48-399: The 8.8 cm Raketenwerfer 43 Puppchen was an 88 mm calibre reusable anti-tank rocket launcher developed by Nazi Germany during World War II . Raketenwerfer 43 was given to infantry to bolster their anti-tank capability. The weapon was fired from a small two-wheeled gun carriage which fired a percussion-primed, rocket-propelled, fin-stabilized grenade RPzB. Gr. 4312 with
96-475: A 22 caliber projectile. However, there can be significant differences in nominal bullet and bore dimensions, and all cartridges so "categorized" are not automatically identical in actual caliber. For example, 303 British firearms and projectiles are often "categorized" as ".30-caliber" alongside several dozen U.S. "30-caliber" cartridges despite using bullets of .310–.312-inch (7.87–7.92 mm) diameter while all U.S. "30-caliber" centerfire rifle cartridges use
144-638: A heeled bullet , which means that the bullet is the same diameter as the case, which has a narrower "heel" portion that fits into the case. It is one of the few cartridges that are manufactured and used in a large variety of rifles and handguns. Larger rimfire calibers were used during the American Civil War in the Henry repeating rifle , the Spencer repeating rifle , the Ballard Rifle , and
192-528: A shaped charge warhead . The grenade had a shorter tailboom of 490 mm (19 in) compared to the 650 mm (26 in) tailboom for the electrically-primed grenade RPzB. Gr. 4322 for the Panzerschreck . Both grenades used identical warhead and fuzing. Approximately 3,000 units were completed from 1943 to 1945. It was made in much smaller numbers than either the Panzerschreck , which
240-464: A "9 mm pistol" has a barrel diameter of about 9 millimeters. Since metric and US customary units do not convert evenly at this scale, metric conversions of caliber measured in decimal inches are typically approximations of the precise specifications in non-metric units, and vice versa. In a rifled barrel, the distance is measured between opposing lands or between opposing grooves ; groove measurements are common in cartridge designations originating in
288-405: A .250 inch land diameter and .257 inch groove diameter. The .308 Winchester is measured across the grooves and uses a .308-in diameter (7.82-mm) bullet; the military-specification version is known as 7.62 × 51 mm NATO , so called because the bore diameter measured between the lands is 7.62 mm, and the cartridge has a case 51 mm long. Converting a rifle to fire a different cartridge in
336-613: A bullet attached to the top. These cartridges do not contain any powder, the only propellant substance contained in the cartridge is the percussion cap. In Europe, the .22 BB Cap (introduced in 1845) and the slightly more powerful .22 CB Cap (introduced in 1888) are both called 6mm Flobert and are considered the same cartridge. These cartridges have a relatively low muzzle velocity of around 600 ft/s (183 m/s) to 800 ft/s (244 m/s). Flobert also made what he called " parlor guns " for this cartridge, as these rifles and pistols were designed for target shooting in homes with
384-412: A common, standard .308-inch (7.82 mm) bullet outside diameter. Using bullets larger than design specifications causes excessive pressures, while undersize bullets cause low pressures, insufficient muzzle velocities and fouling that will eventually lead to excessive pressures. Makers of early cartridge arms had to invent methods of naming cartridges since no established convention existed then. One of
432-401: A conical bullet. According to Berkeley R. Lewis, a firearms historian, this later Smith & Wesson cartridge was 'essentially the same as Houllier's 1846 patent'. This led to the .22 Long in 1871, with the same bullet weight as the short but with a longer case and 5 gr (0.32 g) of black powder. This was followed by the .22 Extra Long in 1880, with a longer case and heavier bullet than
480-475: A dedicated shooting parlor or shooting gallery. 6mm Flobert Parlor pistols came into fashion in the mid-19th century; they typically featured heavy barrels. This cartridge was improved upon by Benjamin Houllier in 1846. The next rimfire cartridge was the .22 Short, developed for Smith & Wesson 's first revolver , in 1857; it used a longer rimfire case and 4 gr (0.26 g) of black powder to fire
528-432: A distance of 26 mi (42 km). Smoothbore cannon and carronade bores are designated by the weight in imperial pounds of spherical solid iron shot of diameter to fit the bore. Standard sizes are 6, 12, 18, 24, 32, and 42 pounds, with some non-standard weights using the same scheme. See Carronade#Ordnance . From about the mid-17th until the mid-19th century, the measurement of the bore of large gunpowder weapons
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#1732772704155576-598: A multiple of the bore diameter. For example, a 4-inch gun of 50 calibers would have a barrel 4 in × 50 = 200 in long (written as 4" L/50 or 4"/50). A 16-inch gun of 50 calibers (16" L/50) has a barrel length of 50 × 16 = 800 inches (66 ft 8 in). Both 14-in and 16-in navy guns were common in World War II. The British Royal Navy insisted on 50-cal guns on ships as it would allow 1,900 to 2,700 lb (860 to 1,220 kg) shells to travel at an initial velocity of up to 1,800 mph (2,897 km/h) to
