One of the first things many people consider when buying ammo is the bullet. The type of bullet you need will depend upon what you will be hunting. If you anticipate you will be taking long shots, you may want a softer bullet or hollow point. This will allow the bullet to open even after losing much energy downrange. However, if you anticipate closer shots, you probably will need a harder, jacketed round. This will prevent the bullet from coming apart on impact and will allow for deeper penetration.

If accuracy is more important, you may want to consider match grade ammunition. This ammo is typically reserved for shooting competitions because of the greater consistency in the loads. However, this ammo shoots more consistently than most hunters need. For this extra accuracy, expect to pay considerably more for match grade ammunition.

Another factor to consider is the quantities you will need and the availability of your chosen ammo. Be sure the ammunition you chose is readily available so you can easily replenish your stock without having to hit the range again to sight in your new ammo. It takes time to zero in your rifle and ammunition isn’t cheap. Go ahead and save yourself the time and money.

So the next time you’re searching the best ammo prices online, just remember the cheapest rounds may not be exactly what you need. There is plenty of information available online. Take the time to do a little research now and you can be sure it will pay off on the range or in the field.

For exclusive discounts on ammo, hunting equipment, outdoor gear and more, visit http://www.BlackRidgeOutfitters.com and see how easy it is to receive your personal discounts.

R L Stoffel is an avid outdoorsman, internet entrepreneur and an Air Force pilot.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_L_Stoffel

What is the best way to properly store ammo so that it doesn’t degrade over a period of time? And how do you keep it in proper condition so that when you finally put it to use, it functions as it was designed to? Perhaps we can take some tips from the military and the way that they treat their munitions.

Military cartridges are designed to be stored at temperatures ranging from minus 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. They were created for soldiers to use under the worst conditions imaginable. These same cartridges also have an indefinite shelf life. The term shelf life refers to how long an item can remain in storage and still be functional.

The companies that manufacture military ammo are well aware of their requirements and specifications. They are also well aware that if they do not meet the criteria, they will lose a rather large contract with the US Government. The interesting thing to note is that the same companies that create and sell ammunition to the government are the same folks that make most of the stuff we civilians use. The same guys that create the 5.56mm for the military change the label, call it a 223, and sell it to civilians! When it comes right down to it, there is little to no difference in the ammunition common to civilians and to military. Therefore, it is generally safe to use similar procedures in storage methods and practices.

Most ammo comes in a wooden outer container with metal inner packs that actually hold the ammo. The military stores theirs at least two inches off the ground and makes sure that it is inspected every five years. Standard procedure is to actually look at just ten percent of all the ammunition to see if any defects have developed. They are then placed back in storage for another five years. If any corrosion has developed on the ammo, copper or steel wool is used to scrub and scrape it off.

The number one adversary of ammunition is moisture. As long as your container is waterproof, you should not expect any problems. Another common military tactic is to include dehumidifier packages in the ammo containers to suck up any surplus moister that may have gathered.

Our basic conclusion is this: before you store your ammunition, make sure it is clean and dry. That’s all! There is no need to store at a specific temperature, there is no need to vacuum seal anything. Just keep ammunition protected and dry and then let it be.

Read more about Gun and Ammo safety and storage at our sight http://www.gunracks.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Breen

Perhaps the most popular reason for choosing hollow-point rounds is the expansion factor. Hollow-points are simply less dense, because they are partially hollow for a given bullet diameter, which allows them to mushroom when impacting a target. This mushroom effect increases the diameter of the round, which in turn, creates a larger wound in the animal, resulting in a quicker and more humane death. This mushroom effect is also desirable of a bullet that must travel long distances to reach its target. Even after losing energy downrange, a hollow point will still open up on impact.

The expansion factor, although important to many, may not be the greatest benefit of hollow-point ammo. Because the tip of the bullet is hollowed out, the center of gravity moves rearward in the bullet. This helps a bullet retain energy while traveling downrange. This is important because it means the bullet will reach its target at a higher velocity. Increased energy on impact is very important to hunters of all types.

A bullet that retains energy is also important for accuracy. This is because an energy efficient bullet will shoot flatter over a given distance. A bullet that travels at a higher velocity is also less impacted by crosswinds. Many match shooters prefer hollow-point ammo for these characteristics.

You can see why hollow-point ammo has become so popular in recent years. Its important to understand these benefits to make the best decisions for your shooting needs. If you decide to shoot hollow-points, you’ll soon notice not all rounds are the same. There is a huge variety of hollow-point rounds available. Keep shooting and researching and you’ll soon settle on the rounds that work best for you.

For exclusive discounts on ammo, hunting equipment, outdoor gear and more, visit BlackRidgeOutfitters.com and see how easy it is to receive your personal discounts.

R L Stoffel is an avid outdoorsman, internet entrepreneur and an Air Force pilot.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_L_Stoffel

* 1 History
* 2 Cartridge dimensions
* 3 Performance
* 4 Case failure reports
* 5 Synonyms
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

History

In the aftermath of the 1986 FBI Miami shootout the FBI started the process of upgrading their service arms to a weapon of much greater power than their collection of 9x19mm Parabellum automatics and .38 Special revolvers. This search led them to the 10 mm Auto that had been developed in the early 1980s for the famed Bren Ten, but by this point in time the company had already gone out of business. The FBI then contracted Smith & Wesson to develop a new automatic for the 10 mm Auto, creating the Smith & Wesson 1076.

After testing the new weapon, the FBI found that the recoil was too powerful to control easily, and the large rounds made the gun difficult to hold for smaller men and women. The FBI asked for several changes to the 10 mm Auto, using a reduced-charge version often referred to as the “FBI load” or “10mm lite.” The case capacity of the 10 mm Auto was more than required for this “10 mm lite” load, so Smith & Wesson then redesigned the cartridge to make it shorter while maintaining the performance of the FBI loading. They also decided to use a small pistol primer, rather than the large primer used for the 10 mm Auto. With the .40 S&W being shorter than the 10 mm Auto and approximately the same overall length as the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, many existing 9 mm pistols could be easily adapted by their respective manufacturers to fire the new cartridge.

The .40 S&W cartridge debuted January 17, 1990 along with the new Smith & Wesson Model 4006 pistol, although it was several months before the pistols were available for purchase. Austrian manufacturer Glock beat Smith & Wesson to the dealer shelves in 1990, with pistols chambered in .40 S&W (the Glock 22 and 23) which were announced a week after the 4006.[3] Glock’s rapid introduction was aided by its engineering of a pistol chambered in 10 mm Auto, the Glock 20, only a short time earlier. Since the .40 S&W uses the same bore diameter and case head as the 10 mm Auto, it was merely a matter of adapting the 10 mm design to the shorter 9x19mm frames.

