Common and less common calibers that no longer have a real reason to exists anymore..

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saturno_v

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No intention to start a flame war but I want to express my opinion about some handgun calibers that are not that useful anymore from a practical standpoint...

Feel free to agree, disagree or add your own choices...

REVOLVER:


Any 22 rimfire other than 22 LR

Reason: more expensive than the 22 LR and used to punch paper at no more than 50 yards anyway...no reasonable HD defense role

Various 32 Centerfire

Reason: No real significant size advantage compared to a 357 ad a fraction of the power...ammo cost....but it will bring tears to granpa eyes...

38 Special

The much more powerful and effective 357 Magnum in various loading (from soft to hard) is available in any 38 Special revolver size, included snubnose...why bother??

41 Magnum

Reason: with the enormously more popular 44 Magnum around, why bother?? Ammo cost and availability.....the cartridge is ready for the oblivion anyway...

45 LC

Reason: In its "normal" form (not the nuclear loads...and for that you can always get a .454 Casull or a 44 Magnum) the only reason to be around is nostalgia and Cowboy action shooting.



AUTOLOADERS:



25 ACP and 32 ACP

Reason: With the vast choices of ultra small 9 mm and .380 there is not real reason for these 2 to stick around...ammo cost is consequently high so plinking with them is not cheap...assuming you can hit that gallon of milk container at 5 yards with one of these mouse guns...

380 Auto (limited usefulness)

Reason: Useful only if extreme concealability is required (like on the beach with a Speedo!!!! :D:evil:) where no 9 mm, no matter how small, can go.....or for extremely recoil shy people with the already mentioned extreme conceaability needs....ammo cost more than the 9 mm, same magazine capacity in the same form facor, half the power.....need to say more??

357 SIG

Reason: If you really want 357 Mag power level, get a 357 Mag revolver or a 10 mm Auto pistol....no real advantages compared to a 40 S&W.

38 Super

Reason: Revived and kept alive by a IPSC rule...no other real reason to be around

45 ACP

Reason: the 40 S&W is as powerful and then some in a smaller package and with significantly higher magazine capacity in similarly sized pistols...Nostalgia is the real lifeline for this old horse....

45 GAP

Reason: Trying to offer a rational reason to stick around with the number "45"....it offers a solution to a problem nobody did ask....the fortyfive aficionados are not going to abandon their pet cartridge for this anyway and rational people use already a 40......lost in the middle!!! :evil::D:p



Fire at will....:evil:
 
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I don't know much about tons of calibers like some people. But I would bet there are some hunting rounds from 1920s Lithuania or something equally obscure that could be on your list before 45ACP, LC and 38SPC. But that's just me. Also, 380 is making a big comeback with the release of the LCP and other modern pocket pistols.
 
Infact I did talk about common and a bit less common cartridges....there are ton of really obscure calibers still alive, available as custom request only
 
45 ACP
Reason: the 40 S&W is as powerful and then some
Click to expand...
LOL. Sorry....No.

Useful only if extreme concealability is required
Click to expand...
I think you've answered yourself on this one.

45 LC
Reason: In its "normal" form (not the nuclear loads...and for that you can always get a .454 Casull or a 44 Magnum)
Click to expand...
Except I like getting .44mag performance with 30% less pressure, and a much more pleasant recoil impulse.

38 Special

The much more powerful and effective 357 Magnum in various loading (from soft to hard
Click to expand...
Just wait till you accidentally put one of those barn burners in your 14oz J Frame.
Various 32 Centerfire

Reason: No real significant size advantage compared to a 357 ad a fraction of the power
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327 Federal isn't exactly a "fraction" of the power, but it still gives you 1 more shot in an SP101 over the .38/357

45 GAP and 357 Sig can probably die though ;)
 
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I do not dispute personal preferences but from a purely energy figures, "cold" numbers", it is true.
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Name a bullet weight and the .45 can push it faster. If by "energy numbers" you mean chamber pressure, then yes.
Edit: Obviously it's hard to say what a .45 would do with a 135gr bullet...I'm just referring to where they overlap, 165gr and up.
 
.38 SPecial that is a LOL

HEck of a lot of handguns chambered for it, and when put in +P
versus a .357 Mag both with snubby 2" Bbl. The .38 SPecial is a lot
more efficient i.e. lower muzzle flash from unburned powder.

.45 ACP are u Kidding?

.45 Auto RIm keeps hanging in there with Starline brass offering
cases and Buffalo Bore, Double Tap and other specialtiy makers keeping it
alive for all the .45 ACP S&Ws.

.45 Colt still offered in a lot of different handguns as well as my
1894 Marlin which can handle the +P loads easy. \

.380- ACP IS making a resurgence for blowback Semi-autos as
well as 9mm Mak.

.40 S&W doesn't have the market share of .45 ACP

You might have included
10mm AUto but I don't think it belongs but the
10MM Auto Mag is a rare beast

I have a barrel for the 1911 in
.400 CorBon for a barrel swap in my 1911

.41 Magnum - S&W just brought back the 57
as well as the 610 in 10mm AUto/.40 S&W

You're talking CARTRDGES some of which have the same caliber.

phffft.

Randall
 
Anything other than .22 LR

uh, I like the Stingers 32 gr. and the like from
other manufactuerers in my 617 6" bbl.
for the higher velocity

I agree about .25 ACP

.41 Magnum is a great round, but like some others
you need to handload it.... back about 25 years or more ago
there were several that have almost died away such as
.41 Action Express - probably killed off by .40 S&W/10MM Auto.