624-415: A plastic capsule. Shotshells will not feed reliably in some magazine-fed firearms, because of the unusual shape of some cartridges that are crimped closed at the case mouth, and the relatively fragile plastic tips of other designs. Shotshells will not produce sufficient power to cycle semiautomatic actions, because, unlike projectile ammunition, nothing forms to the lands and grooves of the barrel to create
672-486: A pound; therefore, its barrel is smaller than the 12-gauge. This metric is used in Russia as "caliber number": e.g., "shotgun of the 12 caliber." The 16th caliber is known as "lordly" ( Russian : барский ). While shotgun bores can be expressed in calibers (the .410 bore shotgun is measured as .410 in (10.4 mm) in diameter, unlike with rifles the actual bore diameter of a smoothbore shotgun varies significantly down
720-432: A related expression. The gauge of a shotgun refers to how many lead spheres, each with a diameter equal to that of the bore, that amounts to one pound (454 g (1.0 lb)) in weight. In the case of a 12-gauge (18.5 mm) shotgun, it would take 12 spheres the size of the shotgun's bore to equal a pound. A numerically larger gauge indicates a smaller barrel: a 20-gauge (15.6 mm) shotgun requires more spheres to equal
768-412: Is a type of metallic cartridge used in firearms where the primer is located within a hollow circumferential rim protruding from the base of its casing . When fired, the gun's firing pin will strike and crush the rim against the edge of the barrel breech, sparking the primer compound within the rim, and in turn ignite the propellant within the case. Invented in 1845 by Louis-Nicolas Flobert ,
816-583: Is also useful for shooting birds inside storage buildings as it will not penetrate walls or ceilings. At a distance of about 10 ft (3.0 m), which is about the maximum effective range, the pattern is about 8 in (200 mm) in diameter from a standard rifle. Special smoothbore shotguns, such as the Marlin Model 25MG "Garden Gun" can produce effective patterns out to 15 to 20 yd (14 to 18 m) using .22 WMR shotshells, which hold .125 oz (3.5 g) of No. 11 or No. 12 shot contained in
864-495: Is based. The following table lists some of the commonly used calibers where both metric and US customary units are used as equivalents. Due to variations in naming conventions, and the whims of the cartridge manufacturers, bullet diameters can vary widely from the diameter implied by the name. For example, a difference of 0.045 in (1.15 mm) occurs between the smallest and largest of the several cartridges designated as ".38 caliber". Shotguns are classed according to gauge,
912-464: The .17 WSM uses the blank case from a .27 caliber nail gun that is necked down to accommodate a .17 caliber bullet, resulting in a much higher muzzle velocity and energy than the .17 HMR . Some .22 caliber rimfire cartridges are loaded with a small amount of No. 11 or No. 12 shot (about .067 oz (1.9 g)). This " snake shot " is only marginally effective in close ranges, and is usually used for shooting snakes, rats or other small animals. It
960-642: The Frank Wesson carbine . While rimfire cartridges larger than .22 caliber existed, such as the .30 rimfire, .32 rimfire , .38 rimfire , .41 Short (for the Remington Model 95 derringer), .44 Henry (for the Henry rifle, later used by the famous Winchester Model 1866 ), the .56-56 Spencer (for the Spencer rifle was the world's first military metallic cartridge repeating rifle), all the way up to
1008-477: The United States , while land measurements are more common elsewhere in the world. Measurements "across the grooves" are used for maximum precision because rifling and the specific caliber so measured is the result of final machining process which cuts grooves into the rough bore, leaving the "lands" behind. Good performance requires a concentric, straight bore that accurately centers the projectile within
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#17327727041551056-617: The gun barrel bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the finished bore matches that specification. It is measured in inches or in millimeters . In the United States it is expressed in hundredths of an inch; in the United Kingdom in thousandths; and elsewhere in millimeters. For example, a US " 45 caliber " firearm has a barrel diameter of roughly 0.45 inches (11.43mm). Barrel diameters can also be expressed using metric dimensions. For example,
1104-445: The .22 Long. American firearms manufacturer J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company introduced the .22 Long Rifle cartridge in 1887. It combined the casing of the .22 Long with the 40-grain (2.6 g) bullet of the .22 Extra Long , giving it a longer overall length, a higher muzzle velocity, and superior performance as a hunting and target round, rendering the .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Extra Long cartridges obsolete. The .22 LR uses
1152-530: The .58 Miller, they were quickly made obsolete by the newly developed centerfire cartridges. The early 21st century has seen a revival in .17 caliber (4.5 mm) rimfire cartridges. New and increasingly popular, the 17 HMR is based on a .22 WMR casing with a smaller formed neck which accepts a .17 bullet. The advantages of the 17 HMR over .22 WMR and other rimfire cartridges are its much flatter trajectory and its highly frangible hollow point bullets (often manufactured with plastic "ballistic tips" that improve
