.38 ACP, History
Initial loadings of this cartridge were quite powerful. Reported ballistics for the first commercial loads were a 130-grain bullet at 1,260 ft/s (380 m/s), and some experimental loads ran as high as 1,350 ft/s (410 m/s). However, these ballistics proved too violent for the Colt Model 1900 pistol, and velocities were soon lowered to below 1,200 ft/s (370 m/s). Subsequent commercial loadings varied considerably in power.


.38 ACP, History
For example, Hugh B.C. Pollard, writing in Automatic Pistols in 1920, gives Winchester factory ballistics for a 130-grain bullet at 1,175 ft/s (358 m/s) muzzle velocity and 398-foot-pound-force (540 J) of muzzle energy; for Ely ammo, the figures for a 128-grain bullet were 1,100 ft/s (340 m/s) and 344-foot-pound-force (466 J) and for Kynoch a 130-grain bullet 1,000 ft/s (300 m/s). Later U.S. commercial loads in this caliber had factory standard ballistics of a 130-grain bullet at 1,040 ft/s (320 m/s) from the 4.5-inch (110 mm) barrel of the Colt 1903 Pocket Model.


.38 ACP, History
With Army Ordnance favoring a return to a .45 caliber sidearm by the time the Colt autos in .38 ACP were introduced, the caliber never gained much popularity. However, they did see small but steady sales up until the introduction of the more powerful .38 Super, which was little more than the .38 ACP loaded back to its original ballistics.


.38 ACP, History
Sales of .38 ACP ammunition enjoyed a modest spike during the surplus gun boom of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s; since the cartridges would usually cycle in Spanish surplus pistols like the Astra 400 that were chambered for the 9×23mm Largo, despite the fact that the .38 ACP was semi-rimmed and slightly shorter than the rimless 9mm Largo. Some Astra 400 pistols were stamped "9M/M&38" on the barrel, denoting that the barrel was specifically designed to chamber both 9mm Largo and .38 ACP.


.38 ACP, History
Europe would eventually favor the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. This cartridge is ballistically similar to the .38 ACP but utilizes a smaller case and higher pressures.


.38 ACP, History
Browning himself was not done with 9 mm cartridges and introduced the 9mm Browning Long in 1903 and the .380 ACP in 1908.


.38 ACP, .38 Super
.38 Super was introduced in 1929, as a higher pressure loading of the .38 ACP. Even though .38 ACP and .38 Super are the same size, it is dangerous to use the more powerful .38 Super ammunition in a firearm intended for .38 ACP, as firearm damage may result. In the interest of safety, American ammunition companies formerly loaded .38 Super ammunition in nickeled cases exclusively. Since 1974, .38 Super cartridges have been marked with the +P markings used for greater pressure loads.


.38 Long Colt
The .38 Long Colt, also known as .38 LC, is a black powder cartridge introduced by Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1875. In 1892, it was adopted as a standard military pistol cartridge by the United States Army for the Colt M1892 revolver. The metric designation for the .38 Long Colt is 9.1×26mm. It is slightly more powerful than the .38 Short Colt, also known as .38 SC.


.38 Long Colt
The original .38 SC and .38 LC differ in case length, bullet diameter, weight, and design and are not interchangeable; however, modern production .38 SC ammunition is now loaded with a smaller, internally-lubricated bullet which can be fired from firearms chambered in .38 LC or .38 Special. The modern .38 LC can be fired from .38 Special firearm, but not from a firearm designed for the .38 SC, since the case length is too long.


.38 Long Colt, Design and ballistics
The .38 Long Colt's predecessor, the .38 Short Colt, used a heeled bullet of 130 grains (8.4 g) at a nominal 770 ft/s (230 m/s), producing 165 ft⋅lbf (224 J) muzzle energy. The cylindrical "shank" or "bearing surface" of the bullet, just in front of the cartridge case mouth, was .374 or .375 in (9.50 or 9.53 mm) in diameter, the same as the outside diameter of the cartridge case (as in .22 rimfire cartridges). A smaller-diameter portion of the bullet, the "heel", was crimped inside the case mouth, and the lubricant was outside the case, and exposed.


.38 Long Colt, Design and ballistics
In contrast, the .38 Long Colt uses a .357–.358 in (9.07–9.09 mm) bullet, the bearing surface and lubricant of which are entirely contained within the cartridge case. This kept the waxy lubricant from collecting grit which can damage the revolver's barrel. Colt, however, retained the single-diameter charge hole, resulting in the bullet failing to form a seal as it traveled through the chamber throat. This seal was expected to cause the bullet to expand in the throat and be "swaged down", or reduced again in diameter, as it entered the barrel, but uneven expansion produced poor accuracy.


.38 Long Colt, Design and ballistics
In the United States Army's original black-powder cartridge used by the Colt M1892 revolver, muzzle velocity from the revolver's 6-inch-long (150 mm) barrel was 708 ft/s (216 m/s) with a bullet weighing 150 grains (9.7 g), resulting in a muzzle energy of 167 ft⋅lbf (226 J). Later, the Army changed its cartridge to smokeless powder and slightly tightened the revolver's bore; the new muzzle velocity was 750 ft/s (230 m/s) with a bullet of 148 grains (9.6 g), giving a muzzle energy of 185 ft⋅lbf (251 J).


.38 Long Colt, History and usage
The cartridge's relatively poor ballistics were highlighted during the Philippine–American War of 1899–1902, when reports from U.S. Army officers were received regarding the .38 bullet's inability to stop charges of frenzied Moro juramentados during the Moro Rebellion, even at extremely close ranges. A typical instance occurred in 1905 and was later recounted by Col. Louis A. LaGarde:


.38 Long Colt, History and usage
Antonio Caspi, a prisoner on the island of Samar, P.I. attempted escape on Oct. 26, 1905. He was shot four times at close range in a hand-to-hand encounter by a .38 Colt's revolver loaded with U.S. Army regulation ammunition. He was finally stunned by a blow on the forehead from the butt end of a Springfield carbine.


.38 Long Colt, History and usage
Col. LaGarde noted Caspi's wounds were fairly well-placed: three bullets entered the chest, perforating the lungs. One passed through the body, one lodged near the back and the other lodged in subcutaneous tissue. The fourth round went through the right hand and exited through the forearm.


.38 Long Colt, History and usage
As an emergency response to the round's unexpectedly dismal performance, the U.S. Army authorized officers to carry M1873 Colt Single Action Army revolvers, chambered in .45 Colt, and issued from reserve stocks. Army Ordnance also purchased a number of M1902 revolvers (the M1902 was an improved version of Colt's Double Action Army Model 1878, a .45-caliber rod-ejector double-action revolver) for issue to officers deploying overseas.


.38 Long Colt, History and usage
The .38 Long Colt remained the Army's primary revolver cartridge until 1909, when the .45 M1909 cartridge was issued along with the .45 Colt New Service revolver as the new standard military sidearm for the U.S. Army. However, some of the old .38 Long Colt revolvers and ammunition remained in reserve stocks, and when the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, the need for sidearms was such that even these low-performing weapons were brought out of storage for usage away from the front lines.


.38 Long Colt, History and usage
In civilian use, the .38 LC was chambered in a number of Colt revolvers and saw some use among target shooters. Various U.S. police forces also adopted the cartridge. However, the cartridge became nearly extinct after Smith & Wesson's more powerful .38 Special cartridge became widely popular as a civilian and police service cartridge. By 1908, even Colt was chambering their new Police Positive and Army Special revolvers in ".38 Colt Special", which was just a standard .38 Smith & Wesson Special with a different headstamp.


.38 S&W
The .38 S&W, also commonly known as .38 S&W Short (it is sometimes referred to as .38 S&W Short to differentiate it from .38 Long Colt and .38 Special), 9×20mmR, or .38/200, is a revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1877. Versions of the cartridge were the standard revolver cartridges of the British military from 1922 to 1963. Though similar in name, it is not interchangeable with the later .38 Special due to a different case shape and slightly larger bullet diameter.


.38 S&W, History
The round was first introduced in 1877 for use in the S&W .38 Single Action.


.38 S&W, History
After World War I, the British military sought to replace pre-war revolvers with easier to handle weapons. Webley demonstrated a lighter version of their Mk III revolver with modified .38 S&W ammunition, firing a heavy 200-grain (13 g) bullet. It received favorable reports, and the revolver was accepted in principle.


.38 S&W, History
As Webley had used the .38 S&W cartridge dimensions for their revolver, and the cartridge length was fixed by the size of the cylinder of the revolver (the same as for the wider .455), Kynoch produced a cartridge with the same dimensions as the .38 S&W but with 2.8 grains (0.18 g) of "Neonite" nitrocellulose powder and a 200 grain (13.0 g) bullet. In tests performed on cadavers and live animals, it was found that the lead bullet, being overly long and heavy for its calibre, become unstable after penetrating the target, somewhat increasing target effect. The relatively low velocity allowed all of the energy of the cartridge to be spent inside the human target, rather than the bullet passing through. This was deemed satisfactory and the design for the cartridge was accepted as the ".38/200 Cartridge, Revolver Mk I".


.38 S&W, History
After a period of service, it was realized that the 200 gr (13 g) soft lead bullet could arguably contravene the Hague Conventions, which outlawed the use of bullets designed so as to "expand or flatten easily in the human body". A new cartridge was therefore adopted as "Cartridge, Pistol, .380 Mk II" or ".380 Mk IIz", firing a 180 gr (11.7 g) full metal jacket bullet. The .38/200 Mk I loading was retained in service for marksmanship and training purposes. However, after the outbreak of war, supply exigencies and the need to order readily available and compatible ammunition, such as the .38 S&W Super Police, from U.S. sources forced British authorities to issue both the .38/200 Mk I and MkII/IIz cartridges interchangeably to forces deploying for combat.


.38 S&W, History
The Cartridge S.A. Ball Revolver .380 inch Mark II and Cartridge S.A. Ball Revolver .380 inch Mark IIz cartridge were theoretically phased out of British service in 1963, when the 9×19mm semi-automatic Browning Hi-Power pistol was finally issued to most British and Commonwealth forces.


.38 S&W, Variants
The .38 Colt New Police was Colt's Manufacturing Company's proprietary name for what was essentially the .38 S&W with a flat-nosed bullet.


.38 S&W, Variants
The U.S. .38 S&W Super Police cartridge was nearly identical to the British .38/200 Mk I, using a 200 gr (13 g) lead alloy bullet with a muzzle velocity of 630 ft/s (190 m/s) and a muzzle energy of 176 ft⋅lbf (239 J), and was supplied by several U.S. manufacturers to the British government as equivalent to the Mk I loading.


.38 S&W, Variants
MKE 9.65 mm Normal (9.2×23mmR (.38 Smith & Wesson)) cartridge has a 177 gr (11.5 g) lead-antimony alloy bullet with a gilding-metal full metal jacket and a Boxer-primed brass case. The "normal" designation differentiates it from their 9.65mm Special (9.1×29mmR (.38 Special)) round. It uses the 9.65 mm (.38-caliber) nominal bore rather than its 9.2 mm (.361-caliber) actual bore. It has a muzzle velocity of 590 ft/s (180 m/s).


.38 S&W, Current status
The .380 Mk IIz is still produced by the Ordnance Factory Board in India, for use in revolvers. Commercially, only Ruger makes limited runs of revolvers in this caliber for overseas sales, and only a few companies still manufacture ammunition. The majority that do offer it in only a 145 gr (9.4 g) lead round nose bullet, though Fiocchi still markets FMJ rounds. Some companies, such as Buffalo Bore, usually manufacture several different types of ammunition for either self-defense and/or hunting.


.38 Short Colt
The .38 Short Colt (.38 SC) / .38 Short Center Fire (.38 SCF) was a heeled bullet cartridge intended for metallic cartridge conversions of the cap and ball Colt 1851 Navy Revolver from the American Civil War era.


.38 Short Colt
Later, this cartridge was fitted with a 0.358-inch (9.1 mm)  diameter inside-lubricated bullet in the 125–135 grain range.


.38 Short Colt, Case
Visually, it resembles a .38 S&W but the case dimensions are slightly different. The .38 Short Colt case is the parent to the .38 Long Colt and .38 Special.


.38 Short Colt, Case
Remington is one of the few producers of this cartridge today with a 125 gr LRN bullet. Magtech produces this grain weight and Ten-x manufactures a 95 gr load, as well as blanks.


.38 Short Colt, Case
This cartridge can be safely fired in revolvers chambered for .38 Special or .357 Magnum.


.38 Special
The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson.


.38 Special
The .38 Special is most commonly used in revolvers, but also finds use in semi-automatic pistols and carbines.


.38 Special
The .38 Special was the standard service cartridge for the majority of United States police departments from the 1920s to the 1990s. It was also a common sidearm cartridge used by United States military personnel in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In other parts of the world, it is known by its metric designation of 9×29.5mmR or 9.1×29mmR.


.38 Special
Known for its accuracy and manageable recoil, the .38 Special remains one of the most popular revolver cartridges in the world more than a century after its introduction. It is used recreationally for target shooting, formal target competition, personal defense, and small-game hunting.


.38 Special, Overview
The .38 Special was designed and entered production in 1898 as an improvement over the .38 Long Colt which, as a military service cartridge, was found to have inadequate stopping power against the charges of Filipino Muslim warriors during the Philippine–American War. Upon its introduction, the .38 Special was originally loaded with black powder, but the cartridge's popularity caused manufacturers to offer smokeless powder loadings within a year of its introduction.


.38 Special, Overview
Despite its name, the caliber of the .38 Special cartridge is actually .357 inches (36 caliber/9.07 mm), with the ".38" referring to the approximate diameter of the loaded brass case. This came about because the original .38-caliber cartridge, the .38 Short Colt, was designed for use in converted .36-caliber cap-and-ball Navy revolvers, which had untapered cylindrical firing chambers of approximately 0.374-inch (9.5 mm) diameter that required heeled bullets, the exposed portion of which was the same diameter as the cartridge case.


.38 Special, Overview
Except for case length, the .38 Special is identical to the .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, and .357 Magnum. This nearly identical nature of the three rounds allows a .38 Special round to be safely fired in revolvers chambered for .357 Magnum. It also allows .38 Short Colt and .38 Long Colt rounds to be safely fired in revolvers chambered for .38 Special. Thus the .38 Special round and revolvers chambered for it have a unique versatility. However, the longer and more powerful .357 Magnum cartridge will usually not chamber and fire in weapons rated specifically for .38


.38 Special, Overview
Special (e.g., all versions of the Smith & Wesson Model 10), which are not designed for the greatly increased pressure of the magnum rounds. Both .38 Special and .357 Magnum will chamber in Colt New Army revolvers in .38 Long Colt due to their straight walled chambers, but this should not be done under any circumstances, due to dangerous pressure levels up to three times what the New Army is designed to withstand.


.38 Special, History
The .38 Special was designed and produced in 1898 to be a higher velocity round, with better penetration properties than the .38 Long Colt that was in Government Service in the Philippines during the Spanish–American War. The .38 Long Colt revolver round would not penetrate the insurgent Philippine Morro warrior shields, and the Government contracted the new revolver round to Smith & Wesson. The .38 Special held a minimum of 21 grains of black powder, which was 3 grains more than the current .38 Long Colt, and it was 100 to 150 feet per second faster with a 158 grain bullet.


.38 Special, History
During the late 1920s, and in response to demands for a more effective law enforcement version of the cartridge, a new standard-velocity loading for the .38 Special was developed by Western Cartridge Company. This .38 Special variant incorporated a 200 grains (13 g) round-nosed lead 'Lubaloy' bullet, the .38 Super Police. Remington-Peters also introduced a similar loading. Testing revealed that the longer, heavier 200 grains (13 g) .357-calibre bullet fired at low velocity tended to 'keyhole' or tumble upon impact, providing more shock effect against unprotected personnel.


.38 Special, History
At the same time, authorities in Great Britain, who had decided to adopt the .38 caliber revolver as a replacement for their existing .455 service cartridge, also tested the same 200 grains (13.0 g) bullet in the smaller .38 S&W cartridge. This cartridge was called the .38 S&W Super Police or the .38/200. Britain would later adopt the .38/200 as its standard military handgun cartridge.


.38 Special, History
In 1930, Smith & Wesson introduced a large frame .38 Special revolver with a 5-inch barrel and fixed sights intended for police use, the Smith & Wesson .38/44 Heavy Duty. The following year, a new high-power loading called the .38 Special Hi-Speed with a 158 grains (10.2 g) metal-tip bullet was developed for these revolvers in response to requests from law enforcement agencies for a handgun bullet that could penetrate auto bodies and body armor. That same year, Colt Firearms announced that their Colt Official Police would also handle 'high-speed' .38 Special loadings.


.38 Special, History
The .38/44 high-speed cartridge came in three bullet weights: 158 grains (10.2 g), 150 grains (9.7 g), and 110 grains (7.1 g), with either coated lead or steel jacket, metal-piercing bullets. The media attention gathered by the .38/44 and its ammunition eventually led Smith & Wesson to develop a completely new cartridge with a longer case length in 1934, this was the .357 Magnum.


.38 Special, History
During World War II, some U.S. aircrew (primarily Navy and Marine Corps) were issued .38 Special S&W Victory revolvers as sidearms in the event of a forced landing. In May 1943, a new .38 Special cartridge with a 158 grains (10.2 g), full-steel-jacketed, copper flash-coated bullet meeting the requirements of the rules of land warfare was developed at Springfield Armory and adopted for the Smith & Wesson revolvers. The new military .38 Special loading propelled its 158 grains (10.2 g) bullet at a standard 850 ft/s (260 m/s) from a 4-inch (100 mm) revolver barrel. During the war, many U.S. naval and Marine aircrew were also issued red-tipped .38 Special tracer rounds using either a 120 or 158 gr (7.8 or 10.2 g) bullet for emergency signaling purposes.


.38 Special, History
In 1956, the U.S. Air Force adopted the Cartridge, Caliber .38, Ball M41, a military variant of the .38 Special cartridge designed to conform to the rules of land warfare. The original .38 M41 ball cartridge used a 130-grain full-metal-jacketed bullet, and was loaded to an average pressure of only 13,000 pounds per square inch (90 MPa), giving a muzzle velocity of approximately 725 ft/s (221 m/s) from a 4-inch (100 mm) barrel.


.38 Special, History
This ammunition was intended to prolong the life of S&W M12 and Colt Aircrewman revolvers equipped with aluminum cylinders and frames, which were prone to stress fractures when fired with standard .38 ammunition. By 1961, a slightly revised M41 .38 cartridge specification known as the Cartridge, Caliber .38 Ball, Special, M41 had been adopted for U.S. armed forces using .38 Special caliber handguns.


.38 Special, History
The new M41 Special cartridge used a 130-grain FMJ bullet loaded to a maximum allowable pressure of 16,000 pounds per square inch (110 MPa) for a velocity of approximately 950 ft/s (290 m/s) in a solid 6-inch (150 mm) test barrel, and about 750 ft/s (230 m/s) from a 4-inch (100 mm) revolver barrel. The M41 ball cartridge was first used in .38 revolvers carried by USAF aircrew and Strategic Air Command security police, and by 1961 was in use by the U.S. Army for security police, dog handlers, and other personnel equipped with .38 Special caliber revolvers.


.38 Special, History
A variant of the standard M41 cartridge with a semi-pointed, unjacketed lead bullet was later adopted for CONUS (Continental United States) police and security personnel. At the same time, .38 tracer cartridges were reintroduced by the US Navy, Marines, and Air Force to provide a means of emergency signaling by downed aircrew. Tracer cartridges in .38 Special caliber of different colors were issued, generally as part of a standard aircrew survival vest kit.


.38 Special, History
A request for more powerful .38 Special ammunition for use by Air Police and security personnel resulted in the Caliber .38 Special, Ball, PGU-12/B High Velocity cartridge. Issued only by the U.S. Air Force, the PGU-12/B had a greatly increased maximum allowable pressure rating of 20,000 psi, sufficient to propel a 130-grain FMJ bullet at 1,125 ft/s (343 m/s) from a solid 6-inch (150 mm) test barrel, and about 950–1,000 ft/s from a 4-inch (100 mm) revolver barrel. The PGU-12/B High Velocity cartridge differs from M41 Special ammunition in two important respects—the PGU-12/B is a much higher-pressure cartridge, with a bullet deeply set and crimped into the cartridge case.


.38 Special, History
In response to continued complaints over ineffectiveness of the standard .38 Special 158-grain cartridge in stopping assailants in numerous armed confrontations during the 1950s and 1960s, ammunition manufacturers began to experiment with higher-pressure (18,500 CUP) loadings of the .38 Special cartridge, known as .38 Special +P (+P or +P+ designation indicates that the cartridge is using higher pressures, therefore it is overpressure ammunition). In 1972, the Federal Bureau of Investigation introduced a new .38 +P loading that became known as the "FBI Load".


