# It is time



## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I think it is time for America to wake up and join the rest of the world. We need to switch to the metric system. 


Thoughts?


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

The metric system is inherently evil.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks.


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

James m said:


> The metric system is inherently evil.


Why's that?


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

MrsInor said:


> I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks.


Wait a minute... aren't you supposed to be with some girl from Sears right now?!


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Kahlan - are you drinking?


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

Oh shoot {{deer in headlight}} ummm... Was it something I said?


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## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

I'm OK with it but I think most Americans won't like it! I use it everyday in my job as everything is Celsius and meters and I learned it a long time ago.

I turn 57 next week but that is only 14 Celsius years, LOL


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Kahlan said:


> Wait a minute... aren't you supposed to be with some girl from Sears right now?!


?!?!!??! My wife BETTER not be with some girl from Sears right now! ::rambo::::rambo::::rambo::::rambo::::rambo::::rambo::


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

MrsInor said:


> I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks.


+1 but I'm not quite an old dog yet.


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

Oh ok... my bad... quoted wrong person. I got really scared for a minute how Mrs Inor was so psychic. Phew.... may continue vodka intake..


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Kahlan said:


> Oh ok... my bad... quoted wrong person. I got really scared for a minute how Mrs Inor was so psychic. Phew.... may continue vodka intake..


Better make it a double.


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## DoubleA (Nov 9, 2012)

How do you use metric to measure bacon?


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## Kahlan (Sep 16, 2014)

Best advice I've heard all day!


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

james m said:


> the metric system is inherently easy


fixed it for you!


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> I think it is time for America to wake up and join the rest of the world. We need to switch to the metric system.
> 
> Thoughts?


You are a wood guy. It is much easier to calculate center points on wood using the Imperial system than the Metric system. To calculate half the distance of a fraction, just double the denominator. You cannot do that with the Metric system because they just keep breaking it down to smaller units.

As long as I keep working wood, I hope the Metric system stays away. After that, who cares?


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

By god im going to stick to measure by the kings knuckle!


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Inor said:


> You are a wood guy. It is much easier to calculate center points on wood using the Imperial system than the Metric system. To calculate half the distance of a fraction, just double the denominator. You cannot do that with the Metric system because they just keep breaking it down to smaller units.
> 
> As long as I keep working wood, I hope the Metric system stays away. After that, who cares?


I agree on a personal level. Because it is what I am used to. However, the rest of the world has no issue with the problem...


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

If everyone else jumped off a bridge...........


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Some people have short memories. This has been tried before in the US & was a miserable failure. Anyone recall problem with the M14 rear sight being in meters & confusing soldiers?


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> I agree on a personal level. Because it is what I am used to. However, the rest of the world has no issue with the problem...


F.. I mean, screw the rest of the world! We're Americans damnit! We do what we damn well please! Now can I have two fingers of ...


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Inor said:


> F.. I mean, screw the rest of the world! We're Americans damnit! We do what we damn well please! Now can I have two fingers of ...


America heck yeah! Hindsight is 20-20
I should have posted this in the rants section!


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## sparkyprep (Jul 5, 2013)

The metric system can bite me.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

Sorry ARK, can't do it. Dont wanna. You can't make me.:lol:


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> I think it is time for America to wake up and join the rest of the world. We need to switch to the metric system.
> 
> Thoughts?


What kinda grits are you smoking?


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

MrsInor said:


> I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks.


Rght. A flly weighs about a gram and fly's turd weighs about a killigram or something similar to that. I am getting mad.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

When I read the thread I had to laugh, I remember when I was in about the 2nd grade our teacher telling us about the metric system and saying in a few years it will replace the English system. That was in the early '60s.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> Rght. A flly weighs about a gram and fly's turd weighs about a killigram or something similar to that. I am getting mad.


See what I mean? The Metric system can go to hell!!!!


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Moonshinedave said:


> When I read the thread I had to laugh, I remember when I was in about the 2nd grade our teacher telling us about the metric system and saying in a few years it will replace the English system. That was in the early '60s.


I remember that too - Miss Brown - second grade.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

My Daddy always said school teachers are the dumbest people on Earth. He was always so right.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

bigwheel said:


> My Daddy always said school teachers are the dumbest people on Earth. He was always so right.


