zip gun meaning: definition, quotations

zip gun

noun

Engineering, Firearms, Government, Military, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Politics, Tools, War, Weaponry A crude homemade weapon that fires a projectile.

As pertaining to my idea of zip guns, we didn't use the old type of zip gun any more because they were too dangerous. That was just a pipe and a piece of wood and nail and rubber band.1968, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Riots, Civil and Criminal Disorders:
The simplest zip gun seen by the author was a metal tube in which a .22 Magnum cartridge was inserted. It was fired by striking the protruding base of the cartridge with a hammer.1998, Vincent J.M. DiMaio, Gunshot Wounds, page 282:

2 more examples

During the interview, Flaco whips out a zip gun he's hidden beneath his testicles during the pat-down search prior to transfer to GID, and presents it to Detective Rydell.2005, Jodi Picoult, Vanishing Acts:
. “Oh, so we got annuduh tough guy here,” he said, pulling out a gun from his leather jacket. It looked like a real gun, but who knew, maybe it was zip gun.2012, Arnold Silveri, Turning the Corner on Life, page 59:

Synonyms: slam gun

zip gun

noun

Aerospace, Astronautics, Business, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences An EVA astronaut space maneuvering propulsion unit, a handheld gas jet device, connected to a reservoir.

Coordinate terms: AMU, jet belt, jet pack, jet shoe, MMU, rocket belt, rocket pack, SAFER