.38 Special, History
The FBI Load combined a more powerful powder charge with a 158-grain unjacketed soft lead semi-wadcutter hollow-point bullet designed to readily expand at typical .38 Special velocities obtained in revolvers commonly used by law enforcement. The FBI Load proved very satisfactory in effectively stopping adversaries in numerous documented shootings using 2- to 4-inch barreled revolvers. The FBI Load was later adopted by the Chicago Police Department and numerous other law enforcement agencies.


.38 Special, History
Demand for a .38 cartridge with even greater performance for law enforcement led to the introduction of the +P+ .38 Special cartridge, first introduced by Federal and Winchester. Originally labeled "For Law Enforcement Only", +P+ ammunition is intended for heavier-duty .38 Special and .357 Magnum revolvers, as the increased pressure levels can result in accelerated wear and significant damage to firearms rated for lower-pressure .38 Special loadings (as with all .38 Special loadings, the .38 Special +P+ can also be fired safely in .357 Magnum revolvers).


.38 Special, Performance
Due to its black-powder heritage, the .38 Special is a low-pressure cartridge, one of the lowest in common use today at 17,500 psi. By modern standards, the .38 Special fires a medium-sized bullet at rather low speeds. In the case of target loads, a 148 gr (9.6 g) bullet is propelled to only 690 ft/s (210 m/s). The closest comparisons are the .380 ACP, which fires much lighter bullets slightly faster than most .38 Special loads; the 9×19mm Parabellum, which fires a somewhat lighter bullet significantly faster; and the .38 Super, which fires a comparable bullet considerably faster. All of these cartridges are usually found in semi-automatic pistols.


.38 Special, Performance
The higher-pressure .38 +P loads at 20,000 psi offer about 20% more muzzle energy than standard-pressure loads and places it between the .380 ACP and the 9mm Parabellum; similar to that of the 9×18mm Makarov. A few specialty manufacturers' +P loads for this cartridge can attain even higher energies than that, especially when fired from longer barrels, produce energies in the range of the 9mm Parabellum. These loads are generally not recommended for older revolvers or ones not specifically "+P" rated.


.38 Special, Performance
All of the above specifications for .38 loadings, and the .357 Magnum, are applicable when fired from a 6-inch (150 mm) barreled revolver. The velocity is reduced when using the more standard 4-inch (100 mm) barreled guns. Power (muzzle energy) will, of course, decrease accordingly.


.38 Special, Performance
Although only a few US police departments now issue or authorize use of the .38 Special revolver as a standard-duty weapon, the caliber remains popular with some police officers for use in short-barreled revolvers carried when off duty or for undercover-police investigations. It is also widely used in revolvers purchased for civilian home defense or for concealed carry by individuals with a CCW permit.


.38 Special, Terminal performance and expansion
There are many companies that manufacture .38 Special ammunition. It can range from light target loads to more powerful defensive ammunition. Because of the relatively low pressure that the .38 Special cartridge and even its more powerful +P version can be loaded to, most 38 Special bullets do not expand reliably, even when using hollow-point designs, especially if fired from a short-barreled or 'snub-nose' revolver. In 2004, Speer Bullets introduced the Gold Dot jacketed hollow-point .38 Special cartridge in an attempt to solve this very problem. Another solution is to use an unjacketed soft lead hollow-point bullet as found in the FBI Load. The latter's 158-grain soft lead hollow point is loaded to +P pressures and velocity, which ensures more reliable expansion in unprotected flesh, even when fired in a 2-inch short-barreled revolver.


.38 Special, Handloading
The .38 Special is particularly popular among handloaders. The cartridge's straight walls, headspacing on the rim, ready availability of previously-fired cases, and ability to be fired in .357 Magnum firearms, all contribute to this popularity. Additionally, the .38 Special's heritage as a black powder cartridge gives it a case size capable of accommodating many types of powders, from slower-burning (e.g., Hodgdon H-110 or Hercules 2400) to fast-burning (e.g., Alliant Bullseye, the traditional smokeless powder for this cartridge). This flexibility in powders translates directly to versatility in muzzle energy that a handloader can achieve.


.38 Special, Handloading
Thus, with proper care, a suitably-strong revolver, and adherence to safe handloading practices, the .38 Special can accommodate ammunition ranging from light-recoiling target loads to +P+ self-defense rounds. The .38 Special, handloaded with premium to regular lead bullets can be loaded safely to equal the now popular 9x19mm Parabellum round. The round is as viable today as a self-defense round as it was back in 1898.


.38 Super
The .38 Super, also known as .38 Superauto, .38 Super Auto, or 9×23mmSR, is a pistol cartridge that fires a 0.356-inch-diameter (9.04 mm) bullet. It was introduced in the late 1920s as a higher pressure loading of the .38 ACP, also known as .38 Auto. The older .38 ACP cartridge propels a 130-grain (8.4 g) bullet at 1,050 ft/s (320.0 m/s), whereas the .38 Super pushes the same bullet at 1,280 ft/s (390.1 m/s). The .38 Super has gained distinction as the caliber of choice for many top practical shooting competitors; it remains one of the dominant calibers in IPSC competition.


.38 Super, Design
The cartridge was designed for use in the M1911 pistol and was capable of penetrating automobile bodies of the late 1920s. When the .357 Magnum was introduced in 1935, this advantage of the .38 Super was no longer enough to lure police departments and officers from the traditional double-action revolver.


.38 Super, Design
The .38 Super retains the original dimensions of the .38 ACP case. The cartridge was originally designed to headspace on the semi-rimmed case, which worked in the Colt M1900 due to the design of the feed ramp. When the .38 Auto became the .38 Super, in the 1911A1, the feed ramp could no longer be used as rim support. As a result of this, observed accuracy of the .38 Super suffered until Irv Stone of Bar-Sto barrels re-designed the chamber to allow headspacing on the case mouth. Since then, all new production .38 Super pistols headspace on the case mouth, as with other cartridges in this class. The semi-rimmed case is known to cause feeding problems in some magazines, especially double stack magazines, and led to the development of new variants with reduced rims (typically only .003 inch per side).


.38 Super, Design
In 1974, the industry added the +P headstamp to the .38 Super to further distinguish it from the lower-pressure .38 ACP. Most current ammunition manufacturers label ammunition for the Super as .38 Super +P.


.38 Super, Design
Since the .38 Super is dimensionally the same as the .38 ACP, an unsafe condition can be caused by firing .38 Super cartridges in a firearm designed for the much lower pressure .38 ACP. The weakness, in the Colt M1900, Colt M1902, and others derived from that design, comes from the assembly wedge at the front of the slide. If the wedge comes out, or the slide cracks at the wedge, the slide can come off the rear of the frame when fired. The 1911 and 1911A1, having a slide that is solid on front, cannot come off the frame that way.


.38 Super, Cartridge dimensions
The .38 Super has 17.6 grains H2O (1.14 ml) cartridge case capacity.


.38 Super, Cartridge dimensions
The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 1 in 16 in (406 mm), 6 grooves, ø lands = .346 in, ø grooves = .355 in, land width =.12 mm and the primer type is small pistol. Both the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) and Commission internationale permanente pour l’épreuve des armes à feu portatives (C.I.P.) specify a bullet diameter of 0.356 inches (9.04 mm).


.38 Super, Cartridge dimensions
According to the official C.I.P. guidelines, the .38 Super case can handle up to 230 MPa (33,359 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries, every pistol cartridge combo has to be proofed at 130% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to be certified for sale to consumers.


.38 Super, Cartridge dimensions
The SAAMI pressure limit for the .38 ACP or .38 Auto is set at 26,500 psi (182.72 MPa), piezo pressure. The SAAMI pressure limit for the .38 Super +P is set at 36,500 psi (251.66 MPa), piezo pressure.


.38 Super, Cartridge dimensions
The C.I.P. and SAAMI specified .38 Super (+P) has a semi-rimmed cartridge case.


.38 Super, Cartridge dimensions, Rimless .38 Super cartridge case variants
In recent years, cases such as the .38 Super Comp, .38 Super Lapua, .38 Super RL (Armscor), and .38 TJ (.38 Todd Jarrett) became available transforming the .38 Super into an almost truly rimless cartridge. These "rimless" cases are somewhat of a misnomer, due to the case rim not retaining the same diameter as the case wall just forward of the extractor groove. A common example is the .38 Super Comp case, which has a semi-rim extending only .003–.004 inch per side, compared to standard .38 Super which has .007–.009 inch per side.


.38 Super, Cartridge dimensions, Rimless .38 Super cartridge case variants
The main reason for the development of new cases was due to the semi-rimmed .38 Super case not always feeding reliably from the double-stack box-magazines used in several semi-automatic pistols popular with practical shooting sports, such as United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) or International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC). The nearly rimless cases improve feeding reliability in these pistols but are intended to be used in firearms that headspace on the case mouth. Other improvements found in some of these cases are modified extractor grooves and increased thickness in key parts of the brass for high pressure loadings.


.38 Super, Performance
Because of its larger case volume, which allows for more smokeless powder and results in higher muzzle velocities at similar pressure levels, the .38 Super offers higher bullet velocity potential than the 9×19mm Parabellum when handloaded and in some defense loadings. The 9×19mm Parabellum is however approved for higher pressure +P loadings by both SAAMI and C.I.P., which compensates for much of the case volume difference in factory-loaded ammunition. The .38 Super is generally regarded as a well-balanced cartridge with a flat trajectory, good accuracy and relatively high muzzle energy; most loadings have greater muzzle energy than many factory-loaded .45 ACP loadings.


.38 Super, Performance, Muzzle velocity
Cor-Bon/Glaser offers the .38 Super +P in several full-power self-defense–style loads with advertised velocities such as 115 gr 1,425 ft/s (434 m/s) and 125 gr 1,350 ft/s (410 m/s). Tests with ammunition besides Cor-Bon/Glaser increases velocity by between 30 ft/s (9.1 m/s) to 50 ft/s (15 m/s) on average.


.38 Super, Usage
The .38 Super has made a comeback in IPSC and USPSA sports shooting raceguns, particularly when equipped with a compensator, because it exceeds the power factor threshold to be considered a "major" charge, while having much more manageable recoil than .45 ACP. Part of the felt recoil reduction is due to the use of lighter-weight bullets. The main cause of reduced felt recoil is a compensator, or muzzle brake. The compensator works by diverting gases at the muzzle. The greater the gas volume, or the higher the pressure, the greater the effectiveness of a compensator. As the .38 Super runs at a higher chamber pressure than the .45 ACP, a compensator will have more recoil-reduction effect.


