Guns have been a part of human history for centuries. They evoke many emotions from people all around the world. Some see them simply as tools or machinery, while others see them as deadly weapons that should be strictly controlled or outright banned. No matter one’s views on guns, most people can appreciate the ingenuity that has gone into their design and evolution over the years. Riddles allow us to think about guns in creative new ways. Here are 61 riddles about guns, along with the answers, for your entertainment and edification.
Riddles About Specific Gun Models or Features
1. What has a nose but doesn’t smell?
A gun barrel.
2. I have a stiff tail made of wood or plastic. Slide me up and down to reload. What am I?
A shotgun bolt.
3. I’m a tiny piece of metal that flies faster than the speed of sound. What am I?
A bullet.
4. We’re twins that nestle together, ready to give you double trouble. Who are we?
Double barreled shotgun barrels.
5. I’m a hole that you look through to aim your shot. What am I?
The sights on a gun.
6. I’m a curvy piece of metal that ejects your empty shells. What am I?
An ejection port.
7. I’m a little lever you flip to safely store your ammunition. What am I?
A gun’s safety switch.
8. I’m the place that holds your cartridges snug and ready for firing. What am I?
A magazine.
9. I’m a sling that helps you carry your weapon over your shoulder. What am I?
A gun sling.
10. I’m the part you pull to shoot a bullet down the barrel. What am I?
The trigger.
11. I’m the end your bullets fly out of with a bang. What am I?
The muzzle.
12. I’m the metal tube a bullet travels through to reach its target. What am I?
The gun barrel.
13. I’m the glass you look through to precisely line up your target. What am I?
A scope.
14. I’m the curve in the stock that fits snugly into your shoulder. What am I?
The butt.
15. I’m the long rod you pump back and forth to load the next shell. What am I?
A pump action on a shotgun.
16. I’m the spring-loaded part that injects the next round into the chamber. What am I?
An automatic loader.
17. I’m the slightly angled handle you grip to steady your aim. What am I?
The pistol grip.
18. I’m the piece that absorbs recoil every time you shoot. What am I?
The recoil pad.
19. I’m the release that drops the cylinder out for easy reloading. What am I?
The cylinder release on a revolver.
20. I’m the lever you pull back to cock the hammer before firing. What am I?
The cocking lever.
Riddles About Gun Actions
21. I slide back and forth, sending shells soaring through the air. What am I?
A pump action shotgun.
22. I use centrifugal force to keep my shots spinning true. What am I?
A rifle with rifling grooves inside the barrel.
23. You’ll find me mostly on handguns, quickly ejecting spent shells after each shot. What am I?
Semi-automatic action.
24. I require a lever action between each shot to eject the spent shell and load a fresh one. What am I?
A lever action rifle.
25. Just pull my trigger and I’ll keep firing till you’re out of bullets. What am I?
Fully automatic action.
26. I rotate a cylinder filled with rounds for a true rapid-fire experience. What am I?
A revolver handgun.
27. I use blowback energy to eject each spent shell after firing. What am I?
A semi-automatic pistol.
28. I require manual force to eject shells and load each fresh round. What am I?
A bolt action rifle.
29. I’m a classic repeating arm requiring a lever to be worked between each shot. What am I?
A lever action rifle.
30. You’ll need strong hands to keep racking my pump between blasts. What am I?
A pump action shotgun.
Riddles About Gun Capabilities
31. I can fire a three-round burst with just one pull of the trigger. What am I?
A three round burst capable rifle.
32. With me, you can silence your shots to a soft whisper. What am I?
A suppressed or silenced gun.
33. I use magnets and coils to propel my projectiles at insane speeds. What am I?
A railgun.
34. Just feed me a belt packed with hundreds of rounds – I live for rapid sustained fire. What am I?
A machine gun.
35. I conceal easily but pack less punch than larger pistols. What am I?
A snubnosed or subcompact pistol.
36. My barrel is cut down for up-close stopping power at the cost of range. What am I?
A sawed off shotgun.
37. I use less-lethal rounds like rubber bullets for riot control. What am I?
A riot control gun.
38. My barrel has spiral grooves to make each shot spin for enhanced accuracy. What am I?
A rifle with rifling.
39. I fire slugs for immense stopping power at short range. What am I?
A shotgun loaded with slugs.
40. I have multiple barrels allowing several shots without reloading. What am I?
A double barreled shotgun.
Riddles About Gun Users or Uses
41. I’m named for the man who designed me and the fastest draw in the West. What am I?
A Colt Single Action Army revolver, the gun of choice for cowboys.
42. I’m best for popping off cans from a bench rest, not self defense. What am I?
A target rifle.
43. I’m built tough to handle mud, dirt, and anything the wilderness can throw at me. What am I?
A rugged survival rifle.
44. I’m lightweight and designed to be drawn and fired rapidly from a holster. What am I?
A cowboy’s sidearm revolver.
45. I’m small enough to fit in a pocket but powerful enough to save your life. What am I?
A concealed carry pistol.
46. I’m a custom competition handgun built for speed and extreme accuracy. What am I?
A racegun.
47. I’m built for intense tactical situations where reliability is a must. What am I?
A military or law enforcement duty pistol.
48. My short barrel is perfect for clearing trenches and bunkers up close. What am I?
A combat shotgun.
49. I use cutting-edge tech to give special forces stealth and versatility. What am I?
An advanced military rifle with accessories and modifications.
50. I’m lightweight and designed for easy maneuvering in tight spaces. What am I?
A room broom pistol grip shotgun.
Riddles About Gun Culture and Laws
51. I’m known as a symbol of freedom, self-reliance, and resistance against tyranny worldwide. What am I?
An AK-47 assault rifle.
52. I’m an American’s constitutional right that shall not be infringed upon. What am I?
The right to keep and bear arms as stated in the 2nd amendment.
53. I’m proof that safety lies in trusting citizens, not controlling them. What am I?
Constitutional or permitless carry laws.
54. I’m a program that trains and arms teachers to protect students when needed. What am I?
School marshal or guardian programs.
55. I’m a restriction on magazine capacity that only affects law-abiding citizens. What am I?
A magazine capacity ban.
56. I’m a bureaucratic agency viewed by many as unconstitutional and intrusive. What am I?
The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives).
57. I’m a heavy tax that inflates costs for shooters and collectors. What am I?
The NFA tax stamp required for certain weapons.
58. I’m a place where the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. What am I?
A NRAAM (National Rifle Association Annual Meeting).
59. I’m a term for jurisdictions with strict gun laws and high rates of gun violence. What am I?
Gun free zones.
60. I’m a decree that demands all citizens surrender their firearms to the state. What am I?
Mandatory gun buybacks.
61. I’m an attempt to control violence by controlling law-abiding gun owners. What am I?
Most modern gun control legislation.
Conclusion
Guns are deeply ingrained in human civilization. For better or worse, they’ve shaped the course of history through both great acts of violence and the prevention of violence against innocents. Riddles force us to think about guns and their impacts in novel ways. Some celebrate our rights and freedoms, others criticize an over reliance on firearms or a lack of reasonable regulation. However you view America’s gun culture, these riddles hopefully provided some interesting new angles to consider and debate.