My mother was a teacher. High school English and related stuff. She was a very intelligent woman. That said - the more education she got - the less common sense she had.


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## DerBiermeister (Aug 15, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> I think it is time for America to wake up and join the rest of the world. We need to switch to the metric system.
> 
> Thoughts?


Oh yeah -- I love this topic. You'll hear from me in the morning.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

Do the people in China that make all of our 50 inch flat screen televisions have to convert metric to standard measurements?


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

ok..yall go to sleep for a while. I am going to play spades.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

I grew-up on metric system  Agreed!


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

Metric is actually pretty easy. I'm more comfortable with standard, yet I could easily go with either system of measurement. Because at the end of the day that it all it is, a system of measurement. I think metric is simply a dumbing down of measurement to multiples of 10. No fractions all decimals pretty easy.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

i was the DARE Lady for 11 years. I love all school teachers and sixth graders. When they get in the 7th and 8th they turn into flesh eating zombies. What is up with that? The cute school marms still look nice.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Something that was missed when attempted to convert to the metric system was all blueprints were still in American Standard. Caused many a problem from rough frame carpenter to machinist.

Now the question is whether this is an alcohol induced thread or just trolling.


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## jro1 (Mar 3, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> I think it is time for America to wake up and join the rest of the world. We need to switch to the metric system.
> 
> Thoughts?


I have used the metric system my whole life, now my new job requires me to learn miles.....I have to use miles to locate oil and gas lease sites, because the LSD system was put togehter back before the metric system! townships and range roads are all in even miles......FML!!


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

bigwheel - from experience raising two daughters here - on the eve of their thirteenth birthday when they go to bed still naïve and wonderful - their little heads hit the pillow and all the common sense drains out. If you are lucky the common sense starts coming back about age nineteen.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

ok having lived in Texas for a long time. Figure half a beer per mile. That can get you in the ballpark.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

HuntingHawk said:


> Something that was missed when attempted to convert to the metric system was all blueprints were still in American Standard. Caused many a problem from rough frame carpenter to machinist.
> 
> Now the question is whether this is an alcohol induced thread or just trolling.


It's Friday. Absolutely alcohol induced. But the merich sysim sill suchs Godammish!


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

SDF880 said:


> I turn 57 next week but that is only 14 Celsius years, LOL


I do not care WHO you are - That is funny


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## Infidel (Dec 22, 2012)

Arklatex said:


> I think it is time for America to wake up and join the rest of the world. We need to switch to the metric system.
> 
> Thoughts?


I think you've lost your mind. I've barely mastered this one, I'm not learning a new system now. I can remember them trying to teach us metric in school and saying we're going to be changing over to it soon and then we didn't change, glad I ditched those classes.

-Infidel


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

That is real close to taking the Lords name in vain. You dont want to get struck dead now do ya? Go gargle with Listerine and repent. Come back after that. If your still alive course. Keep us posted.


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## graynomad (Nov 21, 2014)

In Oz we changed in the mid 70s, I have worked with both and still to this day sometimes swap over mid sentence, for example I might say "75 by 50 (mm) by 8 feet". It still causes issues here. Another example, most sheets of stuff are 8x4 feet right? That's still the common term here but you have to be very careful because an "8x4" (1220x2440mm) sheet may actually be a metric sheet (1200x2400) and if you have assumed one and got the other you can be in trouble.

That said, honestly the imperial system must have been designed by a committee of lunatics, get rid of it guys, you'll never go back


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Wasn't expecting such a negative response to this topic! The metric system is not hard, but a switch would cause a lot of problems. When I was in school they did not try to teach us the metric system until I got involved in the more advanced science classes in HS. Apparently the metric system is preferred by the scientific community.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

HuntingHawk said:


> Something that was missed when attempted to convert to the metric system was all blueprints were still in American Standard. Caused many a problem from rough frame carpenter to machinist.