Initial acceptance of the .40 S&W was slow, since the round was considerably less powerful than the 10 mm Auto it was based on. This led to derogatory names such as “.40 Short and Wimpy” or “.40 Short and Weak.”[4][5]

The 40 S & W is dimensionally identical to the 10 mm Auto except for case length. Both cartridges headspace on the mouth of the case. Thus in a semi-auto they are not interchangeable. Smith and Wesson does make a double action revolver that can fire either at will using moon clips. A single-action revolver in the 38-40 chambering can also be modified to fire the .40 or the 10 mm if it has an extra cylinder. The .40 will at short range take deer, it is also suitable for small and medium game.

IMI attempted a similar cartridge in the 1980s, called the .41 Action Express (or .41 AE) for the Jericho 941 pistol. This cartridge was based on the .41 Magnum case, cut down to fit in a 9 mm frame, and using a rebated rim the same diameter as the 9 mm Luger. The .41 AE is ballistically similar to the .40 S&W, to the point that many reloading manuals suggest using .40 S&W load data in the .41 AE. The .41 AE is a more attractive cartridge in many ways, as the rebated rim allows a simple barrel and magazine change to allow most 9 mm guns to be converted to .41 AE. The .41 AE uses .410 inch bullets, whereas the .40 S&W uses .400 inch bullets. However, as it lacks the backing of ammunition manufacturers in making .410 caliber bullets suited to semiautomatic pistols, the .41 AE has not achieved widespread popularity.[6] [7]

Cartridge dimensions

The .40 S&W has 1.25 ml (19.3 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.

.40 S&W maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions.[8] All sizes in millimeters (mm).

The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 406 mm (1 in 16 in), 6 grooves, Ø lands = 9.91 mm, Ø grooves = 10.17 mm, land width = 3.05 mm and the primer type is small pistol.

According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente Pour L’Epreuve Des Armes A Feu Portative) guidelines the .40 S&W case can handle up to 225 MPa (32,633 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every pistol cartridge combo has to be proofed at 130% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
The SAAMI pressure limit for the .40 S&W is set at 241.32 MPa (35,000 psi), piezo pressure.[9]

Performance

The .40 S&W cartridge has become a huge success in the United States because, while possessing nearly identical accuracy[10], drift and drop, it adds more energy over the 9 mm Parabellum with a more manageable recoil than the 10 mm Auto cartridge. In the rest of the world it has become a popular combat pistol shooting sports cartridge.[citation needed] With good JHP bullets in the more energetic loads (> 500 ft·lbf) the .40 S&W can create hydrostatic shock in human-sized living targets.[11]
.40 S&W Load Tables

The energy of the .40 S&W exceeds all standard-pressure and +P 9x19mm Parabellum loadings and many standard-pressure .45 ACP rounds, generating between 450 and 600 foot-pounds (550 J and 800 J) of energy, depending on bullet weight, with mid to high 500 foot-pounds typical. Both the .40 S&W and the 9 mm Parabellum operate at a 35,000 psi (240 MPa) SAAMI maximum, compared to a 21,000 psi (150 MPa) maximum for .45 ACP[12]. Some small ammunition manufacturers offer .40 S&W ammunition consistently developing energy well above 500 ft·lbf (700 J) in all their .40 S&W ammo as off-the-shelf items.[13]. While SAAMI has not established a +P standard for the .40 S&W, there are companies marketing ammunition claimed to be +P, but they do not provide pressure data to support +P labeling.

Despite the .40 S&W’s popularity amongst American law enforcement and the private sector, it has yet to be adopted by a significant number of military forces worldwide.[citation needed] The mainstay for military use in the western world largely remains the preserve of the 9 mm Parabellum, or for a few special forces, .45 ACP in their respective adopted handguns. The United States Coast Guard, however, has adopted the Sig Sauer P229R DAK in .40 S&W as their standard sidearm.

Case failure reports
Beretta 96 Feed Ramp

The .40 S&W has been noted in a number of cartridge case failures, particularly in Glock pistols due to the relatively large area of unsupported case head in those barrels, given its high working pressure[14]. The feed ramp on the Glock .40 S&W pistols are larger than normal, which leaves the rear bottom of the case unsupported, and it is in this unsupported area that the cases fail. Most, but not all, of the failures have occurred with reloaded or remanufactured ammunition. Cartridges loaded at or above the SAAMI pressure, or slightly oversized cases which fire slightly out of battery are often considered to be the cause of these failures. These failures are referred to by many as “kaBooms” or “kB!” for short. While these case failures do not often injure the person holding the pistol, the venting of high pressure gas tends to eject the magazine out of the magazine well in a spectacular fashion, and usually destroys the pistol. In some cases, the barrel will also fail, blowing the top of the chamber off.
Beretta 96 Extractor Notch

While the .40 S&W is far from the only cartridge to suffer from case failures, it is more susceptible for a number of reasons. The .40 S&W works at fairly high pressures (33,000 psi/230 MPa typical, but 35,000 psi/240 MPa SAAMI max) for a large caliber handgun cartridge, significantly more than, say, the .45 ACP.[15] Since the .40 S&W is a wide cartridge for its length, and is often adapted to frames designed for the equally long but narrower 9x19mm cartridge, the length of the feed ramp must be longer to provide the same angle, which causes the feed ramp to extend into the chamber. This in turn leaves more of the case head unsupported. While this is not necessarily unsafe, it does reduce the margin of safety. When exacerbated by out of battery firing (leaving even more case head exposed) and potentially weakened brass (due to reloading) these factors appear to lead to the higher incidents of chamber failure. The number of case failures in the .40 S&W is serious enough that Accurate Arms no longer recommends reloading of .40 S&W cartridges for firearms without complete case head support.[16]

Synonyms

* .40
* .40 S&W
* .40 Liberty (promoted by L. Neil Smith as part of a boycott of Smith and Wesson for making an agreement with the U.S. government under President Bill Clinton.[17][18][19]
* .40 Short & Weak (a derogatory comparison to the parent 10 mm Auto cartridge)

The .45 ACP has become one of the most successful cartridges of all time, among both military and civilian users. It has been used in innumerable handguns and submachine guns since its introduction.
Contents

* 1 Design and history
* 2 Cartridge dimensions
* 3 Performance
* 4 Load variants
* 5 Timeline
* 6 Synonyms
* 7 Related rounds
* 8 References
* 9 External links

Design and history

The US Cavalry had been buying and testing various handguns in the late 1890s and early 1900s. The .45 Colt Single Action Army had largely been replaced, even by some double action versions of the same. The Cavalry had fielded some double action revolvers in .38 Long Colt, and they determined that the .38 caliber round was significantly less effective against determined opponents, such as those encountered in the Moro Rebellion warriors they were fighting at the time of the Philippine-American war, than the .45 Colt. The current issue rifle at the time, the .30-40 Krag, also had failed to stop Moro warriors;[3] the British had similar issues switching to the .303 British, which resulted in the development of the Dum-dum bullet. This experience, and the Thompson-LaGarde Tests of 1904 led the Army and the Cavalry to decide that a minimum of .45 caliber was required in the replacement handgun.

