Lock Stock and Barrel




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Lock Stock and Barrel : Phrases



Meaning:

The whole thing, complete.


Example:

I want to buy the house and the furniture, lock stock and barrel.


Origin:

This phrase refers to the three primary components of a firearm.

Lock is an archaic term for what is now called the action or the receiver. It was originally called the lock because the mechanism locked the hammer back in the cocked position. The trigger releases the lock to fire the weapon.

Stock is the portion of the firearm that the holds all the other parts together and provides a grip for the shooter. This is the part of the firearm that was traditionally made of wood.

Barrel is of course the metal tube that the bullet is fired through.

If you purchase a gun lock, stock and barrel you got the whole gun, complete.







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