Bullet Calibur

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Anyone care to explain to me how the sizing of bullets work?

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[+3] - George - 01/29/2010Caliber is actually the measure of the diameter of the inside of the gun barrel. A .44 caliber bullet is one that fits into a gun barrel that is 44 hundreths of an inch in diameter.

@Seed,

Caliber is actually the measure of the diameter of the inside of the gun barrel.
A .44 caliber bullet is one that fits into a gun barrel that is 44 hundreths of an
inch in diameter.

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The European system is a bit easier to understand, as they recognize only millimeter measurements in discussing caliber. For instance, a 5mm is roughly equal to an American .22 , and 7 mm is approximately a .30 caliber round. But over the years Americans have come to refer to certain guns such as the 30.06, which is a 30 caliber rifle, but which began production in 1906, thus confusing somewhat the American system.

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Unless I'm wrong the measurement is taken from rifling groove to rifling groove.

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@Seed,

cal·i·ber
n.
1. Abbr. cal.
a. The diameter of the inside of a round cylinder, such as a tube.
b. The diameter of the bore of a firearm, usually shown in hundredths or thousandths of an inch and expressed in writing or print in terms of a decimal fraction: .45 caliber.
c. The diameter of a large projectile, such as an artillery shell, measured in millimeters or in inches.
2. Degree of worth; quality:

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@DrewDad,

thanks for the spelling lesson along with the definitions Smile

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@George,

Except in naval gunnery. Caliber there is a relationship between bore size and lenght of barrel.

The subject is more interesting when applied to cartridges developed for black powder. The .44 - 40 gives the caliber first, followed by the grains of black powder. The .44 - 70 was considerably more potent, of course. By that standard, the .30 - 06 sounds like something of a pipsqweak, but 06 was the date it was adopted.

The 12 gauge shotgun has a larger bore than a 16ga. The gauge indicates the number of bore sized lead balls that it takes to make one pound, the 16ga ball being a perfect ounce. .410 isn't a gauge; it is the caliber. Fun, huh?

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http://www.imfdb.org/images/thumb/3/3d/88mag.jpg/400px-88mag.jpg

"It's an .88 Magnum. It shoots through schools."

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@coluber2001,

coluber2001 wrote:

Unless I'm wrong the measurement is taken from rifling groove to rifling groove.

I understand that the difference
between .357 and .38 is whether the measurement
is taken from land to land or groove to groove.

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@OmSigDAVID,

Really? My understanding is that when reloading, .38 and .357 use identical bullets. The difference is that the .357 case in .10" longer, but only because the developers didn't want the .357 load used in a small frame .38 revolver. The .38 special has more than enough capacity for a full power .357. That's one of those cartridges that was developed for black powder which needed more volumn.

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@roger,

roger wrote:

Really? My understanding is that when reloading, .38 and .357 use identical bullets. The difference is that the .357 case in .10" longer, but only because the developers didn't want the .357 load used in a small frame .38 revolver. The .38 special has more than enough capacity for a full power .357. That's one of those cartridges that was developed for black powder which needed more volumn.

No, what u said agrees with what I wrote:
there is no difference in the metal slug; its in how it was measured, only.

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@OmSigDAVID,

Right. I didn't catch that.

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@roger,

roger wrote:

The .38 special has more than enough capacity for a full power .357.

Do u mean that:
1. the .38 special cartridge has more than enuf space for the extra powder ?
or
2. that a .38 special revolver has more than enuf strength of cohesion
to safely discharge .357 magnum rounds, Roger?

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@OmSigDAVID,

The cartridge has enough space for a full size .357 load. As I said, it is 1/10 longer than the .38 special case to prevent it's being loaded in revolvers not strong enough to handle the pressures. There is, or was a load called the .38 +P+. It is a .357 load in a 38 Special cartridge. There was a federal agency (Treasury, as I recall) that didn't permit .357, but identical ballistics were obtained from the +P+ load. I seem to recall they used the S & W L Frame. K Frame will also handle the .357 just fine.

Do you recall the .357 Maximum, by the way. I never knew the case dimensions, but it was a very hot .357. Sadly, it was in production before it was discovered how bad gas erosion of the frame could be. Hot, and corrosive gases were slicing the top of the frame, so the cartridge was discontinued. If you find such a gun, especially unfired, it is a swell collector's item. I vaguely recall that a Ruger single action was offered, maybe in the Bisley configuration.

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@roger,

Oh, your .44 Spec will handle the same amount of powder as the .44 Mag. Don't try it, or you will likely be typing with one hand.

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Erm, maybe we misunderstood the original question. Sizing is a process that used to be done on cast bullets. Not always, but when greater accuracy was desired. Anyhow, the cast bullets were lubed with wax, or something, and forced through a sizing die, which I believe fit up to a standard reloading press.

Lead bullets tend to foul barrels at higher velocities, so they're less common lately. Also, as a matter of style, brass jackets have been more stylish for the past decade, or so.

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@tycoon,

tycoon wrote:

The European system is a bit easier to understand, as they recognize only millimeter measurements in discussing caliber. For instance, a 5mm is roughly equal to an American .22 , and 7 mm is approximately a .30 caliber round. But over the years Americans have come to refer to certain guns such as the 30.06, which is a 30 caliber rifle, but which began production in 1906, thus confusing somewhat the American system.

I disagree. I recognize hundreths of an inch, percentage of an inch
better than thousandths of a meter.

David

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@Seed,

I wonder if there could ever possibly be a 100 caliber pistol? Cool

Or at least a sniper rifle?

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@tsarstepan,

tsarstepan wrote:

I wonder if there could ever possibly be a 100 caliber pistol? Or at least a sniper rifle?

Theoretically, sure. But it would have one mother of a recoil and probably take a Sumo wrestler to fire it. (The extra flesh would absorb the extra kickback.)

1 Reply

@tsarstepan,

tsarstepan wrote:

I wonder if there could ever possibly be a 100 caliber pistol? Or at least a sniper rifle?

Yes. That wud be a 1 inch gun. It 'd break your arm to use that, Newton 's 3rd Law of Motion being what it is.

1 Reply

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