reference information
ammunition comparison
Left to right are: .22, .25, .32, .380, 9mm, .357 SIG, .38, .357, .40, .45, & .223 caliber rounds.
Copied from:
http://www.ballistics-experts.com/Law%20Enforcement/Ammunition/Caliber%20Selection.htm
ammunition comparison 2
Copied from http://www.glock.com
ammunition comparison 3
Left to right: .22 lr, .380 auto, .38 special, 9mm, .357 magnum, .40 S&W, .45 acp, .44 magnum,
7.62x39mm, 8mm
ammunition comparison 4
Source: Magtech 2007 product catalog.
anatomy of a centerfire rifle cartridge
Case - usually made of brass and contains the powder charge, the primer and the bullet. Before development of the metallic cartridge, the term was used to mean a roll or case of paper containing powder and shot. Centerfire metallics include all pistol and rifle cartridges that have primers in the center of the base.
Bullet - a single projectile fired from a firearm. Some mistakenly consider the entire round of ammunition to be the bullet, in actuallity it is only the tip of the round.
Crimp - the portion of a cartridge case that is bent inward to hold the bullet in place.
Powder - the general term for any chemical compound or mixture used in firearms that burns upon ignition. The gases produced by this rapid combustion propel the bullet down the bore. One major type is black powder, which is a mixture of charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter. It's used in older cartridges. Another major type is smokeless powder, which is principally used in modern ammunition. It's a granular nitrated chemical compound.
Primer - the collective term for the chemical primer compound, cup and anvil. When the primer is struck, it ignites the powder charge.
Rim - the edge on the base of a cartridge case. It's the part of the case gripped by the extractor to remove it from the chamber. In some cartridges it also prevents the case from entering the chamber.
Copied from http://cheaperthandirt.com
anatomy of a pistol cartridge
Bullet - a single projectile fired from a firearm. Some mistakenly consider the entire round of ammunition to be the bullet, in actuallity it is only the tip of the round.
Casing - usually made of brass and contains the powder charge, the primer and the bullet. Before development of the metallic cartridge, the term was used to mean a roll or case of paper containing powder and shot. Centerfire metallics include all pistol and rifle cartridges that have primers in the center of the base.
Gun powder - the general term for any chemical compound or mixture used in firearms that burns upon ignition. The gases produced by this rapid combustion propel the bullet down the bore. One major type is black powder, which is a mixture of charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter. It's used in older cartridges. Another major type is smokeless powder, which is principally used in modern ammunition. It's a granular nitrated chemical compound.
Primer - the collective term for the chemical primer compound, cup and anvil. When the primer is struck, it ignites the powder charge.
anatomy of a shot shell
Case - a tube, usually made of plastic or paper, with a steel or brass head. It contains the powder charge, the primer and shot.
Crimp - the portion of a cartridge case that is bent inward to hold the shot in place.
Powder - the general term for any chemical compound or mixture used in firearms that burns upon ignition. The gases produced by this rapid combustion propel the shot down the bore. One major type is black powder, which is a mixture of charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter. It's used in older cartridges. Another major type is smokeless powder, which is principally used in modern ammunition. It's a granular nitrated chemical compound.
Primer - the collective term for the chemical primer compound, cup and anvil. When the primer is struck, it ignites the powder charge.
Shot - Small, round pellets of lead, steel or bismuth. These are the projectiles in a shotshell.
Wad - A disc used to separate powder from shot, to seal propellant gases behind the shot or to hold shot together in the barrel.
