First caliber. Warfare - caliber

Caliber of smoothbore hunting rifles.

The caliber of smoothbore hunting rifles, according to the old tradition, is measured by the number of round bullets that can be made from one English pound (453.6 g) of pure lead (4, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32).
In Russia, hunting rifles are produced in calibers 12, 16, 20, in the USA - 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28.
The most common calibers of smoothbore weapons are 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 28, 32.

Caliber of rifled weapons

Calibers of rifled weapons are measured in whole, tenths and hundredths of a millimeter, for example 7.62 mm.

At the beginning of the 20th century in Russia, the rifle caliber firearms measured in fractions of an inch or "lines" (1 inch = 25.4 mm = 10 lines = 100 points).
This is where the name “three-line” of the I. S. Mosin rifle of the 1881 model came from - 3 lines or 7.62 mm.

In a number of English-speaking countries, the calibers of rifled long-barreled and short-barreled weapons are measured in hundredths and thousandths of an inch and are designated: caliber 30 (USA), caliber 300 (England), which when converted to the metric system in both cases means a caliber of 7.62 mm.

The spaces between the cuts are called margins.

Therefore, the caliber of a rifled weapon (barrel bore diameter) can be measured as the distance either between two opposite fields in diameter (7.62 mm; 5.45 mm) or between rifling (7.92 mm; 5.6 mm).

So, if we compare the 9x18 mm PM cartridge and the 9x17 mm Browning (the second number indicates the length of the cartridge case), then, despite the same caliber, their bullet diameters are different.

The bullet diameter of the first cartridge is 9.2 mm, and the second - 9.0 mm.
Accordingly, the barrel diameters for these cartridges are 9.0 mm for the first, and 8.8 mm for the second.

Diameter of a bullet for a rifled weapon.

The diameter of a bullet for a rifled weapon corresponds to the diameter of the bore measured by the rifling (i.e., the larger diameter). In this case, the bullet has the ability to crash into the rifling and acquire a rotational movement.
In this case, breakthrough of powder gases between the walls of the barrel and the bullet is not allowed.

In some cases, caliber designations, in addition to determining the diameter of the bullet (or barrel), can provide information about the length of the cartridge and its power.
So, among the designations of 9-mm cartridges there are such as .357, .38, .380.
These cartridges have a caliber of 9 mm, but differ in power or other parameters.

Calibers are measured in millimeters or fractions of an inch. Inch = 25.4mm. In Russia and most other countries, calibers are measured in millimeters. In the UK, gauge is measured in thousandths of an inch, and in the US in hundredths of an inch. A caliber equal to 0.5 inches in the USA will be designated - .50, and in the UK - .500
There is no zero before the period.

Comparison table of calibers:

Caliber indicates the diameter of the bullet, but does not say anything about the case. The 10mm Auto and 40SW cartridges have bullets of the same diameter (caliber), but different cases, powder loads and power. And to avoid confusion, the cartridges are named differently.

Sometimes, to avoid confusion, different numerical designations are used for cartridges with the same bullet diameter: .40 and .41 Naturally, the third digit after the decimal point has no meaning in indicating the diameter of the bullet. Therefore, the .223 and .225 cartridges have different designations only because of the cartridge cases.

Sometimes the bullet diameter and case height are indicated: 9x17, 9x18, 9x19, 9x21, 9x22, 9x23.
As you can see, the 9mm caliber turned out to be very attractive. So much so that there were only a few cartridges with a case height of 18mm. To avoid confusion, they are called differently: 9x18Mak and 9x18Ultra.

9x18Mak - this is the name used to sell the cartridge for the Makarov pistol in the USA.

Sometimes the same cartridge can have several names. For example, 9mmPM and 9x18Mak are the same cartridge.

But the record for the number of titles is probably held by...
9mm Steyr, aka
9x23, aka
9mm Largo (9mm Largo), aka
9mm Bergman/Bayard and it is also called simply: 9mm Big, but this is just a translation" Largo" from Spanish.

Look at the photographs, where you can clearly see that the diameters of some cartridges are the same: from left to right - 45AKP, 10mm Auto, 40SV, 9mm Steyr, 9mm Parabellum, 9mm Makarov. All bullets are JHP - with an expansive notch (unfolding), even Makarov. Please note that in this photo the 9mm Makarov case is made of ordinary steel, the 9mm Parabellum and 45AKP cases are made of stainless steel, and the rest of the cases are brass.

Previously, calibers were also measured in lines. Line = 1/10 inch. Three-line - caliber is 3 lines or 7.62mm.

For hunting weapons, calibers are measured in the number of balls that can be cast from one pound of lead. This explains why a 12-gauge hunting weapon is more powerful than a 16-gauge - a round bullet cast from 1/12 of a pound of lead is more powerful than a bullet cast from 1/16 of a pound.
Caliber: Barrel bore diameter, mm
Caliber 28 Diameter 14
Caliber 24 Diameter 14.7
Caliber 20 Diameter 15.6
Caliber 16 Diameter 16.8
Caliber 12 Diameter 18.5
Caliber 10 Diameter 19.7
Caliber 4 Diameter 26.5

Types of bullets

The cartridges are the same caliber, but the bullets are different...

Bullets vary in weight, shape, and structure.
This is due to their purpose. Armor-piercing bullets have a hard alloy core. Heavy bullets retain their energy over a longer range. Light bullets develop greater speed and have greater penetration at close ranges. Silent weapons require bullets that travel at less than the speed of sound - they are heavier. There are rubber bullets for police and training purposes. There are bullets filled with shot. You can read more about bullets for pistol cartridges here.

For self-defense, the bullet must have sufficient penetration and cause as much damage as possible to the attacker and stop him. It is believed that for this to happen, the bullet must transfer all its energy upon penetration into the body and seriously damage it. For these purposes, EXPANSIVE (expanding) bullets were invented. Such a bullet turns into a “rose” when it hits the body, causes significant damage and transfers all its energy to the body, often knocking it over. The Americans tried to calculate which caliber of cartridge with which bullet had the ability to more reliably stop an attacker. This ability was called OSS (One Shot Stop) - stopping with one shot.
In Russian - Relative Stopping Action - RDA or Stopping Action Puli - ODP

But no matter how much depends on the bullet, not a single pistol ammunition provides 100% OSS. OSS also depends on the location of the hit. One hundred percent gives only a direct hit to the spinal cord or brain. Remember that when trying to find OSS of various calibers, limb hits were not taken into account.

Two shots fired in a row (twin shot) almost always give 100%OSS.
Typically a cartridge with a higher OSS will have more recoil.
Weapons with strong recoil are harder to wield and difficult to defend against. Such weapons are difficult to control.
Conclusion:
Choose a caliber not based on OSS, but based on the recoil you can handle. Practice the technique of paired and triple shots.

The recoil of a powerful caliber can be reduced somewhat by choosing a heavier weapon or ammunition with a lighter bullet, but not significantly. In cold countries in winter, it is not always recommended to equip weapons with cartridges with hollow-point bullets, because... it is not always able to have a strong wound effect through a thick layer of clothing.

Calibers of cartridges for pistols and revolvers.
Attention! Bullet weight is sometimes given in GRAINS (gr). One GRAN = approximately 0.06 grams (64.8 mg).

Cartridge 7.62x25mm TT (7.63mm Mauser, .30 Mauser)

The 7.63mm Mauser cartridge was created in 1896 for the Mauser C96 self-loading pistol. The cartridge is based on the design of the Borchard cartridge of the 1893 model (from the same cartridge the 7.62mm Luger / Parabellum cartridge grew, which later turned into the 9mm Para). The cartridge had significant power, when fired from the already mentioned Mauser, it penetrated 12 cm of pine board at a distance of 150 meters. A light (5.51 gram) bullet, ejected with a charge of 0.5 grams of smokeless powder, developed an initial speed of about 430 m/s with a muzzle energy of about 510 Joules. The significant power of this cartridge led to its great popularity throughout the world, and in 1930 in the USSR, a 7.62x25mm cartridge was created on its basis, and the differences in size with the 7.63 Mauser are so insignificant that the cartridges are often considered interchangeable.

.32ACP (32 Auto, also known as 7.65 Browning)

Appeared in 1899 along with one of the first successful Browning pistols. For over 100 years, the cartridge has been produced by dozens, if not hundreds of companies around the world, and interest in this ammunition is clearly growing, although many consider this cartridge to be more European - it is less common in the USA. The leader in OSS of 66% among this caliber is Winchester - the cartridge
Silvertip (JHP bullet, material – lead, shell material – thin aluminum). This figure of 66% is better than many.380 ACP (9x17mm), better than 9 mm Para FMJ and even better than.45 ACP FMJ!!!. This is not an anecdote, but the result of many years of data collection and research on real shootings. A cartridge from the same company with a JRN bullet weighing 4.6 g. has OSS = 50%.

An ideal caliber for "ladies'" weapons.

380ACP (9x17mm) (.380 Auto, 9mm Browning Kurz/Korto/Short/Short)

It was developed by Browning and implemented in 1908 in the Colt Pocket Auto pistol. A few years later, this cartridge appeared in Europe in the FN-Browning M1910 pistol and was called the 9 mm Browning Short. (Browning Kurz) .380ACP was widely used by European police. In the USA, it quickly began to replace the .38Spl for police off-duty weapons and civilian concealed carry weapons, just as pistols in general began to replace revolvers. .380ACP and .38Spl +P provide the same level of OSS. The best cartridges for OSS v.380ACP are cartridges with a 90 gr JHP bullet from Federal (cartridge with a Hydro-Shok bullet - 71% OSS) and Cor-Bon. The 85gr Winchester Silvertip fast-expanding JHP bullet has 64% OSS. 380ACP cartridges with 95 gr FMJ bullets have an OSS of 53%. For the 9x17mm cartridge, the following characteristics are typical: bullet mass 6.2 grams, muzzle velocity - about 260 m/s, muzzle energy - about 220 Joules.