1200-418: The assembly process). As a result, rimfire cartridges are typically very affordable, primarily because of the inherent cost-efficiency of manufacturing in large lots , which has contributed to the continuing market popularity of these small-caliber cartridges. Frenchman Louis-Nicolas Flobert invented the first rimfire metallic cartridge in 1845. The 6mm Flobert cartridge consisted of a percussion cap with
1248-439: The barrel, in preference to a "tight" fit which can be achieved even with off-center, crooked bores that cause excessive friction, fouling and an out-of-balance, wobbling projectile in flight. Calibers fall into four general categories by size: There is much variance in the use of the term "small-bore", which over the years has changed considerably, with anything under 0.577 inches (14.7 mm) considered "small-bore" prior to
1296-422: The bore diameter and the length of the cartridge case; for example, the 6.5×55mm Swedish cartridge has a bore diameter of 6.5 mm and a case length of 55 mm. The means of measuring a rifled bore varies, and may refer to the diameter of the lands or the grooves of the rifling. For example, the 257 Roberts and 250 Savage both use a .257 inch projectile; both 250 Savage and 257 Roberts rifle bores have
1344-545: The bullet weight in grains was designated, such as 45-70-405. This scheme was far more popular and was carried over after the advent of early smokeless powder cartridges such as the 30-30 Winchester and 22 Long . Later developments used terms to indicate relative power, such as .44 Special and .44 Magnum . Variations on these methods persist today, with new cartridges such as the 204 Ruger and 17 HMR (Hornady Magnum Rimfire). Metric diameters for small arms refer to cartridge dimensions and are expressed with an "×" between
1392-418: The bullet's external ballistics ). The .17 HM2 (Hornady Mach 2) is based on the .22 Long Rifle and offers similar performance advantages over its parent cartridge, at a significantly higher cost. While .17 HM2 sells for about four times the cost of .22 Long Rifle ammunition, it is still significantly cheaper than most centerfire ammunition and somewhat cheaper than the .17 HMR. First shown at the 2013 SHOT Show,
1440-434: The case, and the priming compound is filled from inside into the trough cavity inside the rim. The case is then filled with propellant ( gunpowder ) and sealed off by the projectile ( bullet ). Rimfire cartridges are limited to low chamber pressures because the case must be thin enough to allow the firing pin to crush the rim and ignite the primer. Rimfire cartridges of up to .58 caliber were once common when black powder
1488-455: The contemporary English ( avoirdupois ) pound massed of approximately 454 g (1.001 lb). Thus, a French 32-pounder at the Battle of Trafalgar threw a shot with 1.138 kg (2.51 lb) more mass than an English 32-pounder. Complicating matters further, muzzle-loaded weapons require a significant gap between the sides of the tube bore and the surface of the shot. This is necessary so
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1536-422: The early established cartridge arms was the Spencer repeating rifle , which Union forces used in the American Civil War . It was named based on the chamber dimensions, rather than the bore diameter, with the earliest cartridge called the "No. 56 cartridge", indicating a chamber diameter of .56 in; the bore diameter varied considerably, from .52 to .54 in. Later various derivatives were created using
1584-432: The end of their barrel life, whereby the rifling is worn down to a point where a rifle loses some of its accuracy , the choice to make a caliber or cartridge change is often done at the same time as when a new rifle barrel is fitted to the rifle by a gunsmith . There are a few important factors to consider when converting a rifle to a different caliber or cartridge. The action of the rifle should be long enough to contain
1632-421: The first rimfire metallic cartridge was the .22 BB Cap (also known as the 6 mm Flobert) cartridge, which consisted of a percussion cap with a bullet attached to the top. While many other different cartridge priming methods have been tried since the early 19th century, such as teat-fire and pinfire , only small caliber rimfire ( .22 caliber (5.6 mm) or less) cartridges have survived to
1680-421: The length of the barrel, with the use of chokes and back-boring. In the United Kingdom, "gauge" is referred to as "bore" and in the United States "bore" is referred to as "gauge", e.g. a "12-bore shotgun or 12-gauge shotgun" has a bore or gauge that can accommodate a lead sphere weighing 1/12th of a pound. The term caliber is used as a measure of length of artillery barrels from muzzle to breech, expressed as
1728-453: The mid-19th century. While modern firearms are generally referred to by the name of the cartridge the gun is chambered for, they are still categorized together based on bore diameter. For example, a firearm might be described as a " 30 caliber rifle", which could accommodate any of a wide range of cartridges using a roughly 0.30 inches (7.6 mm) projectile; or as a "22 rimfire", referring to any rimfire firearms firing cartridges with
