most common ammo

[shaunish]

what is the most common ammo, that would probably be most readily available during SHTF? and what type of guns use it?

I have about 5k set aside for my arms funds, and am hoping to pick up a shotgun, handgun, a ruger 10/22 and if i have any funds leftover some sort of rifle - a M1A or an AK.

just trying to avoid buying a gun that I wont be able to find ammo for a year or so in to a SHTF situation. maybe something that uses the same rounds as the military / police?

[Cowlesy]

Mossberg 500
S&W 9MM
Ruger 10/22
S&W MP-15

and then visit www.ammoman.com :)

(waits for the hardcore firearms experts to show-up and say, "no no no!")

[B964]

Mossberg 500
S&W 9MM
Ruger 10/22
S&W MP-15

and then visit www.ammoman.com :)

(waits for the hardcore firearms experts to show-up and say, "no no no!")

A minute response time. Cowlesy did you even think about your answer? Or did you just look in your closet?;)

PS: I prefer a .45 pistol, but if you are talking cheap easy to find ammo than 9mm is ok.

[american.swan]

Can someone explain to me what 9mm means? I know little to nothing about guns except how to pull the trigger, and I know far less about ammo.

Also for example, what's the different between S&W 500 50 cal bullet and a 50 cal rifle bullet?

As you can see, I know nothing about this.

[RSLudlum]

Even if you don't have a firearm, it's a good idea to have some of the most common ammo on hand. If SHTF, every last bit of ammo will be needed. It would also be a very good bargaining item. ;)

[Cowlesy]

A minute response time. Cowlesy did you even think about your answer? Or did you just look in your closet?;)

PS: I prefer a .45 pistol, but if you are talking cheap easy to find ammo than 9mm is ok.

B964 I just care too much!

No --- but a 9mm has cheap, available ammo, and you can buy one on the cheap itself. Yes I understand the issues with its efficacy etc....but at a few feet from your bedroom, it'll put the hurt on anyone you throw a few rounds into (assuming you dropped your Mossberg).

It is instinctual when people ask me, "Cheap, quick, easy, available --- what do I get" --- on $5k, he can easily do it!

:)

[Alaxsxaq]

Depends what scenarios you are preparing for. I live in the country with a couple hundred yards between my house and the nearest road. I'm going to have a 308 or 30-06 rifle with a scope for bad guys and for shooting deer for food. A shotgun for closer range stuff and birds. A .22 for the small game and a last-ditch backup. And a 9mm pistol that I'd carry everywhere. I'm actually more worried about providing food for my family than defending the homeland; it has to get really, really crazy before I expect someone to bother me. If it comes down to a situation where they are rounding everyone up to send them to the camps, you are better off spending some of that money learning how to live off the land - check out BOSS or Tom Brown or the like. The skills are worth more than the equivalent value in ammo or guns.

[noxagol]

Can someone explain to me what 9mm means? I know little to nothing about guns except how to pull the trigger, and I know far less about ammo.

Also for example, what's the different between S&W 500 50 cal bullet and a 50 cal rifle bullet?

As you can see, I know nothing about this.

9mm is the bore diameter of the gun and thus the diameter of the rounds it will shoot.

A S&W 500 .50 cal bullet is smaller and is a pistol round which means it has a rounded head. It is the middle round in this picture: http://airbornecombatengineer.typepad.com/photos/weapons_fireams/50beo500sw556bace.jpg

A 50BMG is a big fucking round that could tear a man in half at 1000m. It weighs 4 oz by itself and can put a hole through a semi truck engine at close ranges. It is the first round on the left in this picture: http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/3/33/300px-Rifle_cartridge_comparison.jpg

[B964]

B964 I just care too much!

No --- but a 9mm has cheap, available ammo, and you can buy one on the cheap itself. Yes I understand the issues with its efficacy etc....but at a few feet from your bedroom, it'll put the hurt on anyone you throw a few rounds into (assuming you dropped your Mossberg).

It is instinctual when people ask me, "Cheap, quick, easy, available --- what do I get" --- on $5k, he can easily do it!

:)

You bring up a good point. What you have does not matter as much as what you can do with it.
I would rather go up against the guy with the tacti-cool AR10 that does not know how to use it, than a Rifleman with a Ruger 10/22.

[phixion]

Even the guys at WACO couldn't hold off the government in their time of crisis with all of their weapons and culty hardcore men.

Most of you guys are 1 man, perhaps a few family members at a stretch.

