Handguns
Many handgun caliber names and headstamps do not represent the actual size of their bullets or the barrels meant for them. Our current .44 calibers are good examples. The .44 Russian, .44 Smith & Wesson Special and .44 Remington Magnum cases all share the same case head, differing only in length, i.e., 0.97, 1.16 and 1.29 inches in the same order. Proper bullet diameter for all three is 0.429 jacketed and 0.429 to 0.431 inch for lead alloy ones. They are not .44 caliber and no handguns ever made for them had true .44 caliber barrels.The same goes for the .38 S&W Special. Bullet diameter is 0.357 inch for jacketed and perhaps another 0.001 inch for lead alloy ones. That was nominal groove diameter for Smith & Wesson revolver barrels. But get this: Colt always used 0.354 inch for their .38 Special barrels! And nothing changed when .357 Magnum came along. S&W’s barrel/groove diameters were nominally 0.357 inch but Colt stayed with 0.354 inch for theirs.Long ago small, relatively high velocity cartridges meant for small game or varmints got zesty names such as .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, .219 Zipper, .22 Jet and .220 Swift. One of the oddest names is .22-250. It’s a .22 caliber centerfire based on the .250-3000 case. And the “3000” in “.250-3000” meant not a year or a powder charge. It was simply the advertised velocity of its 0.257-inch, 87-grain bullets.In modern times marketing is taught as a major course of study in higher education. So now cartridges get some really far out names. There’s a .300 Ultra and a .300 SAUM—names that fit hot .30 caliber magnum cartridges. And now Nordic legends are included such as 6.5 Grendel. Of course to American riflemen Creedmoor is synonymous to long-range shooting, so it got attached to a new 6.5mm round used in such competitions.None of this even touches on cartridges—domestic or foreign—with metric names. What on earth is a 7mm-08? Or, is the 8mm Mauser actually 8mm or even a Mauser-designed cartridge? Those questions will have to wait for another column.
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