This popular cartridge was developed by Smith & Wesson and implemented in their revolver.
1899 Military & Police models. This cartridge was developed as an improved version of the .38 Long Colt cartridge. .38Spl is currently available in two operating pressures, designated standard and +P. It is generally recommended to use standard pressure ammunition for plinking and competitive sports, while +P ammunition is recommended for self-defense. Most revolvers in caliber .38Spl, produced from the early 80s to the present, are designed to use ammunition with a working pressure of +P level.
The best combat cartridge.38Spl is the Winchester cartridge with a JHP +P+ bullet weighing 110 gr. These cartridges are sold only to law enforcement agencies and have an OSS of 82%.
A cartridge with similar characteristics, but available to the general public, is the Cor-Bon cartridge with a 110 gr JHP bullet with a bullet velocity of 1155 fps.
Second place (and actually first among civilian shooters) was taken by the .38Spl +P cartridge with an LHP bullet weighing 158 gr – 76% OSS.
Third place in .38Spl +P belongs to cartridges with JHP bullets weighing 125 gr with a result of 70-74% OSS from a revolver with a 4" barrel.
The .38Spl cartridges with 158 gr semi-wadcutter and 158 gr RNL (round-nose lead) bullets both have an OSS of only 50% and are a poor choice for self-defense, as are sporting cartridges with a 148 gr “target wadcutter” bullet.
The best .38Spl cartridge with standard operating pressure is the Federal cartridge with a 125 gr “Chief’s Special” Nyclad HP bullet (an all-lead bullet with an expansive cavity, coated with a special black varnish).

9x18mm Makarov. (9mm Mac)

This cartridge was developed, obviously, not without regard to the 9mm Ultra (9x18 Ultra) cartridge developed in Germany in 1936. This cartridge was created for the Walter PP pistol as an intermediate in power between the 9mm Browning short cartridges (9mm Kurz/Short, in our country known as 9x17mm service ammunition) and 9mm Parabellum. Despite the same names, the 9x18 Makarov and 9x18 Ultra cartridges are not interchangeable, since they have different bullet diameters. The standard 9x18PM cartridge has a bullet weighing 6.1 grams, an initial velocity (when fired from a PM pistol) of about 315 m/s and a muzzle energy of about 300 Joules. The 9x18PMM cartridge has a bullet weighing 5.54 grams, an initial velocity of about 420 m/s and a muzzle energy of about 420 Joules. As with other modified high-power ammunition, the 9x18PMM cartridge can only be used in weapons specifically designed for it.

9mm Steyr (9x23)

Along with the 9mm Para cartridge, it is one of the oldest European military cartridges. In 1903, this cartridge was first used in an automatic pistol of the Bergmann system. The pistol was produced by the Belgian company Piper under the Bayard brand, which determined one of the names of the cartridge. The characteristics of the cartridge are bullet weight 8-9 grams, initial speed - 360-370 m/s, muzzle energy - about 550-570 Joules. The cartridge has strong recoil.

It was released along with the semi-automatic Luger pistol in 1902, adopted by the German Navy in 1904 and by the German Army in 1908. It is believed to be the most popular and widespread centerfire pistol cartridge in the world. This cartridge is widely used for self-defense, police and military purposes. Currently, this cartridge is officially adopted by NATO countries. In the United States, the 9mm cartridge was very rare until Colt released the Colt Commander in 9mm in the 1950s, followed by Smith & Wesson in 1954 with the Model 39 in the same caliber. The 9mm was the absolute choice of US law enforcement agencies. from the mid-80s to the mid-90s, replacing both revolver cartridges - .38Spl and .357Mag. In fact, most of the best performing loads in 9mm are 115gr JHP loads with operating pressures of +P and even +P+. Typically, these cartridges give these bullets a muzzle velocity of 1250 to 1330 fps, which brings the OSS of these 9mm cartridges to 90-93%.

Although ALL 9mm +P+ ammo is sold to law enforcement agencies only, two companies, Cor-Bon and Triton Cartridge, produce 9mm ammo with 115 gr JHP bullets with muzzle velocities of 1300 to 1330 fps - the exact equivalent of police-only ammo.

Second place among 9mm cartridges is divided between Federal +P+ cartridges with JHP Hydro-Shok bullets weighing 124 gr, Speer - 124 gr +P Gold Dot and Winchester - 127 gr +P+ Ranger Talon - OSS of these cartridges is 81-83%.
Data on 9mm cartridges with heavy, subsonic 147 gr JHP bullets show them to be the lowest performing 9mm JHP bullets, including their poor capabilities against tactical obstacles, poor penetration soft fabrics human and low reliability of weapon reloading. The OSS of such 9mm JHP bullets with a mass of 147 gr is in the range of 74-80%.
9mm cartridges with FMJ bullets weighing 115 gr have an OSS of only 63% - like the .45ACP FMJ.
The standard 9mm NATO cartridge has a bullet weight of 7.82 grams at a muzzle velocity of 390-400 m/s or 8.43 grams at a muzzle velocity of about 375 m/s. Muzzle energy is about 600 Joules. Standard 9mm Luger/Parabellum cartridges, more precisely - cartridges with standard barrel pressure, have a bullet weight from 6 to 10.7 grams, an initial speed from 300 to 450 m/s, and muzzle energy from 450 to 550-600 Joules.

357Magnum Revolving cartridge.357Magnum (hereinafter referred to as 357Mag)

It was developed by Smith & Wesson and Winchester in 1935. The design of the cartridge is based on the elongated sleeve of the .38Spl cartridge, but the working pressure of the .357Mag cartridge is twice as high as the pressure of the .38Spl cartridge. Until 1955, when the .44 Magnum cartridge appeared, the .357Mag cartridge remained the world's most powerful cartridge for handguns. In the category of cartridges for self-defense (.44 Magnum was created as a hunting one) and police purposes, the .357 Mag remained the most effective until the mid-90s, when the .40SW cartridge appeared. Even now, with the introduction of the .40SW, the .357Mag has more loads with OSS greater than 90% than any other caliber, including the .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, 10mm Auto and 45ACP.

Initially, the original equipment of the .357Mag cartridge was a solid lead semi-wadcutter bullet with a mass of 158 gr with a muzzle velocity of 1515 fps. This cartridge was the almost absolute choice of most highway patrol and state police (police units operating, as a rule, over vast open spaces highways and using holster weapons at their maximum ranges, often with the need to hit a target protected by the body of a car) from the 50s to the mid-80s, when this cartridge began to be replaced by 9mm. But not because the 9mm was better in its capabilities, but because the 9mm automatic pistols held more cartridges than the 6-round revolvers. Despite the fact that the market for service weapons under the .357Mag began to decline, interest in this cartridge was supported by the expansion of the production of compact short-barreled concealed carry revolvers for self-defense.

The most legendary and rightfully recognized most effective load for the .357Mag is the 125 gr JHP cartridges. Such cartridges provide OSS of 95%.

Such a choice flawlessly ensures victory in defensive and police scenarios. All the latest developments in this caliber are necessarily compared with this particular equipment option - .357Magnum 125 gr JHP. If the .45ACP 230 gr FMJ is the nostalgic and emotional peak of One Shot Stop, then the .357 Mag 125 gr JHP is the real, real peak of stopping power.

In second place is the .357Mag 110 gr JHP with 88-90% OSS. This old Border Patrol gear continues to serve well. The same equipment works well in short-barreled revolvers with a 2-2.5" barrel, providing about 85% OSS.
The next loadout is .357Mag 140gr, 145gr and 158gr JHP. Their OSS is 81-86%, but shooting such cartridges from revolvers with 4" and shorter barrels is really difficult due to recoil.
The .357Mag 158 gr semi-wadcutter has only 73% OSS.
The .38 SP cartridge of factory equipment with a bullet weighing 10.74 grams gives it an initial speed of about 230 m/s with a muzzle energy of about 270 Joules, while the .357 Magnum cartridge with a bullet of the same weight accelerates the bullet to 370-380 m/s with a muzzle energy about 730 Joules. With lighter bullets, the initial velocity can reach 430 m/s with a muzzle energy of about 800 Joules

.357SIG (9X22)

The 357SIG pistol cartridge is the result of joint efforts in 1994 by Federal Cartridge and Sigarms. This is the first cartridge to carry the SIG name. The base values ​​for this cartridge are a muzzle velocity of over 1300 fps and an energy level of over 500 foot-pounds. The .357SIG cartridge provides a muzzle velocity higher than the .45ACP +P cartridges and energy greater than the most powerful 9mm +P+. The design of the cartridge is based on a .40SW cartridge case, crimped to accommodate the resulting 9mm bullet case in the muzzle. The operating pressure of the new cartridge is about 40,000 psi, which is higher than the operating pressure of the .40SW, .357Mag and 9mm +P cartridges.
When using this cartridge in a SIG-229 pistol with a 3.9" barrel, muzzle velocity values ​​from 1350 to 1400 fps are obtained, which is equivalent to the values ​​of the 357Mag 125 gr JHP cartridge when used in revolvers with barrels from 2.5 to 4" in length. When using the .357SIG cartridge in SIG-226 pistols with a 4.4" barrel length and in Glock-31 pistols with a 4.5" barrel length, the muzzle velocity exceeds 1450 fps, which is equivalent to the .357Mag 125 gr JHP cartridges when used in 6" revolvers. barrel!
OSS cartridge.357SIG 125gr JHP – 91-92%.
Cartridge.357SIG 115 gr JHP has OSS of 92-93%.
357SIG cartridges with 147-150 gr JHP bullets have an OSS of 83-85%.
With a 90-95% probability in the next decade, the .357SIG cartridge will take first place in preference among pistol cartridges in the police and other law enforcement agencies, pushing the already inferior cartridge such as the .40SW out of the market.

The .40SW cartridge was introduced to the public in 1990. The joint efforts between Winchester and Smith & Wesson created a cartridge in the original equipment with a 180 gr JHP bullet with a muzzle velocity of 900 fps. Perhaps the .40SW cartridge ended the 85-year-old dispute between the 9mm and .45ACP cartridges. The .40SW had more momentum than the 9mm and more energy than the .45ACP. Police departments were unhappy with the 9mm cartridge and many quickly chose the .40SW as a replacement. Even with both cartridges using relatively ineffective heavy bullets with subsonic muzzle velocities, the .40SW still offered superior performance. The original equipment of the .40SW cartridge is close in its capabilities to the .45ACP cartridge with a bullet weighing 185 gr JHP. For police, the .40SW cartridge replaced the 9mm cartridge as quickly as pistols replaced revolvers. With the right loadout, the 40SW is as effective as the 357Mag with a 125 gr JHP bullet! In fact, three different loading options for the .40SW cartridge provide OSS in excess of 90%.