How on earth when the shit hits the fan and the government come for your weapons and ammo do you intend to hold on to them?

Shooting at them will ensure your life ends rapidly, along with that of your family.

What do people plan to do, as with Katrina, when the government comes for your weapons if the SHTF?

Even if you were walled up in a fortress they won't stop until they have your weapons, you surrendor or you're dead.

Pete

[eOs]

Even the guys at WACO couldn't hold off the government in their time of crisis with all of their weapons and culty hardcore men.

Most of you guys are 1 man, perhaps a few family members at a stretch.

How on earth when the shit hits the fan and the government come for your weapons and ammo do you intend to hold on to them?

Shooting at them will ensure your life ends rapidly, along with that of your family.

What do people plan to do, as with Katrina, when the government comes for your weapons if the SHTF?

Even if you were walled up in a fortress they won't stop until they have your weapons, you surrendor or you're dead.

Pete

Very good point.

[B964]

Even the guys at WACO couldn't hold off the government in their time of crisis with all of their weapons and culty hardcore men.

Most of you guys are 1 man, perhaps a few family members at a stretch.

How on earth when the shit hits the fan and the government come for your weapons and ammo do you intend to hold on to them?

Shooting at them will ensure your life ends rapidly, along with that of your family.

What do people plan to do, as with Katrina, when the government comes for your weapons if the SHTF?

Even if you were walled up in a fortress they won't stop until they have your weapons, you surrendor or you're dead.

Pete


A walled fortress is the last place you want to be. I don't believe anyone here thinks they can barricade themselves against any organized threat for long.

The real solution is for as many men, women and childern in this country to have and know how to use a rifle or firearm. That is the only way to prevent the need to even have to worry about what to do when "they" come.

[noxagol]

Even the guys at WACO couldn't hold off the government in their time of crisis with all of their weapons and culty hardcore men.

Most of you guys are 1 man, perhaps a few family members at a stretch.

How on earth when the shit hits the fan and the government come for your weapons and ammo do you intend to hold on to them?

Shooting at them will ensure your life ends rapidly, along with that of your family.

What do people plan to do, as with Katrina, when the government comes for your weapons if the SHTF?

Even if you were walled up in a fortress they won't stop until they have your weapons, you surrendor or you're dead.

Pete

Uh, the people at Waco didn't really fight back from what I have read. They had weapons sure, but they didn't use them. I could be wrong though.

[youngbuck]

Gov't agents ran out of ammo while having guns pointed at them from only a few yards away. The ppl at Waco decided to let them go. Then the gov't went and resupplied and came back again to firebombed them.

[phixion]

Gov't agents ran out of ammo while having guns pointed at them from only a few yards away. The ppl at Waco decided to let them go. Then the gov't went and resupplied and came back again to firebombed them.

So you think if the people at WACO killed those agents, that would of been the end of it? The FBI would pack their bags and leave them alone?

I scoff.

Pete

[GunnyFreedom]

Even the guys at WACO couldn't hold off the government in their time of crisis with all of their weapons and culty hardcore men.

Most of you guys are 1 man, perhaps a few family members at a stretch.

How on earth when the shit hits the fan and the government come for your weapons and ammo do you intend to hold on to them?

Shooting at them will ensure your life ends rapidly, along with that of your family.

What do people plan to do, as with Katrina, when the government comes for your weapons if the SHTF?

Even if you were walled up in a fortress they won't stop until they have your weapons, you surrendor or you're dead.

Pete

Well, oddly enough there was an incident in Greenburg, KS where citizens banded together and held off the police in an armed standoof to prevent gun confiscation. This was something like May 2007 roughly therabouts. It seems that every reference to it has disappeared from the Internet, including articles on this forum, and several other forums I frequent. I'm not a tinfoil hater, but this smells of some kind of backdoor access thing.

[GunnyFreedom]

Commonest calibres

Shotgun: 12 Guage

Pistol: 9mm, .45 APC, .357 Mag, .40 S&W

Rifle: .308, .223 (5.56mm), .30-06

[youngbuck]

So you think if the people at WACO killed those agents, that would of been the end of it? The FBI would pack their bags and leave them alone?

I scoff.

Pete

I didn't even imply that, let alone say that. Scoff at yourself. :rolleyes:

Wow...

[noxagol]

IMO, people give the government too much credit.

[Anti Federalist]

Even the guys at WACO couldn't hold off the government in their time of crisis with all of their weapons and culty hardcore men.

