Mine!

Jackspeak - A guide to Royal Navy and Royal Marines Slanguage.


Ammunition - Ammo - Bullet - A Round - Ball

It used to be said that the bullet that finally gets you has your name on it. Being quickish off the mark I soon grabbed one, named it as mine and it has gone everywhere with me for the past 40 years. Proof that the theory works? Dunno, but it hasn't killed me yet.

I'm not the superstitious type, couldn't care less about black cats, ladders or spilt salt; bullets on the other hand have a certain 'je ne sais quoi' about them.

This is the nasty end of a 7.62 mm round from ammunition used by the old Self Loading Rifle and the venerable and delightful General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) The GPMG is still in service and along with the Browning .5" is certain to spoil the day of any Talitubby who wants to meet his allocation of virgins.

This weighs 10 grams. It has a lead centre, as can be seen at the base of the bullet, and is coated, or jacketed in copper. Look away now if you get nervous easily. When this hits a target at the muzzle velocity of 823 metres per second (2700 feet/sec in old money) an awful lot of things start to happen. The copper disfigures upon contact with equipment or bone, the lead gives the remnants momentum, the target is either in another ethereal place, or wishes he soon will be.

Ammunition is still called 'Ball' or 'Rounds' if supplied to fit in a rifle magazine, or 'Link' if it is connected by metal clips for use with a machine gun.

I just thought that this might give a slightly different perspective on keyrings after Bittersweet found that Vdub camper van keyring the other day. My mother in law carries a collection that makes her sound like the ghost of the Bloody Tower. Now there's an idea.

Just to show my cuddly side, I have raided the remains of the Trick or Treat bucket and munched some Parma Violets. Memories!