The world of tactical equipment draws from military, law enforcement, and outdoor survival practices, creating a specialized vocabulary. For those new to the field, these acronyms and technical terms can make it challenging to understand product details or choose suitable items.
This guide organizes more than 80 key terms into clear categories, with clear definitions. It aims to build your confidence in reading specifications, joining discussions on forums, or preparing training resources.
Firearms & Weapon Accessories
This category covers terms related to firearms and the devices that enhance their functionality.
1. ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight): A magnified optical sight designed for rapid target acquisition, widely used by military forces.
2. Bipod: A two-legged support attached to the forend of a firearm to provide stability for precision shooting.
3. Bolt Carrier Group (BCG): The main moving component of an AR-15 style rifle responsible for loading, firing, and ejecting cartridges.
4. Buffer Tube: A component of an AR-15 that houses the recoil buffer and spring, and allows for the attachment of a stock.
5. Charging Handle: The device on a firearm used to manually pull the bolt or bolt carrier group to the rear.
6. Compensator: A muzzle device designed to redirect propellant gases to reduce muzzle rise and recoil.
7. Flash Hider: A muzzle device that reduces the visible muzzle flash when a weapon is fired.
8. Foregrip: A grip attached to the weapon's handguard, providing better control and weapon manipulation.
9. Gas Block: A component on a gas-operated firearm that regulates the amount of propellant gas directed back to cycle the action.
10. Handguard: The part of a firearm that surrounds the barrel, allowing the user to hold the weapon without touching a hot barrel and providing a platform for accessories.
11. Holster: A secure holder for handguns or other firearms, often attached to a belt or thigh platform for quick access.
12. Laser Sight: A device that projects a laser beam onto a target to indicate the point of impact.
13. Lower Receiver: The legally regulated part of an AR-15 that houses the fire control group (trigger, hammer).
14. Magazine: A device that holds ammunition and feeds it into the firearm's chamber.
15. M-LOK: A modular attachment system (by Magpul) that allows users to securely attach accessories to a weapon's handguard using a series of slots and nuts.
16. Muzzle Brake: A device attached to the muzzle that uses baffles and ports to redirect gases and significantly reduce felt recoil.
17. Optic: A general term for any aiming device, such as a scope, red dot, or holographic sight.
18. Picatinny Rail (MIL-STD-1913): A standardized mounting system with cross slots for attaching scopes, sights, and other accessories to firearms.
19. Red Dot Sight: A non-magnifying reflector sight that projects an illuminated red dot as an aiming point.
20. Safety Selector: A lever on a firearm that allows the user to engage or disengage the weapon's safety mechanism.
21. Sling: A strap attached to a firearm, allowing it to be carried hands-free and stabilized during shooting. Common types include 2-point and 1-point slings.
22. Soft Gun Case: A padded, flexible case used to transport and protect firearms during storage or travel.
23. Suppressor (Silencer): A muzzle device that reduces the noise and signature of a fired round by slowing and cooling the escaping propellant gases.
24. Upper Receiver: The part of an AR-15 that contains the barrel, bolt carrier group, and charging handle.
Load-Bearing Equipment (LBE) & Carrying Systems
This section covers the vests, packs, and systems used to carry gear efficiently.
25. Admin Pouch (Administrative Pouch): A small pouch, typically worn on the chest, designed to hold frequently accessed items like notebooks, pens, maps, or a GPS.
26. Assault Pack: A small- to medium-sized backpack designed for short-duration missions, carrying essential gear, water, and ammunition.
27. Battle Belt / War Belt: A rigid belt system worn around the waist, designed to carry heavy loads like a sidearm, magazines, and medical gear, often independently of a plate carrier.
28. Cummerbund: The flexible side panels on a plate carrier that help secure the vest and can hold additional armor plates or equipment.
29. Chest Rig: A lightweight harness or vest alternative focused on carrying magazines, radios, and essentials without full armor coverage.
30. Drag Handle: A sturdy strap, often on the back of a plate carrier, used to pull a downed teammate to safety.
31. Drop Leg Platform: A holster or pouch platform attached to the thigh via a strap around the waist and leg.
32. Dump Pouch: A collapsible pouch, usually attached to a belt, used for temporarily storing empty magazines or other items during training or combat.
33. Hydration Bladder: A flexible water reservoir, often housed in a dedicated sleeve in a backpack, with a tube for hands-free drinking.
34. IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit): A dedicated medical kit for self-administration of life-saving care, typically containing a tourniquet, hemostatic gauze, and chest seals.
35. MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment): A system of webbing straps and rows used to attach pouches and accessories to vests, packs, and belts.
36. PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder System): The official name for the grid of webbing straps used in the MOLLE system.
37. Plate Carrier: A vest designed specifically to hold hard ballistic plates, offering rifle-round protection with less coverage and weight than a full vest.
38. Quick Detach (QD) Mount: A fast-release mechanism for attaching slings or accessories to firearms or gear without tools.
39. Ruck / Rucksack: A large, durable backpack designed for carrying heavy loads over long distances.
40. SwiftClip / QASM Buckle: A common quick-attach buckle system used to connect placards and other accessories to modern plate carriers.
Protective Gear & Body Armor
Terms related to personal protection and armor systems.