Cartridges.40SW 15.0-155 gr JHP have an average OSS of 94%.
The best option with an OSS of 97% is the 40SW Federal Hydro-Shok 155 gr JHP cartridge.
In second place is the cartridge 40SW Remington Golden Saber 165 gr JHP - 95% OSS. Third place goes to the cartridge 40SW from Cor-Bon with a bullet weighing 135 gr JHP and OSS 90-92%.
Of heavy equipment, the best .40SW cartridge was the Federal Hydra-Shok 180 gr JHP and OSS of 90%, the worst with OSS of 81% was the Winchester Black Talon. Of course, Winchester reworked this cartridge and a new one, the so-called. The "Gold" Ranger Talon (police-only) has improved capabilities, even exceeding the Federal Hydra-Shok.
The .40SW cartridge with a 180 gr FMJ bullet has an OSS of 70%. This is higher than 62% OSS .45ACP 230 gr FMJ, and than 63% OSS 9mm 115 gr FMJ.

10mm Auto (10x25mm)

The 10mm cartridge was created in the early 1980s in the USA and was first introduced to the general public in 1983. Initially, the Bren Ten pistol from Dornaus & Dixion was created for this powerful cartridge, but this pistol was never really able to enter the arms market. The 10mm auto cartridge remained afloat only thanks to the efforts of the Colt company, which appreciated the potential of this ammunition and released a modification of the classic Colt M1911 chambered for this cartridge. Initially, 10mm auto cartridges were equipped with a bullet weighing 13.6 grams with an initial speed of about 360 m/s or a bullet weighing 11.56 grams with an initial speed of about 430 m/s. Currently, these cartridges are loaded with bullets weighing from 9.18 to 14.28 grams. Due to the significant barrel pressure and high recoil, this cartridge can be used mainly in full-size, massive pistols, such as the Colt "Delta Elite" or Glock Model 20. Due to its good performance when shooting at protected targets (through thin walls, car doors ) the cartridge was adopted by the FBI, as well as some police departments throughout the United States. In addition to pistols, a number of world-famous MP-5 submachine guns under the designation MP-5/10 were produced for it. As far as I know, most (if not all) of these submachine guns entered service with the US FBI. On the basis of the 10mm auto cartridge, several other cartridges of a smaller caliber were created by compressing the cartridge case, including 9x25mm and .224BOZ (the latter is a combination of a modified 10mm auto case and a bullet from the 5.56mm NATO cartridge). Currently, the following characteristics can be considered typical for this cartridge: bullet mass 10.5 grams, muzzle velocity (from a pistol barrel) - about 370 m/s, muzzle energy - about 700 Joules.
OSS cartridge from Cor-Bon with a JHP bullet developing a speed of 396 m.s. = 90%.

The .45 caliber was developed by Browning in 1905. The original equipment had a jacketed bullet weighing 200 gr with an initial speed of 900 fps. The US Army wanted a heavier bullet with more momentum. When the caliber was approved in 1911, the bullet had a mass of 230 gr and a muzzle velocity of 860 fps. Later, the bullet speed was further reduced to 790 fps. Until the mid-80s, the .45ACP cartridge was in service with the US Army, continuing to be the main cartridge for pistols in some elite special forces. Of course, the stopping power of the .45ACP cartridge is exaggerated in numerous American sources, which is explained by nostalgia and patriotism. Similar to all calibers without exception, .45ACP was and continues to be produced both in the most effective options, and just as ineffective - similar to all other calibers, the .45ACP has excellent options, such as the 230 gr Federal Hydro-Shok, and the worst available - 230 gr FMJ. When it comes to stopping capabilities, the choice of cartridge option is much more important than the choice of caliber option. Before the arrival of the .40SW, the debate between supporters of the 9mm and .45ACP lasted for decades. The 9mm is clearly absolutely beat by the .357SIG that has appeared, but the .45ACP doesn't seem to want to give up. The .45ACP is similar in the results of the studied firefights to the .38SPL in that it is very different types equipment is at the “top” of calibers. B.38Spl is very heavy 158 gr +P LHP and very light 110 gr +P+ JHP - top of the chart. V.45ACP 230 gr Hydro-Shok and 18.5 gr +P JHP are also the “top” caliber.

In first place (for a 5" barrel, as in 1911 models) is the .45ACP Federal Hydro-Shok 230 gr JHP cartridge with OSS of 96%. This option, Hydro-Shok, is the best at any 230 gr JHP.
In second place is CCI Gold Dot.
Among the “hot” +P JHP loadouts are Remington and Cor-Bon, which have 92 and 95% OSS each.
Unlike the 230 gr JHP, the 185 gr +P JHP is most suitable and effective in a compact .45 caliber weapon with a 4.25"-3.5" barrel. The negative point is the heavy recoil of this equipment. These +P JHP "kick" harder than 230 gr JHP.
Third place – standard operating pressure cartridges with 185 gr and 200 gr JHP bullets – OSS 84 and 88%, respectively .
45ACP 230 gr FMJ (standard military cartridge load) – OSS 62%.

Ammo

Cartridge 5.45 x 18 mm PMZ. USSR

Developed in the USSR in 1975 for the small-sized PSM pistol. The cartridge case is bottle-type with a slight taper, the bullet is jacketed, has a steel and lead core. The head of the bullet is pointed with a blunt nose (to reduce the possibility of ricochets). Due to the small diameter and sharpness of the bullet, when it hits a soft (Kevlar) body armor, it does not tear the threads of the armor fabric, but pushes them apart. As a result, it penetrates the body armor that blocks the bullet of more powerful 9x17 mm and 9x18 mm cartridges.

The cartridge case is brass. The bullet shell is tombak, coated with copper. Cartridge weight 4.8 g, bullet weight 2.6 g, powder charge weight 0.25 g. Cartridge length 24.9 mm. The diameter of the sleeve flange is 7.55 mm. Muzzle energy of the bullet is 129 J, initial speed is 315 m/s.

Produced in Russia. For export it is supplied with a bullet with a lead core.

The weight of the cartridge is 4.8 g, the bullet is 2.6 g, the charge is 0.25 g. The length of the cartridge is 24.9 mm. The bullet has a muzzle energy of 129 J and an initial speed of 315 m/s.

Cartridge 6.35x15.5 mm "Browning" Belgium

Developed by J. Browning in 1906 for a small pocket pistol. The cartridge has a cylindrical sleeve with a slight taper towards the barrel. Jacketed bullet with a lead core. The sleeve is brass, the bullet shell is copper or tombak, clad with cupronickel.

If necessary, cartridges 5.45x18 and 6.35xx15.5 can interchange each other. So, 6.35x15.5 cartridges can be fired from a PSM pistol. The diameter of the cylindrical part of the 5.45x18 cartridge approximately corresponds to the diameter of the 6.35x15.5 cartridge case, so the latter can easily fit into the PSM pistol magazine and can be chambered. In this case, the substitute cartridge is placed in the chamber with a slight play, which, when fired, leads to a slight swelling of the cartridge case. When moving along the bore, the bullet is somewhat elongated, but thanks to the soft lead core it does not deform in the barrel. Heating the primer with the firing pin and firing are possible, despite the different shapes of the cartridges, since, being placed in the chamber, the substitute cartridge with a bullet rests against the bullet entrance of the chamber and does not move forward from the strike of the firing pin on the primer. However, with such shooting, it is possible that the next cartridge may not be fired due to the low recoil force acting on the bolt. To avoid sticking the next cartridge into the breech of the barrel, it is advisable to insert cartridges one at a time through the window in the bolt housing.

The reverse replacement is also possible, that is, firing from a 6.35 mm caliber weapon with 5.45x18 mm cartridges, while increasing the chamber diameter from 7.1 to 7.55 mm. At the same time, due to the smaller diameter of the bullet, the powder gases will overtake the bullet, breaking through between it and the inner walls of the barrel, which reduces the pressure in the barrel bore to a safe level. Since the diameter of the bullet of the substitute cartridge is smaller than the diameter of the bore, moving along the barrel the bullet will randomly strike its walls and not receive rotational movement. Because of this, shooting is possible at a distance of no higher than 10-15 meters. The bullet will tumble in flight, and when it hits the body, it will cause lacerations without penetrating deep inside. Such wounds cause profuse bleeding, incapacitating the enemy.

The weight of the cartridge is 5.3 g, the bullet is 3.25 g, the charge is 0.078 g. The length of the cartridge is 22.8 mm. The bullet has a muzzle energy of 92 J and an initial speed of 228 m/s.

Cartridge 7.62 mm revolver cartridges "Nagan" Belgium

The standard 7.62x39 mm cartridge was developed by L. Nagan for a revolver of his design in 1887. It is intended for firing from a revolver mod. 1895 and its modifications. Distinctive feature cartridge from other revolver cartridges is the placement of the bullet in the cartridge case.

The jacketed, blunt-pointed bullet with a lead core is completely recessed in the cartridge case and does not protrude outward. It is held in place by punching. The cartridge case muzzle is rolled to a smaller diameter, which makes loading the weapon easier and ensures reliable operation of the mechanism for sliding the revolver drum onto the breech of the barrel. The cartridge case is brass and has a slight taper in its cylindrical part. The bullet casing is copper or tombak with copper plating.

The 7.62x39mm target cartridge was designed for shooting from sporting revolvers. It differs from the standard one in the presence of a lead bullet with a flat head and a smaller powder charge. At the rear, the bullet has a conical recess, which ensures that it is pressed by powder gases against the walls of the barrel bore, obturation of the powder gases and stable movement along the rifling. This has a positive effect on shooting accuracy. The sleeve is brass. The bullet is deeply recessed in the cartridge case. Cartridge weight 10.9-11.32 g, bullet - 6.53 g, charge - 0.11 g. Muzzle energy 170 J, initial speed 180-195 m/s.