Colt had been working with Browning on a .41 caliber cartridge in 1904, and in 1905 when the Cavalry asked for a .45 caliber equivalent Colt modified the pistol design to fire a .45 caliber version of the prototype .41 caliber round. The result from Colt was the Colt Model 1905 and the new .45 ACP. The original round that passed the testing fired a 200 grain (13 g) bullet at 900 ft/s (275 m/s), but after a number of rounds of revisions between Winchester Repeating Arms, Frankford Arsenal, and Union Metallic Cartridge, it ended up using a 230 grain (15 g) bullet at about 850 ft/s (260 m/s). The resulting .45 caliber cartridge, named the .45 ACP, is similar in performance to the .45 S&W cartridge, and only slightly less powerful (but significantly shorter) than the .45 Colt cartridges the Cavalry was using. The cartridge case shared the same head dimensions as the .30-03 and later .30-06 rifle cartridges in use by the military at the time.

By 1906 bids from 6 makers were submitted, among them Browning’s design, submitted by Colt. Only DWM, Savage, and Colt made the first cut. DWM, which submitted two Luger pistols adapted to the .45 ACP cartridge, withdrew from testing after the first round of tests, for unspecified reasons.[4] One of the DWM pistols, serial number 1, was destroyed in testing; the remaining instance, serial number 2, is considered one of the most desirable collectors handguns in existence.[5]

In the second round of testing in 1910, the Colt design passed the extensive testing with no failures, while the Savage design suffered 37 stoppages or parts failures.[4] The resulting Colt design was adopted as the Model 1911.

Cartridge dimensions

The .45 ACP has 1.62 ml (25 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.

.45 ACP

.45 ACP maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions.[6] All sizes in millimeters (mm).

The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 406 mm (1 in 16 in), 6 grooves, Ø lands = 11.23 mm, Ø grooves = 11.43 mm, land width = 3.73 mm and the primer type is large pistol.

According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente Pour L’Epreuve Des Armes A Feu Portative) guidelines the .45 ACP case can handle up to 130 MPa (18,885 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every pistol cartridge combo has to be proofed at 130% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
The SAAMI pressure limit for the .45 ACP is set at 144.79 MPa (21,000 psi), piezo pressure.[7]
The SAAMI pressure limit for the .45 ACP +P is set at 158.58 MPa (23,000 psi), piezo pressure.
Performance

The result is one of the world’s more effective combat pistol cartridges, one that combines very good accuracy and stopping power for use against human targets. The cartridge also has relatively low muzzle blast and flash, as well as moderate recoil. The .45ACP also operates at a relatively low maximum chamber pressure rating of 21,000 psi (145 MPa) (compared to 35,000 psi/240 MPa for 9mmP and .40S&W, 37,500 psi/260 MPa for 10mmAuto, 40,000 psi/280 MPa for .357SIG), which helps extend service life of weapons it is fired in.
.45 ACP hollowpoint (Federal HST) with two .22LR cartridges for comparison
Side on view of Sellier & Bellot .45 ACP cartridge with a metric ruler for scale

Like many pistol cartridges, it is a low-velocity round, and thus not particularly effective against body armor. Another drawback for large scale military operations is the cartridge’s large size, weight, the increased material cost of manufacture compared to the smaller 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, and lack of compliance with Standardization Agreements pertaining to handgun ammunition currently enacted between the US and many of its allies.

Even in its non-expanding full metal jacket (FMJ) version, the .45 ACP cartridge has a reputation for effectiveness against human targets because its large diameter creates a deep and substantial permanent wound channel which lowers blood pressure more rapidly. However, some writers, such as the published work of Marshall and Sanow, have cast the reputation of .45 ACP as being the “best” at this task into debate. Marshall & Sanow’s work, while receiving heavy criticism from Dr. Fackler and others, show the .45 ACP, loaded with the best hollowpoint bullets and fired from a 5″ barrel to be a good “one shot stopper”, somewhat better than the 9x19mm, equal with the .40 S&W, and only a few percentage points behind the “King” of the Marshall and Sanow study – the .357 Magnum fired from a 4″ barrel. Nevertheless, the .45 ACP remains one of the top handgun cartridges for stopping power, when figures are compiled accurately.
Base of Sellier & Bellot .45 ACP cartridge, showing lacquered primer

Being a moderate-powered cartridge, the wide diameter of the .45 ACP bullets produces a decreased tendency to overpenetrate, which reduces the projectile’s possibility of passing through the intended target with enough velocity to injure another person. The combination of stopping power and controlled penetration makes the .45 ACP practical for police use, although numerous issues, including the resulting decrease in magazine capacity and the larger size and weight of pistols chambered in this caliber, have led more police departments in the USA to adopt sidearms in 9x19mm, .40 S&W, and .357 SIG.[8] Many US tactical police units still utilize the .45 pistol round, including the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team.[9][10][11] While high capacity firearms are available in .45 ACP, the greater length and diameter of the .45 ACP means that the grip of the pistol must be longer and wider than the grip of a comparable pistol of a smaller caliber; this increase in grip size can make the pistol difficult to use for shooters with smaller hands.

Today most NATO militaries use sidearms chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, but the effectiveness of the .45 ACP cartridge has ensured its continued popularity with large caliber sport shooters, especially in the United States. In addition, select military and police units around the world still utilize firearms firing the .45 ACP.

Because all standard .45 ACP rounds fired from handguns or short barreled “submachine” guns are inherently subsonic, it is one of the most powerful pistol calibers available for use in suppressed weapons since subsonic rounds are quieter than supersonic rounds. The latter inevitably produce a highly compressed shockwave, audible as a loud “crack”, literally a small sonic boom, while they travel through the air. Suppressors reduce the audible “report” by slowing and channeling the high speed gas generated by the burning/expanding gunpowder before it exits the muzzle resulting in a muffled “cough”. Suppressors of course can’t act on a supersonic shockwave generated by the bullet breaking the 1,100 ft/s (340 m/s) sound barrier as this happens after it exits the barrel. The downside to the use of .45ACP in suppressed weapons is that increasing the diameter of the passage through a suppressor decreases its efficiency – thus, while .45ACP is among the most powerful suppressed pistol rounds, it is also one of the loudest. Most .45 suppressors must be fired “wet” (with an ablative medium, usually water) to bring sound levels down to “hearing-safe” (under 140dB, generally).

