And when a 357 is .357 caliber or a 9mm as .355?
2006-11-15 10:48:08 · 11 answers · asked by tina 2 in Sports ➔ Outdoor Recreation ➔ Hunting
Bound's hubby here:
And people say creative writing is dead!
First ... the .38 Special, .357 Magnum, and 9mm handguns and their respective ammunition are referred to as medium bores.
The .38 Special, being the oldest, was one of the first "true" medium bore smokeless powder cartridges. While the bullets fired from a .38 Special or .357 Magnum are typically .357 to .358 inches in diameter (9mm being .355 inches in diameter), the inside diameter of the barrel at the grooves is smaller in diameter, and the inside diameter at the lands (rifling) is even smaller in diameter ... this is necessary for the bullet to "fill" the lands and grooves to establish rotation of the bullet in order to achieve any degree of accuracy.
The earlier blackpowder medium bore cartridge was the .38-40 ... whose bullet was actually .40 cal. (firing a bullet .400 inches in diameter).
The other "medium bore" handgun prior to this was the .36 Navy, a cap and ball revolver that fired a bullet .351 inches in diameter.
With the exception of the .357 Magnum, none of the medium bores' names truely reflect the actual diameter of the bullet fired. The reason the .38 Special was named the .38 Special by Smith & Wesson (its developer) was to avoid identification with the .36 Navy ... which WAS a proprietary development of its competitor, "Colt". Performance-wise, the .38 Special was a significant improvement in reliability, performance, and accuracy over the .36 Navy ... and needless to say more modern ... S&W sought a unique identity for its first centerfire medium bore smokeless cartridge.
As an aside, with the exception of the .22, the .25 ACP, .357 Magnum, the .40 S&W, the .41 Magnum, and the vast variety of .45s, no handgun cartridge name truly reflects the actual diameter of the bullet. The 32 family = .312", the .38 family = .357, the .38-40 = .400", and the .44 family (even the mighty .44 Magnum) = .429".
Good luck!
2006-11-15 14:05:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Tina:
Despite its name, its caliber is actually 0.357 inches (9.0678 mm), with the ".38" actually referring to the approximate diameter of the loaded brass case. Except for its length, the .38 Special case is identical to that of 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 .38 Special was introduced in 1902 as a development of the .38 Long Colt cartridge which, as a military service cartridge, was found to have inadequate stopping power during the Philippines-American War. It was originally loaded with black powder but as smokeless gunpowders became popular in the early 20th century, the .38 special was adapted to the new propellants. The .38 Special is one of the most successful handgun cartridges. More than a century after its introduction, it remains popular for self-defense, hunting small game, and target shooting.
2006-11-15 10:50:01 · answer #2 · answered by Ohio_Golfer34 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
the two are very distinctive cartridges and there are on the least 2 disadvantages in what you're asking. whilst utilising a 357 load in a 38 case there ought to be the prospect of using too plenty powder and specific using the incorrect powder for 38. whilst utilising a 38 load in a 357 case, there is the prospect of having too much empty homestead in the case. the two circumstances might effect in a blow up. pass with terrific printed records in respected reloading manuals.
2016-10-22 04:03:03 · answer #3 · answered by haan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The caliber refers to the size of the bore(Hole) in the barrel. The 38 special is a brand of 38 caliber revolver manifactured by Smith & Wesson. The caliber changes with the size of the bore.
2006-11-15 10:51:50 · answer #4 · answered by notaxpert 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It's the bore not the bullet, .38 inches was an early measurement of the inside diameter of the barrel. The first military .38s fired .38 S&W and .38 Colt cartriges. The first military revolver chambered in .38 special was the model 1905.
2006-11-15 10:51:02 · answer #5 · answered by Rockvillerich 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
that is the size of the bullet diameter. A 357 is .357 of an inch, a 38 is .380 of an inch etc.
2006-11-15 10:50:19 · answer #6 · answered by jimbobb1 4 · 0⤊ 5⤋
Caliber size is generally a reference to the diameter of the barrel of the gun.
The caliber of a gun is usually in either inches or millimeters.
2006-11-15 10:50:44 · answer #7 · answered by Mr. G 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
It represents the size of the firearm's barrel bore which is .380 (380 thousands of an inch) in diameter the "special" designates the cartridge case.
2006-11-15 10:52:33 · answer #8 · answered by white_yack 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
it has to do with the diameter of the bullet the38 is .380 thousands, all caliber numbers represents the diameter of the bullet
2006-11-15 10:57:40 · answer #9 · answered by jerry t 1 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Isn't that the size of the caliber
2006-11-15 10:49:30 · answer #10 · answered by Diamond in the Rough 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