Target cartridge 7.62x26 mm. Designed for a sporting revolver with a shortened cylinder. It is analogous to the 7.62x39 target cartridge. It differs from it in a shorter sleeve, which provides some savings in non-ferrous metal in the production of cartridges. The head of the bullet is approximately at the level of the muzzle of the cartridge case. The sleeve has a small rim and taper, making it easier to load the revolver drum, as well as a shallow annular groove (like pistol cartridges).

Interchangeability of revolver cartridges

From a Nagant revolver mod. 1895 and sports revolvers with a normal cylinder length (39 mm) can fire any cartridges. However, when firing a 7.62x26 mm cartridge, due to the breakthrough of powder gases between the drum and the barrel, the initial velocity of the bullet decreases by almost 30%, and, consequently, the muzzle energy. Sports revolvers with a short cylinder (26 mm) can only fire 7.62x26 mm cartridges.

Among imported cartridges, .32 SW Long, .32 Colt Long, .32 New Police and some others with the same case diameter can be used as substitute cartridges for revolvers with a normal cylinder. For revolvers with a short drum, .32SW and .32 Colt short revolver cartridges can be used as substitute cartridges.

The length of the cartridge is 26.2 mm. Cartridge weight 9.5-9.8 g, bullet - 6.5 g, charge - 0.1 g. Muzzle energy 160 J, initial speed - 170-180 m/s.

Cartridge 7.62x25 mm TT (7.63 mm Mauser, .30 Mauser) Germany, USSR

The 7.63mm Mauser cartridge was created in 1896 for the Mauser C96 self-loading pistol, glorified by Russian films and books about the revolution and Civil War. The cartridge is based on the design of the Borchard cartridge of the 1893 model (from the same cartridge the 7.62mm Luger / Parabellum cartridge grew, which later turned into the 9mm Para). The cartridge had significant power, when fired from the already mentioned Mauser, it penetrated 12 cm of pine board at a distance of 150 meters. A light (5.51 gram) bullet, ejected with a charge of 0.5 grams of smokeless powder, developed an initial speed of about 430 m/s with a muzzle energy of about 510 Joules. The significant power of this cartridge led to its great popularity throughout the world, and in 1930 in the USSR, a 7.62x25mm cartridge was created on its basis, and the differences in size with the 7.63 Mauser are so insignificant that the cartridges are often considered interchangeable. Such samples are created and adopted for service in the Soviet Army under this cartridge small arms, like the TT pistol, PPD, PPSh, PPS submachine guns. Due to the high velocity of the shell bullet, the cartridge still poses a serious threat to light body armor today. Despite the fact that this cartridge was removed from the army's arsenal back in the USSR, it continues to remain “in service”, although mostly on the “other side” of the law. It owes this not only to its excellent characteristics, but also to the presence of cheap clones of the Chinese-made TT pistol on the black market. In the West, this cartridge also has a certain popularity, again due to the presence of weapons in circulation, mainly of Soviet and Chinese origin.

The length of the cartridge is 34.85 mm, the length of the sleeve is 24.7 mm. Cartridge weight - 10.2-11 g. Bullet weight 5.52 g, charge weight - 0.48-0.52 g. Muzzle energy 508-576 J, initial speed 424-455 m/s.

Cartridge 7.62x17 mm "Browning" Belgium

It was developed by J. Browning for his pistol in 1897 and became the most popular ammunition since the beginning of the century. Many civilian-style pistols have been created for it, in addition, it is widely used in the police, gendarmerie and intelligence services (for example, Chinese silent pistols “Type 64” and “Type 67”) use it.

The cartridge sleeve is cylindrical in shape, at the base there is a flange of slightly larger diameter than the sleeve itself above the annular groove. The sleeve is brass. A bullet with a brass or steel jacket clad with cupronickel or copper and a lead core.

The cartridge is produced in Belgium, the USA, China, the Czech Republic and some other countries.

Analogues of the 7.65x17 mm cartridge are the .32 "Auto" and 7.65x17 mm Automatic cartridges.

Length 25 mm. Sleeve length 17.2 mm. The weight of the cartridge is 8 g, the bullet is 4.6-4.8 g, the charge is 0.16 g. The muzzle energy of the bullet is 149 J, the initial speed is 296 m/s.

Cartridge 7.62x22 mm "Parabellum" Germany

Created by an engineer German company DWM by Georg Luger for the Parabellum pistol he developed. In 1900, the cartridge and pistol were adopted by the Swiss army. Subsequently, this cartridge was standard ammunition in the armies of Bulgaria, Brazil, Portugal, Switzerland and a number of other countries.

The 7.65x22 mm cartridge is widely used by the police and intelligence services. Not only pistols, but also submachine guns are designed for it. In Switzerland (ZIG company), in Italy (Beretta company), in Germany (Walter company) weapons chambered for this cartridge are still produced.

Bottle-shaped sleeve with a slight taper, made of brass or copper-plated steel. The bullet is jacketed, with a steel shell clad with nickel silver or tombak and a lead core.

The length of the cartridge is 29.8 mm, the length of the sleeve is 21.6 mm. The weight of the cartridge is 10.5 g, the bullet is 6.02 g, the powder charge is 0.33-0.36 g. The muzzle energy of the bullet is 407 J, the initial speed is 368-372 m/s.

Cartridge 8x22 mm "Nambu" Japan

Adopted into service in 1914 along with the Nambu pistol. It is a Japanese version of the 7.65x21 "Par" cartridge. In addition to Japanese pistols and submachine guns, it was used by special services European countries for firing from weapons with a silencer (due to the low muzzle velocity).

Jacketed bullet with a lead core. The bottle-shaped sleeve is made of brass or steel, clad with copper. The bullet casing is copper, brass or copper-plated steel.

This is a rather weak cartridge, by modern standards. Its bullet has a stopping and penetrating effect at the level of a Nagan revolver of the 1895 model. If necessary, it can be a substitute for the Parabellum pistol cartridge of 7.65 mm caliber.

The length of the cartridge is 33 mm, the length of the sleeve is 22.5 mm. Cartridge mass - 10.2 g, bullet mass - 6.6 g, powder charge mass - 0.3 g. Muzzle energy of the bullet - 285 J, initial bullet speed - 293 m/s.

Cartridge 9x17 mm "Browning" (Short) (.380 Auto, 9mm Browning Kurz) Belgium

The cartridge was developed by Colt for a pocket pistol in 1908, and since 1910 it has been produced by the Belgian company FN (Fabric National) as a shortened Browning cartridge. In Europe this cartridge was called 9x17K, in the USA - .380 "AUTO". Since 1996, it began to be produced in Russia, at the Tula Cartridge Plant.

This cartridge was used extremely rarely in military models, but was widely used in police and civilian pistols. Despite the insufficiently high destructive power of the bullet, it is one of the most successful pistol cartridges, since the low initial velocity of the bullet, combined with low recoil force, has a positive effect on the consistency of the fight and shooting accuracy, and reduces the likelihood of ricochet. In addition, the qualities of the cartridge make it possible to design light and compact weapons for it, and the subsonic speed of the bullet allows the use of simple silencers.

The cartridge sleeve is cylindrical in shape, made of steel, clad with copper or brass (may have an annular knurling). Jacketed bullet with a lead core. The shell is usually tombak with a thickened front part to increase penetration ability.

The length of the cartridge is 25 mm, the length of the sleeve is 17.3 mm. Bullet weight 5.9-6.2 g, cartridge weight 9.6 g, charge - 0.25 g. Muzzle energy 224-280 J, initial speed 270-308 m/s.

Cartridge 9x18 mm "PMM" USSR

It was developed by B.V. Semin for Makarov (PM) and Stechkin (APS) pistols. When designing the cartridge, the cartridge case from the 7.62x25 mm TT cartridge, “cut” at 18 mm from the bottom, was taken as a basis. This decision made it possible, on the one hand, to use machine tools and measuring equipment for TT cartridges, and on the other hand, it excluded the possibility of using new cartridges for Soviet weapons that remained in the hands of the population after the war.

The ballistic characteristics of the cartridge are superior to the 9x17 K cartridge, but inferior to the 9x19 Par cartridge. The actual caliber of the bullet was 9.25 mm. Due to the increase in caliber, the stopping effect of the bullet remained at the level of the TT cartridge. And the lower muzzle energy made it possible to use a simple and reliable automatic operation scheme with a blowback shutter.

In the 50-60s, pistols were created for this cartridge in the USSR (PM, APS), Poland (P-64), Hungary and some other countries. In the 90s in Russia, a number of new pistols, revolvers, and submachine guns were created for it.

Initially, the cartridge case was made of brass, and the jacketed bullet had a lead core pressed into a steel shell clad with tombac. Currently, the cartridge has a bimetallic sleeve and a bullet with a mushroom-shaped steel core enclosed in a lead jacket. Designers V.V. Trunov and P.F. Sazonov also developed a cartridge with a tracer bullet.

A bullet with a steel core in a lead jacket saves lead and increases the ability to penetrate non-metallic barriers (wood, soft body armor). At the same time, when it hits a dense barrier (concrete, steel), the bullet casing is destroyed, and the core, thanks to the round shape of the head, bounces like a ball. As a result, such a bullet cannot penetrate body armor with steel plates. In addition, the steel core reduced the mass of the bullet, which worsened its ballistic characteristics compared to a bullet with a lead core.

The length of the cartridge is 25 mm, the length of the sleeve is 18 mm. Cartridge weight - 10 g, bullet - 6.1 g, charge - 0.25 g. Muzzle energy of the bullet - 348-353 J, initial bullet speed - 315-340 m/s.

Cartridge 9x18 mm "Ultra" (9X18 "Polis") Germany

The cartridge under the name "Ultra" began to be produced in 1936 by the company "Geko" as intermediate in power between the 9x17 K and 9x19 Par cartridges, with a power of 303 J and an initial speed of 300 m/s.

A modern Geko cartridge with a pointed bullet has a muzzle energy of 333 J and a muzzle velocity of 330 m/s. In 1976, Hirtenberger began producing a similar cartridge under the name "Polis". Its bullet weighing 6.5 grams has a muzzle energy of 339-363 J and an initial bullet speed of 323-345 m/s.

The relatively low power of the cartridge allows it to be used in pistols whose automation operates on the principle of blowback. It is most widespread among the police.