Load variants

Several manufacturers market preloaded .45 ACP rounds in sizes ranging from 117 to 250 grains (8 g to 16 g), with the most popular commercial load being the standard military loading of a 230-grain (15 g) FMJ bullet at around 850 ft/s (260 m/s). Specialty rounds are available in weights under 100 grains (6.5 g) and over 260 grains (16.8 g); popular rounds among reloaders and target shooters include 185-and 230-grain (12 g and 15 g) bullets. Hollow-point rounds intended for maximum effectiveness against live targets are designed to expand upon impact with soft tissue, increasing the size of the permanent cavity left by the bullet as it passes through the target.

Most ammunition manufacturers also market what are termed “+P” loadings in pistol ammunition, including the .45 ACP. This means the cartridge is loaded to a higher maximum pressure level than the original SAAMI cartridge standard, generating higher velocity and more muzzle energy. In the case of the 45 ACP, the standard cartridge pressure is 21,000 PSI and the SAAMI 45 ACP +P standard is 23,000 PSI. This is a common practice for updating older cartridges to match the better quality of materials and workmanship in modern firearms.

The terminology is generally given as “.45 ACP +P”, and appears on the headstamp. It is important to note that +P cartridges are dimensionally identical to standard-pressure cartridges and will chamber and fire in all firearms designed for the standard-pressure loadings. However, if +P loadings are used in firearms not specifically designed for them they may cause damage to the weapon and injuries to the operator.

Popular derivative versions of the .45 ACP are the .45 Super and .460 Rowland. The Super is dimensionally identical to the .45 ACP, however, the cartridge carries a developer established pressure of 28,500 PSI and requires minor modification of quality firearms for use. The Rowland case is 0.057″ longer specifically to prevent it from being chambered in standard .45 ACP firearms. The Rowland operates at a developer established 40,000 c.u.p. and may only be used within a select group of firearms significantly modified for this purpose. Brass cases for each of these cartridges carry the applicable name within the headstamp. The Super provides approximately 20% greater velocity than the .45 ACP +P; the Rowland approximately 40% greater velocity than the .45 ACP +P.

Timeline

* 1899/1900 self-loading pistols test: Colt M1900 of .38 caliber entered
* 1904 Thompson-LaGarde Tests: Caliber of new handgun should be at least .45
* 1906–1907 handgun trials: Colt enters with .45 ACP design
* 1910 final tests: Colt pistol (designed by John Browning) out-performs Savage
* On March 29, 1911, the Colt pistol is officially adopted as the Model 1911 – and with it, the .45 ACP cartridge.

Synonyms

* .45 Auto
* 11.43x23mm

* 1 History
* 2 Cartridge dimensions
* 3 Conversions
* 4 Characteristics
* 5 Handloading
* 6 Performance
* 7 Implementation
* 8 See also
* 9 References

History

Developed in 1994, the new cartridge was named “357″ to highlight its purpose: to duplicate the performance of 125-grain (8.1 g) .357 Magnum loads fired from 4-inch (100 mm) barreled revolvers, in a cartridge designed to be used in a semi-automatic pistol.

Until the .357 SIG, there was no practical semi-automatic pistol round with the same performance as the 125 gr .357 Magnum revolver bullet. There were some semi-automatic pistols chambered for .357 Magnum, e.g., the Desert Eagle and Coonan, but due to the difficulty of designing a semi-automatic pistol able to feed the rimmed .357 Magnum cartridge reliably, they were of an impractical size and price.

The .357 SIG provided a self-defense cartridge close in performance to a 125 gr .357 Magnum, but from a smaller and more concealable semi-automatic pistol.

The .357 SIG was the first modern bottleneck commercial handgun cartridge since the early 1960s, when Remington introduced the unsuccessful .22 Remington Jet (1961), which necked a .357 Magnum case down to a .22 caliber bullet, and the .221 Remington Fireball (1963). Soon after the .357 SIG, other bottleneck commercial handgun cartridges appeared: the .400 Corbon (1996), necking the .45 ACP down to .40 caliber; the .25 NAA (1999), necking the .32 ACP down to .25 caliber; and the .32 NAA (2002), necking the .380 ACP down to .32 caliber.

Cartridge dimensions

The .357 SIG has 1.27 ml (19.5 grains) H2O cartridge case capacity.

.357 SIG maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions.[2] All sizes in millimeters (mm).

Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 = 18 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 406 mm (1 in 16 in), 6 grooves, Ø lands = 8.71 mm, Ø grooves = 9.02 mm, land width = 2.69 mm and the primer type is small pistol.

According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente Pour L’Epreuve Des Armes A Feu Portative) guidelines the .357 SIG case can handle up to 305 MPa (44,236 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every pistol cartridge combo has to be proofed at 130% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
The SAAMI pressure limit for the .357 SIG is set at 275.80 MPa (40,000 psi), piezo pressure.[3]

Conversions

Most .40 S&W pistols can be converted to .357 SIG by replacing the barrel, but sometimes the recoil spring must be changed as well. Pistols with especially strong recoil springs can accept either cartridge with a barrel change. Magazines will freely interchange between the two cartridges in most pistols, though there are exceptions like the .357 SIG chambered Sig 239. .357 SIG barrel kits have allowed this cartridge to gain in popularity among handgun owners. However, the .357 SIG is loaded to higher pressures than the .40 S&W (the C.I.P. and the SAAMI pressure limits for .40 S&W are 225 MPa and 35,000 psi), and may not be suitable for use in all .40 S&W-chambered pistols.

Characteristics

The goal of the .357 SIG project was to offer at least the level of performance of lighter .357 Magnum loads and +P/+P+ 9x19mm Parabellum loads. The .357 SIG accomplishes this goal with a 125 grain (8.1 g) bullet. Using heavier bullets, however, shows the cartridge to be somewhat inferior to the original Magnum. The recoil of the .357 SIG cartridge is strong, often noticeably more so than the .40 S&W, but not so much as full-power 10 mm Auto loads or the original .357 Magnum.

Like the 10 mm Auto, the .357 SIG can be down-loaded to reduce recoil, to the point where recoil is similar to that of a 9x19mm Parabellum. However, since the .357 SIG uses bullets that are generally the same as those used in the 9 mm Para,[4] downloading it to this point would defeat the purpose of having the SIG cartridge in the first place, as recoil and ballistics would be identical to the less-powerful 9 mm cartridge.