Most of you guys are 1 man, perhaps a few family members at a stretch.

How on earth when the shit hits the fan and the government come for your weapons and ammo do you intend to hold on to them?

Shooting at them will ensure your life ends rapidly, along with that of your family.

What do people plan to do, as with Katrina, when the government comes for your weapons if the SHTF?

Even if you were walled up in a fortress they won't stop until they have your weapons, you surrendor or you're dead.

Pete

There are worse fates than death.

[Anti Federalist]

Can someone explain to me what 9mm means? I know little to nothing about guns except how to pull the trigger, and I know far less about ammo.

Also for example, what's the different between S&W 500 50 cal bullet and a 50 cal rifle bullet?

As you can see, I know nothing about this.

Here is a repost of mine from another forum where someone was asking the same questions:

Here's the "quick and dirty" on "bullets".

.22 is the dimension in thousands of an inch. 1.0 being one inch. There are any number of calibers out there, from .17 to .550 and larger.

Thus a .45 bullet is a little under a half an inch.

Then there are metric designations, 5.56 which is a .223 or 7.62 which is .308.

Some older cartridges, which is what you always call "bullets" BTW, are designated by not only the caliber but by the grains of black powder, such as a .45/70. This is mostly phased out now, but most metric military rounds will have caliber and cartridge length as well, such as the most common round in the world the 7.62 x 39 mm which is the round for the AK series of assault rifles. There is also a longer cartridge variant, the 7.62 x 54 mm.

Now, what most people commonly refer to as a .22 is, as you found out, one of a number of variants. But they all have one thing in common, they are RIMFIRE rounds. This means that the primer, this is the chemical that responds to the strike of a hammer and ignites the main powder charge, is contained in the rim of the cartridge base and not in a pressed in a center base like all the rest of the commonly available ammo.

Thus all .22s will have rimmed cases.

There are, working from memory, .22 Bee, .22 short, .22 subsonic, .22 rifle, .22 long rifle (by far the most common) and .22 WMR (Winchester magnum rimfire)

Now, the standard round for the M-16 and AR-15 standard issue US military rifle is also a .22 caliber. .223 to be exact. But since this is a rifle round, it has a much bigger cartridge case, with much more powder, and quadruple the velocity of a .22 rimfire and is also a "centerfire" round meaning a primer is located in the center of the cartridge base.

Revolvers of course, revolve with cylinder that lines up with the barrel for each shot. They are reliable, easy to maintain and shoot, and make the best, IMO defense weapons for CCW. They have no safety, no tricks, they are, aim and shoot. The most common calibers are some of best known even among non gunners: .38 Special, .357 magnum, .45 Colt and .44 magnum.

Auto pistols load from a magazine in the grip. They are generally more complex and more expensive with safeties, mag releases, cocking and charging procedures and so on. Their chief benefit is that they are more compact and hold many more rounds, 15 being the most common.

Some of the most common are 9mm, .380 (which is a short 9mm), .40 Smith and Wesson, and .45 ACP (automatic Colt pistol)

Shotgun shells have a completely different gauge system. The most common is 12 gauge, which the standard is a 2 and 3/4 inch shell. There are also 3 inch Magnum shells for 12 gauge. 20 gauge is the next most common which is smaller not larger. Then there is .410 gauge which is smaller still.

I won't go into the obscure larger and smaller gauges, nor Damascus steel barrels and so on as most people won't ever shoot one of these.

The designation of the is based on amount and size of shot, again being counterintutive, as the numbers go up, the shot size and load becomes smaller, not bigger. Thus 00 Buckshot is smaller than 000 Buckshot and #8 birdshot is smaller than #6. I know, it confuses me as well.

There are also steel shot variants for areas where you can't use lead shot. these have letter designations, the most common being T.

[acptulsa]

Nice job, Anti Fed. Glad someone took a stab at the question.

I would only add that most anything that starts with a decimal--.22, .45-- is the (decimal) fraction of an inch that it measures in diameter. So, .50 is half an inch exactly. This is sometimes also called fifty caliber (or twenty-two caliber, etc.).

Metric sizes will generally be so noted--as in nine millimeter.

