Thanks Lew
I understand that accuracy expresses how well the weapon is handled, while precision expresses how well the weapon itself can perform, right ?
Is that difference in the meaning of the two words restricted to weapon use ?
No, the two words have other meanings in different contexts.
In
scientific terms (this is how I learned it from a college professor when I was in a college science class, so what I'm about to give you is a "textbook" science comparison of the two terms, and what would be an "official" or "proper" pair of definitions) it can be explained like this:
Suppose you have a dartboard hanging on a wall, and you throw darts at it, aiming for the bulls-eye center target.
- If the darts tend to hit the center target you're aiming for, that would be
accurate, higher accuracy meaning hitting closer to the exact "dead-center" of the target.
- If a number of darts hit spots that are very close to each other, but not necessarily near the target, that would be
precise.
It is possible to have a lot of one but not the other, as well as having a lot of both, or not much of either - any combination is possible. An example of being very precise with the darts but not accurate would be if a lot of darts hit a spot on a side wall very close to each other, but still very far from the intended target.
This comparison between the two terms also applies to measurements in scientific experiments. (For example, mixing chemicals and measuring how much of a resulting substance is in a test tube afterward, then repeating the experiment and comparing results from each run of the experiment.)
For the record - if this makes you feel any better - This comparison of terms shows up on college exams, some American students over here have trouble themselves remembering the difference between the two, and in some cases cannot get it right.
Outside of the scientific world, the meanings can vary, I guess.
Edit: In Re-reading Lew Yard's explanation, I'd say he has it right, IMO, just another way of explaining the same thing.