"Bullet heads"

[Blunderbuss]

A round of ammunition for a rifle or pistol consists of: a primer; a cartridge case; some propellant and a bullet. :unsure:

 

The component which travels down the barrel and (hopefully) to the target is called the "bullet". :look:

 

The above mentioned component is not called the "head".

 

A head is something which sits on your shoulders, into which you place bacon sarnies :look:

 

Calling a bullet a "bullet head" is even worse as it implies that the rest of the round is the bullet! :unsure:

 

This playground terminology, born of ignorance, is used by kids playing cowboys and indians, ill informed journos and your Mum :look: Grown ups on a shooting forum surely know better, don't they? Here endeth the lesson One, two three and relax............ That's better

Edited October 20, 2009 by Blunderbuss

[AndyCM]

You're right

[Alpha Mule]

Do I detect a rattled cage?

[garyb]

Your all wrong!

 

They should be known as "missiles" Expanding or otherwise

[casts_by_fly]

If the bullet isn't the head of the cartridge, when why doe sit have a base, shoulder, and a neck?

[Floating Chamber]

I get peed off by how the term 'point blank range'. is misused when 'close range' or 'close quarters' should be used. Greener must be turning in his grave!

Edited October 20, 2009 by Floating Chamber

[Harnser]

I always thought that the head of a cartridge was the bottom part that is stamped with the calibre ,or head stamped . I think you are correct and the projectile is the missile or bullet . I always refer to the bullet as a bullet .

Harnser .

[Dunkield]

You think this is being a bit picky with terminology, but have a read/laugh at the thread on the BBS where th guy accused a shop at the Game Fair of 'ripping him off' because he bought 50 bullets expecting them to be cartridges :blink:

[Zapp]

You think this is being a bit picky with terminology, but have a read/laugh at the thread on the BBS where th guy accused a shop at the Game Fair of 'ripping him off' because he bought 50 bullets expecting them to be cartridges :blink:

 

 

Oh dear....

 

ZB

[wymberley]

It's like calling a self loading gun a semi automatic with all the negative connotations that has in the ears of Joe Public.

[njc110381]

Oh this has come along just at the right time! Here are some extracts from a letter I got back with my variation last week....

 

"Expanding ammunition (and the heads (projectiles) of this ammunition) is prohibited ammunition and may only be held by virtue of the above conditions on their certificate"

 

Then later...

 

"Expanding ammunition or expanding heads may not be held or used by those conducting target shooting as members of shooting clubs"

 

So it's on an official document... Looks like they're heads after all. Light the blue paper and retreat to a safe distance :blink:

[Harnser]

Oh this has come along just at the right time! Here are some extracts from a letter I got back with my variation last week....

 

"Expanding ammunition (and the heads (projectiles) of this ammunition) is prohibited ammunition and may only be held by virtue of the above conditions on their certificate"

 

Then later...

 

"Expanding ammunition or expanding heads may not be held or used by those conducting target shooting as members of shooting clubs"

 

So it's on an official document... Looks like they're heads after all. Light the blue paper and retreat to a safe distance :blink:

It dosent make the terminolgy correct . All the years I have dealt with Norfolk constabulary they have allways termed bullets as being expanding missiles ,which in its self is correct . A bullet is a bullet or a missle but never a head .

Harnser .

[Blunderbuss]

Do I detect a rattled cage?

If the bullet isn't the head of the cartridge, when why doe sit have a base, shoulder, and a neck?

 

A cartridge case, not a "cartridge" (term normally reserved for shotgun ammunition) has these things, though arguably as Harnser points out, the "base" of such a case could be referred to as the head, hence "head stamp".

Oh this has come along just at the right time! Here are some extracts from a letter I got back with my variation last week....

 

"Expanding ammunition (and the heads (projectiles) of this ammunition) is prohibited ammunition and may only be held by virtue of the above conditions on their certificate"

 

Then later...

 

"Expanding ammunition or expanding heads may not be held or used by those conducting target shooting as members of shooting clubs"

 

So it's on an official document... Looks like they're heads after all. Light the blue paper and retreat to a safe distance

 

You, of all people (judging by your recent thread) should understand the ineptitude of police firearms admin staff Quoting them as an authority on this is not wise!