There are suffixes such as .22LR, which in this case denotes "long rifle" Another suffix is "magnum", which means this round packs extra kick (generally from a hot powder charge). ACP in ammo terms means the round is specially designed to work well in automatic and semi-automatic mechanisms. It stands for "automatic cap pistol". .38, .38 Special and .380 are all different rounds of different lengths and/or strengths that have the same diameter. Check with someone who knows to see what will and what won't interchange. For instance, .22 long rifle won't work in a .22 (short) weapon. .22 could be shot out of some .22LR weapons, especially revolvers, but will jam the mechanisms of others.

Clear as mud?

[GunnyFreedom]

Actually, "magnum" in a rifle round, usually means the projectile makes 3000 fps muzzle velocity or better.

[Dr.3D]

Actually, "magnum" in a rifle round, usually means the projectile makes 3000 fps muzzle velocity or better.

I have been told, those rounds are actually not as accurate because the extra gas escaping from the muzzle push the projectile to one side rather than let it move forward as it was in the barrel.

[acptulsa]

I have been told, those rounds are actually not as accurate because the extra gas escaping from the muzzle push the projectile to one side rather than let it move forward as it was in the barrel.

My first impression is that sounds more like a pistol problem than a rifle problem. But I suppose it could happen to either.

[Dr.3D]

My first impression is that sounds more like a pistol problem than a rifle problem. But I suppose it could happen to either.

Well, it would seem to make sense the manufacture of ammunition would be scientifically optimized for accuracy and power. In a magnum round, they would be sacrificing accuracy for more power.

When I use a muzzle loading rifle, I notice if I over charge the load, the accuracy goes down. I was told to put a piece of butcher paper out on the ground in front of the bench where I was shooting and if there were burns on the paper, I should reduce the amount of power till I got no burns on the paper from unburned powder.

As I did those things, I did notice the accuracy improve. Even a slight under load of powder was more accurate than a slight over load.

[Anti Federalist]

Nice job, Anti Fed. Glad someone took a stab at the question.

I would only add that most anything that starts with a decimal--.22, .45-- is the (decimal) fraction of an inch that it measures in diameter. So, .50 is half an inch exactly. This is sometimes also called fifty caliber (or twenty-two caliber, etc.).

Metric sizes will generally be so noted--as in nine millimeter.

There are suffixes such as .22LR, which in this case denotes "long rifle" Another suffix is "magnum", which means this round packs extra kick (generally from a hot powder charge). ACP in ammo terms means the round is specially designed to work well in automatic and semi-automatic mechanisms. It stands for "automatic cap pistol". .38, .38 Special and .380 are all different rounds of different lengths and/or strengths that have the same diameter. Check with someone who knows to see what will and what won't interchange. For instance, .22 long rifle won't work in a .22 (short) weapon. .22 could be shot out of some .22LR weapons, especially revolvers, but will jam the mechanisms of others.

Clear as mud?

Thanks ACP.

And yes, very clear mud.

I'll post a few more from that series.

[Anti Federalist]

Reposted from another forum that I use.

Part One:

Stickied it is.

Let me add to this subject:

Modern ammunition varies in size, appearance, materials and parts. Rifle ammunition is called cartridges or rounds. Shotgun ammunition is referred to as shotshells or shells. Ammunition is classified as centerfire or rimfire.

It is important to understand the basics of ammunition and ammunition safety.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/ammotypes.gif

The location of the primer tells you if a cartridge is rimfire or centerfire. Generally, center-fire cartridges are more powerful than rim-fire cartridges.
The center-fire cartridge has a primer located in the center of the base.

The rim-fire cartridge has no noticeable primer. Instead, the priming compound is placed and spun into the case rim. When the rim is struck by the firing pin, the priming compound explodes, igniting the powder.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/center-fire.gif
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/rimfire.gif

Ammunition comes in different lengths, shapes, and diameters depending on the type of bullet or case used. If the case is really small, chances are it is a .22 rimfire cartridge.

Years ago a wide variety of rimfire cartridges were available. Today, only .22 rimfire cartridges are commercially available. They can come in 22 short, long, long rifle, and magnum lengths. You will have to learn how to identify them by reading the information on the ammunition box as the data stamp is not on the base of the cartridge.

22 Hornet and 222 Remington use a .22 caliber bullet but use a centerfire cartridge case.

A rimfire cartridge will travel 1300 feet per second while a centerfire cartridge will do over 2000 feet per second. The centerfire case is bigger than the rimfire case and holds more powder.

There are three common case styles for rifle cartridges. Look at the base of the cartridge case to see if the case is rimless, rimmed or belted magnum. Care must be taken when loading rimmed cases into magazines to prevent feeding problems.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/300cartridges.gif

Bullets come in different shapes and sizes, and are commonly made of lead. Some bullets have a metal jacket, making them travel faster. Full metal-jacketed bullets cannot be used for hunting! They are okay for target shooting.

Ballistics is the science that studies the motion of projectiles. Changing ammunition changes the ballistics for your firearm.

For example, a .30-06 Springfield cartridge with a 180-grain bullet has different ballistics than the same cartridge with a 150-grain bullet.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/ammo_bullets_group.gif

Some rifle and pistol cartridges might be referred to as a "magnum." Depending on the cartridge design, it may referring to the powder charge or the case design.

A .357 Magnum cartridge was developed from the .38 Special case. Its case length is slightly longer. Due to the longer case, the .357 Magnum will hold more powder than a .38 Special. A bullet from a .357 Magnum will travel much faster and have a greater force of impact than the same bullet fired from a .38 Special. This is why it is called a magnum cartridge. Firearms that use magnum ammunition may also be called magnum.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/38_357.gif

[Anti Federalist]

Part Two:

Shotgun shell parts.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/ammo_shotshell.gif

The length of a shotshell is normally given in inches and is based on the length of the spent hull. Common lengths for 12 gauge are 2 3/4, 3 and 3 1/2 inch. Some European shells give the shotshell length in millimeters.

You must know the correct length of the shotshell, gauge and shotsize when selecting shotgun ammunition. Go on to learn more about shot.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/ammo_shotshell_lengths.gif

With shotguns the term "magnum" refers to shells containing more shot and powder than standard shells. A 12-gauge 2 3/4-inch magnum shell, for example, will normally contain 1/4 to 1/2 ounces more shot than a standard shell of the same size and gauge. Magnum shells are often longer than standard shells.

A shotgun shell generally contains multiple projectiles or pellets called shot. A single projectile in a shotgun shell is called a slug. Shot and slugs are traditionally made of lead.

Due to environmental concerns all states and provinces have banned the use of lead shot while waterfowl hunting. Some federally regulated areas have banned lead shot for upland bird hunting. For all waterfowl hunting and some upland bird hunting, you must use nontoxic shot. Check the regulations of the area where you are hunting.

Nontoxic shot can be made of bismuth, steel, tin, tungsten-iron, tungsten-matrix, or tungsten-polymer materials.

Nontoxic shot has different properties and ballistics than lead shot.

Shot comes in various sizes. No. 9 shot is very small while No. 000 shot is large.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/chart_shot_brief-.gif

In order to select the right caliber or gauge of ammunition for your firearm, you must locate the data stamp. The data stamp will tell you the correct ammunition to use—for example, .300 Win Mag ("Win" is short for Winchester. "Mag" is short for magnum). You must also decide on the bullet size, expressed in grains (for example, 150 grain or shot size), that you will need to use for the game you are hunting. If you do not match the ammunition to the firearm, the cartridge could become lodged, explode and cause serious injury to firearm user or bystanders.

Data stamps can generally be found on the barrel of the firearm.

Some firearms made before 1964 or ex-military firearms may not have a data stamp. In this case, a gunsmith can help you determine the correct ammunition for your firearm.

Sometimes the data stamp on a firearm may be given in European terms such as 7.62 x 51mm (bullet diameter x case length).

Be very careful to make sure the ammunition matches the data stamp. .300 Savage, .300 Win Magnum and 300 Weatherby Magnum have different cases and are not interchangeable.

Remember the basic rule: If the data stamp on the firearm does not match the data stamp on the ammunition, do not use that ammunition.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/datastamp_sgun.gif

Know your target and what's beyond it!!
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/chart_rifle_range.gif
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/chart_hgun_range.gif
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/chart_shot_range.gif

Trajectory is the path shots or bullets take during flight. Several factors affect this path: gravity, air resistance, velocity and mass.

Gravity pulls the bullet down as it is travelling forward. This results in a downward curved path.

Air resistance holds back the passage of the bullet. This slows its flight.

Velocity is the speed of the bullet.

Mass is the weight of the bullet.
http://homestudy.ihea.com/ammo/images/trajectory-.gif

[Anti Federalist]

A Glossary of Ammunition Terms

ARMOR-PIERCING: A type of bullet designed to penetrate hard or soft body armor, and/or tough objects like automobile bodies. The term is actually very imprecise and hard to define, as there are many variables involved. Virtually any centerfire rifle bullet can penetrate soft body armor (especially when firing full metal jacketed bullets) and so could be considered "armor piercing," even if the intended purpose of the bullet is hunting or target use. There are many types of true AP ammunition in both handgun and rifle calibers, most of which are unimportant for sporting or defensive use, and some of which are illegal to sell to the general public.

BALL: Once almost exclusively a military term, this is now frequently used in a civilian context as well; it means a bullet that is solid or non-expanding in nature. In early firearms, projectiles were round lead balls, and the usage has persisted. "Ball ammunition" in rifle cartridges usually means full metal jacket bullets, but in handgun cartridges the term may also include solid lead bullets. The French word "balle" is the origin of this term (and also of the word "bullet," from "boulet," a little ball.)

BOAT-TAIL: A bullet that's tapered at the base, to reduce wind cavitation in the back is called a "boat-tail" from its resemblance to the stern of a ship. These bullets are almost exclusively used in rifles, and tend to have flatter trajectories and higher retained velocities at long range than conventional flat-based bullets.

BULLET: This is what comes out of the muzzle of the gun when you pull the trigger; a single projectile fired from a handgun or rifle. Bullets may be made solely of lead alloy, or they may be composite structures with a lead core and a surrounding "jacket" of copper/nickel alloy. Different styles and shapes of bullets are used for different purposes, e.g., defensive shooting, targets, hunting, etc. Although virtually all handgun and rifle cartridges are designed to shoot single bullets, sometimes special multi-projectile loads are seen. See CARTRIDGE. Ignorant news people sometimes say things like "The criminal was apprehended with a gun that held 15 bullets," when they really mean one that held "..15 cartridges."

CALIBER: A means for designating the size of the bullet fired by a particular gun. In theory, there are two methods of measuring caliber: hundredths of an inch, and millimeters. To speak of a gun as being ".22 caliber" means that the bullet fired by it is approximately twenty-two hundredths of an inch in diameter. A "9 mm" pistol fires a bullet nine millimeters in diameter. Unfortunately, over the years, standardization of bullet diameters has led to a nomenclature that doesn't quite correspond to physical fact, and there are many instances in which the nominal bullet diameter and the actual bullet diameter don't coincide. For example, in a perfect world, all ".38 caliber" handguns would fire a bullet of that size; but in this imperfect world, none of them do: in fact, the "typical" .38 caliber bullet is somewhat smaller than its nominal diameter. The situation is much better with metric-designated bullets, and a "9 mm" or "10 mm" is really nine or ten millimeters in diameter. Caliber designation is very confusing, and it's best to think of the numbers as expressing relative sizes, not absolute ones. Thus a .38 is smaller than a .44 or .45; and a .32 is smaller than a .38. The actual bullet diameter is unimportant in this sense. The term caliber is also frequently used as a synonym for "cartridge" and you will often see guns inscribed with something like this: "CALIBER .38 S&W SPECIAL" or "CALIBER .45 AUTOMATIC" as a means to designated exactly which cartridge they are chambered for.

CARTRIDGE: A complete "unitized" round of ammunition, i.e., one case containing a powder charge, a primer, and a projectile (or projectiles). The term "bullet" is often misused (especially in the news media) to mean "cartridge". Of course, all unfired cartridges have bullets in them, but the two terms aren't synonymous, and shouldn't be confused.

CASE: The brass, steel, or aluminum cylinder that enclosed the powder charge, and into which the primer and bullet are seated. Shotgun cases are usually made of plastic, and sometimes of heavy paper. Whatever the material, the function of the case is to expand upon firing, sealing off the chamber of the gun and preventing gas leakage (a process called "obturation"). Since the bullet is movable, and the case isn't, the bullet comes out of the end of the barrel driven by the gasses behind it. Needless to say, a case failure or rupture (a very rare occurrence, but it does sometimes happen) will leak hot high-pressure gas into places where it isn't supposed to be, and it may do some damage to the gun or shooter.

CAST BULLET: A bullet made by pouring molten lead alloy into a mold, and allowing it to harden. Cast bullets are inexpensive, and the fired ones, if recovered, can be re-melted and the metal used again. Factory ammunition rarely uses cast bullets; if the cartridge is loaded with a lead bullet, that bullet is usually produced by an extrusion process. Cast bullets are mostly used by people who load their own ammunition.

CENTERFIRE: A cartridge is said to be centerfire if its primer is located in the center of the case head, usually as a removable unit. Most calibers of ammunition are of this type. See RIMFIRE.

"DUM-DUM": This is a layman's term for expanding bullets of any type, and it's widely used, always incorrectly, by the media. The name derives from a British military installation in India (Dumdum Arsenal) where soldiers who wanted to improve the effectiveness of their ammunition developed the closed-base, soft poit design for rifle bullets. The story goes that they "filed off the points of the bullets." In fact, since military rifle bullets usually have pretty heavy jackets, this would be a useless procedure, that would at best result in inaccuracy, and at worst can destroy a gun. Since the base of full metal jacket bullets isn't closed (the nose is) filing off the nose makes the bullet an open-ended cylinder with a lead core. The core can, and often does, blow out, leaving the jacket stuck in the barrel. If another round were to be fired behind that, the lodged obstruction would at least bulge the barrel, and might cause the gun to burst. No sensible person would willingly use home-made "dum-dums" for any purpose, especially when safe and reliable expanding bullets are available.

FULL METAL JACKET: Some bullets are composed of a lead core and an overlying jacket of copper-nickel alloy. If the nose of the bullet is completely covered by the metal jacket, so that no lead is exposed, this is a full-metal-jacketed bullet. The core has density and weight, and the hard jacket reduces fouling of the gun and increases penetration power of the bullet. Since they don't expand at all, FMJ bullets tend to make neat holes, and (all other things being equal) they will penetrate more deeply than other types. Military bullets are usually full-jacketed, but hunting bullets never are. Military bullets are designed to kill cleanly or to produce a clean wound, in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and Hague Protocols on warfare. Hunting bullets (which are usually hollow point or soft point styles) are designed to do the maximum damage possible, and to kill as rapidly and effectively as possible. Many pistols (especially military-style autoloaders) function best with FMJ ammunition. FULL METAL JACKET is synonymous with BALL in speaking of military ammunition. A variant is the TOTAL METAL JACKET bullet, in which the base is enclosed as well as the rest of the core.

GAS CHECK: A thin disc of hard metal crimped onto the base of a lead bullet. Gas checks are made to fit the exact groove diameter of the gun, and their function is to prevent gas leakage past the base of the moving bullet. Leaking gas is hot enough to partially melt a lead bullet, and the higher the velocity the more the problem. The gas check permits a cast bullet to be shot at somewhat higher velocity than would otherwise be possible. It is a design intermediate between the simple lead bullet and the jacketed types.

HOLLOW POINT: A hollow-point bullet has a cavity formed in the tip, as a means to initiate expansion when it contacts a target. This increases the diameter and the killing power of the bullet. Hollow point bullets may be made solely of lead, or they may be jacketed; and they may have the hollow cavity formed as part of a SOFT POINT, see below.

JACKET: A thin copper-nickel sheath formed around the core of a bullet. The jacket is hard and slick, compared to the lead of the core; and so the bullet is more resistant to mechanical deformation by the action of the gun. Another reason for jacketing a bullet is to prevent it from breaking up on impact with the target, and dissipating its effect. The jacket may completely cover the core except at the base (full jacket) or it may be closed at the base and open at the tip or nose (as in a soft point bullet). Some bullets have jackets that cover only the base, and the lead portion forms the bearing surface that grips the rifling of the barrel. This type is called a HALF-JACKET. Jacketed bullets have certain advantages: they can be fired at higher velocities than lead bullets, and they usually function more reliably in autoloaders. To offset these, they have disadvantages of comparatively high cost, a tendency to wear out rifling faster than lead, and to deposit stubborn fouling in the bore of the gun which requires a lot of effort to remove.

MAGNUM: A "magnum" is an extra-large size of champagne bottle, 2-1/2 times the size of an ordinary bottle. In 1935, when Smith and Wesson introduced their new handgun cartridge aimed at police and hunters, they wanted a jazzy name to indicate that it was much larger than anything else available; and so their marketing department decided that ".357 Magnum" would be a clever and catchy name. The ploy worked, and since then many other companies have hitched their wagon to this particular horse, and so we have ".44 Magnum," ".32 Magnum," and even ".22 Magnum" calibers, as well as many others. The term has come to mean any cartridge that's significantly more powerful than others firing bullets of similar size.

+P and +P+: Some ammunition is loaded to higher than standard pressure, to boost velocity and energy. Such rounds are designated by these two codes, with the "+P+" designation the more powerful of the two. Some lightweight guns, especially small revolvers, aren't really suitable for use with these more powerful rounds, and it's a wise idea to check and see whether the manufacturer has issued any guidelines about whether you can use this type of ammunition in your gun. You can use industry- standard ammunition of the appropriate caliber in any gun in sound condition, and this is the best thing to do if you're in doubt.