Good point. Everybody has to be able to read and understand the plans (A Project Managers nightmare) if we were to _suddenly_ switch over it would confuse everybody and probably lead to a lot of screw ups.. It will most likely never happen.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Arklatex said:


> Wasn't expecting such a negative response to this topic! The metric system is not hard, but a switch would cause a lot of problems. When I was in school they did not try to teach us the metric system until I got involved in the more advanced science classes in HS. Apparently the metric system is preferred by the scientific community.


And you always have to remember a couple of things about the "scientific" community:

Engineering scientists built the Titanic, . . . a sheepherder with no education built the ark, . . .

Medical scientists (top minds of the day) did everything they could to save George Washington on his death bed, . . . including bleeding him several times to get rid of that bad blood that was poisoning his body.

May God bless,
Dwight

PS: I vote we take the entire metric system, . . . give it a Navy float test. Put it in a 2000 pound lead container, . . . drop it near the Mariannas shelf, . . . if it floats, . . . we'll use it. If it sinks, . . . never was any good anyway.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> I think it is time for America to wake up and join the rest of the world. We need to switch to the metric system.
> 
> Thoughts?


Absolutely not! Just because the neighbors jump off a bridge into a bed of rocks doesn't mean we should follow.


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## ntxwheels (Oct 25, 2014)

Why????


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Yea and we should drive on the left side of the road, drink tea replace beer with wine. No thanks . Nothing that special about metric system. any one can use both.
Only advantage is it makes you think your car is faster.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

We should switch over to the metric system when the United nations demands we do. Im sure a unanimous vote and decision is on the way.

I don't find it difficult to measure with either system. I just prefer the standard units of measurement.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Three cheers for the ALL countries in the universe that do not use metric - The United States, Liberia, and Myanmar

Above is said - TIC = Tongue in Cheek


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

The point is not to change who we are as Americans. I would never suggest that we try to "be like" another country. I think we need to have an understanding of the system because 99% of the rest of the world uses it. When someone starts speaking in terms of KM, MM, ETC, I start getting a headache because I have to really think about it... 

Have you noticed that a lot of the stuff we use today is already measured by the metric system? Like doses of medicine or engine displacement.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Would that be the 460CI engine in my motorhome?


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> I think it is time for America to wake up and join the rest of the world. We need to switch to the metric system.
> 
> Thoughts?


Jimmy Carter tried to push for it and it didn't end so well.

Not only NO, but HELL NO. Screw the rest of the World. If I'm talking about the mileage my SUV gets and they start babbling about liters per kilometer I just might smack them.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

So does that mean that instead of 30-06 I really have a 7.62 x 63mm? The rest of the World thinks that we bathe way too much. A poll in France a couple of years ago showed that most of them believed that once a month was sufficient. Want a real experience? Go to Paris in August and ride use their mass transit system. How about firearms? Most of the rest of the World is appalled that in the U.S. you can keep all kind of really dangerous firearms in your home, and some people who aren't even Police officers carry concealed firearms and in some places right out in the open! "We need to change that because the rest of the World doesn't do things that way". My hairy behind. Every time I hear someone say that we need to change because the "rest of the World...." my immediate response is "screw the rest of the World".


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

A 460 cubic inch engine would be 7.5 liters. A liter is 61 cubic inches. 

.62 of a mile is 1 kilometer.
1 meter is 39.37 inches. A yard is 36 which is close. 
1 mile is 5,280 feet.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Metric system was based on the speed of light distance traveled . Well they found out the speed of light is not constant . Blows that prefect system stuff out of the water.

500 yards is 457.2 meters Bet I still hit it.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

How many of you have 5.56 nato 7.62 nato 9mm 7.62x39


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## graynomad (Nov 21, 2014)

The metre was defined as



> ...one ten-millionth of the length of the Earth's meridian along a quadrant through Paris...


and AFAIK all other linear measurements are derived from that in nice easy-to-calculate powers of 10. As opposed to imperial measurements that are derived from the the length of the king's arm or whatever, then divided/multiplied by various powers based on who knows what. Hands up all those with 12 figures  Quick, you have a board 1 yard 10 and 5/16ths inches long, mark it off into 5 segments.

