This stumped me

[Sniper]

I have spent alot of my life around guns and spent a while in the Army as a Sniper but I just got asked a question from a fellow employee who is slightly sad and has most the day to think up stupid questions like these.

"Would bullets still be called rounds if they were square?"

Now to my knowledge, a bullet is a "round" because in the colonial wars thats how they were molded. As round lead balls.

Your thoughts please.

[Colapop]

maybe they'd be called bullets or caps or leadthingysthatcomeoutoftheendofguns or something?

[onearmedbandit]

No, we would say things like 'how many squares you got left?' and 'I pumped 3 squares into his head'.

[scumdog]

Of course just to add to the confusion there is also the 'tround' as used in the Dardick revolver from the 1800's

[Karma]

Your thoughts please.

The question is academic... bullets will never be square because physics says it's a bad idea.

Tell this guy to do something productive, like search for pictures of naked women.

[bugjuice]

i always thought it had something to do with the round barrels on the ol' 6-shooter pistols.. if you can find out whenn the term was started to be commonly used, and find out the weapon of choice for that era, then you'd get a good idea..

[ManDownUnder]

I have to admit I'd always thought of a "round" as a complete cycle - as in a round of golf... rounders etc...

Load, fire, eject - a complete round?!?

Good q though

[bugjuice]

Load, fire, eject - a complete round?!?

dirty bugger, no wonder girls don't call you back

[scumdog]

And then there's the waiting for the pub to open thing - when you're hanging a-round.

[ManDownUnder]

dirty bugger, no wonder girls don't call you back

So why do YOU keep calling - I don't pose a committment threat huh?

[jrandom]

This dates the first use of 'round' in terms of a single shot from a firearm back to 'about 1725'.

Also: 'Meaning "quantity of liquor served to a company at one time" is from 1633; that of "single bout in a fight or boxing match" is from 1812.'

I suspect that 'round' in terms of a shot from a firearm is just a specialisation of a general term indicating a unit of something. One round of boxing, one round of ammunition - or, more correctly, one round's worth of ammunition.

I think the more correct use of the word 'round' is to refer to the shot itself, as fired, rather than the piece of ammunition used.

But I'm just guessing, here.

[Waylander]

This dates the first use of 'round' in terms of a single shot from a firearm back to 'about 1725'.

Also: 'Meaning "quantity of liquor served to a company at one time" is from 1633; that of "single bout in a fight or boxing match" is from 1812.'

I suspect that 'round' in terms of a shot from a firearm is just a specialisation of a general term indicating a unit of something. One round of boxing, one round of ammunition - or, more correctly, one round's worth of ammunition.

I think the more correct use of the word 'round' is to refer to the shot itself, as fired, rather than the piece of ammunition used.

But I'm just guessing, here.

Wich rounds up to saying about the same thing as MDU said with this :

Load, fire, eject - a complete round?!?

[SARGE]

could be cuz of the shape of the hole it leaves?

[phaedrus]

The question is academic... bullets will never be square because physics says it's a bad idea.

it still didn't stop them from trying
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puckle_Gun

[Sniper]

could be cuz of the shape of the hole it leaves?

I reckon thats the best answer I have heard in a long time.

Thanks for all the other good suggestions guys.