Because the .357 SIG fires at relatively high pressures, muzzle flash and noise are significant with standard loads, even with longer barrels. Utilizing loads with specialized powders and experimenting with different bullet weights can reduce flash.

Handloading

Although the .357 SIG design is based on the .40 S&W case, handloaders cannot form .40 S&W cases into .357 SIG brass. While the two cases are identical in rim diameter, using the .40 S&W case will result in a case that is approximately 0.020 in (0.508 mm) too short. Unlike most bottlenecked cartridges, the .357 SIG headspaces on the case mouth.[4] Cartridges that are too short can result in malfunctions which may cause serious injury. Furthermore, the SAAMI limit is lower for the .40 cartridge at 35,000 PSI, than the 40,000 PSI for the .357 SIG.

While some people have attempted to form .357 SIG cases from 10 mm Auto cases, this is rather impractical. First of all, the change in primer type (10 mm uses large pistol primers, .357 SIG uses small pistol primers) would require that known recipes be scrapped, and second, the cost of using expensive 10 mm brass for such a purpose would certainly defeat the goal of saving money by reloading. Both unfired and once-fired .357 SIG brass are readily available at low cost from several well-known vendors.

Choosing the correct bullet type is extremely important when handloading the .357 SIG cartridge. The short neck of the casing makes the use of standard round-nosed bullets impractical: there is simply not enough flat area for the neck to “grip” the bullet, so flat-point bullets are used. Various 9 mm hollow-point bullets can also be successfully used, but due to the wide variety of choice, the chances of success vary from one brand to another.

Performance

Because of its relatively high velocity for a handgun round, the .357 SIG has a very flat trajectory, extending the effective range. However, it does not quite reach the performance of the .357 Magnum with bullets heavier than 125 grains (8.1 g), with the same usable barrel lengths, the typical commercial loadings using 125-grain (8.1 g) bullets, fired from a four-inch (102 mm) barrel; a typical commercial .357 Magnum load propels a 125-grain (8.1 g) bullet to 1,450 ft/s (440 m/s), while a typical .357 SIG load propels the same bullet to 1,350 ft/s (410 m/s), with only a usable 2.85-inch (72 mm) barrel. Specialty loads, such as Double Tap Ammunition, are able to propel a 125-grain (8.1 g) bullet to 1,450 ft/s (440 m/s) from a four-inch (102 mm) barrel. Offsetting this general slight disadvantage in performance is the fact that semi-automatic pistols tend to carry considerably more ammunition than revolvers.

Also like the Tokarev, the .357 SIG works well when shooting through barriers. There has been a documented case in Texas where a police officer’s .45 round did not penetrate a tractor-trailer’s shell, but a .357 SIG round from a backup officer’s gun did, killing the suspect inside. The round’s ability to penetrate barriers is the main reason for its adoption by law enforcement agencies. However, other documented police shootings have confirmed the round’s ability to not over penetrate the body, even though ballistic gelatin shows 16 inches of penetration through heavy clothing (125 grain Speer Gold Dot). The Virginia State Police have had several documented officer-related shootings involving the .357 Sig, and in every case, not only were the felons stopped instantly with one shot (except one who was shot several times while attempting to murder an officer), the bullet either didn’t exit the felon, or was stopped in the clothing upon exiting, proving that even at such high velocities, the round when used with adequate expanding hollowpoints will not over penetrate soft tissue. The same department has also reported that attacking pit bulls have been stopped dead in their tracks by a single shot, whereas the former subsonic 147 grain 9mm duty rounds would require multiple shots to incapacitate the attacking canines. [5]

The reputation that the .357 SIG round had for losing its crimp (allowing for bullet setback) was partially true when the cartridge was new and ammunition manufacturers were just beginning to produce the round. These problems have since been corrected by major manufacturers. As a result, the round now exhibits nominal setback characteristics, similar to other cartridges.[citation needed]

The bottleneck shape of the .357 SIG cartridge makes feeding problems almost non-existent.[citation needed] This is because the bullet is channeled through the larger chamber before being seated entirely as the slide goes into full battery. Flat point bullets are seldom used with other autoloader platforms because of feeding problems; however, such bullets are commonly seen in the .357 SIG chambering and are quite reliable, as are hollow-point bullets.

One disadvantage of the .357 SIG is that it fires a .355″ bullet at higher velocities than most bullets of that caliber are designed for. Very few bullets have been designed specifically for the .357 SIG, and .357 Magnum bullets that are designed for the same velocity range cannot be used due to their slightly larger diameter. Because of this, there are fewer ammunition choices in .357 SIG than one might expect for a cartridge using .355″ bullets.

Another potential drawback of the .357 SIG is its somewhat harsh treatment of pistols that are not designed to handle its high pressure. Firing .357 SIG through modified pistols that were originally designed to fire the .40 S&W can accelerate wear.

The “Accurate Powder” reloading manuals claims that it is “without a doubt the most ballistically consistent handgun cartridge we have ever worked with.”[6]

Implementation

The SIG-Sauer P229 in .357 SIG is currently the standard issue firearm carried by agents of the United States Secret Service, the Bastrop County Texas Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Delaware State Police, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, Federal Air Marshals and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. In most cases, it has replaced 10 mm, .40 S&W and 9 mm loads. In 1995, the Texas Department of Public Safety became the first government agency to implement the .357 SIG. The Tennessee Highway Patrol presently issues the Glock 31 pistol chambered in .357 SIG. The Canadian Forces Special Operations unit Joint Task Force 2 reportedly uses P226′s chambered in .357 SIG, as well as Canadian Naval Boarding Parties who use P225′s in .357 SIG. The Bedford Heights Police Department (OH) currently issues the Glock 31/32 in .357 SIG.

The name Parabellum is derived from the Latin: Si vis pacem, para bellum (“If you seek peace, prepare for war”), which was the motto and telegraphic address of DWM.
Contents

* 1 History
o 1.1 9 mm NATO variant
o 1.2 Russian military overpressure variants
* 2 Cartridge dimensions
* 3 Improvement
* 4 Case material and design
* 5 Performance
* 6 Synonyms
* 7 See also
* 8 References
* 9 External links

History

Georg Luger developed the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge from the earlier 7.65 mm Parabellum pistol cartridge. In 1902, Luger presented the new round to the British Small Arms Committee as well as three prototype versions to the U.S. Army for testing at Springfield Arsenal in mid-1903. The German military expressed official interest in a 9 mm version of the Parabellum in 1904.

The initial cartridge was created by removing the bottleneck of the 7.65 mm Luger cartridge, resulting in a tapered rimless cartridge. The ogive of the bullet was slightly redesigned in the 1910s in order to improve feeding.

