How to say "rifle" in Japanese

• ライフルCommon
  nounThe loanword for the firearm itself: use it when you simply mean a rifle, such as a gun for hunting or target shooting. It corresponds directly to the English word.
  突然とつぜんライフルの銃声じゅうせいがした。↗

  Suddenly there was a rifle shot.
• 小銃しょうじゅうCommon
  nounThe military-terminology word: it treats the rifle as a class of weapon and also means 'small arms' more broadly, so it appears chiefly in military and technical contexts.

For the gun itself, use the loanword 「ライフル」; choose 小銃 when speaking in military or technical terms of rifles, since it also covers 'small arms' as a broader category.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ライフルrifle
• 小銃しょうじゅうrifle
• ライフル銃ライフルじゅうrifle