The cartridge case is cylindrical, brass or steel. The bullet is a jacketed bullet with a lead core and has an ogive or flat conical head (which changes its ballistic properties, including muzzle velocity).

INTERCHANGEABILITY

Despite the external similarity with the 9x18 PM cartridge, they are not interchangeable, since the bullet caliber of the Ultra and Polis cartridges is 9.02 mm, and the PM is 9.25 mm. In addition, the diameter of the PM cartridge case is 0.5 mm larger than that of the Ultra (Polis) cartridge. However, if you have a PM pistol and Ultra cartridges, you can shoot them by loading the pistol one cartridge at a time, wrapping it with a strip of tape 19 mm wide (capturing the bullet by 1-1.5 mm) and, thus, bringing the diameter to 10 mm.

On the contrary, if you have a pistol chambered for the "Ultra" cartridge and PM cartridges, shooting is possible if you use a reamer with a diameter of 10 mm to increase the diameter of the chamber to a depth of 18 mm and use an end mill (also 10 mm) to increase the size of the bolt cup to accommodate the cartridge case flange. In addition, it is necessary to slightly spread the bends of the magazine neck to the sides.

However, this increases the load on the barrel, which leads to rapid wear, since due to the larger diameter, the bullet of the PM cartridge will not only crash into the rifling when moving along the barrel, but will also be stretched due to transverse deformation. In addition, it is possible that the next cartridge may be stuck or not fired due to the different ballistic characteristics of the "Ultra" and PM cartridges

The length of the cartridge is 25 mm, the length of the sleeve is 17.7 mm. Cartridge weight - 10 g, bullet weight - 6.5 g, charge weight - 0.32 g.

Cartridge 9x19 mm "Parabellum" Germany

The cartridge was developed in 1902 by Georg Luger to increase the power of the Parabellum pistol. In 1904 it was adopted by the German Navy, and in 1908 by the German Army. Essentially, this cartridge is a 7.65 mm cartridge case connected to a 9 mm cartridge bullet. Initially, the bullet had a conical shape with a flat head (in the form of a truncated cone).

In 1915 it was replaced by a bullet with an ogive head. The bullet initially had a nickel silver-clad steel shell with a lead core. Since 1917, the steel bullet casing has been varnished with tombac.

Cartridge sleeves are available in both brass and copper-plated steel. The bullet can be of any type, including plastic. General purpose bullet - jacketed with a lead core. The shell is bimetallic or steel, clad with tombac.

The good ballistic qualities of the cartridge made it the standard ammunition for pistols and submachine guns in most countries of the world after World War II. Currently, this cartridge is produced in almost all countries of the world that produce ammunition, including Russia.

INTERCHANGEABILITY

In the absence of 9x19 Par cartridges, if necessary, you can shoot 7.62x25 TT cartridges, loading them one at a time directly into the chamber. The cylindrical part of this cartridge is approximately the same size as in the 9x19 mm cartridge. The slopes of the cartridge case will rest against the bullet entrance of the chamber, which will allow the striker to puncture the primer. Of course, this will not result in a full-fledged shot, since due to the smaller diameter the bullet will not follow the rifling, but will strike the walls of the barrel, and the powder gases will overtake the bullet, reducing its flight speed. However, despite all this, it is capable of inflicting serious wounds at a range of 20-30 m.

The length of the cartridge is 29.7 mm, the length of the sleeve is 19.15 mm. Bullet weight - 5.8-10.2 g (standard - 8 g, high-speed - 2.9 g). Cartridge weight - 7.2-12.5 g. Gunpowder charge weight - 0.36 g.

Cartridge 9x29 mm "Special" USA

This cartridge was developed in 1900 by the American company Smith & Wesson. It was in service with the army and was also sold to civilians. The cartridge is very reliable and provides accurate shooting. Popular with the police and intelligence services. The cartridge is equipped with a blunt-pointed bullet weighing 10.23 g (civilian) and weighing 12.96 g (police).

The initial speed of a 10 gram bullet is 260 m/s; muzzle energy 346 J.

Cartridge.357 SIG (9x22 mm pistol) Switzerland

In the early 1990s, this cartridge was obtained by re-compressing the barrel of a .40SW cartridge case for a 9mm caliber bullet. With this modification, the creators of the cartridge achieved the following results: more reliable chambering of cartridges, since the diameter of the bullet turned out to be noticeably smaller than the diameter of the rear part of the chamber, which eliminated the possibility of sticking the cartridge when feeding; increasing the initial velocity of the bullet compared to both the original 40SW cartridge and the 9mm Para cartridge, which gave a flatter firing trajectory and greater penetrating power; the possibility of using this cartridge in existing .40SW caliber pistols after simply replacing the barrel, and possibly the recoil spring. The recoil of the new cartridge turned out to be quite moderate, while the increase in initial velocity was quite significant. With a bullet weighing 6.12 grams (as in the 9x18PM cartridge), the initial velocity when firing from a weapon with a 100mm barrel can reach values ​​of 460 and even 520 meters per second, which gives muzzle energy values ​​of 650-820 Joules, that is, 2- 3 times higher than PM and close to .357 Magnum. With a bullet weighing 7.82 grams, the initial speed can reach 450-460 m/s, with a bullet weighing 10 grams - 360 m/s. Obviously, the first to release pistols chambered for this cartridge were its creators, more precisely, the German-Swiss company SIG-Sauer. Pistols from this and other well-known companies, originally created for the .40SW cartridge and equipped with barrels chambered for the new cartridge (SIG-Sauer P226, P229, Glock model 31, Heckler-Koch USP), very quickly gained popularity in the American market. In addition to a significant number of police departments that appreciated the possibility of combining the power of the .357 Magnum cartridge with the reliability and large magazine capacity of modern self-loading pistols, this cartridge was adopted by the US Secret Service (in particular, they protect the US President).

Cartridge 11.43x23 mm (.45 automatic) USA

The cartridge was adopted by the American army along with the Colt M-1911 pistol in 1911. Subsequently, it gained recognition as a reliable and effective cartridge. Currently widespread throughout the world, especially in the Americas.

The cartridge sleeve is cylindrical (may have a ring strip in the middle part - the result of crimping), steel or bimetallic. A jacketed bullet with a lead core has a high stopping effect. The bullet jacket is usually steel, clad with tombak.

As a substitute cartridge, instead of an automatic transmission, you can use the .455 Vebley cartridge.

The length of the cartridge is 32.4 mm, the length of the sleeve is 22.81 mm. Cartridge weight - 14 g, bullet weight - 8.42 g, powder charge weight - 0.42 g.

Cartridge 12.3x22 mm (PS-32) Russia

The cartridge was developed for the Russian "Udar" revolver. The main type of cartridge is a cartridge with a jacketed lead bullet loaded into a shortened cartridge case of a 32 caliber hunting cartridge. The bullet has a high stopping effect, but insufficient penetration.

In addition to this type of cartridge for Udar revolvers, the following are also used:

a) a cartridge with an armor-piercing bullet (caliber or sub-caliber), ensuring the destruction of a target behind an obstacle such as a bulletproof vest or car body. From 25 meters, such a bullet penetrates a steel sheet 5 mm thick;

b) a cartridge with an expansive bullet that has a high stopping effect. Such a bullet is effective when hitting both soft tissue and large bones;

c) a cartridge with cubic steel buckshot that does not ricochet off walls - used for shooting in cramped conditions and in poor visibility;

d) a cartridge with a non-lethal bullet - rubber or plastic (the bullet is designed to suppress hooligan impulses and self-defense; bullet length 34 mm, weight 11.5 g, initial speed 80 m/s);

d) a pyro-liquid cartridge having 2.5 cm cubic. 0V irritant. The range of use of the cartridge, even in side winds and during rain, is at least 5 meters;

f) a shocking flash-noise cartridge used to solve problems of capturing criminals (terrorists) in a confined space (the light emission power of the cartridge is 100,000 kJ, sound pressure is not less than 105 dB);

g) a cartridge with a dye bullet, which allows you to “mark” criminals with hard-to-remove paint. Can also be used for training exercises.

The length of the cartridge is 27 mm, the length of the sleeve is 22 mm. Cartridge weight - 14.9 g, bullet weight - 13.4 g. Muzzle energy of the bullet - 267 J, initial speed 198-250 m/s.

Cartridge 5.45x39 mm Model 1974. USSR

A low-impulse intermediate cartridge, developed in the early 70s by a group of Soviet designers as a counterweight to the American 5.56x34.5 cartridge (.223 Remington), which the Americans widely used in Vietnam in the 60s. By the beginning of the 70s Soviet designers also realized the promise of intermediate small-caliber cartridges. A small-caliber bullet, having a high initial velocity, provides a highly flat trajectory, has good armor penetration and significant destructive power.

The low recoil impulse at the moment of firing has a beneficial effect on the accuracy and accuracy of shooting, and reducing the mass of the cartridge allows you to increase the ammunition carried by the shooter. The low-pulse cartridge increased the effectiveness of individual small arms by 1.5 times.

The 5.45x39 cartridge turned out to be quite successful. Despite its lower power compared to the American cartridge, it is not inferior to the first in efficiency. Its bullet is designed "to the point of stability." It flies steadily in the air, but begins to tumble when it hits a denser environment (for example, living tissue). This effect is achieved by shifting the center of gravity of the bullet to its bottom by placing the bullet core in the shell with a gap in the front part, where a void is left between the core and the bullet shell.

Bottle-shaped cartridge case, without protruding flange, steel, clad. The bullet has a bimetallic shell into which a steel core in a lead jacket is pressed (PS bullet). In addition to PS, there are “T” tracer bullets and bullets with increased armor penetration (with a hardened steel core). In addition, a blank cartridge with a plastic bullet is produced.

The length of the cartridge is 57 mm, the length of the sleeve is 39.6 mm. Cartridge weight - 10.2 g, bullet weight - 3.4 g, powder charge weight - 1.45 g. Muzzle energy of the bullet - 1316 J, initial speed - 900 m/s.

Cartridge 5.56x45 mm NATO USA

This cartridge was specially designed by the American company Remington for the Armalite AR-15 rifle. The Vietnam War showed him high quality, and the US Army command decided to make the 5.56 mm caliber the main one. Later, this cartridge became standard for the armies of NATO countries (with the Belgian SS109 bullet instead of the American Ml 93). Currently, the cartridge is produced in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, the USA, France, Sweden, and South Africa.

