exasperation

Not if you want it to stay extra virgin

Shotgun gauge is wonky, so it's not a given that the number would just be a diameter in units they are familiar with.

Yeah, it's not intuitive that bigger gauge numbers = narrower diameter unless you've specifically worked with wire or shotguns before.

That still makes no sense. Is the commenter surprised to learn that a 0.223 inch caliber is approximately 0.223 inches? That a .45 inch caliber is about .45 inches? Yes, that's how units work.