over two centuries, from privateer pivot guns to the U.S. Army’s WWII-era M1 155mm field gun.
Paris Gun (“Kaiser Wilhelm Geschütz”)	German long-range siege gun	World War I	Built using naval gun technology, the Germans gave it a formal nickname meaning “Emperor William Gun,” while the French mistakenly called it Big Bertha.
Fiddling Jimmy	Boer artillery piece	Second Boer War	One of several nicknames British troops gave Boer guns bombarding their positions.
Silent Susan	Boer artillery piece	Second Boer War	Named because its shells reportedly arrived before the sound of the gun’s report reached listeners.
Puffing Bill	Boer artillery piece	Second Boer War	Another nickname from the same set of British soldier slang for Boer guns.
Lady Annie	Boer artillery piece	Second Boer War	Part of the same tradition of naming enemy guns during the siege warfare of the Boer War.
Bloody Mary	Boer artillery piece	Second Boer War	Recorded alongside the other Boer War gun nicknames in British soldiers’ letters home.
Bow Chaser	Forward-mounted ship’s gun	Age of Sail	A functional nickname for any gun positioned at a ship’s bow to fire on a pursued vessel.
Stern Chaser	Aft-mounted ship’s gun	Age of Sail	The counterpart to the bow chaser, mounted at the stern to fire on pursuers.

Maritime Gun Nicknames

Privateers and merchant sailors had their own naming traditions, separate from formal naval fleets.

Name	Weapon	Era / Origin	Story Behind the Name
Long Tom (privateer variant)	Swivel-mounted pivot gun	American Revolution–War of 1812	Privateer schooners and brigs commonly carried a single heavy “Long Tom” amidships alongside smaller guns, prized for its range.
The General Armstrong’s Long Tom	42-pounder pivot gun	1812-era privateer brig	A specific, documented example of the Long Tom tradition, mounted on the famous privateer General Armstrong.
The 155mm Creusot “Long Tom”	French-made field gun	Second Boer War	Boer forces used four French Creusot guns nicknamed Long Tom against British positions.
The M1 155mm “Long Tom”	U.S. field gun	World War II	The nickname carried straight through from 19th-century naval slang into 20th-century land artillery.

Famous Gun Nicknames In Movies

Hollywood has given several real and fictional firearms nicknames of their own, some tied to a single unforgettable performance.

Name	Firearm	Film	Story Behind the Name
Dirty Harry Gun	Smith & Wesson Model 29	Dirty Harry (1971)	Clint Eastwood’s Inspector Callahan made this .44 Magnum revolver instantly recognizable, and the nickname stuck to the gun itself.
James Bond Gun	Walther PPK	Dr. No and the Bond franchise	Became linked to 007 through decades of use across the film series, cementing the PPK’s reputation as an espionage sidearm.
The Golden Gun	Fictional custom pistol	The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)	A fictional weapon literally named for its gold-plated design, built to fire a rare golden bullet.
Little Friend	M16 with M203 grenade launcher	Scarface (1983)	Immortalized by Tony Montana’s line “Say hello to my little friend,” which turned the weapon into a pop-culture reference point.
Auto-9	Fictional automatic pistol	RoboCop (1987)	The character’s signature sidearm, named onscreen and central to several of the film’s most quoted scenes.
ZF-1	Fictional multi-function weapon	The Fifth Element (1997)	A weapon explicitly named and demonstrated within the film itself as a one-gun arsenal.
Lawgiver	Fictional sidearm	Judge Dredd comics and films	The judges’ signature weapon, officially named in the source material and carried into film adaptations.
Old Painless	M134 Minigun	Predator (1987)	A nickname that became associated with the massive minigun carried by Jesse Ventura’s character, Blain, in the film.
The Judge	Taurus Judge revolver	Various film and TV appearances	Named by its manufacturer for its reputation as a personal-defense sidearm, and its profile grew further through media appearances.

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Gun Nicknames In Games

Video games have created their own naming traditions, some borrowed from real military slang and others invented entirely within a franchise.

