Why is it 'bbl' ?

[Brown Dog]

Why is it \'bbl\' ?

Today's random 'niff-naff and trivia' question:

Anyone know why in the US gun industry 'barrel' gets abbreviated to 'bbl'?

...and not something more logical (like 'brl')


I suspect it might be some weird historical thing like the answer to why are tanks (as in main battle tanks) called 'tanks'

...I'm not losing sleep over it; just idly wondering if anyone had a reason/explanation.

 

[Pete Lincoln]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

Matt, i blame Elmer .. Be.. Be.. Be.. Be.. Bawell

Pete

 

[col48]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

[ QUOTE ]
Today's random 'niff-naff and trivia' question:

Anyone know why in the US gun industry 'barrel' gets abbreviated to 'bbl'?

...and not something more logical (like 'brl')


I suspect it might be some weird historical thing like the answer to why are tanks (as in main battle tanks) called 'tanks'

...I'm not losing sleep over it; just idly wondering if anyone had a reason/explanation.

[/ QUOTE ]
i have been lurking hear for a bit.
and you have just answered one of many questions
thanks.
i knew what everyone was referring to but could not understand y you call it bbl (strange)

 

[Ballistic64]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

Wild shot in the dark......came about from double barrel shotguns,bbl instead of bl,and was in use and picked up by the auto industry also for carburetors?

 

[MagMan]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

Little searching found brl is a military acronym for "Bomb release line". Military Acronyms
But if you go to bbl and brl you'll find they are both the same as the first acronym for barrel.

 

[royinidaho]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

Most probably for the same type of reason that the housewife cut the short end of the ham off before cooking it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Dave King]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

Because bbl is an abbreviation for barrel.

The bb is a leftover from when they first started this entire abbreviation process and folks verbally stated the abbreviation by prefacing with the word abbreviation then the short version and then actual name.

First it was "abbreviation bl barrel" --- but eventually the tongue tied just used bbl.

(I got bored and did a Buffalobob.) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Roy... tell use the "short end of the ham story"... In a new thread. I use a ham story too but I'd like to hear your's.

 

[Dave King]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

[ QUOTE ]
Matt, i blame Elmer .. Be.. Be.. Be.. Be.. Bawell

Pete

[/ QUOTE ]

I like the way you think!

 

[Buffalobob]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

Brown dog should go hide in the closet. It is all his fault in the first place. It stands for "British Barrel" and was used to replace the term "hogshead" because people did not like buying a hogshead of beer. It just sounded bad to be drinking beer from a hogshead.

BBL is now used to measure how much oil it takes to fill up a big tanker ship so when it it is all spilt into the ocean nobody understand just how much was spilt.

All of y'all have distracted me from getting a windmeter ordered and now my daily schedule is all shot.

 

[Brown Dog]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

Buffalobob,

What an outstanding abbreviation it is then!

A 'standard unit' for British beer!

(How embarassing not to have known /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif !)

....having had a quick search, I notice some also claim it as 'blue barrel' from Standard Oil. ...I'll go with the beer!

 

[Chrismadrid]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

[ QUOTE ]
(How embarassing not to have known /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif !)

[/ QUOTE ]Indeed! - Waiter! another furkin of your finest Ale for this gentleman. <hic>

 

[Bart B]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

[ QUOTE ]
Most probably for the same type of reason that the housewife cut the short end of the ham off before cooking it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[/ QUOTE ]Now here's the rest (or all) of the story.....

Seems a friend years ago asked me over to his place for dinner and the menu was ham. So I gets there and we start talking about cooking and stuff like that. The wife says she always cuts the end off hams 'cause her mother did it that way and they were really great. Her husband says "Wait a minute. Don't you remember your Mom cut the end off those hams 'cause they wouldn't otherwise fit in her small but favorite ham-cooking pan?" The wife just stands there; quiet and thinking, thinking....then she just goes about her business of getting dinner ready. That ham was great.

 

[abinok]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

"tank" comes from the first british tanks... which, to prevent the enemy from figuring out what they were, were refered to in design, and early transport as "water carriers". After all, the first ones looked like water carriers. Naturally, military quickly shortened this to "WC" the british term for a restroom... or rather, a closet with a toilet in it. The designers, engineers, military guys, and pretty much everyone else wasn't real fond of telling their loved ones they were working on a armored "WC", and as such it became refered to as a "water tank". For whatever reason, it wasn't shortened to "WT" but just "Tank".


for those of you who just have to know....

 

[Ian M]

Re: Why is it \'bbl\' ?

Brown Dog,
Another strange one is the term "front shoulder", as in "I aimed for his front shoulder". Where in hell is the rear shoulder /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif