Gun Safety And Multi Caliber Weapons

Tin a .38 Special shoot .357 Magnum? No; .357 Magnum was specifically designed so it cannot be fired from handguns chambered in .38 Special, simply you can shoot .38 Special in a gun chambered in .357 Magnum.

In fact, you wouldn't want to shoot .357 Magnum in any gun that'south specifically made to shoot .38 Special. Information technology would be dangerous.

The .357 Magnum/.38 Special outcome is a common conundrum when it comes to certain guns and sure calibers, every bit sure chamberings lend themselves to multi-caliber use. All the same, y'all should exist cautious about doing so until you understand more near multi-quotient weapons.

Non fully understanding what guns and what calibers can be used in the same gun has led to accidents, which can pb to injury, which makes this a gun safety issue.

And then, if you're a total newbie, and you're a little confused about what some people say about .357 and .38 Special, or about 5.56mm and .223 or what have you lot, let's dive in and acquire a little more. That way, you can safely operate such firearms while using multiple calibers.

Some Guns Are Multi-Caliber: WHY A 357 Magnum Can Shoot 38 Special

To explain WHY a .357 Magnum revolver can likewise shoot .38 Special (as well as 9mm and .38 Super in some cases) we need to empathise a bit near how firearms work.

The simple version goes like this:

The projectile is seated with a bullet in the chamber. The bullet is near as large as the inside of the barrel. When the cartridge is discharged, the propellant (powder) in the bullet creates pressure backside the bullet, pushing information technology out of the barrel.

How the bullet seats in the gun is called "headspacing." How a cartridge headspaces depends on the gun and the cartridge pattern.

Revolvers headspace on the rim - the rim of the cartridge is flush with the cylinder - and semi-motorcar pistol cartridges headspace on the case mouth, the lip of the case that the projectile (the bullet) is seated into.

Shotgun cartridges headspace on the rim likewise. Many - simply not all - rifles headspace on the shoulder, the part of a rifle cartridge where information technology tapers toward the projectile.

Many don't, though; many semi-auto rifle designs headspace at the case rim AND the shoulder. Older rimmed rifle cartridges oft headspace on the rim (.45-70, .303 British) and some magnum rifles headpsace on the belt of a belted rim magnum.

But why does this matter when it comes to .38 Special and .357 Magnum?

Revolvers universally headspace on the rim, and the .38 Special and .357 Magnum have the same rim diameter, example diameter and projectile diameter. The .357 Magnum, however, has a longer case.

That said, .357 Magnum too has double the chamber pressure of .38 Special. Firing .357 Magnum in a .38 Special firearm can easily (and most certainly will) result in a catastrophic malfunction. Unless yous don't like having hands, don't do it.

However, .357 Magnum is too long to headspace in the sleeping accommodation of a .38 Special revolver cylinder. This is by design; when the .357 Magnum was invented, Remington (who outset made it commercially) did so for expressly that purpose.

And that is the idea with whatever gun that's said to or really can burn multiple calibers. There is more than ane quotient/cartridge that will headspace and therefore volition fire.

With that said…

Some Guns Are Not

However, other guns are non. What's been discovered over the years is that a number of different chamberings tin actually headspace another cartridge, sometimes with a footling force...only ordinarily with results ranging from innocuous to disastrous.

Typically it starts with someone who heard that yous could shoot X through a gun fabricated for Y. Again, in some cases - such every bit .38/.357 - it'southward true, but in others it's but non.

But what tin happen if you lot do?

The best-example scenario is that the shooter has errantly chambered a round that tin can safely headspace in the gun, merely the projectile is smaller than the bore diameter. For example, if someone has - in fault - placed a .243 cartridge into a .308 rifle.

In this case, the projectile will leave the barrel at a very irksome velocity as virtually of the gas has already gone out of the barrel. Accurateness will be almost nonexistent and that'southward pretty much it.

The worst case scenario is if the projectile is larger than the bore or if the cartridge doesn't completely headspace but the activeness closes anyway.

In this example, a catastrophic malfunction will consequence. The bullet tin can completely carve up the butt if you're lucky in the first case, simply otherwise this will consequence in rupturing the chamber. In other words, kaboom.

And then...with that in mind...how can yous use multi-caliber firearms safely?

Kickoff, by knowing what guns or calibers truly do permit for safe use of different calibers, and they are few, and exactly how that works. In other words, the fashion things are.

2nd is by understanding how and why that's possible in those instances, and so you understand why things are the way they are.

Thirdly by not taking chances based on what people tell yous. If you hear something from someone, wait information technology upwards. If you don't notice data confirming it, don't do what they're suggesting.

So, what are some common examples? Here are a few common ones. There may exist some uncommon ones, merely we can leave them for some other time.

.223 Tin Be Used In A 5.56mm Rifle, But Non The Reverse; Same for .308/7.62 NATO

The differences between .223 Remington and 5.56mm NATO are minute, but substantive enough to make a divergence.

five.56mm NATO has a slightly chamber design (meaning the chamber of the gun) and is loaded to college force per unit area, but the case, projectile and all exterior dimensions are the same. In other words, 5.56mm is substantially .223 Remington +P. Now, what does that mean?

5.56mm armament will bedroom in rifles that use the .223 Remington chamber pattern, and .223 Remington ammunition volition chamber in rifles with a 5.56mm NATO design. However, it also means that 5.56mm NATO rifles are designed to withstand more sleeping room pressure.

Therefore, using five.56mm NATO in a burglarize that's really chambered for .223 Remington will put more wear and tear on the rifle and may be unsafe. All the same, using .223 Remington armament in a rifle with a 5.56mm NATO chamber is perfectly fine.

The same is true for .308 Winchester and vii.62x51mm NATO and for the same reasons. Different sleeping room length and higher pressure level, but information technology's the aforementioned case and projectile size.

.44 Magnum and .44 Special

The .44 Magnum and .44 Special take the same relationship (and an almost identical development story) as .357 Magnum and .38 Special.

The more than powerful cartridge was developed using the less-powerful one every bit a exam bed. When Remington (in both cases) went to make the new cartridge, they lengthened the case then it couldn't be used in pistols made for the lesser cartridge.

It is, therefore, safe to burn .44 Special cartridges in a .44 Magnum revolver, merely not the other way effectually.

.45 ACP, .45 Colt, .454 Casull and .460 S&W Magnum

.45 ACP can exist fired in any .45 Colt gun with moon clips and a cylinder that works with them. However, .45 Colt cannot be used in any .45 ACP revolver. (They're a matter.) .45 Filly AND .45 ACP (with moon clips) can be used in any .454 Casull revolver set up up for them.

And a .460 Southward&W Magnum can burn them all, providing it can accept .45 ACP with clips.

A select few revolvers are also made to burn down either .45 Colt or .410 gauge shotgun shells. The Taurus line is not, just the South&W Governor IS made to have moon clips, so .45 ACP can exist used in those too.

All the same ideas and guidelines regarding .357 and .44 Magnum apply hither. Yous can utilise the bigger gun to fire the smaller bullet, just non the reverse at every level.

Shotgun Chambers

To starting time with, just use the correct bore (guess) of shotshells for your shotgun. Now, onto chambers

Shotgun bores, as a class, typically will accept more than i available chamber length.

For example, 12-gauge shotguns are typically made with three- or iii-½" chamber lengths. 2-¾" chambers are still made though very rarely; they were mutual on doubles from the early on 20th century, which is why that shell size persists.

Any chamber length can fire a shorter chamber length, merely not longer as the bolt will not go into bombardment. Thus, a 3-inch gun volition also fire 2-¾" shells, and a three-½" chamber volition burn all of them.

Know which your shotgun has, and buy and utilize armament accordingly.

Be Careful With Child Cartridges!

Rifle and pistol cartridges are sometimes used to create a new caliber and cartridge. When this happens, the original cartridge is the parent cartridge, the new one is the kid cartridge.

For example, 10mm Auto tin can be trimmed back and necked down to seat a 9mm bullet, which is how .357 Sig was created.

This is besides how a great many burglarize cartridges were invented, such equally 7mm-08, which is a .308 necked downwardly to 7mm, besides every bit 7mm Remington Magnum, a 375 H&H Magnum likewise necked downward to 7mm. Or necked upwards, such as necking .thirty-06 upwardly to .35 caliber, which is how the .35 Whelen was created.

What's noteworthy here is that many child cartridges will headspace in a firearm for the parent cartridge as many rifles headspace at the shoulder.

Therefore, be very conscientious not to mix any child cartridges with the parent cartridge. A bullet that's too large volition slam into the sleeping accommodation and rupture. Too small and the bullet won't engage the rifling.

This is why it's very important to never mix ammunition.

A certain number of people every yr go their .300 Coma mixed with 5.56mm, rupturing the bedroom and requiring purchase of a new upper. The best-instance scenario is needing to buy a new gun; the worst case scenario is having to purchase a new gun and a hospital bill.

If In Doubt, Don't Take Chances

Some people can as well get confused virtually calibers, or merely direct up don't know what they're doing.

Unless y'all know to a certainty that a unlike cartridge will headspace and fire correctly considering information technology's definite that the cartridges in question are interchangeable and/or it's stated by the manufacturer, don't attempt it.

Some firearms are made and marketed as being multi-caliber, such every bit some revolvers. Only utilize the ammunition that such firearms are stated every bit being capable to employ.

Gun Condom Means Using Correct Ammunition...And Paying Attention

Nigh errors in gun safety are almost e'er caused by someone who isn't paying enough attention. This goes for errors in armament condom as well every bit for whatever other lapse in gun condom practices.

Most people know to only use the ammunition that their gun is made to use. Occasionally you go someone led off-target by poor advice (oh, the X will take Y no trouble; works for me…) but by and large it's just downwards to not noticing something due to inattentiveness.

Store all ammunition in separate, labeled containers, and make sure those containers go with you to the range.

Taking a bit of care when yous handle or operate firearms will go a very long way to ensuring you never have any sort of accident.