Name	Weapon	Game / Franchise	Story Behind the Name
BFG	Superweapon	Doom (1993)	One of gaming’s most famous weapon nicknames, understood by players as an irreverent acronym for the massive gun’s destructive power.
AWP	Sniper rifle	Counter-Strike	Community shorthand for the Arctic Warfare Police rifle, now used almost interchangeably with the weapon itself among players.
Noob Tube	Underslung grenade launcher	Call of Duty series	Slang players coined for weapons like the M203, reflecting their reputation as easy to use effectively with little skill.
Gjallarhorn	Rocket launcher	Destiny franchise	An official in-game name (borrowed from Norse mythology) that became legendary among players for its power.
Peacekeeper	Shotgun	Apex Legends	An official in-game weapon name, echoing the real-world tradition of naming guns after the peace they’re meant to enforce.
Big Iron	In-game revolver reference	Fallout: New Vegas	Named after the 1960s country song “Big Iron” by Marty Robbins, which the game’s radio station made into a beloved community meme.

Real historic nicknames like the Tommy Gun, the BAR, and Ma Deuce also show up constantly in military shooters, carrying their original names into a new generation of players.

Hunting & Field Gun Nicknames

Hunters have a long tradition of naming their favorite firearms, sometimes after their sound, sometimes after their reputation in the field.

Name	Firearm	Era / Origin	Story Behind the Name
Bo Whoop	Custom 12-gauge shotgun	1920s	Nash Buckingham’s shotgun, named for the distinctive hollow report described earlier in this guide.
Tick-Licker	Long rifle	Frontier era	Frontier legend holds that Daniel Boone’s rifle earned this nickname for its pinpoint accuracy.
Lucretia Borgia	Springfield rifle	1870s	Buffalo Bill Cody named his rifle after the historical Italian noblewoman associated with poison and political intrigue.
Sweet Sixteen	Browning Auto-5, 16 gauge	20th century	An affectionate nickname among shotgunners for the lighter 16-gauge version of Browning’s popular autoloader, prized for upland hunting.
Punt Gun	Oversized market-hunting shotgun	19th century	Named for the small punt boats these massive waterfowling guns were mounted on.

Classic & Vintage Gun Nicknames

Some nicknames became so common they turned into everyday slang for entire categories of firearms.

Name	Firearm	Era / Origin	Story Behind the Name
Broomhandle	Mauser C96 pistol	1896 onward	Named for its distinctive grip shape, which resembles the handle of a broom.
Peashooter	Small-caliber pistols	Early 20th century	Vintage slang describing the limited stopping power of small handguns.
Saturday Night Special	Cheap, small-caliber handguns	Mid-20th century	A widely used slang term for inexpensive, easily concealed pistols, popularized in mid-century American crime reporting.
Hog Leg	Large, heavy revolvers	Frontier era onward	Slang describing the size and shape of oversized revolvers.
Six-Shooter	Revolvers	19th century onward	A descriptive nickname referencing the standard six-round cylinder of most classic revolvers.
Bulldozer	Pistols generally	18th–19th century	Period slang for a pistol, listed here again for its long life as vintage firearms terminology.
Pops	Pistols generally	18th–19th century	Simple period slang describing the sound of a handgun firing.

Rare & Unique Gun Nicknames

A handful of nicknames describe entire categories of unusual firearms rather than a single specific gun.

Name	Firearm	Era / Origin	Story Behind the Name
Trench Gun	Modified pump shotguns	World War I	Nickname for shotguns like the Winchester Model 1897, fitted with bayonet lugs and heat shields for trench combat.
Coach Gun	Short double-barrel shotgun	19th century	Named for its use by stagecoach guards, who needed a compact, hard-hitting gun for close defense.
Buffalo Gun	Large-caliber rifles	19th century	A general nickname for rifles like the Sharps, built to take down American bison at long range.
Mule Ear	Early external-hammer firearms	Early 19th century	Named for a side-mounted hammer design that resembled a mule’s ear.
Kentucky Rifle	American long rifle	18th century	A colloquial nickname for the long rifle developed largely by German gunsmiths in Pennsylvania, popularly associated with the Kentucky frontier.
Bundook	Rifle or gun generally	British colonial era	Old slang borrowed from Hindi/Urdu by British soldiers, still occasionally used as an informal term for a firearm.