The weight of a bullet with a combined lead-steel core is 4.02 g. The length of the bullet is 23.2 mm, the initial speed is about 1000 m/s, the muzzle energy is 1798 J. At a distance of 300 meters it pierces an aluminum sheet 19 mm thick, and a steel sheet 3 mm thick .5 mm - at a distance of 750 meters.

Cartridge 7.62x39 mm Mod. 1943 USSR

This is the so-called “intermediate” cartridge (between a pistol and a rifle), designed by N. Elizarov and V. Semin in 1943. It is a standard cartridge for the SKS carbine, AK/AKM assault rifles, light machine guns RPD and RPK, a number of other models (Finnish, Polish, Czech, Yugoslav, etc.) Initial speed 710 m/s; muzzle energy 1991 J; most effective at distances from 200 to 400 meters. It has high ballistic qualities and reliability.

Cartridge 7.62x51 mm Model 1952 USA

The cartridge was adopted as the standard ammunition of NATO countries in 1952. Despite the fact that it was created as an analogue of the Soviet 7.62x39 mm cartridge, it significantly exceeds the latter in power and is not fully “intermediate”. It would be more correct to say that this is a weakened rifle cartridge. The bottle-shaped cartridge case, made of brass or steel, has no protruding flange. Jacketed bullet with a lead core. The bullet casing is bimetallic. In addition to an ordinary bullet, the cartridge is equipped with a tracer or armor-piercing bullet. The cartridge goes on commercial sale under the designation .308 "Winchester". Its appearance in the USSR is due to the fact that l.i. Brezhnev received a Winchester-308 hunting carbine as a gift from the US President.

An order was immediately received from TsNIITochmash to develop a 7.62x51 cartridge with a semi-jacketed bullet. And when the “party order” was fulfilled, then to load the created production capacity, Izhmash began producing hunting carbines “Bear-3” and “Los-4”.

In the 90s, when foreign-made hunting carbines chambered for such a cartridge began to arrive in Russia, it turned out that their chambers did not correspond to Russian cartridges. Currently, Izhmash produces 7.b2x51M.308 WIN cartridges, adjusted to Western requirements.

The length of the cartridge is 71.05 mm, the length of the sleeve is 51.18 mm. Cartridge mass - 15.7 g, bullet mass - 9.3 g, powder charge mass - 2.1 g. Muzzle energy of the bullet - 3276 J, initial speed - 838 m/s.

Cartridge 7.62x54R mm Mod. 1908 Russia

The cartridge was adopted simultaneously with the Mosin rifle in 1891. Initially it had a bullet with a rounded head. Since 1908 it has been produced with a pointed bullet. In 1930, the cartridge was modernized. He received a heavy bullet weighing 13.7 g. Light bullets gave a high initial speed, but quickly slowed down during flight, so they were used at short ranges. Heavy bullets, due to their mass and streamlined shape, retain destructive power up to 4500-5000 m and give a flatter trajectory. In 1988, the bullet was modernized again: the material and design of the core were changed. The use of a steel core saves lead and improves the bullet's penetrating effect. In addition to the PS bullet, armor-piercing incendiary, tracer, armor-piercing incendiary, and incendiary are used.

The cartridge case is bimetallic, with a pronounced taper. The bullet casing is steel, clad with tombac. In addition to the regular one, a sniper cartridge with improved ballistics is available.

Currently, 7.62x54R cartridges are the most popular in Russia. They go on sale under different designations, which causes a lot of confusion - 7.62x53; 7.62x53R; 7.62x54; 7.62x54R. This confusion arose because different countries The length of the sleeve is rounded in different ways. The letter "R" indicates that the sleeve has a protruding flange. But after Russia joined the European Commission, the final designation of this cartridge, 7.62x54R, was approved.

The length of the cartridge is 77.16 mm, the length of the sleeve is 53.72 mm. The mass of the cartridge with a brass or steel clad sleeve is 21-23 g, the mass of the bullet is 9.6 g, the mass of the powder charge is 3.25 g. The muzzle energy of the bullet is 4466 J, the initial speed of the bullet is 870 m/s.

Cartridge 7.92 mm "Mauser" Mod. 1896 Germany

One of the most common rifle cartridges in the world, which was produced by a large number of countries. Currently, it is mainly in service with paramilitary forces: police, border guards, etc., or used as a machine gun cartridge. Currently, this cartridge is produced with a steel or brass sleeve and various types bullets

The most popular currently are three types of cartridges: general purpose - a bullet weighing 12.8 g, muzzle velocity - 750 m/s, muzzle energy - 3600 J; tracer - bullet weighing 11.5 g, initial speed 735 m/s; armor-piercing - a bullet weighing 12 g, with a steel core, initial speed - 735 m/s.

In relation to rifled weapons, caliber is a numerical expression of the diameter of the bore, measured between opposing fields, or (which happens much less often) rifling. Even less common is measuring the rifling and rifling field of the bore that are opposite to each other. In most countries, the caliber of a rifle is expressed in millimeters and fractions thereof (usually accurate to the second decimal place when written as a decimal).

In the UK and the USA, as well as in countries where the English system of measures is adopted, the caliber is indicated in fractions of an inch - in thousandths in the UK and in hundredths in the USA, and the written designations have a peculiar form - the decimal fraction is written as an integer with a dot in front ( for example, the caliber designation “three lines” is 0.3" = 7,"62 mm, looks like .30 or .300).

The caliber is also indicated in lines, the ratios are as follows: 1 "= 25.4 mm, 1 line = 2.54 mm; and in points: 1 inch = 10 lines = 100 points. Thus, the three-line SI rifle. Mosin has a caliber 3x2.54 = 7.62 mm, and the calibers of the three lines, .30, .300, 7.62 are equal to each other.Recently, in England and the USA there is no dot before the designation of calibers.

For example, US caliber 30 should be multiplied by 0.254, and English caliber 300 by 0.0254g. As a result, we obtain that US caliber 30 is equal to 30 x 0.254 = 7.62 mm, and English caliber 300 is equal to 300x0.0254 = 7, 62 mm. Similarly, caliber 410 corresponds to 10.41 mm.

IN rifled weapons The diameter of the bore is measured either by rifling or by margins. Therefore, the same caliber can be designated differently. Thus, the 9 mm caliber of the “Los” carbine is designated by the margins (9 mm), and the TOZ-55 “Bison” caliber is designated by the rifling (9.27 mm). The caliber of a 5.6 mm rifle is sometimes designated as 5.45 mm: the first is a change in caliber by rifling, the second by margin. The 7.62x53R three-line cartridge has a leading bullet diameter of 7.92 mm. In general, originally domestic cartridges The diameters of the leading parts of the bullet are larger than the caliber. The diameters of bullets for rifled weapons always exceed the diameters of the bores (for the possibility of cutting into the rifling and acquiring rotational motion). The excesses of bullet diameters over the diameters of the bores are far from the same, since they depend on many reasons (depth, shape and number of rifling, bullet hardness, length of its leading part, quality of gunpowder, and others).

It is clear that of the several numbers mentioned above, obtained from various measurements of the diameters of the bore of a rifled barrel, as well as the diameter of the bullet, only one will correspond to the designated caliber. Typically this number refers to one of the dimensions of the bore, so the designated caliber of rifle ammunition is essentially the caliber of the weapon for which the ammunition is intended. The actual dimensions of the bullets never correspond to the designated caliber. Only in cases where the caliber of a weapon is measured by rifling do the designated calibers of the weapon and the true diameters of the bullets turn out to be very close to each other, close, but still different. It should be added to the above that among the caliber designations there may be those that do not correspond to the size of either the weapon or the bullets. They are simply traditional and do not act as information about size, but as a symbol of a particular cartridge. As a result, a mixed designation system has been adopted in world practice, in which a given cartridge is designated as it was designated in the country that issued it.

Perhaps the only one prerequisite is the presence in the name or designation of the cartridge of information about its caliber. Typically, caliber designations in the inch system are not translated into millimeters, since they are often either approximate or conditional, being only a symbol of a given cartridge, and not a carrier of information about the true size of the caliber. So, when formally converting, for example, designation 38 into millimeters, the value obtained is 9.65 mm. But this is a non-existent caliber - a symbol. 38 is actually a 9 mm cartridge used in weapons with a true caliber of 8.83 mm. Perhaps only specialists know that the .38 Special revolver cartridge uses .357 caliber bullets." The main reason for the discrepancies, as mentioned above, is the measurement of the bore diameter - by rifling or by margin.

Strictly speaking, the caliber of a cartridge is the caliber of the weapon for which the cartridge is intended to be fired. The caliber of the bullet itself almost never coincides with that indicated in the name of the cartridge, since its diameter is always greater than the diameter of the gun barrel, measured “along the margins”. For most cartridges developed in Europe, their name includes the numerical value of the caliber in millimeters, and for cartridges created in the USA and England, the name indicates the caliber in hundredths or thousandths of an inch. Although there are exceptions to this rule. For example, the purely European cartridge .30R Blaser (.30 Air Blaser) received a typical Anglo-American designation, and in the name of the American cartridges 7 mm Remington Magnum (7 mm "Remington Magnum") and 7mm-08 Remington (7 mm-08 "Remington") 19 gauge is indicated according to European traditions - in millimeters.

In the name of European cartridges, in addition to the caliber in millimeters, the length of the cartridge case in millimeters and its type are usually indicated - 7x64, 7x65R, 7x57R. The letter R means the presence of a protruding edge - a flange. Often in catalogs they add the name of the developer company - 7x64 Brenneke, 7x65R Brenneke. The designation of Russian cartridges is also based on this principle, however, as mentioned above, in domestic cartridges the diameters of the leading parts of the bullet are larger than the caliber. So, our 7.62x39 mm cartridge is actually loaded with 7.87-7.92 mm bullets, with the exception of its variants produced in the USA, which use regular bullets with a diameter of .308, i.e. 7.62 mm.

A certain specificity is found in the designation of old large-caliber (big bore) English cartridges for smoky and smokeless powder. Since all of these cartridges were rimmed, the case type designation was not indicated. Thus, .450-3 1/4 Rigby denotes the caliber in thousandths of an inch (.450), the length of the case in inches (3 1/4) and the company that produced this cartridge and/or weapons for it.