.38 Super, Usage
The comeback began in the early 1980s, when Robbie Leatham and Brian Enos began experimenting with, and competing with, .38 Super pistols in IPSC. At the time, single-stack 1911s in .45 ACP were dominant. Their .38 Super pistols held one or two more rounds simply due to the smaller case diameter. However, the biggest advantage was the muzzle brake, allowing for faster follow-up shots, and thus faster stages and subsequent higher scores. Competitors still using .45 ACP pistols attempted to keep pace, both by adding compensators and by reducing bullet weight, quickly reaching the limit at 152-155 grains. The .38 Super could be loaded with a bullet as light as 115 grains.


.38 Super, Usage
Use of compensators in competition is limited to the Open Division in IPSC and USPSA. The other divisions there do not permit their use, and the International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) does not permit them at all. Lacking a compensator, a .38 Super, running at major, has felt recoil much like that of a .45 ACP, and more than that of a 9mm Parabellum.


.38 Super, Usage
Apart from its popularity in the shooting sports, the .38 Super +P is one of the most popular pistol cartridges in Latin America due to local restrictions on civilian ownership of firearms chambered for the military cartridges, such as 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP.


.38 Super, Usage
The .38 Super round received further publicity through the single-action "Colt Combat Commander" and lightweight aluminum alloy frame "Colt Commander". When Colt switched the inventory's supply of the model from the Series-70s to the Series-80s, the model fell into lesser demand. A small number of .45 ACP submachine guns were also made in .38 Super, such as the Ingram Model 6 and Thompson submachine gun. A machine pistol variant of the M1911 chambered in .38 Super was also produced by Hyman S. Lehman.


.38 Super, Usage
.38 Super also appears on the television program Nash Bridges, with the series titular charecter, played by Don Johnson, carrying a modified M1911 pistol in the caliber.


.38 Super, Usage
The .38 Super +P cartridge ballistics have been improved over the years by the use of modern propellants. Since the early 2000s, ammunition is available with velocities exceeding 1,400 ft/s (430 m/s). This is impressive from a semi-automatic pistol and is comparable to the .357 SIG. Ammunition is also being manufactured in the modern hollowpoint style bullet with excellent ballistics for personal defence. A standard single-stack magazine in a 1911-style semi-automatic pistol holds nine to eleven rounds, plus one in the chamber. Double-stack magazine pistols in this cartridge holds fifteen to eighteen rounds, plus one in the chamber.


.38 Super, Usage
The .38 Super +P is very popular in Australia (partly due to firearms laws prohibiting calibers over .38 caliber from use in IPSC) and Latin America in regards to competition shooting and is also finding its way back into the role of a concealed carry caliber.


.38 caliber
.38 caliber is a frequently used name for the caliber of firearms and firearm cartridges.


.38 caliber
The .38 is considered a large firearm cartridge; anything larger than .32 is considered a large caliber. Before 1990, the standard sidearms of police in the United States were revolvers that fired the .38 Special cartridge, seconded by revolvers firing the .357 Magnum, a lengthened version of the .38 Special.


.38 rimfire
.38 rimfire cartridges are a type of ammunition that have been in service in the United States since the mid-nineteenth century. The cartridges are produced in short, long and extra long variants.


.38 rimfire
Much like the smaller .32 rimfire, the rounds were originally manufactured loaded with black powder. In the early 1900s, manufacturers switched to the "new" smokeless powder.


.38 rimfire
The .38 rimfire was preferred to the .32 rimfire for hunting and self-defense purposes because of its larger size and increased power.


.38 rimfire, History
The .38 rimfire cartridge was a common round for many antique revolvers and rifles from the 1870s to the early 1900s. It was a common self-defense round for a small revolver that was often kept in a vest pocket through the 1890s. Production in the United States of rimfire calibers larger than .22 ceased upon the country's entry into World War II and was never resumed by the major manufacturers. Factory loaded ammunition is no longer available except as collector items.


.38 rimfire, Uses and variants
The .38 rimfire cartridge was available in short, long, extra long, and also shotshells. Most of the revolvers and rifle which were produced were chambered for either .38 short rifle , or .38 long rifle. While there were a few different rifles produced for the .38 extra long cartridge and a few rolling block, falling block, and bolt action rifles had smooth bore barrels which had a slight choke which enabled it to shoot the .38 RF shotshells, which was good for hunting small game at close ranges. Hopkins & Allen produced revolvers and rifles chambered for the .38RF. Rifles of this caliber were produced by Remington (the revolving rifle of 1866), Ballard, Stevens and Frank Wesson, and revolvers by Enterprise, Favorite, Forehand & Wadsworth, and Colt.


.38-40 Winchester
The .38-40 Winchester is actually a .40" caliber (10 mm) cartridge shooting .401" (10.2 mm) caliber bullets. The cartridge was introduced by Winchester in 1874 and is derived from their .44-40 Winchester. This cartridge was introduced for rifles, but in its reintroduction for Cowboy Action Shooting it has seen some popularity as a revolver cartridge. It is not particularly well suited to hunting larger game, but it was popular when it was introduced, along with the previous .44-40 Winchester, for deer hunting. It can be used successfully on smaller game animals, and for self-defense. Current loadings are intended for revolvers.


.38-40 Winchester, Design and history
It is unclear why this cartridge was introduced, as it is very similar to the .44-40 from which it was derived. It has approximately 110 ft⋅lbf (150 J) less muzzle energy, and has a muzzle velocity about 110 ft/s (34 m/s) less than the .44-40. The bullet differs by only .026 inches in bullet diameter and 20 grains (1.3 g) in standard bullet weight from the original .44-40. The goal may have been to reduce recoil while maintaining a similar bullet sectional density.


.38-40 Winchester, Design and history
One unusual design element of this cartridge is that factory ammunition was loaded with a different case profile than the standard chamber for this cartridge, factory ammunition having a much longer neck than the standard chamber. Most reloading dies are designed to size fired brass to the chamber specification rather than that of the original factory ammunition case profile.


.38-40 Winchester, Design and history
The renewed interest in this caliber can be explained by the increasing popularity of cowboy action shooting and metallic silhouette shooting. Several single-action revolvers have recently been chambered for this cartridge, including the Ruger Vaquero. Most modern reloading data for this cartridge is found in the handgun section of reloading manuals.


.38-40 Winchester, Performance
Though introduced as an "all-around" cartridge, traditional sources suggest the .38–40 performs inadequately on deer. Ballistically, commercial 'cowboy' loads are similar to the much newer .40 S&W, sharing the same bullet diameter, bullet weight, and similar velocity. A limited number of 'hunting' loads are available commercially, which produce about 25% more muzzle energy than the more common target ammunition.


.38-55 Winchester
The .38-55 Winchester cartridge (actually .3775 caliber) was introduced in 1876 by Ballard. It was used by Marlin Firearms from 1875 on for various single-shot target rifles and their 1893 lever action rifle. It was later offered by Winchester in its Model 1894. Winchester continued to use the round in various rifles until about 1940, and also used it in a few commemorative editions of rifles since then. In addition, Marlin offered it in some 336s, and it was used in non-lever action rifles such as the Remington-Lee bolt-action.


.38-55 Winchester
A modernized version of the cartridge debuted in 1978 as the .375 Winchester, designed with higher pressures and to be used in modern firearms only. It is not safe to fire factory .375 Win ammunition in rifles chambered in .38-55, especially in older examples. The brass is very similar (shorter by approx. 1 mm), but using modern, higher pressure .375 loads in an older rifle could cause serious injury to the shooter.


.38-55 Winchester
The .38-55 is used to hunt black bear and deer at moderate ranges and is also used in cowboy action shooting side matches.


.38-56 WCF
The .38-56 Winchester Center Fire cartridge was introduced in 1887 by Winchester for the Winchester Model 1886, and was also used in the Marlin Model of 1895.


.38-56 WCF, Project and history
Production of Winchester Model 1886 rifles chambered in this cartridge ceased in 1910 due to lack of demand, and most commercial production of the cartridge itself ceased in the 1930s. New production loaded cartridges and unloaded brass cases are rare and are often created using reformed .45-70 brass. The cartridge was originally intended to outperform the similar .38-55 Winchester but in reality had very similar ballistics despite using more gunpowder.


.38-72 Winchester
The .38-72 Winchester, also known as .38-72 WCF is a rimmed, bottleneck centerfire rifle cartridge introduced in 1895 for the Winchester 1895 lever-action rifle.


.38-72 Winchester, Description and Performance
The original Winchester factory load consisted of a 275-grain (17.8 g) bullet at 1,480 ft/s (450 m/s). This straight-walled cartridge case was designed for black powder rather than smokeless powder.


.38-72 Winchester, Description and Performance
Besides the Winchester 1895 lever-action, the .38-72 WCF was chambered in the Winchester 1885 single-shot rifle.


.38-72 Winchester, Description and Performance
With the introduction of superior cartridges designed for smokeless powder, the .38-72 WCF became obsolete and was soon dropped as an optional caliber for the Winchester Model 1895 and 1885  Production of loaded cartridges by Winchester ceased in 1936.


.38/.45 Clerke
The .38/.45 Clerke (pronounced "clark"), aka .38/.45 Auto Pistol or .45/.38 Auto Pistol is a wildcat semi-automatic pistol cartridge developed by Bo Clerke and introduced in Guns & Ammo in 1963.


.38/.45 Clerke, History and design
It is essentially a .45 ACP case, necked down to .357, resulting in a cartridge similar in form to the earlier 7.65×21mm Parabellum and 7.63×25mm Mauser cartridges. It was created to be a low recoil target cartridge that would function reliably with multiple bullet types, FMJ to cast lead wadcutters without the feeding problems that straight walled pistol rounds sometimes exhibit. The cartridge can be used in standard .45 ACP magazines.


.38/.45 Clerke, Ammunition and reloading
.45 ACP cases can be resized to handload .38/.45 Auto cartridgesusing form and sizer dies still available from the RCBS Corporation, p/n 56468.


.38/.45 Clerke, Ammunition and reloading
Nearly any M1911 pistol and pistols of the same pattern can be converted to the .38/.45 cartridge with a replacement barrel, from a 38 Super barrel reamed out to .38/.45 dimensions. During the round's initial popularity, drop-in barrels were available from makers like Bar-Sto.


.380 ACP
The .380 ACP (9×17mm) (Automatic Colt Pistol) is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Moses Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case. It was introduced in 1908 by Colt, for use in its new Colt Model 1908 pocket hammerless semi-automatic, and has been a popular self-defense cartridge ever since, seeing wide use in numerous handguns (typically smaller weapons). Other names for .380 ACP include .380 Auto, 9×17mm, 9mm Browning, 9mm Corto, 9mm Kurz, 9mm Short, and 9mm Browning Court (which is the C.I.P. designation). It should not be confused with .38 ACP.


.380 ACP
The .380 ACP cartridge is also somewhat of a misnomer, as it does not strictly conform to normal cartridge naming conventions that are named after the diameter of the bullet. By standard naming conventions, the .380 ACP should be called a .355 ACP, as the bullet in the cartridge is .355 inches in diameter.


.380 ACP, Design
The .380 ACP cartridge was derived from Browning's earlier .38 ACP design, which was only marginally more powerful. The .380 ACP was designed to be truly rimless, and headspaces on the case mouth instead of the rim for better accuracy. These relatively low-powered designs were intended for blowback pistols which lacked a barrel locking mechanism, which is often required for any handgun firing a round more powerful than a .380 ACP.


.380 ACP, Design
Using blowback operation, the design can be simplified, and lowered in cost; a locking mechanism is unnecessary, since the mass of the slide and strength of the recoil spring are enough to absorb the recoil energy of the round, due to the round's relatively low bolt thrust. Blowback operation also permits the barrel to be permanently fixed to the frame, which promotes accuracy, unlike a traditional short recoil-operation pistol, which requires a tilting barrel to unlock the slide and barrel assembly when cycling.


.380 ACP, Design
A drawback of the blowback system is that it requires a certain amount of slide mass to counter the recoil of the round used. The higher the power of the round, the heavier the slide assembly has to be in order for its inertia to safely absorb the recoil, meaning that a typical blowback pistol in a given caliber will be heavier than an equivalent recoil-operated weapon. Blowback weapons can be made in calibers larger than .380 ACP, but the required weight of the slide and strength of the spring makes this an unpopular option.


.380 ACP, Design
Although the low power of the .380 ACP does not require a locking mechanism, there have been a number of locked-breech pistols chambered in .380 ACP, such as the Remington Model 51, Kel-Tec P3AT and Glock 42; all three being designed to be lighter than blowback-operated .380 ACP weapons. There have also been some relatively diminutive (blowback-operated) submachine guns, such as the Ingram MAC-11 and the Czech vz. 83.


.380 ACP, Users
The .380 ACP has experienced very widespread use in the years since its introduction (1908 United States and 1912 Europe). It was later adopted by the armies of at least five European nations as their standard pistol cartridge before World War II; Czechoslovakia (Vz.38), Hungary (FEMARU 37M), and Italy, all of whom used domestic designs, as well as The Netherlands and Yugoslavia, both of whom adopted the FN Model 1922. It was also used extensively by Germany, who captured or purchased hundreds of thousands of pistols in this caliber during World War II. Popular German built commercial models, such as the Walther PPK were very popular with German officers. The Italian Army used the Beretta M1934, but the Italian Air Force and Navy stuck with the 7.65mm/.32 ACP when they adopted the Beretta M1935.


.380 ACP, Users
While .380 ACP was considered to be a moderately powerful service pistol round before World War II when compared to the .32 ACP pistols it replaced, no nation retained it as a military service cartridge for very long after the war (when it was largely replaced by the more powerful 9×19mm Parabellum). It was widely used by police forces in Europe until the 1970s, when more powerful 9×19mm handguns began to replace it in this market as well.


.380 ACP, Users
It does find some use as a backup gun due to the generally small and easily concealable size of the weapons that chambered it (very few "mini pistols" are made in calibers larger than .380 ACP, and those few that are, are recent developments), and is popular on the civilian market as a personal defense round. The .380 ACP round is suitable for self-defense situations as a choice for concealed carry pistols. It was the round used in Defense Distributed's "Wiki Weapon" project to successfully 3D print a firearm.


.380 ACP, Performance
The .380 ACP is compact and light, but has a relatively short range and less stopping power than other modern pistol cartridges, depending on the load of the cartridge and manufacturer. .380 ACP remains a popular self-defense cartridge for shooters who want a lightweight or smaller pistol with manageable recoil. It is slightly less powerful than a standard-pressure .38 Special and uses 9 mm (.355) diameter bullets. The standard bullet weights are generally 85, 90, 95, 100, 115, and 120 grain, though between 80-100 grain is most common.


.380 ACP, Performance
The wounding potential of bullets is often characterized in terms of a bullet's expanded diameter, penetration depth, and energy. Bullet energy for .380 ACP loads varies from roughly 190 to 294 foot-pounds force (258 to 399 J). The table below shows common performance parameters for several .380 ACP loads. Bullet weights ranging from 85 to 95 gr (5.5 to 6.2 g) are common. Penetration depths from 6.5 to 17 inches (16.5 to 43.2 cm) are available for various applications and risk assessments.


.380 Long
The .380 Long [9.8 x 24mmR], also known as the .380 Rook rifle, is an obsolete centerfire rifle cartridge.


.380 Long, Overview
The .380 Long is a straight rimmed cartridge originally designed for use in rook rifles for target shooting and hunting game up to the size of smaller deer.


.380 Long, Overview
In addition to British munitions makers, the .380 Long was also made by DWM in Germany and a number of cheap European pistols were chambered in it. This cartridge is very similar to the .38 Long Colt and may have inspire the latter cartridge's development.


.380 Long, Overview
As with other rook rifle cartridges, the .380 Long was superseded as a small game hunting and target cartridge by the .22 Long Rifle. As a pistol cartridge, the .380 Long gradually lost favour to more modern rounds such as the .38 S&W.


.3ds
3DS is one of the file formats used by the Autodesk 3ds Max 3D modeling, animation and rendering software.


.3ds
It was the native file format of the old Autodesk 3D Studio DOS (releases 1 to 4), which was popular until its successor (3D Studio MAX 1.0) replaced it in April 1996. Having been around since 1990 (when the first version of 3D Studio DOS was launched), it has grown to become a de facto industry standard for transferring models between 3D programs, or for storing models for 3D resource catalogs (along with OBJ, which is more frequently used as a model archiving file format).


.3ds
While the 3DS format aims to provide an import/export format, retaining only essential geometry, texture and lighting data, the related MAX format (now superseded by the PRJ format) also contains extra information specific to Autodesk 3ds Max, to allow a scene to be completely saved/loaded.


.3ds, Structure
The format is based in chunks, where each section of data is embedded in a block that contains a chunk identifier and the length of the data (to provide the location of the next main block), as well as the data itself. This allows parsers to skip chunks they don't recognize, and allows for extensions to the format.


.3ds, Structure
The chunks form a hierarchical structure, similar to an xml DOM tree. The first two bytes of the chunk are its ID. From that value the parser can identify the chunk and decide whether it will parse it or skip it. The next four bytes contain a little-endian integer that is the length of the chunk, including its data, the length of its sub-blocks and the 6-byte header. The next bytes are the chunk's data, followed by the sub-chunks, in a structure that may extend to several levels deep.


.3ds, Structure
Below is a list of the most common IDs for chunks, represented in a hierarchical fashion depicting their dependencies:


.3ds, Shortcomings
It has been pointed out that, despite its popularity, the format may not be the most suitable for 3D data exchange. Some of the disadvantages mentioned are:


.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Winchester. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) reduced-velocity 10mm Auto cartridge which could be retrofitted into medium-frame (9mm size) semi-automatic handguns. It uses 0.40-inch (10 mm) diameter bullets ranging in weight from 105 to 200 grains (6.8 to 13.0 g).


.40 S&W, History
In the aftermath of the 1986 FBI Miami shootout, in which two FBI special agents were killed and five wounded, the FBI started the process of testing 9×19mm Parabellum and .45 ACP ammunition in preparation to replace its standard-issue revolver with a semi-automatic pistol. The semi-automatic pistol offered two advantages over the revolver:  increased ammunition capacity and increased ease of reloading during a gunfight. The FBI was satisfied with the performance of its .38 Special +P 158 gr (10.2 g) lead semi-wadcutter hollowpoint (LSWCHP) cartridge ("FBI load") based on decades of dependable performance. Ammunition for the new semi-automatic pistol had to deliver terminal performance equal or superior to the .38 Special FBI load. The FBI developed a series of practically oriented tests involving eight test events that they believed reasonably represented the kinds of situations that FBI agents commonly encountered in shooting incidents.


.40 S&W, History
During tests of the 9×19mm and .45 ACP ammunition, the FBI Firearms Training Unit's special agent-in-charge, John Hall, decided to include tests of the 10mm Auto cartridge, supplying his own Colt Delta Elite 10mm semi-automatic, and personally handloaded ammunition. The FBI's tests revealed that a 170–180 gr (11.0–11.7 g) JHP 10mm bullet, propelled between 900–1,000 ft/s (270–300 m/s), achieved desired terminal performance without the heavy recoil associated with conventional 10mm ammunition (1,300–1,400 ft/s (400–430 m/s)).


.40 S&W, History
The FBI contacted Smith & Wesson and requested it to design a handgun to FBI specifications, based on the existing large-frame Smith & Wesson Model 4506 .45 ACP handgun, that would reliably function with the FBI's reduced-velocity 10 mm ammunition. During this collaboration with the FBI, S&W realized that downsizing the 10mm full power to meet the FBI's medium velocity specification meant less powder and more airspace in the case.


.40 S&W, History
They found that by removing the airspace they could shorten the 10mm case enough to fit within their medium-frame 9mm handguns and load it with a 180 gr (11.7 g) JHP bullet to produce ballistic performance identical to the FBI's reduced-velocity 10mm cartridge. S&W then teamed with Winchester to produce a new cartridge, the .40 S&W. It uses a small pistol primer whereas the 10mm cartridge uses a large pistol primer.


.40 S&W, History
The .40 S&W cartridge debuted January 17, 1990, along with the new Smith & Wesson Model 4006 pistol, although it was several months before the pistols were available for purchase. Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. beat Smith & Wesson to the dealer shelves in 1990, with pistols chambered in .40 S&W (the Glock 22 and Glock 23) which were announced a week before the 4006. Glock's rapid introduction was aided by its engineering of a pistol chambered in 10mm Auto, the Glock 20, only a short time earlier.


.40 S&W, History
Since the .40 S&W uses the same bore diameter and case head as the 10mm Auto, it was merely a matter of adapting the 10mm design to the shorter 9×19mm Parabellum frames. The new guns and ammunition were an immediate success, and pistols in the new caliber were adopted by several law enforcement agencies around the nation, including the FBI, which adopted the Glock pistol in .40 S&W in May 1997.