Powerful & Bold Gun Nicknames

These nicknames all lean into a single idea: raw power.

Name	Firearm	Era / Origin	Story Behind the Name
Widowmaker	Various high-powered firearms	Various eras	An informal nickname applied over the years to guns with a fearsome reputation.
Elephant Gun	Large-bore double rifles	19th–20th century	Named for their use hunting elephant and other dangerous game in Africa.
Street Sweeper	12-gauge drum-fed shotgun	Late 20th century	Popular nickname for the Striker-12 shotgun, referencing its rapid-fire, wide-area capability.
Hand Cannon	Oversized handguns	Various eras	Slang for unusually large or powerful revolvers and pistols.
Thumper	Large-bore firearms	Various eras	Descriptive slang for guns known for their heavy recoil and loud report.
Screaming Mimi	German Nebelwerfer rocket launcher	World War II	An Allied nickname for the distinctive screaming sound the Nebelwerfer’s rockets made in flight.
Boomstick	Shotguns generally	Long-standing slang, popularized further by Army of Darkness (1992)	Simple, descriptive slang for a shotgun’s loud report.

Elegant, Decorative & Artistic Gun Nicknames

Genuinely famous nicknames built around elegance and ornamentation are rare; most historic firearms earned their names from performance, history, or pop culture rather than looks. That said, the tradition of the decorative “presentation gun” is real and well documented.

• Tiffany-engraved Colts: In the late 19th century, Tiffany & Co. became known for engraving and embellishing Colt revolvers, turning working firearms into showpieces for wealthy buyers and collectors.
• Presentation revolvers: It was common practice in the 19th century for engraved, inscribed firearms to be gifted to military officers, dignitaries, and public figures, though most of these individual guns were never given a widely recognized nickname beyond their inscription.
• The Buntline Special: Already covered in the Western section above, this extended-barrel Colt is one of the few nicknamed guns that doubles as a genuinely ornate, special-order piece.
• Engraved Winchesters: Winchester’s factory engraving department produced elaborately decorated rifles for exhibitions and special clients throughout the late 1800s, a tradition collectors still prize today.

Tips: How Gun Nicknames Are Actually Born

Looking at the names above, a few patterns show up again and again.

Most nicknames come from sound, shape, or initials. Ma Deuce, the BAR, and the Broomhandle all fit this pattern, describing exactly what the gun looks or sounds like.

Combat nicknames often come from the troops who used the weapon, not from manufacturers. Old Reliable, the Grease Gun, and Puff the Magic Dragon were all coined in the field, not in a marketing department.

Pop culture nicknames tend to outlive the films or shows that created them. The Dirty Harry Gun and Little Friend are both remembered today more for their movie moments than for their factory specifications.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most famous gun nickname in history?

The Peacemaker, the nickname for the Colt Single Action Army, is generally considered the most widely recognized gun nickname, thanks to its central role in Old West history and popular culture.

Why do guns get nicknames in the first place?

Nicknames usually come from something practical: the sound a gun makes, its shape, its initials, or a memorable moment tied to the person who carried it. Military units in particular have a long tradition of naming their weapons informally.

What does “Ma Deuce” refer to?

Ma Deuce is the nickname for the M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun, a design that has remained in U.S. military service since World War I.

Is “Saturday Night Special” an official firearm designation?

No. It’s an informal slang term for cheap, small-caliber handguns that became common in mid-20th-century American reporting and conversation, not an official manufacturer or government designation.

What does BAR stand for?

BAR stands for Browning Automatic Rifle, referring to the M1918 rifle designed by John Browning and adopted by the U.S. military near the end of World War I.

Conclusion

Real gun nicknames rarely come from marketing. They come from soldiers describing what they carried, hunters honoring a favorite piece, and audiences remembering an unforgettable movie line. That’s what separates a documented nickname like the Peacemaker or Ma Deuce from an invented one.

Whether you’re drawn to Old West legends, WWII slang, or Hollywood favorites, the stories behind these famous gun nicknames say as much about the people who used them as they do about the firearms themselves.