[bloak]

> Same for wheels, rifle ammunition, …

"But being (as?) this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question ..."

(Which totally illustrates your point because it's not really 0.44 inches.)

On the other hand:

"Seven-six-two millimeter. Full metal jacket."

[alkonaut]

I doubt 32" jeans are 32 inches either. It's just "a size formerly related to inches, now denoted 32 or 32" but not really inches". I think imperial remains for a lot of these "sizes" which aren't quite the same as "measuring". I call my TV 55 in, but if you were to ask me to measure it, I'd call it something in centimeters.

[bloak]

Yes. An extreme example: "Shoe size in the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, Pakistan and South Africa is based on the length of the last used to make the shoes, measured in barleycorns (1⁄3 inch) starting from the smallest size deemed practical, which is called size zero." (Wikipedia)