Wondering about the word "semi"

[BlueToonYoshi]

Ok. I got a very stupid question that is pointless but I am wondering about it.

Why are the filenames for the rifle called semi? Shouldn't they be called filenames like this:
rifle, rifleshoot, riflereload, etc.

I know this doesn't matter, but I have been wondering why they have been called this. Any ideas why?

[kmaj]

Semiautomatic rifle.

[Fleischgeruch]

It's semiautomatic as it doesn't empty its 10 bullet clip in one go - you have to press the trigger (click with mouse) every time you want it to shoot - it won't shoot continuously. That is the definition of 'semi-automatic'.
Fully automatic weapons (eg the smg) shoot otherwise.
Non-automatic weapons have to be resupplies with 1 bullet/set of bullets/shells after every shot - i.e. reload after every shot. Basically a clip of 1 shot.

[mikuli]

Non-automatic weapons have to be resupplies with 1 bullet/set of bullets/shells after every shot - i.e. reload after every shot. Basically a clip of 1 shot.

Bolt action can be magazine fed and not be considered semi-automatic - which is a bit of a stupid term anyway.

/wiseguy

[demo123]

Let me give a explenation of rifles.

Bolt action rifles-Bolt action rifles have a bolt which you have to pull every time you shot so a empty casing of a bullet gets replace by an another bullet in the magazine.

Semi-automatic-Those rifles dont need their bolt to be pulled.But you have to pull the triger if you want to shot.So you cant keep the finger on the trigger if you want to shot.

Fully automatic-Those are rifles on which you can keep the finger on the trigger so the weapon can shoot alot of bullets in a small preiod.Those weapons usualy have a high recoil.

[BlueToonYoshi]

Ok. Thanks for all the replies you guys.

[Fleischgeruch]

Non-automatic weapons have to be resupplies with 1 bullet/set of bullets/shells after every shot - i.e. reload after every shot. Basically a clip of 1 shot.

Bolt action can be magazine fed and not be considered semi-automatic - which is a bit of a stupid term anyway.
/wiseguy

Yeah okay, that too. My firearms knowledge stops at ace of spades, since I don't play any other FPSes.
and Yoshi, no problem.

[ChaosTLW]

I've always wondered this: Why there are bolt-actions and lever action rifles, but there is no pump action rifle that I know of? Like, is this something to do with the shape of the bullet (shotgun being a cilinder and rifles having a small pointy tip)?

[demo123]

I've always wondered this: Why there are bolt-actions and lever action rifles, but there is no pump action rifle that I know of? Like, is this something to do with the shape of the bullet (shotgun being a cilinder and rifles having a small pointy tip)?

Shotgun is made for spread and massive damage.While rifles are made for penetration.

[ChaosTLW]

I've always wondered this: Why there are bolt-actions and lever action rifles, but there is no pump action rifle that I know of? Like, is this something to do with the shape of the bullet (shotgun being a cilinder and rifles having a small pointy tip)?

Shotgun is made for spread and massive damage.While rifles are made for penetration.

I'm not talking about the purpose of the weapons, I'm talking about the action they use.

[Derpylicious]

I've always wondered this: Why there are bolt-actions and lever action rifles, but there is no pump action rifle that I know of? Like, is this something to do with the shape of the bullet (shotgun being a cilinder and rifles having a small pointy tip)?

I believe Winchester tried it at one point, its nothing to do with the bullet (since most Lever-action rifle's have cilinder magazines) but has more to do with the ergonomics of reloading. Bolt and lever actions dont disrupt your natural firing posistion since they use your firing hand as the reload, whilst a pump action requires moving your stability hand thus meaning that you'd have to reset your aim for each shot.

[mikuli]

Lacking intricate knowledge in firearms design, I'm going to take a blind guess at that a pump-action merely requires more or a complicated mechanism than needed for the smaller rifle cartridges than what a simple bolt action offers.

BTW, both pump action rifles and bolt action shotguns do exist - one of the latter kind I've personally handled.

[Space101]

Lacking intricate knowledge in firearms design, I'm going to take a blind guess at that a pump-action merely requires more or a complicated mechanism than needed for the smaller rifle cartridges than what a simple bolt action offers.

BTW, both pump action rifles and bolt action shotguns do exist - one of the latter kind I've personally handled.

Nearly all pump-actions use a back-and-forward motion of the forend to cycle the action. The forend is connected to the bolt by one or two bars; two bars are considered more reliable because it provides symmetric forces on the bolt and pump and reduces the chances of binding. The motion of the bolt back and forth in a tubular magazine model will also operate the elevator, which lifts the shells from the level of the magazine to the level of the barrel.
After firing a round, the bolt is unlocked and the forend is free to move. The shooter pulls back on the forend to begin the operating cycle. The bolt unlocks and begins to move to the rear, which extracts and ejects the empty shell from the chamber, cocks the hammer, and begins to load the new shell. In a tubular magazine design, as the bolt moves rearwards, a single shell is released from the magazine, and is pushed backwards to come to rest on the elevator.
As the forend reaches the rear and begins to move forward, the elevator lifts up the shell, lining it up with the barrel. As the bolt moves forward, the round slides into the chamber, and the final portion of the forend's travel locks the bolt into position. A pull of the trigger will fire the next round, where the cycle begins again.
Most pump-action firearms do not have any positive indication that they are out of ammunition, so it is possible to complete a cycle and have an empty chamber. The risk of running out of ammunition unexpectedly can be minimized in a tubular magazine firearm by topping off the magazine by loading new rounds to replace the rounds that have just been fired. This is especially important when hunting, as many locations have legal limits on the magazine capacity: for example, three rounds for shotguns and five rounds for rifles.

..

[mikuli]

Well, that does answer how a pump action works, but the question is about WHY it is used in some applications and not used in others.

I actually think derps hit the nail square on the head.

[Space101]

Well, that does answer how a pump action works, but the question is about WHY it is used in some applications and not used in others.

I actually think derps hit the nail square on the head.

Pump-action rifles fire faster than bolt- and lever-action rifles since it's easier to pump a shotgun/rifle, Derpy also made a excellent point regarding pump-actions.
So the derps-somehtingnailsheadhitstuff wasnt so accurate after all.