PRIMER: A small cup-like container inserted into a pocket at the end of a cartridge case. It carries a shock-sensitive explosive compound (typically lead styphnate) which explodes when the firing pin hits the outside of the cup. The flame from this explosion ignites the main powder charge.

RIMFIRE: Some cartridges contain their priming compound not in a separate primer, but evenly distributed around the circumference of the case head, in the fold formed when the case is drawn. The firing pin pinches the rim of the cartridge case, causing the primer to ignite and set off the main powder charge. This system of ignition is suitable only for relatively low-power ammunition, and nowadays anything larger than .22 caliber is usually centerfire ammunition. Before WWII, however, rimfire calibers up to .50 were fairly common, and this older ammunition is still occasionally encountered, even though it's no longer manufactured.

ROUND: One complete unitized cartridge. Boxes of ammunition will be marked as holding "50 rounds" or "20 rounds" and magazines will be spoken of as holding 10 rounds, 5 rounds, and so forth. Basically a synonym for "cartridge."

ROUND NOSE: A bullet whose front end is shaped into a blunt, rounded form, as distinct from a flat, conical, or tapered shape. See SPITZER and WADCUTTER. Round nose bullets may be soft points or hollow points, or they may be solids.

SHELL: An imprecise term often to denote ammunition in general, but it is sometimes applied to empty cartridge cases, especially those used in shotguns.

SMOKELESS POWDER: Nowadays all common gunpowder is made of nitrated cellulose, which long ago was dubbed "smokeless" to distinguish it from what we today call "black powder," a mixture of sulphur, saltpeter, and charcoal dating from the 12th Century. Until the late 19th Century, black powder was all there was, and in addition to making clouds of white smoke, it's dirty to use, and fouls a gun very quickly. It's also limited in the power it can generate. Modern nitrocellulose-powder ammunition is much more effective than black-powder loaded types (even in the same calibers) because smokeless powder is inherently more energetic. It's also much less hazardous to handle, much less flammable, and much cleaner than black powder, as well as non- corrosive and less damaging to the gun.

SOFT POINT: a soft-point bullet is one that has some lead exposed at the tip. This facilitates expansion as it enters the target, and causes the diameter of the bullet to increase rapidly. It thus does more destruction, and kills more effectively. Soft point bullets usually have a metal jacket and a lead core. See also HOLLOW POINT and "DUM DUM".

SPITZER: A bullet whose nose shape is a gracefully curving arch, ending in a fairly sharp point. The term is originally German, and is almost exclusively applied to rifle bullets. Handgun bullets are typically much shorter and blunter than rifle bullets of equal weight. Spitzer bullets may have a flat base, or they may be boat-tailed; they may be full metal jacketed, soft points or hollow points, as well.

TRACER: Tracer bullets contain a flammable compound in their base which permits a shooter to see the path of the bullet in flight. They have little use for sporting or defensive purposes, but are very important in military applications. A machine gunner can "walk" his fire into a target by watching where the tracers he shoots are going, and so achieve greater effect. Tracers are dangerous to use sometimes: the burning material can ignite forest fires, and their use is prohibited in some areas.

WADCUTTER: A type of bullet originally designed for target shooting, and still mostly used for this purpose. Wadcutter bullets have very sharp, square edges, and are cylindrical in shape. They cut very neat holes in paper targets. They will also make nice round holes in tissue, and sometimes they are used as defensive bullets, since they tend to be pretty effective killers. They usually don't feed well in autoloading pistols, but can be used in all revolvers. A variant form is the SEMI-WADCUTTER, which has a cylindrical body surmounted by a conical nose section, but which retains the sharp shoulder. True wadcutters are almost always made of lead, but the semiwadcutter style is frequently seen in a jacketed soft point type. They may also be hollow-pointed.

[shaunish]

wow thank you for all of your responses. very useful information anti-fed. i hope others find this post as informative as i.

i am scheduled to take a gun training/safety course 3 weekends from now, i am pretty excited. i will probably be making my ruger 10/22 purchase shortly thereafter.

For you people concerned about the government coming for your arsenal - I am more worried about looters and thugs coming to take my stockpile of food and PM when SHTF than I am the government coming for my guns. But yea, it does suck that they have our names on a list.