After World War I, acceptance of this caliber increased and 9 mm pistols were adopted by a number of countries.

To conserve lead during World War II in Germany, the lead core was replaced by an iron core encased with lead. This bullet, identified by a black bullet jacket, was designated as the 08 mE (mit Eisenkern—”with iron core”). By 1944, the black jacket of the 08 mE bullet was dropped and these bullets were produced with normal copper-colored jackets. Another wartime variation was designated the 08 SE bullet and identified by its dark gray jacket, and was created by compressing iron powder at high temperature into a solid material (Sintereisen—”sintered iron”).

A special load (identified either by an “X” on the headstamp or by a green lacquered steel case) with a 9.7-gram (150 gr) full metal jacket bullet with a subsonic muzzle velocity for use with suppressed firearms was produced by the Germans during WWII. Other countries also developed subsonic loads.

Many police departments that use 9 mm rounds in their handguns switched to 8-gram (120 gr) bullets after the investigation of the 1986 FBI Miami shootout, because the lighter 7.4-gram (114 gr) loading used by the officers in that incident was found to be less effective than a heavier load like the 8.0 g. Bullets weighing up to 9.5 grams (147 gr) are available.

9 mm NATO variant

The 9 mm cartridge has been manufactured by, or for, more than 70 different countries and has become a standard pistol caliber for NATO and other military forces around the world. Its official nomenclature among NATO users is “9 mm NATO”. The 9 mm NATO can be considered as an overpressure variant of the 9x19mm Parabellum, that is defined by NATO standards.[4] The service pressure Pmax of the 9 mm NATO is rated at 252 MPa (36,550 psi) where C.I.P. rates the 9 mm Luger PTmax somewhat lower at 235 MPa (34,083 psi). The 315.0 MPa (45,687 psi) proofing test pressure used in the 9 mm NATO proof test however equals the proofing test pressure used in the 9 mm Luger C.I.P. proof test.

Russian military overpressure variants

The Russian military adopted specialized 9x19mm high velocity cartridges with relatively light bullets for both pistols and submachine guns to defeat body armour. Besides enhanced penetration capabilities these overpressure variants offer a flatter trajectory and lessened recoil. After initial research, conducted since the late 1980s under the codename “Grach”, the Russian armed forces adopted two specialized 9x19mm variants.[5]
Chambering     7N21 9x19mm variant     7N31 9x19mm variant
Bullet weight     5.3 g (82 gr)     4.2 g (65 gr)
Muzzle velocity     460 m/s (1,509 ft/s)     600 m/s (1,969 ft/s)
Muzzle energy     561 J (414 ft.lbf)     756 J (558 ft.lbf)
Maximum pressure     280 MPa (40,611 psi)

The 7N21 9×19 mm overpressure variant MPa features an armour piercing bullet and generates a claimed peak pressure of 280 MPa (40,611 psi).[6] The 7N21 bullet features a hardened (sub-caliber) steel penetrator core, enclosed into a bimetal jacket. The space between the core and jacked is filled with polyethylene, and the tip of the penetrator is exposed at the front of the bullet, to achieve better penetration. The MP-443 Grach and GSh-18 pistols and PP-19-01, PP90M1 and PP-2000 submachine guns were designed for usage with this overpressure cartridge.

In the 7N31 9x19mm overpressure variant the same concept with a similar but lighter bullet that achieves higher muzzle velocity is applied. The 7N31 cartridge was developed in the late 1990s for the GSh-18 pistol. The 7N31 was also adopted for the PP-2000 submachine gun. Its maximum service pressure remains unclear.

Cartridge dimensions

The 9x19mm Parabellum has 0.86 ml (13.3 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.

9x19mm Parabellum maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions.[7] All sizes in millimeters (mm).

The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 250 mm (1 in 9.84 in), 6 grooves, ø lands = 8.82 mm, ø grooves = 9.02 mm, land width = 2.49 mm and the primer type is small pistol.

According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente Pour L’Epreuve Des Armes A Feu Portatives) guidelines the 9x19mm Parabellum case can handle up to 235 MPa (34,083 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every pistol cartridge combo has to be proofed at 130% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
The SAAMI pressure limit for the 9x19mm Parabellum is set at 241.32 MPa (35,000 psi), piezo pressure.[8]
The SAAMI pressure limit for the 9×19 mm Parabellum +P is set at 265.45 MPa (38,500 psi), piezo pressure.

Improvement

During the period between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s, a sharp increase in the popularity of “Wonder Nines” coincided with the adoption of the Beretta M9 by the US Army. At the time, most police departments were issuing .38 Special caliber revolvers with a six-shot capacity. The .38 Special was advantageous to other options like variants of the M1911 because it offered low recoil, the revolvers were small and light enough to accommodate different shooters, and it was relatively inexpensive. Possessing superior ballistics to the .38 Special revolver cartridge, the 9 mm is a shorter round, and being an autoloader cartridge is stored in flat magazines as opposed to cylindrical speedloaders or moon clips used with revolvers, ammunition carrying capacities could be easily increased by as much as 250%. The 9 mm pistol cartridge can be accommodated in a compact frame pistol, able to be used more effectively by inexperienced shooters and smaller-framed officers.

Attempts to improve ballistics of the cartridge came in the early 1990s with the widespread availability of high pressure loadings of the 9 mm cartridge. Such overpressure cartridges are labeled “+P” or in the case of very high pressure loadings “+P+”.[9] Ballistic performance of these rounds was moderately improved over the standard loadings. In addition, improvements in jacketed hollow point bullet technology have produced bullet designs that are more likely to expand and less likely to fragment than earlier iterations, giving a 9 mm bullet greater damage capability while retaining its compact cartridge size.

[edit] Case material and design
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Unjacketed Lead, full metal jacket, hollow point.

* Brass: Since 1902, the common construction material of 9 mm cases (and indeed most cartridge casings) has been brass. For appearance, durability, or identification cases have been nickel or copper plated or painted.
* Aluminium: To conserve brass, aluminium cases have been produced since 1941 (Switzerland) and the development of that material in the use of the 9 mm has continued and is in use today. Non-reloadable aluminium-cased ammunition is manufactured by IMI in Israel under the “Samson” brand name and by Alliant Techsystems under the “CCI Blazer” brand.
* Steel: Various countries have experimented with the use of steel for the construction of 9 mm cases since WWI. Lacquered steel cases were used almost exclusively by the Germans during World War II with considerable success. Steel case cartridges are still being produced and are available today from Russia e.g. Wolf Ammunition.
* Other materials: Plastics have been widely used in the production of 9 mm blank ammunition by a number of countries. Plastic-case ball ammunition has been produced in experimental lots as an attempt to reduce cartridge price, as the traditional brass casing contains a high percentage of copper which has soared in price beginning in the early 2000s.