1776-455: The most common sizes encountered, although larger, smaller and intermediate sizes existed. In practice, though, significant variation occurred in the actual mass of the projectile for a given nominal shot weight. The country of manufacture is a significant consideration when determining bore diameters. For example, the French livre , until 1812, had a mass of 489.5 g (1.079 lb), whilst
1824-426: The new cartridge, the magazine should also be able to hold the new cartridge, the bolt face should be the correct diameter and the extractor the correct size to hold the head of the new cartridge. The most common of these caliber conversions on rifles, are usually done to change from a parent cartridge to a new cartridge based on it, like when converting a rifle to a 6.5 mm Creedmoor from a 308 Winchester on which it
1872-407: The present day with regular use. The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge, introduced in 1887, is by far the most common ammunition found in the world today in terms of units manufactured and sold. Rimfire ammunition is so named because the firing pin strikes and crushes the base's rim to ignite the primer. The rim of such a cartridge is essentially an expanded and flattened end section of
1920-571: The pressure necessary to cycle the firearm's action. The 9 mm Flobert is a notable rimfire cartridge that is still in production in Europe and is chambered by the Winchester Model 36 in the 1920s. This cartridge is primarily loaded with a small amount of shot, but can also fire a small ball, and is used in " garden gun ", which are miniature shotguns. Its power and range are very limited, making it suitable only for pest control. An example of
1968-405: The projectile may be inserted from the mouth to the base of the tube and seated securely adjacent the propellant charge with relative ease. The gap, called windage , increases the size of the bore with respect to the diameter of the shot somewhere between 10% and 20% depending upon the year the tube was cast and the foundry responsible. The relationship between bore diameter and projectile weight
8.8 cm Raketenwerfer 43 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2016-567: The same basic cartridge, but with smaller-diameter bullets; these were named by the cartridge diameter at the base and mouth. The original No. 56 became the .56-56, and the smaller versions, .56-52, .56-50, and .56-46. The 56–52, the most common of the new calibers, used a 50-cal bullet. Other black powder-era cartridges used naming schemes that appeared similar, but measured entirely different characteristics; 45-70 , 44-40 , and 32-20 were designated by bullet diameter to hundredths of an inch and standard black powder charge in grains . Optionally,
2064-504: The same bore diameter, often involves merely re-chambering the barrel to the new cartridge dimensions, if the rim diameter of the new cartridge matches that of the old cartridge. Converting a rifle to fire a different cartridge in a different caliber and bore as what it initially was, means that the barrel of the rifle will also need to be changed. Because many competitive precision rifle shooters often shoot thousands of rounds per year both for practice and competitions, and they more often reach
2112-518: Was based on the American bazooka rocket launcher, or the Panzerfaust , which was a disposable anti tank recoilless rifle . This is partly because it was realized that a simple hollow tube with an ignition device was all that was needed to launch the 88 mm rocket, rather than an elaborate miniature artillery piece with carriage and breech. Due to the carriage and better sights, the accuracy
2160-427: Was better, and the range more than double that of the Panzerschreck . However, Raketenwerfer 43 was more expensive, heavier and had longer production time than Panzerschreck or Panzerfaust . Caliber In guns , particularly firearms , but not artillery, where a different definition may apply , caliber (or calibre ; sometimes abbreviated as " cal ") is the specified nominal internal diameter of
2208-634: Was severed following the widespread adoption of rifled weapons during the latter part of the 19th century. Guns continued to be classed by projectile weight into the mid-20th century, particularly in British service with guns, such as the 2-pounder , 6-pounder , and 17-pounder anti-tank weapons . However, this value no longer definitively related to bore diameter, since projectiles were no longer simple spheres—and in any case were more often hollow shells filled with explosives rather than solid iron shot. Rimfire ammunition A rim-fire (or rimfire )
2256-450: Was used as a propellant. Modern rimfire cartridges use smokeless powder , which generates much higher pressures and tend to be of .22 caliber (5.5 mm) or smaller. This also means that rimfire firearms can be very light and inexpensive, as the production cost of the case material and powder load are both low, and the manufacturing process is significantly more streamlined than that for centerfire cartridges (which require more steps in
2304-444: Was usually expressed as the weight of its iron shot in pounds . Iron shot was used as the standard reference because iron was the most common material used for artillery ammunition during that period, and solid spherical shot the most common form encountered. Artillery was classified thereby into standard categories, with the 3-pounder, 4-pounder, 6-pounder, 8-pounder, 9-pounder, 12-pounder, 18-pounder, 24-pounder, and 32-pounder being
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