.40 S&W, History
The popularity of the .40 S&W accelerated with the passage of the now-expired Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 which prohibited sales of pistol or rifle magazines that could hold more than ten cartridges, regardless of caliber. Several U.S. states, and a number of local governments, also banned or regulated so-called "high capacity" magazines. As a result, many new firearm buyers limited to purchasing pistols with a maximum magazine capacity of 10 rounds chose pistols in the .40 S&W chambering instead of smaller-diameter cartridges such as the 9x19mm (9mm Luger or 9mm Parabellum).


.40 S&W, History
The .40 S&W case length and overall cartridge length are shortened, but other dimensions except case web and wall thickness remain identical to the 10mm Auto. Both cartridges headspace on the mouth of the case. Thus in a semi-auto they are not interchangeable. Fired from a 10mm semi-auto, the .40 Smith & Wesson cartridge will headspace on the extractor and the bullet will jump a 0.142 inches (3.6 mm) freebore just like a .38 Special fired from a .357 Magnum revolver. If the cartridge is not held by the extractor, the chances for a ruptured primer are great.


.40 S&W, History
Smith & Wesson does make a double-action revolver (the Model 610) that can fire either cartridge via use of moon clips. A single-action revolver in the .38–40 chambering can also fire .40 or 10mm rounds provided it is equipped with correctly sized cylinder. Some .40 caliber handguns can be converted to 9mm with a special purpose-made barrel, magazine change, and other parts.


.40 S&W, Cartridge dimensions
The .40 S&W has 1.25 ml (19.3 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity.


.40 S&W, Cartridge dimensions
The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 406 millimetres (16.0 in), 6 grooves, ∅ lands = 9.91 ;mm, ∅ grooves = 10.17 mm, land width = 3.05 mm and the primer type is small pistol. According to the official C.I.P. guidelines, the .40 S&W case can handle up to 225 megapascals (32,600 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P.-regulated countries every pistol/cartridge combo has to be proofed at 130% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers. The SAAMI pressure limit for the .40 S&W is set at 241.32 megapascals (35,001 psi) piezo pressure.


.40 S&W, Performance
The .40 S&W cartridge has been popular with law enforcement agencies in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Brazil. While possessing nearly identical accuracy, drift and drop as the 9mm Parabellum, it also has an energy advantage over the 9mm Parabellum and .45 ACP, and with a more manageable recoil than the 10mm Auto cartridge. Marshall & Sanow (and other hydrostatic shock proponents) contend that with good jacketed hollow point bullets, the more energetic loads for the .40 S&W can also create hydrostatic shock in human-sized living targets.


.40 S&W, Performance
Based on ideal terminal ballistic performance in ordnance gelatin during lab testing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the .40 S&W earned status as "the ideal cartridge for personal defense and law enforcement". Ballistically the .40 S&W is almost identical to the .38-40 Winchester introduced in 1874, as they share the same bullet diameter and bullet weight, and have similar muzzle velocities. The energy of the .40 S&W exceeds standard-pressure .45 ACP loadings, generating between 350 foot-pounds (470 J) and 500 foot-pounds (680 J) of energy, depending on bullet weight. Both the .40 S&W and the 9mm Parabellum operate at a 35,000 pounds per square inch (240 MPa) SAAMI maximum, compared to a 21,000 pounds per square inch (140 MPa) maximum for .45 ACP.


.40 S&W, Performance
.40 S&W pistols with standard (not extended) double-stack magazines can hold as many as 16 cartridges. While not displacing the 9mm Parabellum, the .40 S&W is commonly used in law enforcement applications in keeping with its origin with the FBI. Select U.S. special operations units have available the .40 S&W and .45 ACP for their pistols. The United States Coast Guard, having dual duties as maritime law enforcement and military deployments, has adopted the SIG Sauer P229R DAK in .40 S&W as their standard sidearm.


.40 S&W, Performance
The .40 S&W was originally loaded at subsonic velocity (984.25 ft/s (300.00 m/s)) with a 180 grains (11.7 g) bullet. Since its introduction, various loads have been created, with the majority being either 155, 165 or 180 gr (10.0, 10.7 or 11.7 g). However, there are some bullets with weights as light as 135 gr (8.7 g) and as heavy as 200 gr (13.0 g). Cor-Bon and Winchester both offer a 135 gr (8.7 g) JHP and Cor-Bon also offers a 140 gr (9.1 g) Barnes XPB hollow-point.


.40 S&W, Performance
Double Tap Ammo, based in Cedar City, Utah, loads a 135 gr (8.7 g) Nosler JHP, a 155 gr (10.0 g), 165 gr (10.7 g) and 180 gr (11.7 g) Speer Gold Dot hollow-point (marketed as "Bonded Defense"), a 180 gr (11.7 g) Hornady XTP JHP, and three different 200 gr (13.0 g) loads included a 200 gr (13 g) Full Metal Jacket (FMJ), a 200 gr (13 g) Hornady XTP JHP and Double Tap's own 200 gr (13 g) WFNGC (Wide Flat Nose Gas Check) hard cast lead bullet; the latter specifically designed for hunting and woods carry applications.


.40 S&W, Case failure reports
The .40 S&W has been noted in a number of cartridge case failures, particularly in older Glock pistols due to the relatively large area of unsupported case head in those barrels, given its high working pressure. The feed ramp on the Glock .40 S&W pistols is larger than on other Glocks, which leaves the rear bottom of the case unsupported, and it is in this unsupported area that the cases fail. Most, but not all, of the failures have occurred with reloaded or remanufactured ammunition.


.40 S&W, Case failure reports
Cartridges loaded at or above the SAAMI pressure, or slightly oversized cases which fire slightly out of battery are often considered to be the cause of these failures, which are commonly referred to as "kaBooms" or "kB!" for short. While these case failures do not often injure the person holding the pistol, the venting of high pressure gas tends to eject the magazine out of the magazine well in a spectacular fashion, and usually destroys the pistol. In some cases, the barrel will also fail, blowing the top of the chamber off.


.40 Super
The .40 Super is a powerful automatic pistol cartridge developed in 1996 and introduced to the market by Triton Cartridge. The cartridge was co-developed by Fernando Coelho and Tom Burczynski.


.40 Super
It never attained mainstream success, Triton Cartridge folded, and supplies and support is now very limited.


.40 Super, History and design
In 1994 Triton Cartridge, an ammunition company based in upstate NY, released a cartridge called the .45 Super. Essentially, the .45 Super is based on a .451 Detonics case trimmed to .45 ACP length. Pioneered by writers Dean Grennell and the late Tom Ferguson, the .45 Super raised the performance level for .45 ACP-chambered autos beyond that of the .45 ACP+P and even the 10mm Auto.


.40 Super, History and design
With the availability of the strong .45 Super cartridge case, in January 1996 Fernando Coelho (president and founder of Triton Cartridge) and Tom Burczynski (inventor of Hydra-Shok, Starfire and Quik-Shok bullets) began work on a new, more radical cartridge. Based on a .45 Super necked down to .40 caliber, the new cartridge began to take shape.


.40 Super, History and design
Necking a .45 ACP to .40 caliber was nothing new. Before the public debut of the .40 S&W, Charles Petty, a well-known and respected writer, had already ventured into the bottleneck arena. His cartridge, called the "10mm Centaur", was based on a .45 ACP case necked to .40 caliber using 10 mm dies. Prior to that, Dean Grennell took .451 Detonics cases and necked them down to 9 mm, calling it the ".38/45 Hard Head".


.40 Super, History and design
Petty and Tony Rumore (Tromix) were major contributors in the initial load development for Triton’s new cartridge. During that time, Triton began closely examining the specific attributes of the cartridge (feed reliability, case strength, down-range ballistic performance, etc.). In order to maximize the performance potential and reliability of the new cartridge, it was decided to lengthen the cartridge case from .45 ACP (.898 in) to 10 mm (.992 in) length. By trimming .45 Winchester Magnum brass to 10 mm case length and necking them to .40 caliber, the .40 Super began to take final shape.


.40 Super, History and design
Working closely with Starline Brass Company, more testing was conducted on the cartridge case. These tests led to further improvements. A small primer pocket replaced the large primer pocket. This allowed the use of small pistol magnum or small rifle primers and helped control primer flow. The final improvement came with the increased thickness of the cartridge case wall from the web area up to the beginning of the shoulder. This created a cartridge case stronger than the .45 Winchester Magnum cartridge case.


.40 Super, History and design
The .40 Super cartridge case was designed for a balance of strength and powder capacity. To maximize bullet pull and overall feeding characteristics, the case has a neck length of .175 in. The shoulder angle is an optimum 25 degrees. The neck yields more precise bullet alignment than can be achieved using a cartridge with a shorter neck. This translates to increased accuracy. The pressure limit for factory .40 Super ammunition from Triton was 37,000 PSI, well below the strength limits of the cartridge case.


.40 Super, History and design
The .40 Super drives a 135 grain bullet to 1,800 feet per second while generating less chamber pressure than the Winchester 9 X 23. With a 200-grain bullet, the .40 Super delivers more foot-pounds of energy at 100 yards than the .45 ACP does at the muzzle.


.40 Super, History and design
The original plan was to market the .40 Super as the .40 SIG, the big brother to the .357 SIG. The cartridge was introduced in 1996 to Michael Bussard, the assistant to the president of SigArms, and he was interested in the cartridge for use in the P220 pistol. Safari Arms also produced a couple of barrels marked "Triton 10", presumably prior to Triton selecting the .40 Super moniker.


.40 Super, History and design
Initial prototype .40 Super brass actually had a headstamp that read, ".45 Colt" with the second batch of prototype cases stamped "45 WinMag". Starline Brass, the manufacturer of the .40 Super cartridge case, used .45 Colt forming dies and later the 45 Win Mag dies. Ultimately the headstamp was updated to read, "Triton .40 Super" and the previous large pistol primer pocket was changed to accept small rifle and pistol primers.


.40 Super, Ammunition and handloading
From a reloader standpoint, there was tremendous versatility in the .40 Super. Bullet weights on the market included: 125, 135, 150, 155, 165, 170, 180, 190, 200 and 220 grains. Loads were developed with a dozen powders. Small pistol magnum or small rifle primers could be utilized. Brass was available from both Triton and Starline Brass Company.


.40 Super, Ammunition and handloading
Many semi-automatic pistols can accommodate the .40 Super, especially those already chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge are the easiest to convert. This is accomplished by simply swapping out the .45 ACP barrel with the .40 Super barrel and upgrading the recoil spring system with a heavy duty spring. Existing .45 ACP magazines are utilized with no modifications.