Performance
An expanded 124 grain 9x19mm Parabellum jacketed hollow point.

The 9 mm cartridge combines a relatively flat trajectory with moderate recoil. The main advantage lies in its being among the smallest of the “large caliber” rounds, allowing users to carry greater capacity compared to larger rounds like .40 S&W and .45 ACP. Combined with the lower felt recoil as compared to a larger round, 9x19mm Parabellum-chambered handguns allow the shooter to place more shots accurately and more quickly than a handgun chambered for a larger cartridge—this is compared to calibers such as .22 LR, where minimal recoil is more than offset by minimal effectiveness against human targets. The “Wonder Nine” design theory, resulting in handguns like the Glock 17, is the result of attempts to maximize these advantages by more than doubling magazine capacity over comparably-sized pistols in larger calibers like the M1911.

The energy delivered by most 9 mm loads allows for adequate expansion and penetration with premium JHP bullets. Illinois State Police, Border Patrol, Federal Air Marshals and United States Secret Service favored and used 115 grain +P+ 9 mm loads at 1,300 fps for years with excellent results.[10] Lethal Force expert Massad Ayoob has stated that the “Tried, Tested, and True” 115 grain +P or +P+ is the best self defense load in this caliber. This was also part of the reason why Secret Service and Air Marshals chose the 125 grain .357 SIG at 1,350 fps to replace the 9 mm for a duty round.[11] The energy may be marginal for imparting hydrostatic shock in human-sized living targets,[12] though the existence of this phenomenon has been questioned, especially regarding its possibility with handgun cartridges.[13][14][15]
From left to right: .50 Action Express, .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, .45 ACP, .40 S&W, 9×19 mm Parabellum, .22 Long Rifle.

Synonyms

* 9x19mm
* 9 mm
* 9 mm Luger
* 9 mm NATO
* 9×19 mm
* 9x19mm NATO
* 9 mm Parabellum
* 9 mm Para

* 1 Design
* 2 Performance
* 3 Comparison
* 4 Synonyms
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links

Design

The .357 Magnum was collaboratively developed over a period in the early to mid-1930s by a group of individuals in a direct response to Colt’s .38 Super Automatic. At the time, the .38 Super was the only pistol cartridge capable of defeating automobile cover and the early ballistic vests that were just beginning to emerge in the post-World War I “Gangster Era.”[3] Tests at the time revealed that those vests defeated any handgun cartridge traveling at less than about 1000 ft/s. Colt’s .38 Super Automatic just edged over that velocity and was able to penetrate car doors and vests that bootleggers and gangsters were employing as cover.[6]

Much credit for the .357′s early development is given to hunter and experimenter Elmer Keith. Keith’s early work in loading the .38 Special to increasingly higher pressure levels was made possible by the availability of heavy, target shooting-oriented revolvers like the Smith & Wesson 38/44 “Heavy Duty” and “Outdoorsman”, .38-caliber revolvers built on .44-caliber frames. The .38-44 HV load, used the .38 Special cartridge loaded to a much higher velocity than standard .38 Special ammunition. The .38-44 revolvers were made by using a .44 Special size gun with the barrel and cylinder bored to .357 caliber (the true bullet diameter of the .38 Special). Since the frame, cylinder, and barrel were much stronger than the standard .38 Special components, it was capable of withstanding much higher pressures. The .38-44 HV round, while no longer available, was in most cases the equal of the later .357 Magnum, which works at more than double the pressure of standard .38 Special. The .357 Magnum addresses the safety issues earlier cartridges had by stretching the case slightly, preventing the high pressure cartridge from chambering in a firearm designed for the shorter, lower pressure version.[7] Elmer Keith also contributed the Keith-style bullet, which increased the mass of bullet located outside of the cartridge, while leaving more room inside the cartridge for powder, while also increasing the cutting power of the bullet when moving through muscle, increasing the killing effectiveness of the bullet when hunting.

In order to reassert itself as the leading law enforcement armament provider, Smith & Wesson developed the .357 Magnum, with Colonel D. B. Wesson leading the effort within Smith & Wesson, along with considerable technical assistance from Phillip B. Sharpe, a member of the Technical Division Staff of the National Rifle Association. The new round was developed from Smith & Wesson’s existing .38 Special round. It used a different powder load, and ultimately the case was extended by 1/8th of an inch (0.125 in, 3.18 mm). The case extension was more a matter of safety than of necessity. Because the .38 Special and the early experimental .357 Magnum cartridges loaded by Keith were identical in physical attributes, it was possible to load an experimental .357 Magnum cartridge in a .38 Special revolver, with potentially disastrous results. Smith & Wesson’s solution, of extending the case slightly, made it impossible to chamber the magnum-power round in a gun not designed for the additional pressure.[3]

The choice of bullet for the .357 Magnum cartridge varied during its development. During the development at Smith & Wesson, the original Keith bullet was modified slightly, to the form of the Sharpe bullet, which itself was based upon the Keith bullet, but which had 5/6 of the bearing surface of the Keith bullet, Keith bullets typically being made oversized and sized down. Winchester, however, upon experimenting further during the cartridge development, modified the Sharpe bullet shape slightly, while keeping the Sharpe contour of the bullet. The final choice of bullet was hence based upon the earlier Keith and Sharpe bullets, while additionally having slight differences from both.[8]

Performance
This article or section contains weasel words, vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (January 2009)

This cartridge is regarded by many as an excellent self-defense round. It still enjoys a reputation of being the gold standard of stopping power among handgun cartridges[citation needed].For big game, such as ungulates and bears, which have a substantially sturdier build than humans, it is inferior to the .50 Action Express, .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, .41 Magnum and other larger magnum rounds. Still, it is a fine small and medium game round and will kill deer very reliably at short range if the right loads (140 grain and heavier hollow-point bullet) are carefully used by a qualified marksman.[9] Its stopping power on game is similar to the .45 Colt and has a flatter trajectory. It is a very versatile cartridge, and can be used with success for self-defense, plinking, hunting, or target shooting.[10]

Revolvers in .357 Magnum caliber have the advantage of also being able to fire .38 Special ammunition, with its lower cost, recoil, noise, and muzzle flash. However, it should be noted that a .38 Special should not generally be used with any .357 automatic handgun or rifle, such as the Magnum Research Desert Eagle. It has also become popular as a “dual use” cartridge in short, light rifles like the American Old West lever-actions. In a rifle, the bullet will exit the barrel at about 1,800 feet per second (550 m/s), making it far more versatile than the .30 Carbine or the .32-20 Winchester. In the 1930s, it was found to be very effective against steel ballistic vests, and metal-penetrating rounds were once popular in the United States among highway patrol and other police organizations. The .357 revolver has been largely replaced by modern, high-capacity semi-automatic pistols for police use, but is still very popular for backup gun use, and among outdoorsmen, security guards, and civilians for self-defense and hunting.