I know we all get good at any system no matter how it is, and changing would cost billions probably and not worth it, but surely there can be no objective argument that imperial is better than metric.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

As a person who has been in the building materials distribution business for 45 years, leave my dang 2X4's alone (which are really 1&1/2" X 3&1/2").
And as a gearhead who rebuilds automotive engines for fun, how does the metric system deal with bearing clearances that measure in the ten thousandths of an inch, if there are 2.54 centimeters to an inch?
I guess it is done since Europeans build cars, but the British (who are European by default) once built motorcycles and cars that had bolts with an obscure measurement known as Whitworth. Try to find a set of Whitworth wrenches today at your local Ace Hardware.
I was in high school in the Sixties when the scientific community tried to convert America to the metric standard. What a joke that was!
I'm just an Old Fart, yes, but Old Farts are cranky on a normal day and get bug eyed crazy when you mess with our "stuff".


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

graynomad said:


> Quick, you have a board 1 yard 10 and 5/16ths inches long, mark it off into 5 segments.


Boards in their rough cut form, fresh from the log, being inconsistent in width and length are measured in board feet. Which is derived by width X length X thickness divided by 12.
Is there a comparable metric equivalent?


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## keith9365 (Apr 23, 2014)

I think the metric system makes more sense. WTF is a 19/64th? One thing that drives me to throw wrenches and use language that formerly caused me to get my mouth washed out with Ivory soap is to try to work on something that has both standard AND metric bolts on it!!!!! WHY IN THE HELL WOULD ANYONE MIX #$%^&!!! FASTENERS?!?!?!


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## graynomad (Nov 21, 2014)

> how does the metric system deal with bearing clearances that measure in the ten thousandths of an inch


Microns.



> Is there a comparable metric equivalent?


I don't know, but I would assume so because no matter what system you use you still do to the same sort of stuff.



> Try to find a set of Whitworth wrenches today at your local Ace Hardware.


I have a set of Whitworth adjustable spanners 

I find that metric is not as good for general talk, for example there are no real good equivalents to "a couple of inches", "a few feet" etc, the sort of expressions we use every day.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

No, because they will use it as an excuse to sell a liter of gasoline for the same price as a gallon, same with milk, ice cream and sweet tea.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

keith9365 said:


> I think the metric system makes more sense. WTF is a 19/64th? One thing that drives me to throw wrenches and use language that formerly caused me to get my mouth washed out with Ivory soap is to try to work on something that has both standard AND metric bolts on it!!!!! WHY IN THE HELL WOULD ANYONE MIX #$%^&!!! FASTENERS?!?!?!


One of my wife's former trucks was a full size 1984 Ford Bronco. Every bolt on it was inch measurement EXCEPT the bolts that held the A/C compressor to its bracket. They were 14MM. The only thing I can think of was the compressor was an off shore part having a different thread pattern.
And for a long time I had a 1982 Chevy S-10 that was fully mixed, because the engine, transmission, and a few other assemblies were made by Isuzu, while the axles and some other parts came from the Camero.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


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## graynomad (Nov 21, 2014)

> sell a liter of gasoline for the same price as a gallon, same with milk, ice cream and sweet tea.


I'm pretty sure many businesses did just that when we changed over as a lot of people were confused.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

The metric system does not bother me at all.Being in the type of business I was in,you had to be able to use both interchangeably.

A calculator,formula, and a simple conversion chart is all you need.

My 1986 Ford f-350 has metric body bolts and standard everything else.Built in Canada eh?.


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

There is a rifle range in the area that is laid out in meters. 100-1000. Since it is the only range in the area that is set up for the longer distances, I would go there to shoot the M1A. Pegging a 20 inch gong with an M1A1 at 547 yards using only peep sights is fun. Beyond that (600-1000 meters) it became a real challenge.


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## slewfoot (Nov 6, 2013)

No ,never, I am an American and do things the American way and that my friend includes measurements. Some years ago our great and knowledgeable congress tried to do just that and fell flat on their face.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I learned and preferred the metric system when I was in high school. I got real comfortable as I went thru training for paramedic. The idea of people having to slowly switch over to metric scares the begeebers out of them. They need to just say, January 1, we are metric, and go from there. As you use it, you get used to it. Heck, our currency is along the same line, everything divides by ten most of the time. Metric gets my vote.


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## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

Is switching to metric supposed to be a disaster scenario?


