Cartridge case or Cartridge casing?
Clarence Fraser
metal part of the cartridge left in a gun after it has been fired. Is this a
cartridge case or a cartridge casing. I have been told that sausage comes in
a casing and not bullets. Looking at the usage of the two words in print, I
see that they are used interchangeably. The same author will use both terms
in the same paragraph. Groups such as the NRA or ATF use both terms
interchangeably in information that they put out on firearms. Is one term
more correct than the other or is there no difference which one you use?
Clarence Fraser
James Follett
frase...@hawaii.rr.com "Clarence Fraser" writes:
>I have a question about the usage of case or casing when referring to the
>metal part of the cartridge left in a gun after it has been fired.
Although this doesn't answer your query, it reminds me of the
definitions evolved by the US government for many item names of
materiels ending with "ing".
It was determined that PIPE refered to an item of supply that was
of a pre-determined length and/or shape, without or without terminations,
whereas PIPING was to be used for bulk supply items.
This logical approach was also applied to the definitions for DUCT
and DUCTING; HOSE and HOSING; TUBE and TUBING; SHEET and SHEETING,
PLANK and PLANKING. I can't remember the complete list.
Source: Federal Supply Classification Handbook H6-1 Glossary of
Item Names. FSC Materiels Logistics Center, Battle Creek, Michigan.
Published by US Government Printing Office.
The above source goes back some years. A huge tome because it contained
colloquial names cross-referred to item names plus complex definitions.
It's probably available on a CD-ROM now.
In the early 1960s about 90 per cent of the US item names were adopted
for use by the British armed forces. As a result many old terms used
in the UK by the army, navy and air force were downgraded to colloquial
names. In other words, they were dumped. These included:
RADIO instead of wireless; CAPACITOR instead of condenser in
electronic usage; ANTENNA instead of aerial; SONAR instead of
Asdic; GASOLINE instead of petrol; KEROSINE instead of paraffin.
--
James Follett -- novelist http://www.davew.demon.co.uk
Mosin Nagant
> I have a question about the usage of case or casing when
> referring to the metal part of the cartridge left in a gun after
> it has been fired. Is this a cartridge case or a cartridge casing.
Many small-arms shooters call this a "spent cartridge" or "empty cartridge";
the terms "case" and "casing" are used, often interchangeably, more by big-gun
shooters (i.e., cannon and recoilless rifle).
> I have been told that sausage comes in a casing
> and not bullets.
Whether from the butcher or from the firearms instructor, this is advice not to
be ignored.
"With my cross-bow
I shot the Albatross"