Comparison
.357 Magnum Colt Python revolver

The .357 Magnum was a direct competitor with the .38 Super, which was designed for semi-automatic pistols. Ballistic performance for the two rounds is very similar. However since the .357 is usually chambered in revolvers, it can be shot in barrels longer than one would normally find in automatics, giving it an increase in performance.

In terms of accuracy, the .357 Magnum has at least the same potential for precision shooting as the benchmark .38 Special wadcutter round—indeed, a good .357 Magnum revolver will happily shoot .38 Special wadcutter ammunition with good results. It is this accuracy and power, and the versatility of also being capable of using less-expensive, milder .38 Special ammunition, that makes a .357 Magnum revolver an excellent gun for many different disciplines, from 20 yard (18.28 m) precision shooting to long range falling-plate events. It is an excellent round for those considering handloading ammunition, as it is economical and consistently performs well.

As mentioned above, the .357 Magnum was developed from the earlier .38 Special. This was possible because the .38 Special was originally designed to use black powder, which requires two to five times as much powder by weight to produce the same velocity with the same bullet as does the much more efficient smokeless powder. Thus the .38 Special has a relatively large case. The 9 mm Para was introduced the same year (1902) but was originally designed for smokeless powder, and for higher pressures (~35,000 psi). It therefore produces considerably more energy than the .38, despite its case having less than 1/2 the powder capacity. Most 9 mm powder charges fill the case to the base of the bullet, and some are heavily compressed. Many .38 Special loads use the same powders, in similar charge weights, but because the case is so much larger, those charges only fill the case about half full. Light target loads with fast burning powders may only fill the case perhaps 1/8 full. Filling the case with slower-burning powders produces much more power, but also much more pressure; far too much pressure for older, smaller-frame revolvers chambered in .38 Special. It was to accommodate these high-pressure, high-power loads that the longer .357 Magnum, together with the stronger revolvers designed to handle it, were developed.

Synonyms

* .357 Mag
* .357 S&W Magnum
* 9x33mmR (Europe)

* 1 History
* 2 Performance
* 3 Synonyms
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links

History
First model M&P revolver designed in 1899 for the .38 Special cartridge. This revolver left the factory in 1900.
Letter from Roy Jinks, Smith and Wesson Historian. Provenance of first model M&P revolver in .38 Special.

Despite its name, its caliber is actually .357–.358 inches (9.0678 mm), with the “.38″ referring to the approximate diameter of the loaded brass case. This came about because the original .38-caliber cartridge, the .38 Short Colt, was designed for use in converted .36-caliber cap-and-ball (muzzleloading) Navy revolvers, which had cylindrical firing chambers of approximately .374 inch diameter, requiring “heel-based” bullets, the exposed portion of which was the same diameter as the cartridge case (see the section on the .38 Long Colt).

Except for its length, the .38 Special case is identical to that of the .38 Long Colt, and to the .357 Magnum which was developed from the earlier cartridge in 1935. This allows the .38 Special round to be used in revolvers chambered for the .357 Magnum (but not the reverse, the longer length prevents potential accidents from the significantly higher pressure generated by the .357 Magnum cartridge).

The .38 Special was introduced in 1899 as an improvement over the .38 Long Colt which, as a military service cartridge, was found to have inadequate stopping power against the wooden shields of charging Moros during the Philippine-American War.[6] Most handloading manuals and other references date the cartridge to 1902 and the Smith & Wesson Military and Police revolver variation of that year.

The letter pictured provides the true history of the cartridge. Although it was introduced thirteen years into the smokeless powder era, the .38 Special was originally loaded with black powder, but was offered with smokeless loads within a year of its introduction.[7]

The .38 Special is very accurate in a quality revolver, produces little recoil, and remains the most popular revolver cartridge in the world more than a century after its introduction.[8] It is used for target shooting and formal target competition, for hunting small game, and for self-defense.

In the 1930s, heavy framed revolvers oriented toward target shooting, such as the Smith & Wesson 38/44 Heavy Duty, allowed development of a higher pressure (and therefore higher power) version called the .38 Special Hi-Speed and eventually, the .357 Magnum. These .38 revolvers, built on a larger frame originally designed for the .44 Special, survived for about three decades before the .357 revolvers outdid them in sales.[citation needed] Today, versions of this cartridge loaded to slightly higher pressure are available, called .38 Special +P; these are usable in .38 revolvers rated +P and in .357 revolvers.

There is also a rarely seen high velocity load made by manufacturers such as Federal and Winchester, usually labeled (For Law Enforcement Only) and designated .38 Special +P+.[9] This ammunition is meant to be only used in .357 revolvers and can cause significant damage to firearms rated for only .38 Special or .38 Special +P.

Because the .38 Special also works in .357 revolvers, it is popular with users of the .357 for the reduced recoil, lower noise, and lower cost. A number of lever action rifles are also chambered in .357 Magnum and .38 Special.

Performance

Due to its blackpowder heritage, the .38 Special is a low pressure cartridge, one of the lowest in common use today at 17,000 PSI. By modern standards, the .38 Special fires a medium sized bullet at rather low speeds. The closest comparisons are the .380 ACP, which fires much lighter bullets slightly faster than most .38 Special loads; the 9x19mm Parabellum, which fires a somewhat lighter bullet significantly faster; and the .38 Colt Super, which fires a comparable bullet significantly faster. All three of these are usually found in semi-automatic pistols.

The higher-pressure .38 +P loads at 20,000 PSI offer about 20% more muzzle energy than standard-pressure loads and places between .380 ACP and 9 mm Parabellum.

Only a minority of US police departments now issue or authorize use of the .38 Special revolver as a standard duty weapon, most having switched to the higher-capacity and faster-reloading semi-automatic pistols in 9mm Parabellum, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, .45 ACP or .45 GAP. It is still common in security use by guards[citation needed] who value the reliability and simplicity of a revolver, and by private citizens for concealed carry and police for secondary/backup handguns because its recoil when fired from very small and lightweight revolvers is considered much more manageable than more powerful cartridges; its low recoil is easier to control and is better acclimated.

Synonyms

* .38
* .38 Smith & Wesson Special
* .38 Special
* 9x29mmR (European designation, unusual)