.40 Super, Ammunition and handloading
Handguns converted to .40 Super include the S&W 4506, Glock 21, Glock 30, SIG P220, FNH FNP-45, FNH FNX-45, HK USP, Tanfoglio Witness and the 1911 Government Model (and its variants). Handguns set up for the .45 Super cartridge only need a barrel swap. Handguns chambered for the .400 Cor-Bon can have their barrels rechambered to .40 Super.


.40 Super, Ammunition and handloading
Factory-chambered 1911 handguns were introduced by STI. Barrel reamers were produced by Clymer Mfg. Barrels and conversions were available from Bar-Sto Barrels, Jarvis, Inc., Storm Lake Machine, Cylinder & Slide, Al’s Custom, Inc., Morris Custom, LaRocca Gunworks, and EFK Fire Dragon. Reloading dies are available from RCBS and Redding.


.40 Super, Current status
The .40 Super cartridge lost momentum when Triton Cartridge was sold and later closed. Double Tap Ammo and Underwood Ammo still offer loaded ammunition for the .40 Super. Today brass is still available from Starline Brass Company and DoubleTap. 1911 conversion kits or barrels are no longer available as of 2013, the last known source was Bar-Sto Precision Machine. Lone Wolf Distributors and RockYourGlock still offer the conversion barrel for a Glock 21 and you must use a Glock 21 10-round single-stack magazine in order for the ammo to feed correctly, a double-stack 13-round magazine will not feed reliably.


.40-50 Sharps
The .40-50 Sharps may refer to either of two mutually incompatible firearms cartridges, which were the smallest members of the line of cartridges in the Sharps family:


.40-60 Winchester
The .40-60 Winchester (or .40-60 WCF) is a rimmed, tapered centerfire rifle cartridge designed for use in lever action rifles by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1884.


.40-60 Winchester, Description and performance
The .40-60 Winchester is a centerfire rifle cartridge intended for 19th-century big-game hunting. Nomenclature of the era indicated the .40-60 cartridge contained a 0.40-inch (10 mm) diameter bullet with 60 grains (3.9 g) of gunpowder.


.40-60 Winchester, Description and performance
Winchester Repeating Arms Company necked down the .45-60 Winchester cartridge to hold a bullet with improved ballistics for the Winchester Model 1876 rifle. The lever-action Model 1876's advantage of faster loading for subsequent shots was eclipsed two years later by the stronger and smoother Winchester Model 1886 action capable of handling longer cartridges with heavier bullets.


.40-60 Winchester, Description and performance
The .40-60 and similarly short cartridges designed for the Model 1876 rifle faded into obsolescence as 20th-century hunters preferred more powerful smokeless powder loadings of cartridges designed for stronger rifles. Winchester production of .40-60 cartridges ended during the great depression.


.40-65 Winchester
The .40-65 Winchester (also called the .40-65 Winchester and Marlin) was an American rifle cartridge.


.40-65 Winchester
Introduced in 1887 for the Winchester Model 1886, and available in Winchester single shots and in the Marlin Model 1895, it was "a further effort to put more steam" in repeating rifle cartridges. In the modern era, the cartridge has gained favor for metallic silhouette shooting and Black Powder Cartridge Rifle matches where is serves as a low-recoil alternative to the common 45-70.


.40-65 Winchester
It was commercially available in black and smokeless varieties until around 1935, and can be handloaded by reforming .45-70 brass.


.40-65 Winchester, Nomenclature
The nomenclature of the period was based on several properties of the cartridge:


.40-72 Winchester
The .40-72 Winchester, also known as .40-72 WCF is a centerfire straight-walled rifle cartridge designed for black powder rather than smokeless powder. It was introduced in 1895 for the Winchester 1895 lever-action rifle.


.40-72 Winchester, Description and performance
The original Winchester factory load consisted of a 300-grain (19 g) bullet at 1,420 ft/s (430 m/s) or a 330-grain (21 g) bullet at 1,380 ft/s (420 m/s).


.40-72 Winchester, Description and performance
With the introduction of superior cartridges designed for smokeless powder, the .40-72 Winchester became obsolete and was soon dropped from production. Production of loaded cartridges by Winchester ceased in 1936.


.40-72 Winchester, Description and performance
Besides the Winchester 1895 lever-action, the .40-72 Winchester was chambered in the Winchester 1885 single-shot rifle.


.400 Cor-Bon
The .400 Corbon is an automatic pistol cartridge developed by Cor-Bon in 1997. It was created to mimic the ballistics of the 10 mm Auto cartridge in a .45 ACP form factor. It is essentially a .45 ACP case, necked down to .40 caliber with a 25-degree shoulder.


.400 Cor-Bon, History and design
Peter Pi, founder of Cor-Bon and the designer of the cartridge, explained his reason for developing the cartridge: "Velocity is the key to making hollowpoint bullets work. The added velocity assures that the hollowpoint will open up even if plugged with material. This reduces the risk of overpenetration and allows the action of the hollowpoint bullet to dump the available energy into the target."


.400 Cor-Bon, History and design
Pi said because he wanted the .400 Corbon to be easy for handloaders to make, he based the cartridge on the ubiquitous .45 ACP so that an ample supply of cases was readily available, gave the shoulder a 25-degree angle, and head-spaced it on the case shoulder rather than the mouth so that over-all-length is not critical and the bullet can take a tight roll crimp to avoid setback and to get a more efficient powder burn.


.400 Cor-Bon, Performance
Performance is on a par with the 10 mm, yet pressures are much milder. Factory ammo is loaded to +P .45 levels, but the lighter bullet weights make recoil comparable to .45 hardball loads. Felt recoil is a little sharper but still very controllable.


.400 Cor-Bon, Performance
Because of its relatively high velocity for a handgun round, the .400 Corbon offers a very flat trajectory, which in turn allows the firearms chambered for it more effective range. Ed Sanow also felt recoil was equivalent to 230 gr (15 g) hardball in .45 ACP. In addition, the bottleneck case can function better than a straight case with a wider variety of bullet shapes and sizes and allows the use of fully supported barrels.


.400 Cor-Bon, Performance
Ballistics fall somewhere between the .40 S&W and the 10 mm Auto. Unlike the 10 mm which operates at a SAAMI maximum of 37,500 psi, the .400 Corbon operates at 29,000 psi (although one source states that the pressure is 26,500 psi), much closer to the SAAMI maximum pressures for .45 ACP (21,000 psi), and .45 ACP +P (23,000 psi). SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure for 400 Cor-Bon is 35,000 psi.


.400 Cor-Bon, Performance
In 2008, Michael Shovel, then National Sales Manager for CORBON/Glaser, stated that Cor-Bon "submitted the 400 COR-BON to SAAMI and it was approved [in 2006]. Pressures for the 400 are in the 23,000 PSI range." The difference between SAAMI maximum average pressure is only 2,500 psi and identical to that of the .40 S&W (35,000 psi).


.400 Cor-Bon, Performance
The .400 Corbon is a versatile cartridge useful for target shooting, practical shooting competition, self-defense, and the handgun hunting of small and medium game. The loads with the lighter bullets are appropriate for small game. Handloaders have worked up safe loads using 180 gr (12 g) bullets at 1,250 ft/s (380 m/s) making it an adequate round for hunting some medium game at close distances.


.400 Cor-Bon, Performance
For practical shooting competitors, the .400 Corbon makes IPSC Major Power Factor of 175 and surpasses the IDPA Enhanced Service Pistol's Power Floor of 125,000 in most loads using a 5-inch barrel. The .400 Corbon also surpasses the Steel Challenge Shooting Association's stop plate's power actor floor of 120 and qualifies for metallic silhouette Big Bore Competition under IHMSA rules.


.400 Cor-Bon, Performance
According to Ed Sanow, the 135 gr (8.7 g). JHP penetrated 9 inches (230 mm) of ordnance gelatin and "equals the predicted stopping power of the 10mm 135-grain (8.7 g) JHP loads," and that the 165 gr (10.7 g). JHP "penetrates an ideal 12.3 inches (310 mm) of gelatin" and "should be a 92-percent stopper, per the Fuller Index."


.400 Cor-Bon, Ammunition and handloading
Factory-made ammunition is available from Cor-Bon in a variety of bullet weights and types: 115 gr (7.5 g) Glaser Safety Slugs; 155 gr (10.0 g) DPX; 135 gr (8.7 g) Pow'RBall; 130, 150, and 165 gr (10.7 g) tradition JHPs; and 165 gr (10.7 g) Performance Match; and is sold by major mail-order retailers.


.400 Cor-Bon, Ammunition and handloading
Many shooters, however, handload their own ammunition to save money. Fired .45 ACP cases can be resized and trimmed to handload .400 Corbon cartridges. New brass cases are manufactured by Starline Brass and are readily available directly from them and major mail order retailers. According to Starline Brass, "The primer pocket was changed from large pistol primer to small pistol/rifle primer in 12/00. Test results concluded no adverse affect [sic] from switching to small primer pocket. Cor-Bon is now recommending Win. small pistol works best and if using small rifle Remington 7 1/2 works the best."


.400 Cor-Bon, Ammunition and handloading
Lee Precision, Inc. offers a .400 Corbon 3-Die set. Redding Reloading, according to their catalog, offers custom made 3-die sets for the .400 Corbon. Lubricating of the bottleneck case can be avoided when starting with .400 Corbon cases by using a carbide .45 ACP sizing die before using the .400 Corbon sizing die. Using a five-stage progressive reloading press makes this less of a chore.


.400 Cor-Bon, Ammunition and handloading
Setback of the bullet in the case—which can cause excessive pressure—can be avoided by using a tight roll crimp and, if necessary, Corbin's Hand Cannelure Tool for jacketed bullets. Since the cartridge headspaces on the shoulder rather than the case mouth, a tight crimp will not cause headspace problems.


.400 Cor-Bon, Ammunition and handloading
Information on handloads for the .400 Corbon can be found online.


.400 Cor-Bon, Handguns and conversions
Les Baer offers both his Baer 1911 Premier II 5" and Premier II Super-Tac pistols either in .400 Corbon or as a .400 Corbon & .45 ACP dual caliber combination.


.400 Cor-Bon, Handguns and conversions
Nearly any .45 ACP pistol can be converted to utilize the .400 Cor-Bon cartridge with only a drop-in replacement barrel, and sometimes a heavier recoil spring (for 1911s this is usually an 18-20 lb. spring, although a few need a 22–24 lb. spring). Suitable recoil springs are easily installed when changing barrels and readily available from many gun parts suppliers, including Wolff Gunsprings. There is no need to buy new magazines, guide rods, or change extractors. Feed reliability with this cartridge improves with very stiff magazine springs, particularly in 1911 style pistols, as too light a magazine spring can cause nose dive jams when the magazine is fully loaded.