 

Yes, I know I am a pedant and I should get out more :blink: Don't get me started on cap V primer, fuse v fuze or canelure, annulus, ogive and obturation.

 

Coat, getting I am........

[celtic invader]

Being an avid builder of rifle ammunition I tend to agree that the projectile should be called a missile and not a head, however how many times do you hear the question "What Heads are you using" never "What Missiles are you using" nevertheless "She gives good Missile" does not have the same meaning.

[Blunderbuss]

I tend to agree that the projectile should be called a missile and not a head

 

Not incorrect, but too generic. What's wrong with plain old bullet, it's stood the test of time for the last few centuries? "Missile" could refer to anything from a thrown pebble to a Saturn V rocket. Bullet refers to a very specific type of missile discharged from a firearm. Just as long as it's not used to describe a complete round

Edited October 21, 2009 by Blunderbuss

[DaveK]

nevertheless "She gives good Missile" does not have the same meaning.

 

Unless followed by projectile vomiting :good:

 

I'll get his coat as well.

[Lancs Lad]

I never tend to get head, but often get a missile.............normaly up my rectum after she finds out how much Ive been spending in the shop..................

 

Im in total agreement with the first post......................

 

We dont shoot bullets.

 

We shoot rounds.

 

A head is not a bullet.

 

A missile is not a head.

 

A projectile is a bullet if fired from a round.

[Harnser]

Being an avid builder of rifle ammunition I tend to agree that the projectile should be called a missile and not a head, however how many times do you hear the question "What Heads are you using" never "What Missiles are you using" nevertheless "She gives good Missile" does not have the same meaning.

My friends and rifle shooters who load always refer to the missiles as bullets and never as heads . Perhaps its a Norfolk thing .

Harnser .

[Blunderbuss]

My friends and rifle shooters who load always refer to the missiles as bullets and never as heads . Perhaps its a Norfolk thing .

Harnser .

 

Not just Norfolk

[weejohn]

Well when i have been into any of the gunshops and ask for any "bullets in .243" the reply i always got was " are you after loaded ammo or heads" , now i always ask for bullet heads in 6mm.

[Browning]

This playground terminology, born of ignorance, is used by kids playing cowboys and indians, ill informed journos and your Mum Grown ups on a shooting forum surely know better, don't they? Here endeth the lesson One, two three and relax............ That's better

 

Spot on Blunderbuss

 

I guess the above also applies to those that shoot 'shotties' instead of shotguns, and go 'pigeoning' instead of pigeon shooting, both terms

used on this forum far too often, probably by people who will 'c u later m8'.

[DaveK]

Spot on Blunderbuss

 

I guess the above also applies to those that shoot 'shotties' instead of shotguns, and go 'pigeoning' instead of pigeon shooting, both terms

used on this forum far too often, probably by people who will 'c u later m8'.

 

And don't forget "END OFF"

[Harnser]

Where getting back to those words we dont like . A day on the "Blackies " " A box of carts " " Semi auto " no such thing ,its a "self loader " I could go on ,but I wont .

Harnser .

[Skippy]

Out of ignorance then, what is the difference between a semi auto and a self loader? Must be subtle! My shop looks blankly at you if you ask for 223 bullets and would hand me a box of rounds! So Heads or bullet heads it is im afraid.

 

On a tangent Cartridges have been nicknamed bullets in our shooting group....but it is very tongue in cheek at other peoples expense

Edited October 23, 2009 by Skippy

[Blunderbuss]

Out of ignorance then, what is the difference between a semi auto and a self loader? Must be subtle! My shop looks blankly at you if you ask for 223 bullets and would hand me a box of rounds! So Heads or bullet heads it is im afraid.

 

Then educate them!

 

Look at the catalogue of any bullet supplier (and I mean bullet, not loaded ammunition) ie Barnes, Hornady, Federal etc. What do they call them? In any other part of the world you'd be laughed at if you called bullets "heads", it's a joke. And this is not case of a different word being correctly used used in the UK and US i.e. bore and gauge to describe a shotgun's "calibre". The technically correct term for a rifle or pistol projectile in the English language is bullet and always has been. The insidious use of "head" has crept in over the last few decades, often by by people (such as gun shop assistants and and police licensing staff) who are involved on the periphery of shooting but don't know very much about it.