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

Diver said:


> Is switching to metric supposed to be a disaster scenario?


LOL!

Note to self: do not mention the metric system on PF under ANY circumstances!!!

Sorry all.

I can't believe this thread won't die!


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Arklatex said:


> LOL!
> 
> Note to self: do not mention the metric system on PF under ANY circumstances!!!
> 
> ...


That is because we like you and think you are generally a good guy. So all of us old codgers feel the need to help correct you when you get these socialist ideas. We know it is not your fault. It is just another example of the failures in our education system. :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## DerBiermeister (Aug 15, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> I think it is time for America to wake up and join the rest of the world. We need to switch to the metric system.
> 
> Thoughts?


I am against it. Our closest antagonist to switch is our neighbor to the north -- Canada. 
I am an engineer (retired). Back in the late 60's, I was using both systems in my line of work. While I never became "comfortable" with the metric system, I at least applied it.

Here are my reasons for wanting to stay with the English (Imperial) System.

First of all -- let's get down to real resolution -- mils vs microns.

Mil - A unit of measurement in the English system that is measured in thousandths of an inch. (i.e., .001 = one thousandth of an inch or 1.0 mil)
Micron - A unit of measurement in the metric system that is equal to one thousandth of a millimeter.

In my past experience, when we ran into microns, we always converted to mils -- to thousandths of an inch. 0.001" (or 1 mil) is very meaningful. If you ever observe a gold-bonding wire under a microscope in microelectronics, you will gain appreciation for what 1 mil looks like.

As far as accuracy and tolerance goes -- I believe you can be JUST as accurate using tenths, hundreths, or thousandths of an inch, as you can with their metric alternatives. So that is one argument that goes out the window.

Next -- let's talk about "familiarity" and recognition. What I like about the English system is that each unit (inch, foot, yard, mile) stands alone and is quite distinctive compared to each other unit -- something that gets totally lost in the bland metric system which is nothing but multiples of 10. Yeah, I like the individualism. And this effects my thinking. When I think "an inch" vs a yard, I can immediately picture it in my mind. Not so, if I am trying to decipher a centimeter vs. a meter.

Imagine for a moment, if the metric folks tried to go the final step and mess with our measurement of time. We have seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, years. What if they, in their great desire to "simplify", try to convert time to multiples of 10? Hmmm?

A mm, in my mind, is ONLY meaningful when I convert it. A mm is approx. 40 thousandths of an inch. 0.040". Now THAT means something.

A mile is so distinct -- that .. IMO .. anyone who is using a kilometer is weird. You are flying across the country and the captain comes on and announces we are traveling at 400 mph. Can you imagine the confusion if he instead were to say 643.738 km? Or try this. You are in your new sports car and want to go FAST. You take her up past 60, past 70, past 80, and finally you hit that magic milestone of 100 MPH. Somehow, that is more meaningful than 160.9 kph

You are out in the hot sun -- which makes more sense to you? 95 degrees F or 35 Celsius? Can you really think HOT when saying 35C?

How would you like to go to the gas pump and have to pay for liters instead of gallons? And just what the heck is a liter anyway? To me, it is an odd measurement. One liter is 0.264172 gallons. Other measurements have a similar or close equivalent. Example: a cm is not too far from an inch. A km is not too far from a mile. A meter is not too far from a yard. But not so with liters. While a liter is close to a quart, there is NO equivalent to a gallon -- you have to revert back to comparing to a quart. IOW, 4 quarts to a gallon, or 3.785 liters to a gallon. In the metric system, there is nothing close to gallon. So think about this -- when up in Canada, and you go for a gallon of milk -- what the hell do they call it?

Finally -- I have a Canadian friend who lives up in Barfoot. He is close to my age, and when young, he was taught under the English system. Around 1970 Canada converted to the Metric System. To this day, he doesn't like it and is always doing the conversion in his head.


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## DerBiermeister (Aug 15, 2014)

How many of you Canadians that are familiar with both systems, really prefer the metric system over the English system?


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## Denver (Nov 16, 2012)

You really have no idea how little I care about keeping up with the rest of the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let the third world losers, better than us limeys, and dirty French frogs learn our system. Don't need metric.


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