Gunner

Gunner refers to a rank in the Artillery, or can refer to anyone whose main job is to operate a gun.

Hand rifles are generally not considered to be guns, and the appropriate term to describe one is rifleman (which is gender non-specific, -man is used for men and women alike.)
Heavier rifles which are intended to be used against anything more than a single person can be freely called guns, and the operator can be called a gunner. This can include .50" or greater anti-materiel rifles; recoilless rifles; or some assault rifles.
An air gunner operates any of a range of flexible-mount or turret-mounted machine guns or cannons used in an aircraft.
Machine guns are typically manned by machinegunners rather than gunners, or they are often referred to by their weapon, i.e. the first machinegunner in a section might be called #1LMG (Light Machine Gun,) the platoon machine gunner might be called 1GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun,) but these only apply when they are currently carrying the weapon. E.g., if a light machine gunner hands off his weapon to join a recce party, than the person who takes his weapon would then be called #LMG.
Those who carry submachine guns or shotguns don't have a specific term to describe them, and are often referred to by their role (MOUT soldier or urban infantry,) or are simply called light infantry.
Gunner (abbreviated Gnr) is a military rank in artillery regiments, equivalent to private or private first class in the U.S. forces. The rank equivalent to corporal is Bombardier.
In the U.S. Marine Corps, the term gunner in informal speech) is used to refer to or address a warrant officer regardless of rank or technical speciality (though historically in charge of ordnance). It is usually considered inappropriate to use the term in formal situations, or where there is a lack of rapport or familiarity with those dealing with a warrant officer. (Not to be confused with the informal term Gunny, an abbreviation which only refers to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant (Grade E-7, a Non-Commissioned Officer ranking immediately above a Staff Sergeant and below a First Sergeant or Master Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps; and has an Anglo-Indian homophone, from goney "coarse fabric," from Hindi goni, from Sanskrit goni "sack")

see also gunner's daughter

The word has also several uses in non-military contexts.

A gunner, especially in medical schools and law schools, is a person who is competitive, overly-ambitious and substantially exceeds minimum requirements. A gunner will compromise his or her peer relationships in order to obtain recognition and praise from his or her instructors and superiors.
Gunner is also the name of a cocktail enjoyed by British expats in Hong Kong and other parts of the Far East and India. It consists of equal parts ginger ale and ginger beer with a dash of Angostura bitters. It is regarded as a non-alcoholic drink, although Angostura bitters is 44.7% alcohol by volume. It is famed for its refreshing qualities and is drunk in large quantities in the summer.
The Gunners is a nickname for Arsenal FC, a London football team (which was originally founded by workers at the Woolwich Arsenal). It is also the nickname for the Edinburgh rugby team.
Gunner can refer to an American football player who specializes in quickly running down the field to tackle a kick returner during kickoffs and punts.
The Gunner is a popular nickname given to former Pittsburgh Pirates announcer Bob Prince.
Gunner is also a class in some Final Fantasy games, such as Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

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