The .577 Nitro Express cartridge (3"&2 3/4") had two loading options - in a 3-inch (76.2 mm) long case and in a 2 3/4-inch (67.7 mm) long case.

In the designation of American and English cartridges there is no information about the length of the cartridge case, and the numerical designation of the caliber is followed by the name of the developer: .375 A-Square, .300 Dakota, .300 Holland & Holland, .308 Winchester.

Caliber and name of the designer who created this cartridge. More often found in the designation of American cartridges. Thus, one of the most powerful hunting revolver cartridges is the .454 Casull (.454 “Casull”) created by Richard Casull, or the rifle .300 Jarrett (.300 “Jarrett”), developed by Kenneth Jarrett. The name of Weatherby's most famous cartridge, the .300 Weatherby Magnum (.300 Weatherby Magnum), contains both the name of the company and the surname of its developer, Roy Weatherby.

Double hyphenated designations are historically common in American cartridges. So, in the days of black powder (practically until 1890), in type designations .44-40, .45-70, the first number showed the nominal value of the caliber, and the second - the amount of black powder charge in grains (1 grain = 64.8 mg). However, the first American rifle cartridge for smokeless powder, .30-30, created in 1895, also retained this principle in its name. The most notable exception to this rule was the famous cartridge .30-06 Springfield (.30-06 "Springfield"), in the designation of which the numbers 06 indicate the date of its adoption by the US Army - 1906.

Most modern dual designations are due to the fact that a particular cartridge was created from an existing cartridge case. The creators of such ammunition are often single designers - enthusiasts who produce them in limited quantities for use in weapons of their own systems. (So-called "wildcat" cartridges). For example, the .25-06 is a cartridge with a nominal .25 caliber, created on the basis of a .30-06 cartridge case, compressed for a .257 diameter bullet. The .22-250 cartridge with a .22 caliber bullet is created on the basis of the .250 Savage (.250 Savage) cartridge case. The designation of the new cartridge .30-378 Weatherby (.30-378 "Weatherby") refers to another cartridge - .378 Weatherby (.378 "Weatherby"), the sleeve of which was used as the base.

When creating the 7mm-08 Remington cartridge (7mm-08 "Remington"), loaded with bullets with a diameter of .284, a recompressed .308 Winchester case (.308 "Winchester") was used.

England uses its own designation system for “converted” cartridges, which is completely opposite to the American one. If the American cartridge .338-.378 Weatherby Magnum has a caliber .338 and is created on the basis of a re-compressed cartridge case of the .378 Weatherby Magnum cartridge, then the British would call such a cartridge .378/.338. The English cartridge .500/.465 Nitro Express is a .465 caliber cartridge that uses a re-compressed .500 NE cartridge case, similarly the .500/416 designates a cartridge with a .416 Caliber bullet based on a .500 NE cartridge case. Express (Express) and Nitro Express (Humpo Express).

Some English cartridges have two versions of equipment: a less powerful one for black powder, intended for old guns, and a more powerful one with smokeless powder, designed for modern, more durable weapons. The latter variants are designated Express or Nitro Express, which indicates that such a cartridge throws a bullet as fast as the train of the same name rushes.

Particularly powerful cartridges that, when fired, develop excessively in the bore of a weapon high pressure powder gases, have the definition Magnum (“Magnum”) in their name: .222 Remington Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .338 Lapua Magnum (.338 “Lapua Magnum”). Until the early 1980s, the word "magnum" was usually present in the designation of cartridges, especially American ones. Modern magnums and ultramagnums may not have these names, designers, but only assign figurative names to them (300 Pegasus) or their own names and initials (300 Jarret, 375 JRS).

Also, at present, it is already difficult to assert that the so-called “search” design of the sleeve is a prerequisite for including a cartridge in the magnum group with the assignment of the term “magnum”. Two other criteria play a significantly larger role - pressure and bullet speed. Some European high-velocity magnum cartridges have the letter 5 in their designation: 5.6x61SE, 6.5x68S, 8x68S.

Some designers give their cartridges fancy proper names, like .300 Pegasus, .338 Excalibur and .577 Tyrannosaur (cartridges by Arthur Alfin, A-Square), apparently wanting to emphasize their unique speed and power. Abbreviations in names. When writing to save space (especially when marking on case heads), abbreviations are often included in the designation of cartridges. For example, the name of the revolver cartridge .44 Remington Magnum (.44 "Remington Magnum"), due to its wide popularity and the absence of similar competing cartridges in production, is increasingly being shortened to .44 Magnum or simply .44 Mag. The names of well-known companies that are present in the official designation of the cartridge are also usually abbreviated: Winchester - Win, Remington - Rem, Weatherby - Wby.

As you can see, various notation systems are very arbitrary and therefore do not allow one to calculate the real capabilities of a cartridge based on its name. It happens that a large caliber cartridge with a long case, like the 9.3x72R, in fact turns out to be not at all as powerful as one might expect. The energy of its bullet at a distance of 100 m from the muzzle is three times lower than that of a bullet from a much smaller caliber .300 Weatherby Magnum cartridge (.300 Weatherby Magnum). The difference is about 3500 J, which is comparable to the muzzle energy of the .308 Winchester cartridge (.308 Winchester).

Over time, the concepts of “weapon caliber” and “cartridge caliber” became more comprehensive, expanding to the full designation of a cartridge. This is quite logical, since different models of weapons with barrels of the same caliber can, differing in the shape of the chamber, be designed to use completely different cartridges with cartridges of different sizes and shapes. Therefore, the purely digital designation of the caliber, without the additions usually accompanying it, is now used only in relation to the bullet itself. Instead of the vague formulation “hunting carbine of 7.62 mm caliber”, another, more accurate and informative one is increasingly being used - “carbine (or cartridge) of 7.62x51 caliber”.

As is known, cartridges of the same caliber, even with the same diameters of the leading parts of the bullets, but with sleeves of different sizes and shapes, with flanges or grooves near the bottom, are absolutely non-interchangeable. In addition to the discrepancy between the cartridges, the non-interchangeability of cartridges is associated with the amount and type of gunpowder. Thus, the amount of gunpowder determines the pressure of the powder gases at strictly defined values ​​of the weight and diameter of the outer part of the bullet, the diameters of the rifling and fields of a particular gun, and the material of the bullet shell. For example, the nitroglycerin spherical powder used in the 7.62x51 cartridge cannot be used to reload 7.62x53R cartridges. Nitroglycerin spherical powder in a 7.62x51 cartridge with a semi-jacketed bullet weighing 9.7 g raises the pressure of the powder gases when fired to 3400 kgf/cm2. If this charge is poured into a 7.62x53R case, which uses a bullet weighing 13 g, then the pressure will rise even higher and can destroy the weapon. Weapons chambered for 7.62x53R are designed for operating pressures no higher than 3150 kgf/cm2.

Hunters should be aware that bullets for the same caliber of rifled weapons are in many cases not interchangeable. So, the diameter of the barrel bore along the rifling is domestic weapons for the 7.62x51 cartridge is 7.83 mm, and for the 7.62x53R cartridge the diameter of the leading part of the semi-shell and combat bullets is 7.92 (the diameter of the bore along the rifling for this cartridge is also 7.92), that is, larger. If a 7.62x53R hunting semi-jacket or combat bullet is removed and inserted into a 7.62x51 cartridge, when fired, this will result in a sharp jump pressure, which in turn can lead to the destruction of the weapon. Considering that the semi-jacketed bullet of the 7.62x53 cartridge weighs 3.3 g more, then such a shot is life-threatening. Foreign manufacturers always indicate the bullet diameter.

Trofimov V.N., Trofimov A.V. “MODERN HUNTING AMMUNITION for rifled weapons. CASES, POWDER, CAPSULES, BULLETS, CARTRIDGES, BALLISTICS ELEMENTS"

No, we are not talking about ammunition capable of penetrating a teapot. I will try to convey the basic basics of the differences, markings and designations of small arms calibers as simply and easily as possible. And also, I can answer your questions in the comments.

So, the caliber - it would seem nothing complicated. We have all heard these hackneyed phrases hundreds or thousands of times - “caliber nine millimeters”, “caliber seven sixty-two millimeters”, “three-ruler”, 12 gauge, 45 gauge, etc.

But why is the 12th caliber larger than the 9th, and the 45th smaller than the 12th, but larger than the 9th, and 7.62 is simultaneously suitable for the Nagan revolver, TT pistol, Kalashnikov assault rifle and “three-ruler”???

Technically, the concept of caliber refers to the diameter of the barrel between the opposite rifling (in a rifled weapon) and the walls (fields) in a smooth-bore weapon.

To understand at least a little where all these calibers, grains, gauges and lines come from, it’s worth taking a little look back at the history and geography of systems for measuring dimensions and weight. So today we use the metric system and measure weight in grams.

America, Britain and some other countries use non-metric measurement systems. This causes confusion. Also, units of measurement from those years when certain caliber and ammunition standards were actually created have migrated into weapons terminology.

First, let's look at the key points of the metric system. So, the caliber in the metric system will look like this - rounded bullet caliber (barrel rifling diameter) X the approximate length of the sleeve from the base to the edges. That is, 9x19 mm, 7.62x25 mm, 7.62x39 mm, 7.62x54mm, 9x39 mm, etc.

Actually, understanding this is already enough to answer some of the questions regarding caliber. But if you dig a little deeper, additional questions will arise. The fact is that the length of the cartridge case and the diameter of the bullet are not all factors of caliber. There are also a huge number of other nuances - the type of ignition of the cartridge, the type of primer, the shape of the cartridge case and the type of its extraction, the shape of the bullet itself, the “filling” of the bullet, its weight and other equally interesting details.

I won’t touch on everything, since most people are simply not interested in them, and then the material will be on a completely different scale.

Let's move on to our foreign colleagues. In the USA, caliber is expressed in inches:

The inch (from the Dutch duim - thumb) is a unit of measurement of distance in some European non-metric systems of measures. Historically, the width of an adult man's thumb. Usually an inch is equal to 1/12 or 1/10 ("decimal inch") of a foot of the corresponding country (in Russian and English systems measures 1 inch = 10 lines (“big line”)). The word “inch” was introduced into the Russian language by Peter I at the very beginning of the 18th century. Today, an inch is most often understood as an English inch, equal to 2.54 cm. - Vika helps us.

