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  1. #1
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    Default Why refer to bullets as "heads?"

    There is something I've recently noticed in our local South African firearms literature (aka magazines) and it can be somewhat confusing. Quite often when referring to ammunition, a writer will refer to the bullet as a "head". Is this a commonly accepted colloquialism? The term "head" makes me think of the case head, especially as it relates to "headspace".

    Is it possible that this term is used because most people use "bullet" and "cartridge" interchangeably (which is, of course, incorrect).

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  2. #2
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    Default Re: Why refer to bullets as "heads?"

    Accepted..... depends who you ask.
    A lot of people don't like it, as it's not the correct term. To me it doesn't make much sense other than it referring to the "tip"....

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Why refer to bullets as "heads?"

    And "points". And a few more.

    Litteracy did fall...

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Why refer to bullets as "heads?"

    It’s to make people like me angry

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Why refer to bullets as "heads?"

    If it is a SA occurrence it probably has to with many Afrikaans speakers not knowing the correct term.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Why refer to bullets as "heads?"

    Quote Originally Posted by Ds J View Post
    If it is a SA occurrence it probably has to with many Afrikaans speakers not knowing the correct term.
    That's possible. I am Afrikaans myself so I get that we refer to them as "punte" in Afrikaans, but "koppe" would sound very weird to me.

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  7. #7
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ds J View Post
    If it is a SA occurrence it probably has to with many Afrikaans speakers not knowing the correct term.
    Its not, I have read it on many overseas forums as well.

    Plain and simple, humans know a head is on top, so they use it like that. Its like naming the rear of the car as the head, instead of the tail, and expecting people not to be confused.

  8. #8
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Messor View Post
    Its not, I have read it on many overseas forums as well.

    Plain and simple, humans know a head is on top, so they use it like that. Its like naming the rear of the car as the head, instead of the tail, and expecting people not to be confused.
    This. Although it irritates the shi!t out of me, one has to admit that the alleged component is often in contact with the case neck, which in turn is just above the shoulders... so calling the thing's feet (or butt, depending on your point of view) the "head" is somewhat incongruous.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Why refer to bullets as "heads?"

    The old people (voorlaaiers) referred to a bullet as a koeël. A koeël is a bullet. In the 70's a round (rondte) was referred to as a larger caliber weapon usually 20mm and koeëls to smaller calibre in the afrikaans language. Only in the 80's the term rondte was referred to small calibre as well.

    I found that old generation people still use interchangeable description but the younger shooting generating use the correct terms.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Why refer to bullets as "heads?"

    Quote Originally Posted by Zuku View Post
    but the younger shooting generating use the correct terms.
    The biggest problem about all of this is the fact that any language is made up, like table manners or a dress code, nothing more.

    For example some idiot decided to call the bottom of a case the head, now every single person in the world have to follow suit.
    If it was called a thingamajig then everybody would have been forced to call it that as well.

    The older generation called something anything they wanted, the younger(read internet) generation gets called out by every single grammar nazi, hence they are forced to comply.
    In written media maybe it's easier to call something by it's correct name, to make communication easier, but that in no means imply it was named correctly.
    It's like telling someone he is wearing the wrong clothes for a specific occasion, you will both be 100% correct and also 100% wrong.

    Especially Afrikaans, it's just a mixed bag of everything, and one day someone was tasked to put it in black and white.

    Don't know what is worse, being scolded for being free, or being a slave and complying with anything everybody thinks up for you.

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