When used to describe 30'06 military ammo, what does "ball" refer to and what does it mean?
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When used to describe 30'06 military ammo, what does "ball" refer to and what does it mean?
I believe it's one of those phrases used back when military ammo was actually a ball shaped projectile. It was considered Standard Military Ammunition. Years later Standard Military Ammunition is still called ball ammo, which usally means solid.
To distinguish from buck shot or "buck and ball" during the musket era. During the US Civil war, while the standard arm was the 1861 Rifle Musket, which used a minie ball, there were many smooth bore muskets used usually with buck and ball ammunition.
In more modern era it distinguishes ordinary rounds from tracer or armor piercing rounds.
Ordinary also means FMJ (full metal jacket)- as opposed to match rounds, some being HPBT (hollow point boat tail). In domestic operations, the MPs and some SF units also use HP (hollow point) ammuntion which is not Geneva Convention legal overseas, but is standard for civilian police in North America. HPs are also not Ball.
The current War on Terror is not a Geneva or Hague Convention issue, our troops COULD use it if given the okay to. Our troops are fighting non-uniformed enemies which are only protected by how nice we want to be.Quote:
Originally Posted by canadiangunuser
Dimitri
True, but we do still follow the old cold war rules- it's easier than figuring out new ones.
In today's use, a round of ammunition loaded with a ball bullet refers to jacketed, lead or lead + steel core bullets such as those loaded in the M193 or M855 5.56 cartridges. It is different from other bullets such as armor piercing, tracer, incendiary, etc or blank or dummy ammunition.
I have heard the term "Full Patch". Is that also used as "ball"?
Skip...
If I'm not mistaken, "full patch" is synonymous with "full metal jacket." In a military environment, "ball" is "ball" -- and nothing else -- in an attempt to reduce confusion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Skip
Ben Hartley
I think we should use Streetsweepers loaded with buckshot for house to house.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimitri
Mike
I thought it was named after "ball powder".
No, the term is MUCH older than that- ball powder is a roughly 1940's vintage development. (in military ammo- .30 M1 Carbine is the first common usage that I can think of, offhand.)Quote:
Originally Posted by Stumedic
In the early days of rifles Minie dervived projectiles were commonly refered to as Minie-balls, and Whitworth, et al. target rifle/sniper bullets were commonly called "picket balls" due to their similar profile to a picket fence slat. As above, they also used "buck and ball" loads in muskets (although buck shot are "ball" projectiles also...)
I don't know the earliest recorded usage of the term, but I suspect it's been around a LONG time- why use two or three syllables when one will do?
"Pardon me, George, might you have any spare projectiles?":p