Updated: August 21, 2018 | Original: April 26, 2010. After the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, both Union and Confederate soldiers used the minnie bullet (as they called it) in their muzzle-loading rifles. Griffin gained popularity as he became the subject of memes, and his video during the show was dubbed as one of national televisions most cringe-worthy performances. He achieved better luck when he marketed it as a sport that can be played, whether sitting or standing-allowing the game to be categorized as an inclusion sport. I mean, the concept and the associated gear don't seem so expensive and difficult to create (at least for a prototype that you're trying to sell) that you'd have to give up everything, you know? The cleaner running, reliably feeding and more accurate bullet design quickly assumed the new standard military ammo crown. I remember that, and that Bulletball looked awesome. MG: So we put together - my brother Charles and I - put together a company called Inclusion Sports, because BulletBall is a game that is inclusive of all people. When 13 people were massacred at Columbine High School in 1999, the effect on the country was comparable to that of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. Four interesti, *Competitive Shooter of the Week* The propellant, which is safer and faster to produce than extruded powder, only became widely available to civilian reloaders in the 1960s, however. Did you know? That fouling compromised accuracy and slowed reloads. Well at least they've finally found a use for it. All rights reserved. . It was the saddest thing I'd ever seen on TV. Common sense and compassion after we learn about these atrocities, and learn about people like Nora Vawter and her heroic mother, should provoke us to do what's in everybody's best interest and approach gun violence practically, clinging more to our love of life and those who we could lose. Tracing the games evolution from a life-consuming passion to an inclusive sport. And infinitely fewer offer it up for scrutiny on national television. Tiger Schultz, The story of the M1 Garand is a story of American, *Competitive Shooter of the Week* Manute Bol - Wikipedia Instead, it's like the paper football game I always played as a kid in school but with a ball. The higher melting point allowed designers to increase powder charges in their unending search for increased velocity, flatter trajectories and more power. Wheelchair America rocks the BulletBall. The families of young Lucille Ball and a boy who lived next door were forever changed by a single bullet. Burton's modified Minie ball had decreased mass and increased speed, resulting in increased energy and better range, as well as a cheaper bullet, which was used in the Crimean War[citation needed] and then the American Civil War. Heres how it works. The height of a BulletBall table allows for a standard wheelchair to easily maneuver underneath it, and the side rails prevent the ball from rolling off the table as well as provide opportunities for strategic play. Mini designed the bullet with a small iron plug, and lead skirting that would expand under the pressure of gunpowder deflagration causing the bullet to obturate, and grip the rifling grooves. On the night of March 5, 1770, the streets of Boston, Massachusetts were coated with snow and tension was thick between angry colonists and the British soldiers who occupied their town. He's rich now and bulletball is pretty popular in retirement homes/homes for the disabled. MG: Correct. He quit his job and sold his car, house, and wifes wedding ring to keep the BulletBall afloat. Ball ammo runs extremely clean and is exceptionally accurate. Bulletball. Type of conical projectile for mid 19th century rifles, "Treatment of War Wounds: A Historical Review", "Tenacity of human life as seen in cases of gunshot injuries", Weaponry: The Rifle-Musket and the Mini Ball, Mitrailleuse Gatling modle APX 1895 (1895), 8mm Lebel smokeless powder cartridge (1886), Du Temple high-circulation steam engine (1876), M1840 army noncommissioned officer's sword, Deringer M1825 Philadelphia caplock pistol, Remington M1860 Elliot revolver pepperbox, Wesson and Leavitt M1850 Dragoon revolver, Joslyn M1855, M1861, M1862, M1864, M1865 carbine and rifle, Sharps M1848, M1850, M1851, M1852, M1853, M1855, M1859, M1863, M1865 carbine and rifle, Spencer M1860, M1865 repeating carbine and rifle, 8-inch M1841, 10-inch M1841 and 13-inch M1861 mortar, James 24-pounder M1839, 32-pounder M1829 and 42-pounder M1841 rifled cannon, Parrott 30-pounder, 100-pounder, 200-pounder and 300-pounder rifled cannon, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mini_ball&oldid=1160198957, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from January 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 15 June 2023, at 00:41. As in, theres no score? Couldn't you still keep a day job, and then use your vacation time to try and sell BulletBall until your ship comes in, or whatever? Booth's Deringer - Ford's Theatre possessions in order to fulfill his destiny. #bulletballwillhappen. At the beginning it says you need to keep Bullet close for your mental health. Kylie Fox - C, *Competitive Shooter of the Week* We see the potential in BulletBall, and after reading our game pitches to Marc Griffin below, theres a 100% chance you will too. Bullets delivered from ball ammo dont slow much when striking soft tissue, like a big-game animal. This website exists to break down the barriers between people, to extend a weblog beyond just one person, and to foster discussion among its members. You know what happened next. [2] Did a Snowball Fight Start the American Revolution? | HISTORY Without bullets, a gun is harmless. At 7-foot-7, Bol is the tallest NBA player in National Basketball Association history, tied with Gheorghe Muresan. Thats a slight advantage for members of our Armed Forces. Watching people's entire worlds crumble, one life at a time. Bulletball was featured in the St Louis Senior Olympics. After John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, he dropped his deringer pistol. It didn't leave anyone dead--but it did leave two families in ruins. It's even got that classic third act reversal, where the guy has been going nuts trying to sell this as a regular game for years, and then, just when all seems lost, he has a flash of insight: Sure, the clip was brutal, but those judges seem miles more human than the dream-crushing androids who host, There's actually a pretty good interview with the guy. The playing area is a circular table with two guardrails (as opposed to a rectangular table). The common industry standard of a 1:48" twist in .54 caliber is highly versatile at moderate powder charges, handling patched round ball, conical and sabot in good order. [citation needed], A precursor to the Mini ball was created in the 1830s by French Army captains Montgomery and Henri-Gustave Delvigne. Snake Eyes Soft Distance Golf Balls. [3] Burton's version of the ball weighed 1.14 ounces. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. EXCLUSIVE: Inventor Marc Griffin discusses bringing BulletBall to videogames! Convinced he had created the next Olympic sport, he had spent 26 years of his life on the idea. Add the price and its obvious why these loads, despite the geometrically inaccurate label, are so beloved by knowledgeable firearm enthusiasts everywhere. Or at least our country. The judges hated the idea and his gut-wrenching experience on the show went viral. The center went on to play three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers before returning to Golden State to finish his career. Coincidentally, Inclusion Sports is also the name of the company Griffin put up with his brother Charles to market the game. A hammer triggered by pulling a lanyard fired a percussion cap on a single centrally located nipple that detonated one round, causing the flash to pass from one cartridge to the next until all had been fired. According to Basketball-Reference, he blocked a jaw-dropping 5.0 shots per game as a rookie. There's BulletBall: The Game, which is more of a family version. He'd quit his job, sold all his possessions including his wife's wedding ring, and was sleeping in his car. I use to work for the judge in the Hawaiian shirt. Gotta say I'm happy for the guy. The soldier, a private in the 53rd North Carolina Infantry, was hit in the side of the head by a .58 caliber Mini ball, which shattered his skull and lodged in the right hemisphere of the brain. Gheorghe Dumitru Murean ( Romanian pronunciation: [eore murean] ( listen); born 14 February 1971), also known as "The Giant" ( Romanian: [its] ), is a Romanian former professional basketball player. Others contend the FMJ bullets propensity for passing through barriers, enemy combatants and continuing downrange in search of secondary and tertiary targets earned it the nickname hardball. Shortened to ball it rolls off lips faster and sounds less offensive to sensitive eavesdroppers. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The brain was removed, preserved in formaldehyde and donated to the Army Museum in Washington. The primary cause of death had been infection caused by both the initial injury and subsequent necrosis of brain tissue.[8]. And less than a year later, we started seeing "As Seen On TV" ads for an IDENTICALLY-LOOKING product. During play, the ball must never touch the side rails. The book stresses the importance of faith and determination while chasing your dreams. Entitled Endless Dreams, the book has a five-star review on Amazon. Bullet ball bullet ball bullet ball bullet ball! In her memoir, Love Lucy, Ball writes that on July 4, 1927, her grandfather, "in a holiday mood, came home from work on the trolley with a mysterious object wrapped in brown paper. Its inexpensive, particularly when bulk, non-corrosive military surplus cartridges are available. The damage caused by projectiles is a function of their kinetic energy, which is transferred to the victim on impact. Kids play that game all the time, with the ground as the table and their legs as the guardrails. It appears he's found his niche, and I wish him all the luck in the world. (22) Their Price: $24.99. Bol tallied 15 blocks in a single game against the Atlanta Hawks in the same season. Now bitches Now you can smoke the crack in my ass or bite the bullet .. Bulletball that is. The first official Bulletball bullet battle (as they are officially called) took place between King Marc and Bald Shorter John Lasseter. The Mini bullet, a cylindrical bullet with a hollow base that expanded when fired, proved lethally accurate over relatively long distances, and was soon used to devastating effect by the British army against Russian forces during the Crimean War. Its clean, reliable, accurate and the favored, Firearms with rifling improved accuracy, period. He didnt offer much on the offensive end, but his shot-blocking prowess made him a force to be reckoned with inside the paint. He did so on this day. The only laurel on his head is that this game is officially recognized as an inclusion sport. There's nothing wrong with his latent idea, it just isn't developed. After winning gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics, he played as a split end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys (for 11 seasons). Bol was being treated for his complications in a Charlottesville, Virginia, hospital on June 19, 2010, when he died from kidney failure caused by the disease, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Bol finished his career with more blocks (2,086) than points (1,599). I was in a couple of writing workshops with Nora Vawter. Get instant feedback at your pitch speed with the SKLZ Bullet Ball. What Is Ball Ammo? - Wideners Shooting, Hunting & Gun Blog King Marc won by seven MA POINTS. He was also a beloved figure in his home country of Sudan. Or did he have the idea 26 years ago and then one day decide to give up everything to make it happen? It ruined Celoron for us; it destroyed our life together there.". Griffins passion for the game led him to believe BulletBall was going to be an Olympic sport. Because the ammunition used had to engage the spiral grooves, or rifling, inside the rifle barrel, it had to be equal in diameter to the barrel, and shooters would have to jam the bullet into the rifle by force. WOUND BALLISTICS - Motion and Effects of Projectiles in the Human Body Dr Andrew provides an evaluation of firearm Injuries, and the tissue damage associated with them. New Discount Golf Balls | Rock Bottom Golf One camp of opinion claims the term became permanently embedded after the introduction of ball powder during World War II. What should happen to the weapon has been a question ever since. However, instead of using paddles, players use their forearms or hands to hit the ball either directly towards their opponents or into the side rails. So, so sad. Marc Griffin (@marcbulletball) / Twitter Now it's Inclusion Sports? I remember one about a kid who invented a passive AC you could stick in a car window to keep pets cool so you could leave them in the car. History of the Hitman Logo Whats the Story? It must remain within the triangle, whether served free-hand or held. I never thought I would link to this on MetaFilter. Say one thing about Noman, say he loves cars. And you don't get to kick a field goal, which was the best part and the thing that always got you in trouble. I really hope it does, because I don't wish a life like that--such abject failure and delusion--on anyone. The bullet that killed President Lincoln was marked with the initials A. L. by Dr. Stone who described it as a "leaden-hand made ball flattened somewhat in its passage through the skull." It measures 43.75 mm and is composed of a mixture of antimony, tin, copper, and soft lead. Soccer? Oh, I remember that Doggie AC idea. The fact also makes it nominal for self- and home-defense use for the same reason. WOUND BALLISTICS - Motion and Effects of Projectiles in the Human Body Manute Bol was one of the most unique NBA players in the history of the league. MG: Correct. In 2006, aspiring inventor Marc Griffin appeared on the show American Inventor with a table game he had invented called Bulletball. Not really. No one else could survive 12 seasons in the league while scoring less than three points per game, but that made Bol special. That was my initial question as well, infinitywaltz. When the rifle was fired, the exploding gas in the base of the bullet expanded the skirt to engage the rifling, providing spin for accuracy, a better seal for consistent velocity and longer range, and easier cleaning of barrel detritus. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Is ball ammo actually round? Sadly, he died far too early from kidney failure. I think there's a tragedy here in that we assume he's done nothing else with his life in the years since his TV appearance. Washington Wizards - Wikipedia Front and back. On April 28, 1656, the Dutch East India ship Vergulde Draeck, known as the Gilt Dragon, struck a reef and sunk 70 kilometres north of where Perth is today. [2]:55. Eventually, when Nora was 24, her mother succumbed to pneumonia. [13] The trade worked out well; Howell proved to be a hustler and a fundamentally sound player. Fast Action and quick with the eyes! [2]:314315, The Mini ball could be quickly removed from the paper cartridge, with the gunpowder poured down the barrel and the unexpanded bullet pushed down after it passed the muzzle rifling and any detritus from prior shots. It was then rammed with the ramrod, which packed the charge and filled the hollow base with powder. During the Crimean War of 1853-56, which pitted Britain, France . Firearms with rifling improved accuracy, period. The French Army officer's innovation was slightly smaller than the diameter of the barrel's bore. So the bullet should fall straight . In any way that is most comfortable for you to play, just as long as you hit the ball with the space between the tip of your elbow and the tip of your fingers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Before each opponent may touch the ball, it must first cross into their playing area. I was thinking about him yesterday--realizing that when I read Ball's memoir a few years ago, I never thought much about how the Erickson family's life was thrown into chaos by an accidental shooting--after I saw a story shared on Facebook by someone who was in my graduate creative writing cohort. Cookie Notice Weirdly, the original Bulletball video is still being shared as an example of the "delusional reality show contestant" archetype. The French army officer Claude-Etienne Mini was not the first to come up with the design of a bullet that expanded when fired, but he simplified and improved on earlier designsincluding those developed by Britains Captain John Norton (1818) and William Greener (1836)to create his namesake bullet in 1849. Delusional. His bullet was just as effective, but less expensive and easier to produce. GR: The sport version? Manute Bol grew up in the African country of Sudan. Throughout his career, Bol averaged 3.3 blocks per game. If they ever make a film version of the BulletBall story, I want Giancarlo Esposito to play the inventor. He may be more famous for his career on the basketball court, but Bols activism and charity work in Sudan made him the unique person everyone who interacted with him grew to love. Alice Jones Webb Profile Let's explore the basic parts of ammunition. If not, its a version of table tennis with a few tweaks: instead of paddles, you use your hands or arms to move the ball back and forth across the opposite sides of the table. Theres rules and regulations that govern the game. GR: Theres two different versions of BulletBall, right? Bol was a revelation in his first pro season in 1985-86. The rimmed case with cupro-nickel jacketed lead core bullets first went into production at the St. Petersburg cartridge factory in 1891. Ball doesn't say what happened to Warner Erickson; presumably, he was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his days. My cousins and I did this as kids with the billiards table in my grandmas basement. Rock Bottom Price: Save $15.28 (61% Off) Sometimes, gun people can be a bit snooty. Mini Ball - HISTORY [3] The development of the Mini ball was significant because it was the first projectile type that could be made a loose enough fit to easily slide down the barrel of a rifled long gun, yet maintain good accuracy during firing due to obturation by expansion of the bullet's base when fired. Then we learned the awful news: a .22-caliber bullet is very small, but by fantastic bad luck, the bullet passed right through Warner's spine, severing the cord." A typical game lasts for 21 points, or many points have been agreed upon, similar to table tennis. The French army officer Claude-Etienne Mini invented the bullet that would bear his name in 1849. The FMJ bullets also pass through barriers like metal, wood and glass with relative easedepending on impact velocity and material breached. The design improved accuracy and effective range. Throw those away! To begin, the BulletBall sits in a triangle shape in the center of your tabletop. When a rifle containing a Mini bullet was fired, the bullet was rammed back on the charge, which exploded and sent the bullet hurtling down the barrel. During one charity trip to Sudan, Bol contracted a life-threatening skin disease called Stevens-Johnson syndrome. You know: kids, parents, all that. On average, they do not change significantly in shape or surrender an undue portion of their mass when striking a game animal or other soft tissue. Musket 'bolo' balls buried in sand for 366 years discovered on WA beach This bullet design has been around for more than 100 years and these loads are among the most reliable available today. The long-range accuracy of the Mini ball meant that the traditional model of warfare, when infantry and cavalry assaults could be successful, was over. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Youve likely overheard other shooters discussing things like bullet velocity, penetration, or projectile, If youre a new gun owner, you may not yet know the differences between Hollow Point VS FMJ.. . Or is this rule covering it: That Doggie AC kid lost as soon as he started backtracking on the car idea. 44 pages Explore Wiki Content Community Bulletball Edit The History of Bulletball SUBSCRIBE TO SKIDWAYSKILLFUL. I don't have children, but if I did, I would have a hard time sending them off to school knowing that they might not come back. On its way, the iron bullet expanded, gripping the spiral rifling and spinning so tightly along its course that its range and accuracy were greatly increased, with fewer misfires. All rights reserved. I cringed at the judges reactions, I didn't think the idea was half bad. Suppose two similar trolleys are traveling toward each other with equal speed. Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more, Armored Core 6 hype has driven up prices for the old games by 300% and retro sellers are making a mint, 12 years on, the bleakly beautiful world of the Alice games is enchanting as ever, This stupidly detailed horse maker has ruined me and now I want a full-on horse RPG. How fast do bullets travel? He was (allegedly) 47 years old. It is probably the same for him. Stay in touch with Widener's, be the first to know about new articles, products, and more. The more we all know, the better organized and stronger the shooting and hunting community will be. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I'd see that guy as a therapist. When Virginia Tech was locked down in 2011, people asked how this is still happening. Maybe in 99% of cases like this, it'd be the right call. Many historical documents refer to this iteration of the Americanized bullet as the minnie ball. When the Civil War began in 1861 both sides were using it widely. It won't come as a surprise to anyone reading this that I support President Obama's executive action to limit gun violence. The bullet that killed President Lincoln - White House Historical Newer , This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments. know-your-role player in league history, Bol pledged $3.5 million of his own money, Bill Laimbeer Infamously Took Down Larry Bird and Then Suddenly Became Steve Glassman, Cedric Maxwell Envisions Something Big About to Happen With the Boston Celtics, Dennis Johnson Earned Then Quickly Shed the Nickname Chemo When He Joined the Boston Celtics. Reliability is key. This maximized muzzle velocity by creating a good bullet-to-bore seal with minimal pressure loss. A brief history of Bulletball | MetaFilter MG: From the tip of your elbow, to the tip of your fingertips. Say two things about Noman, say that he likes to speak in the 3rd person. Part of HuffPost Politics. Despite the fact the cylindrically shaped breakthrough from Claude-Etienne Mini had a conical point, its namethe Mini ballindicates all military-issue bullets for small arms, regardless of their profile or composition, wore the suffix. Since BulletBall was designed to be both comfortable and competitive, players may pick whether they want to sit or stand while participating. A week after Marc, or King Marc as most people call him, invented Bulletball, he called the Olympics and asked if they would make it an Olympic sport and now it is. Get this man to the top of this sub! (FMJ). Watch the video below if you have no idea what were talking about: Above: Marc Griffin sold his home, his car, and his wedding ring investing twenty years of his life into BulletBall! if he is on the trail to something follow right behind him. I wonder how many of these injuries are like those of Warner Erickson and Denise Doyle-Vawter, robbing stealing livelihoods without technically robbing victims of their lives. Delvigne had invented a ball that could expand upon ramming to fit the grooves of a rifle in 1826. The ball must enter the colored area of the opponents colored playing area (without missing the mark). Lyman's Great Plains Signature Series Now from Pedersoli Amputations and the Civil War | American Battlefield Trust The U.S. military, for example, has used a 5.56 NATO round often termed ball ammo, yet the bullet has a steel core. The name historically refers to the often round-nose FMJ projectile. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. The French army never adopted the Mini bullet, but the British did, paying Mini for his patent to use the ammunition in 1851. The origin of the (false) story was a gag article published in The American Medical Weekly in 1874. The Lucille Ball we all know and love was the product of lifelong determination; she was a living example of how practice and patience make perfect. Effects Gunshot Fracture of the Left Femur by Mini ball, 1863 Wounds inflicted by the conical Mini ball were different from those caused by the round balls from smoothbore muskets, since the conical ball had a higher muzzle velocity and greater mass, and easily penetrated the human body. It was an accidental shooting on private property, not an inexplicable mass attack in a public space. I guess you could have done the same thing with mail order back then, but now it'd be tons easier. Just to complete the comparison of the barrels . The French army never adopted the Mini bullet, but the British did, paying Mini for his patent to use the ammunition in 1851. Oh sure, when this guy tries to relive a special moment between him and his ex-wife with a game called "Bullet Ball", it's a heartwarming feel-good story, but when William S. Burroughs does it, suddenly it's creepy and weird. You get one more chance to return your opponents ball by just touching it one time if the ball comes off of the side rail and back into your area. Before the introduction of the Mini ball, balls had to be rammed down the barrel, sometimes with a mallet, because gunpowder residue would foul a rifled bore after a relatively small number of shots, requiring frequent cleaning of the gun. After his NBA career ended, Bol started the Ring True Foundation to provide food, medicine, and housing to the Sudanese people.