41. Ballistic Helmet: A helmet designed to protect the head from fragmentation and handgun rounds.
42. Ballistic Plate: A rigid, often curved, insert made of ceramic, polyethylene, or steel that provides protection against rifle ammunition. Worn in a plate carrier.
43. Body Armor: A general term for protective garments designed to protect the torso from ballistic, stab, or fragmentation threats.
44. Dragon Skin: A type of flexible body armor composed of small, overlapping ceramic scales for multi-hit capability.
45. DWR (Durable Water Repellent): A coating applied to fabrics that causes water to bead up and roll off the surface.
46. ESAPI (Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert): A U.S. military designation for a type of rifle-rated ballistic plate offering multi-hit protection.
47. Hard Armor: Body armor consisting of rigid plates designed to stop high-velocity rifle rounds.
48. III+ / RF (Rifle Rated): A common but unofficial rating for plates that stop certain rifle rounds beyond the NIJ Level III standard but do not meet Level IV.
49. Kevlar: The brand name for a para-aramid synthetic fiber known for its high tensile strength and use in soft body armor.
50. NIJ Standard (National Institute of Justice): The U.S. standard that sets minimum performance requirements for body armor. The current standard is NIJ 0101.07.
51. Plate Backer: A soft, shock-absorbing panel placed behind a hard armor plate to reduce backface deformation and blunt force trauma.
52. SAPI (Small Arms Protective Insert) Cut: The standard rectangular shape for ballistic plates.
53. Soft Armor: Flexible body armor made from woven or laminated fibers, designed to stop handgun rounds and fragmentation.
54. Swimmer's Cut: A ballistic plate cut with angled shoulders to allow for greater arm mobility, often used by special operations forces.
55. Trauma Pad: See Plate Backer; an insert that cushions against trauma from impacts.
56. Tactical Gloves: Protective hand coverings with reinforced palms for grip and impact resistance during gear handling.
Optics, Navigation & Communication
Gear for seeing, navigating, and communicating effectively.
57. AN/PEQ: A series of U.S. military-designated laser aiming modules that include visible, infrared, and illuminator lasers.
58. Battery Cap: A replacement end cap for a flashlight that can hold extra batteries.
59. Comms (Communications): A general term for radio communication equipment.
60. Holographic Sight: A type of red dot sight that uses a laser and a holographic reticle, known for its parallax-free performance and crisp reticle (e.g., EOTech).
61. IR (Infrared): Light that is invisible to the naked eye, used with night vision devices for covert illumination and targeting.
62. LPVO (Low Power Variable Optic): A riflescope with a low-end magnification (e.g., 1x) for close-range and a higher-end (e.g., 6x, 8x) for longer-range targets.
63. NVG / NODs (Night Vision Goggles / Devices): Electro-optical devices that amplify ambient light (starlight, moonlight) to allow vision in low-light conditions.
64. Peltor: A popular brand of electronic hearing protection and communication headsets (by 3M).
65. PVS-14: A widely used monocular night vision device for hands-free or helmet-mounted observation.
66. Strobe (IR Strobe): A small, powerful flashing light used for identification by friendly forces. IR strobes are only visible through night vision devices.
67. Tactical Radio: A portable two-way radio for secure, short-range team communication in the field.
68. Thermal Imager: A device that detects heat signatures, creating an image based on temperature differences, allowing users to see in total darkness, through smoke, and in foliage.
Materials, Construction & Maintenance
The building blocks of gear and how to care for them.
69. 1000D Nylon: A high-denier nylon fabric known for its extreme abrasion resistance and durability, commonly used in packs and heavy-duty gear.
70. 500D Nylon: A lighter, more packable version of 1000D nylon, offering a great balance of strength, weight, and flexibility.
71. Bar-Tacking: A stitching pattern of dense zig-zag stitches used to reinforce high-stress points on gear, like strap attachments.
72. Bluesign®: An independent certification system that verifies textiles are produced with responsible resource management and reduced environmental impact.
73. Cordura®: A brand of high-performance fabrics, known for their exceptional durability, often used in tactical packs, apparel, and footwear.
74. Gore-Tex: A brand of waterproof, breathable membrane laminates used in jackets, pants, and footwear.
75. Hypalon®: A synthetic rubber known for its durability and resistance to abrasion, chemicals, and UV light, often used on reinforcement patches.
76. Laser Cut: A manufacturing technique that uses lasers to cut fabric, allowing for clean edges and integrated MOLLE/PALS webbing without extra stitching.
77. Mil-Spec (Military Specification): A U.S. standard that ensures equipment meets strict requirements for quality, performance, and durability.
78. Ripstop: A weaving technique that uses thicker threads at regular intervals in a crosshatch pattern, making the fabric highly resistant to tearing.
79. UHMWPE (Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene): A type of polyethylene fiber used in high-performance soft armor and hard plates (e.g., Dyneema®, Spectra®). It is very light and strong.
80. YKK Zipper: A brand of zippers widely considered the industry standard for reliability and durability in tactical and outdoor gear.
81. Ballistic Nylon: A heavy-duty woven nylon fabric reinforced for puncture and tear resistance in protective applications.
82. Moisture-Wicking Fabric: Material that draws sweat away from the skin to keep the wearer dry and comfortable.
83. Paracord: A lightweight, strong nylon rope originally used in parachutes, now common for lanyards and repairs.
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