why ROUNDball?

[captaincaveman]

so why do we call it a ROUNDball? doesn't the fact that it's a ball elude to the fact that it will be round (unless I cast them :shake: )? Yup I'm bored :grin:

Josh

 

[Moloch]

Maybe SQUAREballs existed too? :bull: :grin:

Maybe because the .45ACP or 9mm FMJ's back in the WWII were also called BALL ammo, but they are conical for sure. :hmm:

 

[strask]

Probably for the same silly reason we call them miniballs when they are not round ?

digger

 

[Blizzard of '93]

because they ain't maxi-balls :haha:

 

[Trench]

Moloch, so are suggesting that the term roundball is a modern name to distinguish it from modern ammo? Do you suppose roundballs were just called bullets or balls back in the day?

 

[oldwolf]

Modern Military ammunition is also sometimes referred to as "Ball" ammo.

The bullets on those casings sure don't look round.

 

[Stumpkiller]

A'cause some evil scientist came up with things like Mini-ball, Maxi-ball, US Gov Ball ammo, etc. We gotta be specific now 'cause that whole Pandora's Box was opened.

And if you just called them "rounds" that could mean 1, 5, 10, 25 or 60 shots fired depending on whether it was high-power, skeet or PPC.

Durned corn-fusin this shooting stuff. :hmm:

 

[oldwolf]

My wife refers to my .54 cal round balls as "Musket Balls". That's is because she grew up in Morristown NJ, and was a frequent visitor of George Washington's Headquarters that is located there, where that term was used I suppose.

 

[Moloch]

Moloch, so are suggesting that the term roundball is a modern name to distinguish it from modern ammo? Do you suppose roundballs were just called bullets or balls back in the day?

Yes, there was no reason to say ''roundball'' back in the 18th century and earlier.
I guess that ''roundball'' is the modern name for lead bullets for ML to avoid mixing round-balls up with military BALL-ammunition which is conical of course.
Even in Austria and Germany we say ''Rundkugel'' which means ''round-bullet''. :youcrazy:

 

[roundball]

Most every article I've read that was written in the old vernacular of those days referred to them as "ball" or "balls"...didn't use the word "round" with them such as:

"Powder & ball"
"Buck & ball"
"Runnin' ball"
"Cannon balls"
"Musket balls"
"Rifle balls"

 

[Walks with fire]

Havin a Ball!

 

[jtmattison]

Moloch, so are suggesting that the term roundball is a modern name to distinguish it from modern ammo? Do you suppose roundballs were just called bullets or balls back in the day?

I'm sure they were just called bullets. Any projectile is a bullet. They're probably called roundballs so they aren't confused with other projectiles. Then again, what do I know

HD

 

[oldwolf]

Don't forget about "Cap & Ball".

 

[ldykeman]

Probably for the same reason most people say "ATM machines", when the "M" already stands for "Machine". So they are, in actuality, saying "automatic teller machine machine". Same as saying "PIN number" or "VIN number"... the "N" already stands for "Number". :grin:
Larry

 

[LFC]

Maybe SQUAREballs existed too? :bull: :grin:

Maybe because the .45ACP or 9mm FMJ's back in the WWII were also called BALL ammo, but they are conical for sure. :hmm:

Some friends and I, back in college, were mulling over an ad for some old military-surplus rifle that came with "X rounds of ball ammunition." One of the friends asked me why it was called that. I opined as how you find shotgun ammunition called "quail loads" or "rabbit loads", just so this rifle ammunition was presumably named for its intended targets! :wink: :shocked2: :wink:

 

[shootemup]

The term 'ball' does not necessarily mean 'round'.

Football, Minie Ball, Lucille Ball (although she got rounder as she got older - but you get my point).

Spot (also bored)

 

[captaincaveman]

yeah that drives me nuts. Makes me wanna smack people. I get annoyed by the stupidest things though :shake:

Josh

 

[Stumpkiller]

Who can explain anything in English. Last I knew a "live" high-explosive torpedo was referred to as "war shot". Does that mean torpedo tubes are smoothbore shotguns?

 

[Halftail]

so why do we call it a ROUNDball? doesn't the fact that it's a ball elude to the fact that it will be round (unless I cast them :shake: )? Yup I'm bored :grin:

Josh

This is a question I've always asked to myself of course.Kinda like,why does The NFL call their game Football and the European Soccor league call theirs the same.Clearly neither is shaped like a Foot. :shake: :wink:

 

[Halftail]

I'm bored too. :thumbsup: