BALL, in the military art, comprehends all sorts of bullets for fire-arms, from the cannon to the pistol. Cannon-balls are of iron; musquet-balls, pistol-balls, &c. are of lead. The experiment has been tried of
iron balls for pistols and fuses; but they are justly rejected, not only on account of their lightness, which prevents them from flying straight, but because they are apt to furrow the barrel of the pistol, &c.