Exactly right Marc! The lore of weapons is rich with vernacular terms that have become associated with particular weapon forms, and it often becomes difficult to separate them even when facts are discovered that contradict the established use.
The nim'cha term applied to full length swords, the term claymore used to describe Scottish basket hilts, the term katar used to describe what is properly termed jemadhar, etc.etc. Most are typically transliteration and semantics, and in many cases writers and adventurers embellished thier work with colorful stories about the weapons.
The note on the notches on the handles of guns is coincidentally something I had just noted on the thread on the marking of weapons, and of course in reality, gunfighters did not place notches on their gun grips.
As has been noted, the lore is great for entertainment, but for our purposes often confounding.
All very best regards,
Jim
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