When did it become okay to replace “model” with an “M”?

Prolly about the same time as we started using prolly instead of probably.
Just internet/texting laziness.

IDK

I don't know. Common usage with the military for a while. M1903, M1911, and so forth.

I don't think that I've ever done that with anything other than military weapons. And If others are doing it I simply haven't noticed. I have NEVER referred to a model 19 as a M19, or even model 19. I have used the term S&W 19, or Smith 19. Some guns don't need the full name, everyone knows a Python is made by Colt.

If someone were to use model 19 or M19 how would they know if you were talking about a Glock 19 or a Smith 19.

I do often shorten the words to something like G19, Rem 700 or Win70, Etc. Ruger isn't long enough to worry about shortening so I'd write Ruger 77.

I r guilty. I didn't realize it was annoying and MY post has been edited.

Life is too short to worry about the little things

I use S&W M-19, M-66, M-686+ etc. all the time to describe some of the guns I own. Obviously all of the readers on this forum are intelligent and sophisticated enough to know what is being discussed when that descriptor in said context is used. So, I am a bit confused, exactly what is the issue?

Stay safe.

"When did using an “M” become okay or is this internet laziness?"

… or replace OK with okay
'k




the Orangeman in 2020

In 1934 the Ordnance Department of the War Department decided to "modernize" its nomenclature to better organize the huge inventory of new military inventions (notably all the aircraft and armor and transportation equipment).

Rather than rely upon the year of introduction, materiel would be given a Model (some QMC referred to it as a "Military") designation.
This was very much based on wartime experience. Notably, the Browning Model of 1917 machine gun quickly had been followed by an air-cooled version. Also, Browning's Automatic Rifle was also introduced.

So, rather than rely on Machine Gun, Cal..30 Water-cooled, Model of 1917, and Machine Gun, Cal..30 Air-cooled, Model of 1917, and Rifles, Automatic, Cal..30, Model of 1917--they became the Model of 1917, Model of 1919, and Model of 1918, respectively. That was a well remembered mess. Which was getting worse with all the models of tanks, aircraft, trucks and the like all coming out, and often more frequently than once per year. Tank, Light, Model of 1922, Early and Tank, Light, Model of 1922, Late were just not going to work once you started adding "A" variants on (consider a Light Tnak Model of 1922A3--which version?)

So, all materiel would be numbered sequentially from 1, per category of thing. So, starting in 1936, you did have some confusion. There was the M-1 Rifle, Cal..30 Semi-Automatic; and a M-1 Howitzer, 105mm; or the M-3 Light Tank, M-3 Medium Tank and so on.
Eventually it works out. There was an M-1 Carbine. Later an M-2 Carbine, and an M3 Carbine after that. Around 1990 we saw the 4th official Carbine, the M4. Trucks are well up into 4 digits. Every so often, DoD will "reset" the numbers, as they did in the 70s, ending the "century series" of fighter aircraft at 111, and resetting to F-12 (none were adopted until the F-14, but the sequence has carried on from there).

So, "M" for Model has a long history, closing up on a century here in a bit more than a decade.

Whenever you feel like it. English is a very fluid language.

Seriously ? Are we running out of things to be outraged about.

Spelled Model on this rifle:



harder to see, but it is Model on this one,



This just says "Mod"




I guess anyone typing Model one hundred times realizes the convenience of using an acronym.

I've seen G in front of Glock model numbers for years. I'm ambivalent about the whole thing. I prefer it to 500 Shotty, or 870 Remmy, or that stuff but we had about a fifty page thread on that not too long ago.

Gotta say (and as anyone can tell you, I’m usually a paragon of gentlemanly tolerance for the foibles of others), oddest nitpick I’ve seen today. And I was just doing my taxes so that’s saying something.

I'm just old school, but the M-designation for me is reserved for military firearms only. A S&W Model 19 should have "model" spelled out. Even Glocks deserve that. And if you desire to see me gag, and possibly throw up, refer to shotguns as "shotties" or "Remmies" or "Mossies." I do approve of referring to the M-2 as "Ma Deuce" however.

As for made-up words such as "prolly" though, if you desire to communicate with the grown-ups, please talk like one.

I have used an M as a shortened form of "Model" since long before the internet when writing or typing. I found when compiling lists of my gun it was much easier and quicker to use M than to write out "Model" time after time

Oh well. It sounds like we all will have something to chat about around the campfire.

Stay safe.

PO2Hammer said:

Prolly about the same time as we started using prolly instead of probably.

Click to expand...

Or "shotty" instead of shotgun.... God I hate that.