Printing industry slowly metricating?  I thought this is one industry outside of aircraft and construction that would be impossible to even budge from the USC units.  Can you give any specific examples?

The only time I've seen grams on ammunition cases was on some Greek-made 9 mm rounds.  It was all in English, but all SI.  And I doubt they had too many complaints about it.

For what it's worth, a guy whose wife fills her own shells told me that she weighs the loads in grams.  Not grains--I specifically asked.

On 11/17/05, Jim Elwell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
At 17 11 05, 04:12 PM, Remek Kocz wrote:
>You're talking about airsoft BB's, right?  I've seen them in the 6.0
>mm/0.12 g designations at Gander Mountain.  Never saw any USC units,
>even in parentheses.  However, once I walked over to the shotgun
>shells, the reality set in, as everything was in inches and (!!)
>grains.  Some manufacturers did list the shell lengths in
>milimeters, but that was a rarity.  There is an industry that we can
>pester about including metric information on their products.

The firearms & ammunition industry is like the printing industry:
slowly metricating, but so thoroughly steeped in a variety of oddball
units that it will take awhile.

For example, when you buy 9 mm rounds, the bullet weights are listed
in grains. Winchester lists their Russian 7.62 round as "7.62x39mm
Russian, 123 grain, USA Full Metal Jacket." (A grain, of course,
being 1/7000th of a pound, or 64.8 mg.)

In fact, I do not recall bullet or load (gunpowder) weights ever
using units other than grains.

Accuracy in firearms is often measured in minutes of arc, but I guess
that arguably qualifies as a "unit in use with SI"
http://www.answers.com/topic/minute-of-arc:

"This unit is commonly found in the firearms industry and literature,
particularly that concerning high-powered rifles. It is popular
because 1 MOA almost exactly subtends one inch at 100 yards, a
traditional distance on target ranges."

Jim Elwell


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