What does ball ammo mean?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Lumpy76

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
62
Location
NW Indiana
This is probably a stupid and easily answered question. Me and my uncle have been trying to find out what it means when the bullet sayes Ball on it.
ie. 30-06 Ball ammo Is it the shape of the lead?
Thanks, Matt
 
Actually it means fully jacketed lead core military type ammo.

.45 ACP 230 grain FMJ is ball ammo.
30-06 in various lead core FMJ military loadings is Ball ammo.

In military lingo:
Cartridge, 7.62 NATO, Ball, M59 is the 150 grain FMJ loading.

Carried further, it means it is not tracer, armor piercing, incendiary, explosive, or otherwise different then plain lead core FMJ.

In civilian circles, it means a FMJ military type bullet, as opposed to hollow-point, soft point, etc.

rcmodel
 
Ordinary ammo. The old days there was ball and blank. Other types were added in profusion in the next couple of centuries, but the standard run-of-the-mill issue military ammo is still called "ball."
 
+1
Musket balls were truly balls, Minie balls were not!

But once established, military nomenclature for the standard bullet dies hard!

rcmodel
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top