Randall
 
I used the common term "caliber" but from my post is clear that I intended "cartridges"

Gryffydd

If you look at any brand, when we consider the same bullet weight only the toughest +P 45 ACP loads can exceed the 40 S&W by a few ft/lb...and you know why?? Because the 45 ACP numbers are measured out of a 5" 1911 barrel, while the 40 are measured out of a 4" barrel (rarely a 4.5")

And with the same bullet weight the 40 has better SD.
 
9mm Largo, but wait a minute it really doesn't exist anymore except for 1 Spanish surplus company's, that just a few online stores carry.
 
My overall take: Natural Selection works on calibers. The ones that no longer offer something...die. The rest stay, for one reason or another. Just because one does not recognize or appreciate that reason doesn't make it invalid. If it's still being made, it's still being sold. If it's still being sold, it's still being used. If it's still being used, it has a reason for being.
 
.45acp is still on top! Can't get rid of that.

.45 Gap is a nice way to get a .45 into a 9mm sized Glock frame. I'd love to have a Glock 23 that shoots a .45, thanks to the Gap, now I can.

I'll agree that the .357 Sig is about the same as .40, but it has its niche. I wouldn't kill it either.
 
If you look at any brand when we consider the same bullet weight only the toughest +P 45 ACP loads can exceed the 40 S&W by a few ft/lb
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Ahh, see that's where we differ. I really couldn't care less what the factories are putting out. If that's what you're using as a guide, the .357 is only a bit better than a 9mm these days! And I'm not talking +P anything. I'm talking max loads out of just about any given loading manual.
Because the 45 ACP numbers are measured out of a 5" 1911 barrel, while the 40 are measured out of a 4" or a 4.5" barrel...
Click to expand...
That's another reason you should ignore the factory stuff. Look at your loading manuals where they use the same length test barrel on everything.

What's funny is that down at 165 to 180 the .45acp can still push the bullets faster despite that being the area that's a bit outside the .45acp's most efficient weight range, while being smack in the .40's power band. The .40 is sure a great way to get more capacity though, no argument there. On the other hand you can fit as many 10mm in any given gun as you can .40s. So I'd say the .40 is the pointless one.
 
Here's one example...Remington Golden Sabers...
.40 S&W 180gr @ 1015
.45 ACP 185gr @ 1015
.45 ACP+P 185gr @ 1140

Do you happen to KNOW what barrel lengths they tested with?
If you WANT to talk +P stuff, your average +P .45 Auto 200gr factory load goes faster than your average .40 S&W 180gr load.
 
38 Special

The much more powerful and effective 357 Magnum in various loading (from soft to hard) is available in any 38 Special revolver size, included snubnose...why bother??
Click to expand...

Go ask your "average" female to shoot a .357 airlight snubby.

45 ACP

Reason: the 40 S&W is as powerful and then some in a smaller package and with significantly higher magazine capacity in similarly sized pistols...Nostalgia is the real lifeline for this old horse....
Click to expand...

LOL
Thanks for the laugh, that was a good one.
 
I vote we come up with some new calibers instead of taking some away. Im all for new stuff to try. Besides most of the cartridges you mentioned are the most popular in history. Not sure where you are going with this.
 
Gryffydd


Yes, all the premium ammo manufacturer post the barrel length for their loads if you read all the data.

However I did look at the extensive reloading data for Hodgdon for both the 45 ACP (including +P) and 40 S&W

This is what I found (the fastest load for each bullet weight in the 2 calibers):

155 gr.

45 ACP: 1135 fps

40 S&W: 1283 fps

180 gr.

45 ACP: 1047 fps

40 S&W: 1159

200 gr.

45 ACP: 1013 fps

40 S&W: 954 fps

The test barrel for the 45 ACP is 5" for the 40 S&W is 4"...you can read it when you click on the Print button. and all the load details appear on a window.
So the 45 ACP is faster only with the 200 gr. bullet (59 fps) with one inch barrel of difference....

No data for the 45 ACP in 165 gr.

You can check for yourself at: http://data.hodgdon.com/cartridge_load.asp

Thanks for the laugh, that was a good one.
Click to expand...

You can laugh as much as you want, math is not an opinion.....and do not argue with stuff like "45 is the magic number"....something of substance...:rolleyes::D
 
If that's what you're using as a guide, the .357 is only a bit better than a 9mm these days
Click to expand...

Not really...no ammo company load for the 357, no matter how weak, is remotely close to a 9 mm....
 
Published velocities are not always accurate. Some are pretty close and some are way off. You can argue "math says this one is better" all day long. Only time will tell if the .40 is as good as the .45. You cant argue with 100 years of the .45 getting the job done. If you want to you could add some more years to that with the effectiveness of the .45 colt. No other handgun cartridge can top that as of yet.
 
Reason: the 40 S&W is as powerful and then some in a smaller package and with significantly higher magazine capacity in similarly sized pistols...Nostalgia is the real lifeline for this old horse....
Click to expand...
:scrutiny:
Yeah, except 40 S&W can't even push 200 grain bullets, not to mention 230s. 45 ACP also does the work at much lower pressures. Speer's factory 200 grain 45 ACP +P Gold Dot loading is within 50 fps over Cor-Bon's 200 grain JSP 10mm loading, again at significantly lower pressures. Good try though.
 
Huh. A poster claims there's no real reason for the .45 Auto and .38 Special to exist any more, and people are actually bothering to respond.

Slow news day, I guess... :neener:
 
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