Here, by the way, lies the answer to the word trehlineika - third line rifle - 3x2.54 = 7.62 mm. By the way, in the West they use a special designation for “Russian” cartridges - R. For example, 7.62x54 R - where R = Russian (popularly) or Rimmed (according to classification).

Rim (from the English ring) is a separate point in ammunition terminology and it tells us either about the type of ignition or the type of cartridge case extraction.

Many of you have seen rimfire cartridges - the 0.22 LR cartridge - or popularly “small”.

As for extraction, cartridges of this type (with a rim) most often refer to revolver cartridges, as well as to rather outdated rifle cartridges, for example, 7.62x54R. This cartridge is still used in our area and is in service (PC, SVD). Despite the fact that in the West they have long abandoned sleeves of this type, preferring an annular groove.

But let's get back to calibers. So, Americans use the inch system to designate calibers, so their calibers are usually designated as follows. The diameter of the bullet (barrel caliber) in inches and the name of the company that developed the cartridge, or the type of weapon where it is used.

For example, .45 ACP = 0.45 inches (11.43 mm) Automatic Colt Pistol. In those years they called automatic self-loading pistols(compared to single action revolvers). In this caliber, it was necessary to indicate the type of weapon, since the cartridge case of the .45 ACP cartridge differed from the cartridge case of the same caliber for the Colt revolver in precisely the same rim.

308 Winchester - (0.308 inch Winchester cartridge) = 7.62x51 mm - it is noteworthy that many originally hunting cartridges subsequently entered NATO service, and as army ammunition they received the names 7.62 NATO (.308 Winchester) 5.56 NATO (.223 Remington) and etc.

40 Smith & Wesson, .380 ACP and other similar calibers are named after the same scheme. But she's not the only one! Who promised that it would be easy?

There are many other diagrams and designations for cartridges in the West. For example, I lived with a revolver cartridge.38 (9.65mm) - I lived and did not know grief. But users began to complain about the low lethality. And twin brothers appeared - .38 Special and 357 Magnum - “the twins look alike, only they are different in size.” Magnum was also in a hurry - significantly reinforced cartridges in a longer cartridge case.

Moreover, older models of .38 caliber revolvers easily accommodated twin cartridges, and when firing they often tore the revolver’s bridge to shreds. In connection with this, manufacturers began to install a limiter along the length of the cartridge case in revolver drums. And in general, there are a huge number of similar, but different .38 cartridges from Colt, Smith & Wesson and other manufacturers.

What else is indicated on cartridges in the West? Since we started with the rim and primer, let's move on - the type and amount of gunpowder in the cartridge is indicated by markings +P or +P+, etc. These are, as a rule, outwardly identical cartridges, but with much greater muzzle energy. They require careful handling, since not every barrel is designed for them.

The type of bullet is also indicated - expansive, lead, soft nose, tracer, armor-piercing and other fruits of the imagination of cruel people.

The weight of the bullet is indicated in grains - grain is an old unit of measure based on the weight of a grain. IN modern classification equal to 0.064 grams.

As a result, if on a pack of cartridges we see something like Winchester 9mm Luger 147gr. JHP, then we understand that we are looking at Winchester cartridges of 9 mm Luger caliber (9x19) with a heavy expansive jacket bullet weighing 9.4 grams.

Separately worth noting hunting calibers. Almost everyone has heard about the 12th, 16th and other calibers, but few people know what the numbers 12 and 16 actually mean, and why 16 is less than 12. Perhaps someone noticed that in the English markings next to the caliber The word is Gauge. So, gage is an ancient weapon measure that came to us from the times when the width of the barrel was measured in a simple way.

A gage is a lead ball that is passed through the barrel of a gun to determine the caliber. And the balls were rolled out from one pound of lead. Therefore, if you cast ten even balls from one pound of lead, then a barrel one ball wide will be 10 gauge, if you cast 16 (each ball will naturally be smaller), then the barrel will be 16 gauge. These calibers have remained in hunting weapons since those times.

The nominal caliber of a 12-gauge barrel is 18.5 mm

Finally, a photo of my cartridge collection. Law enforcement officers can relax - the collection is located outside of Ukraine. If you recognize someone in the photo or want to meet someone, ask.

There are the following calibers of hunting rifles measured by the number of round caliber (150 mm from the breech) bullets made from one English pound (453.6 g) of pure lead: 2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 .
Calibers of hunting rifles produced today in Russia (and the USA): 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 410; (10, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 410).

Diameters of the most popular barrel bores hunting calibers different countries:

PMK - Permanent International Commission of the Brussels Convention for the Testing of Hand Firearms.

Sources:

Caliber is the diameter of the bore, expressed in different measures. The calibers of smoothbore guns from 4 to 32 are still, following tradition, designated by the number of round caliber (equal to the caliber of the barrel) bullets cast from one English trade pound of lead, equal to 453.6 g. It is trade for in the Anglo-Saxon system There is also another pound - pharmaceutical pound (373.2 g). If a pound of lead produces 12 caliber ball bullets, then the gun will be 12 gauge, if it is 20-20 gauge, etc. The larger the number indicating the caliber, the smaller the bore diameter (caliber).

Since the walls of a metal sleeve are thinner than those of a paper (plastic) sleeve, the bores of barrels made for a metal sleeve have a larger diameter than the bores of barrels made for a paper (plastic) sleeve. Nowadays, almost all guns are produced with a paper (plastic) cartridge case.

The caliber of large-caliber fittings for black powder was designated in the same way as smooth-bore guns: there were fittings of 12, 16, 29 and other calibers. Calibers for rifled weapons were also indicated in lines, but are now indicated either in mm (5.6; 7.62; 11.43) or in fractions of an inch.

First of all, you should remember the following data: 1 inch = 10 lines = 100 dots; 1 inch = 25.4 mm; 1 line = 2.54 mm; 1 point = 0.254 mm; 1/10th of a point = 0.0254 mm. Based on this, we can easily understand any caliber designation system and translate caliber designations from one system to another. For example, S.I. Mosin’s three-line rifle has a caliber of 3×2.54 = 7.62 mm. Since in the USA calibers are expressed in hundredths of an inch (in other words, in points), then caliber 30 must be multiplied by 0.254, and the English caliber 300 by 0.0254, because in the UK calibers are indicated not in hundredths, but in thousandths of an inch ( i.e. in tenths of a point). In this case, we get: 30 × 0.254 = 7.62 mm; 300×0.0254 = 7.62 mm.

As you can see, caliber 3 lines, caliber 30, caliber 300 caliber 7.62 mm are equal to each other, but expressed differently. In the same way, it is easy to verify that calibers 2.2; 22; 220 is equal to 5.6 mm, i.e. the caliber of small-caliber weapons widespread throughout the world.

In rifled weapons, the diameter of the bore is measured either by the rifling or by the margins. Therefore, the same caliber can be designated differently, which sometimes leads to confusion. Thus, the caliber of a 5.6 mm rifle is sometimes designated as 5.45 mm. In the first case, the caliber is measured by rifling, in the second - by margin.

We produce smoothbore weapon five calibers - 12, 16, 20, 28 and 32. According to the standards, 10-gauge is also provided, but such guns are not produced. We have no longer made 8-caliber guns for a long time, and at the end of the 1940s, the 24-caliber was excluded from the standards and soon the production of guns of this caliber ceased. IN international system shotgun calibers, this caliber remains.

In Russia they make guns with barrels following sizes: 12 gauge - 18.2–18.7 mm; 16th - 17–17.25 mm; 20th - 15.7–15.95 mm; 28th - 14–14.25 mm; 32nd - 12.5–12.75 mm.

Gun barrels of calibers from 12 to 28 inclusive are made for a paper sleeve, and 32 for a metal sleeve.
The Tula Arms Plant produces 12-gauge weapons with bore diameters of 18.5–18.7 mm, and the Mechanical Plant in Izhevsk produces 18.2–18.25 mm. We advise you to remember this circumstance: when equipping cartridges at home, this is very important to take into account.

Sources:

It is customary to denote the caliber of large-caliber shotguns and rifles by the number of round bullets from a pound of pure lead: 12 gauge - that means 12 bullets can be made from 0.410 kg (1 pound) of lead for such a barrel, 24 means 24 bullets, etc.; This means that the larger the number, the smaller the diameter.

But the pounds are different in different countries, and they did not always drill accurately, then they began to make cartridges from different materials, with different wall thicknesses, and the barrels were drilled along the internal channel of the sleeve. It is clear that with the same outer dimensions of the liner, its internal channel is wide if the walls are made of thin sheet brass, and much narrower if the walls are made of thick folder. The name in both cases remains the same according to custom, although this does not at all correspond to the real diameter of the trunk and still misleads many insufficiently knowledgeable hunters.

Even in barrels for the same 12-cal folder cartridges. There are huge differences, reaching up to ¾ mm, and are greatly reflected in the selection of supplies, especially wads. And it is clear that a bullet too loose for an 18.8 mm barrel will be able to inflate or rupture an 18.2 mm barrel.

But these are all measurements of barrels for a 12 caliber paper sleeve. Barrels for thick brass are drilled at 19.35–19.20 mm, and for thin brass at 19.60 mm; it is clear that in reality this is a different caliber, suitable for 10 cal. under the folder sleeve, here the charge and wads should be different.

It is very easy to find out for which sleeve the barrel is drilled by the stamps, since the stamps are placed according to the actual caliber and by measuring it: a wad is driven from the treasury approximately a quarter (17–18 cm) into a clean, slightly lubricated barrel and “wax” is poured , paraffin, etc., and best of all sulfur cuttings; When the casting hardens, it is pushed out of the barrel. If the barrel (as in the vast majority of cases happens) is made for a folder sleeve, then the muzzle end of the casting will fit into the folder sleeve with a slight gap, and into the brass case with a very large gap. If the barrel is made for a brass sleeve, then the end of the casting will not fit into a folder.

Sources:

• — Moscow: Publication of the All-Khotsoyuz. - 1929.