Copied from http://cheaperthandirt.com
caliber comparison
| Caliber | Pros |
Cons
|
| 22 long rifle rimfire | Small, cheap. | May kill an attacker - but not before he kills you! |
| 25 ACP | Small ammo, & small guns. | Expensive (2-3 times the cost of 9mm ammo). May kill an attacker - but not before he kills you! (less KE than a 22) |
| 32 ACP | Size efficient, reasonable ballistics (European loadings = 120+ ft.lbs KE from short barreled guns). | Puny performance if you use the US loadings (60 - 80 ft.lb KE). Not a good attack terminator. Relatively expensive. Not available everywhere. |
| 380 ACP | Starting to get to reasonable diameter. Widely available. | Not size efficient (only 30-50% more KE than best 32 in most cases). Marginal attack terminator. Relatively expensive. |
| 9mm Parabellum. (9mm Luger) | Ballistically efficient, cheap. NATO caliber (common). | Needs relatively expensive hollow point ammunition to avoid over-penetration (& ricochet) and produce good attack stopping performance. |
| 357 SIG | Good attack stopping performance. Adopted by several State & Federal LE agencies (should become more popular - & cheaper). | Noisy. Not available everywhere. Expensive (but getting cheaper). |
| 38 S&W Special | Widely available, cheap. | Marginal attack stopping performance - even in +P loadings. Large case size for performance delivered. |
| 357 S&W Magnum | Widely available, reasonably priced practice ammo. Good attack stopping ability - but needs hollow pint bullets (more expensive). | Large case size for performance delivered. Recoil may be too much for some people - especially in smaller revolvers. Noisy. |
| 40 S&W | Good attack stopping ability - even cheap FMJ varients. Widely available, reasonably priced. | No real disadvantages, but recoil may be too much for some in smaller guns. |
| 45 ACP | Good attack stopping ability with cheaper FMJ bullets. Widely available. | Hollow point bullets have reputation for under-penetrating. Relatively expensive Large and heavy considering the relatively low KE delivered. |
handgun cartridge power chart (condensed version)By Chuck HawksPlease Note: The above data is drawn from various sources including the book "Handgun Stopping Power" by Marshall and Sanow, and various articles in magazines such as "Handguns". To order the latest books by Marshall and Sanow, follow my link to Evan Marshal's Stopping Power web page. For experienced shooters the headings of most of the columns above are self-explanatory. For everyone else: "Caliber" is the common name of the cartridge tested; "Load" is the brand of ammunition tested; "Bullet" is the weight (in grains) and configuration (JHP, for instance, means jacketed hollow point) of the bullet; "MV" is the standard abbreviation for muzzle velocity; "ME" is the abbreviation for muzzle energy; "Penetration (10% gel)" is the measured penetration of the bullet when fired into a block of standard ordinance gelatin, which is used to simulate soft tissue; "Test brl." means the length of the test pistol's barrel.
Copied from: http://www.chuckhawks.com/handgun_power_chart.htm |
Need a ballistic trajectory calculator (or 2) for your iPhone?
Ballistic is a fast, highly-accurate ballistic trajectory calculator and range companion for the iPhone. Ballistic calculates path, windage, velocity, time, and energy for any valid range, and can compensate for atmospheric conditions such as temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, and altitude. It's also much more than a basic trajectory calculator. With a vast library of over 1,000 projectiles, range estimation calculator, and a range log, Ballistic is a complete mobile companion for hunting or at the range.You can download this application from the iTunes store here, You can also see many more screen shots and read more about this program at the developer's website here.
Knight's Armament has its own program called Bullet Flight, which you can purchase from the iTunes store here. You can read more about the program at the Knight's Armament site here.
You can also see the picatinny rail mount they designed to attach to an Otterbox case that can hold an iPod Touch. The iPod Touch would then run the Bullet Flight program. If Otterbox makes a case with the same style clip mount for the iPhone, then you could use an iPhone to run the Bullet Flight program as well. I am unable to find any information about this mount on the Knight's Armament site.
So you want to buy an AR-15, huh?
Here's a very detailed thread on what to look for in an AR-15. It's written, and photo documented so well, that it will give most anyone an education in what to look for in the ultimate "evil black gun." This buyer's guide (written by an active police officer) is slanted toward other patrol officers who know nothing about the AR-15 and tries to present a level playing field for comparing some of the most popular models from mainstream manufacturers.
There is debate over whether or not having a full-automatic bolt carrier group in a semi-automatic rifle implies constructive posession. If you read this thread you can read correspondence between Colt and the ATF about this not being an issue with a certain provision.
typical kinetic energy produced by various calibers
Copied from:
http://www.ballistics-experts.com/Law%20Enforcement/Ammunition/Caliber%20Selection.htm
Arizona resources |
general resources |
reference information |
How to: NFA weapons
ammunition types | "Where I've shot" | videos | odds 'n' ends | about
ammunition types | "Where I've shot" | videos | odds 'n' ends | about