Quote Originally Posted by Parabuteo View Post
Ball is a nomenclature used in the military to denote standard FMJ ammunition as against AP, API, Tracer etc. It is symolised as a solid yellow circle on packaging. Special Ball would usually be match loaded for mill contracts such as BH Mod 262
Correct. But the name dates back to the round ball musket days two hundred or more years ago.

When there was only ball and blank (and occasionally some weird things like “buck and ball”, when the full-calibre ball was accompanied by a few round balls of smaller - buckshot - calibre as a sort of shotgun-style load intended to increase short-range hit probability at the expense of longer-range accuracy).