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C:SM is much too similiar to CSM, don't you think?

I suppose it's to differentiate them from say Codex: Dark Angels and Codex: Space Wolves. They are all Space Marines but not -the- space marines if you get me.

Yeah, both are used, depending on context. If you're talking fluff, its usually 'SM'... If you're talking rules, the 'c' is usually added to show that you're talking about the codex specifically, rather than marines in general.

As people have said before It's to differance vanilla SM from other chapters.

One thing I've wondered though, when not using abbreviations and using the full word, why is Space Marine used instead/more often than Astartes, when Astartes refer to themselves as Astartes and that's their proper title as apposed to Space Marine? Plus, it doesn't sound terribly corny.

well, "space marine" honestly falls off the tongue easier than "Adeptus Astartes" partly due to that being latin, personally I feel it is much cooler to say astartes because its latin (and as you said, not as corny)

 Wyzilla wrote:
One thing I've wondered though, when not using abbreviations and using the full word, why is Space Marine used instead/more often than Astartes, when Astartes refer to themselves as Astartes and that's their proper title as apposed to Space Marine? Plus, it doesn't sound terribly corny.

Because the names for things in the rules is often different than in the fluff. Space Wolves refer to themselves as "the Rout" for example, and find "Space Wolves" offensive

its because they are mutated wolf-men that deny they are mutated wolf-men

 raiden wrote:
well, "space marine" honestly falls off the tongue easier than "Adeptus Astartes" partly due to that being latin, personally I feel it is much cooler to say astartes because its latin (and as you said, not as corny)

Not Adeptus Astartes. They simply refer to themselves as Astartes for all 'Space Marines'. The Adeptus is left off considering it's just the Imperium's way of noting a branch, like the Adeptus Ministorum and such. Plus it types faster thanks to being in the same key grouping.

it also gives a more meaningful image to someone that has no idea what an astartes is. a "space marine" gives you an image to work with. you instanly think (at least people I know) Spartan from Halo (or along these lines I imagine). while its not evenclose to the epicness that is an Astartes its something, not just some blank stare.

I was playing this game the other day, I was playing Astartes
dude 2: Whats an Astartes?
dude 1: "umm... marines in spess with awesome armor?"

hence space marines. lol. just throwing thoughts out.

 raiden wrote:
it also gives a more meaningful image to someone that has no idea what an astartes is. a "space marine" gives you an image to work with. you instanly think (at least people I know) Spartan from Halo (or along these lines I imagine). while its not evenclose to the epicness that is an Astartes its something, not just some blank stare.

I was playing this game the other day, I was playing Astartes
dude 2: Whats an Astartes?
dude 1: "umm... marines in spess with awesome armor?"

hence space marines. lol. just throwing thoughts out.

Yes, but then you open up this wonderful can of worms. Plus being a Californian, S's are stressed and thus 'Space Marine' becomes Ssssspasssse Marine'. Not to mention going purely by Astartes removes GW's motivation to attempt to copyright the word 'Space Marine' and the embarrassment of such a sad attempt.

that accent... I can't I can't take it seriously. what with it sounding like it was thrown together with clips.. I LOVE IT!. LOL. SPESS MAHREENS

(not to mention how silly half of it sounded with him contradicting himself... slightly disappointing relic :/)

In the Fluff they had been called originally Legiones Astartes, then Guillman proposed his idiotic book and now we have only Adeptus Astartes.

As for the abbreviation, in my local group we just call it "normal SM" if differentiation is needed from the other Chapters.

 tybg wrote:
C:SM is much too similiar to CSM, don't you think?

Because SM is too similar to something else

Especially if you are talking, specifically, of the Black Dragons Chapter of Space Marines...