.400 Cor-Bon, Handguns and conversions
Because the .400 Corbon operates at much lower pressures than the 10 mm, modern 1911s can be converted to it without suffering the cracked frames and slide rails that plagued the 10 mm Colt Delta Elite. Since a .400 Corbon conversion virtually matches the performance of the 10 mm yet does not require purchasing another handgun, some call it the "poor man's 10 mm". Plus, one retains the versatility of easily switching back to .45 ACP whenever you desire.


.400 Cor-Bon, Handguns and conversions
The .400 Cor-Bon is one of the more useful of the current crop of .45 ACP offspring. There are faster rounds, but the .400 Cor-Bon is simply easy to get along with. You don't need extra-heavy springs or tricked-out guns for this round -- just drop a .400 Cor-Bon barrel in your favorite .45 and you are good to go.


.400 Cor-Bon, Handguns and conversions
As of July 4, 2008, the following companies offer .400 Corbon conversion barrels: Clark Custom Guns offers drop-in standard and compensated barrels for 1911s; EFK Fire Dragon offers them for 1911s, Glocks, Sig 200, HK USP, and the Springfield XD; Jarvis Inc. offers them for 1911s; King's Gun Works also offers them for 1911s; and Les Baer offers them for 1911s in National Match grade in 5" and 6-inch barrel lengths. Bar-Sto no longer offers them.


.400 H&H Magnum
The .400 H&H Magnum also known as .400 Holland & Holland Magnum is a belted rimless bottlenecked cartridge introduced by Holland & Holland. The cartridge was released together with the .465 H&H Magnum in 2003. It is based on the .375 H&H Magnum case.


.400 H&H Magnum, General information
The cartridge owes its development to hunters requesting Holland & Holland to develop a cartridge which would have increased power over the .375 H&H Magnum. The project was undertaken by Russell Wilkin, the technical director for Holland & Holland. The result was two cartridges: the .400 H&H Magnum and the .465 H&H magnum. The cartridge was launched in 2003 to the public in 2003 in the UK and Europe and became available in North America in 2008. It follows in a long line of illustrious big bore cartridges introduced by Holland & Holland, the last of which was the .700 Nitro Express.


.400 H&H Magnum, General information
The .400 H&H Magnum  is a modern rifle cartridge designed for the hunting large and dangerous game animals. The cartridge would be legal in countries which require a .400 minimum caliber for the hunting of dangerous game. It was engineered to provide dependable reliability in a tropical environment. The gradual tapering and moderate shoulder of the cartridge provides for reliable feeding and extraction of the cartridge.


.400 H&H Magnum, General information
Specifications of interest to reloaders include a standard magnum rim diameter of .532". Overall case length is 2.85" (the same as the .375 case), and the cartridge overall length is 3.50". Bullet diameter is .411" and factory loaded bullets are to be supplied by Woodleigh of Australia. These will be the same 400 grain Premium solid and Weldcore soft point bullets sold to reloaders and used in .450/400 NE factory loads. In addition, Hornady offers a 300 grain .411" Interlock bullet to reloaders. This bullet is intended for the .405 Winchester, and with moderate reloads it should be quite suitable for North American CXP3 game in the .400 H&H. And one could probably use .410" jacketed pistol bullets intended for the .41 Magnum revolver cartridge for low velocity, low recoil practice loads.


.400 H&H Magnum, Performance
The .400 H&H Magnum is in the same class as the .416 Rigby and the .416 Remington Magnum with the arguably slight advantage of better sectional density given bullet of equal weight. The typical 400-grain (26 g) bullet will have a sectional density of .338 for the .400 H&H Magnum vs. .330 for the .416 caliber cartridges. The .400 H&H Magnum shares the same caliber with several .400 cartridges from the turn of the 20th century such as the .400 Jeffery Nitro Express, the 405 Winchester and the series of .450/400 cartridges.


.400 H&H Magnum, Performance
Brass stock is available from Quality Cartridge. As of 2012 Holland & Holland and Mauser produce rifles of this caliber in Europe and Dakota Arms is the sole manufacturer of this rifle in the United States. Dakota Arms custom manufactures this caliber in their Model 97 Safari series. Bullets are available from different manufacturers such as Barnes, Hornady, Woodleigh and Kynoch. In 2010.


.400 Jeffery Nitro Express
The .400 Jeffery Nitro Express or .450/400 Nitro Express 3-inch is a medium bore, bottlenecked, Nitro Express cartridge designed by W.J. Jeffery & Co in 1902, intended for use in single shot and double rifles.


.400 Jeffery Nitro Express, Development
The W.J. Jeffery & Co developed the .400 Jeffery NE from the .450/400 31⁄4-inch Nitro Express, following extraction problems with the latter cartridge.


.400 Jeffery Nitro Express, Development
The .450/400 31⁄4-inch NE was recreated by loading the old .450/400 31⁄4-inch Black Powder Express with cordite, transforming a low-velocity deerstalking cartridge into a genuine big-game hunting round capable of tackling even the largest Indian and African game. The conversion was not initially entirely successful, under the increased pressures of the cordite loading the long neck could stick in the chamber causing the rim to pull off at extraction, a problem not encountered with the milder black powder loadings. To counter this, W.J. Jeffery & Co reduced the length of the case to 3-inches and moved the neck further forward, creating this cartridge, as such it was never loaded with black powder.


.400 Jeffery Nitro Express, Development
Unlike earlier .450/400 31⁄4-inch NE cases the .400 Jeffery NE was standardised on the .410 caliber bullets, renewed interest in the double rifles meant more bullets in this caliber were becoming available.


.400 Jeffery Nitro Express, Use
The .450/400 NE in both the 3-inch and 31⁄4-inch versions were extremely popular in Africa and India, prior to the introduction of the .375 Holland & Holland they were considered the best all-round African hunting caliber. Both cartridges were extremely popular in India with Maharajas and British sportsmen.


.400 Jeffery Nitro Express, Use
Karamojo Bell started his elephant hunting career with a Jeffery built .450/400 double rifle prior to moving to his famous .275 Rigby. Jim Corbett switched from a .500 Black Powder Express to a W.J. Jeffery boxlock double rifle in .400 Jeffery NE which he used along with a .275 Rigby.


.400 Jeffery Nitro Express, Use
In his African Rifles and Cartridges, John "Pondoro" Taylor stated the 3-inch and 31⁄4-inch .450/400 NE cartridges to be "the grandest weapons imaginable for all big game hunting" adequate for all African game in almost all conditions when used by an experienced hunter. He further stated "I derived greater pleasure from using the .400 than any other calibre; and no weapon behaved more successfully in my hands. I would happily finish the remainder of my career with a pair of them and nothing else-unless it was a third!"


.400 Jeffery Nitro Express, Use
Major Percy Powell-Cotton wrote the "Jeffery .400 ejector express rifle I first carried in my Abyssinian expedition is my favourite weapon for dangerous game. With all nickel-covered bullets it is excellent for head or heart shots at elephant. With the lead just showing at the nose they do good work on rhino and buffalo; whilst with half the lead exposed I do not think you can get a better weapon for lion."


.400 Jeffery Nitro Express, Use
Elmer Keith stated this cartridge would be his first choice when hunting brown bear in Alaska.


.400 Purdey
The .400 Purdey, also known as the .400 3-inch Straight and .400 Purdey Light Express 3-inch, is an obsolete rifle cartridge developed by James Purdey & Sons.


.400 Purdey, Design
The .400 Purdey is a rimmed straight walled centerfire rifle cartridge intended for use in single shot and double rifles. It fires a bullet of .405 inches (10.3 mm) diameter weighing 230 grains (15 g), driven by 47 grains (3.0 g) of cordite, at a listed speed of 2,050 feet per second (620 m/s).


.400 Purdey, History
In Britain, from the inception of breech-loading rifles there were a large number of straight black powder .40 in (10 mm) paper and coiled brass cartridges developed of varying case lengths from 2 to 31⁄4 inches. Around 1905, Purdey loaded the 3 inch brass cartridge with a light cordite load to create this cartridge. Unusually for a proprietary cartridge, the .400 Purdey was introduced as a "Nitro for Black" loading, typically a mild loading of smokeless powder for a Black Powder Express cartridge, carefully balanced through trial to replicate the ballistics of the black powder version.


.400 Purdey, History
In 1899 John Rigby & Company shortened the black powder predecessor of the .400 Purdey to 2.75 inches (70 mm) and necked it down to .358 inches (9.1 mm) to create the .400/350 Nitro Express which in turn later became the .350 Rigby No 2.


.400 Purdey, Use
The .400 Purdey was reasonably popular in India for deer, boar and even tiger, and was available in both double rifles and more reasonably priced Martini action sporting rifles. Whilst obsolete, cartridges can still be purchased today from manufacturers such as Kynoch.


.400 Taylor Magnum
The .400 Taylor Magnum is a rifle cartridge. It was derived from "a modified .505 Gibbs, necked down to 0.375 inches". The .408 Cheyenne Tactical and the .375 Cheyenne Tactical were later based on the .400 Taylor Magnum.


.400 Whelen
The .400 Whelen cartridge was developed by Colonel Townsend Whelen while he was commanding officer of Frankford Arsenal in the early 1920s. The cartridge resembles a .30-06 Springfield case necked up to .40 caliber to accept bullets manufactured for the .405 Winchester.


.400 Whelen, Design
Colonel Whelen asserted the very small remaining portion of the .30-06's 17° 30′ angled shoulder was likely to cause potentially dangerous headspace difficulties. The headspace issue has been widely discussed. Frankford Arsenal machine shop foreman James Howe necked down cylindrical brass available in the arsenal manufacturing process to form cartridges with a .458-inch-diameter (11.6 mm) shoulder to fit the chamber of his rifles. Experimenters had less success forming cartridges by enlarging the necks of .30-06 cartridges with .441-inch-diameter (11.2 mm) (or smaller) shoulders,  but could form brass from .35 Whelen cases.


.400 Whelen, Design
Quality Cartridge has manufactured unformed, cylindrical empty brass cases headstamped for this cartridge.


.400 Whelen, Performance
Griffin & Howe chambered custom-built rifles for this cartridge; and using neck resizing with cases carefully fire formed to the chamber in which the loaded cartridges were to be used, these rifles were reportedly very effective for killing elk, moose, and bear at ranges up to 400 yards (370 m).


.400/350 Nitro Express
The .400/350 Nitro Express, also known at the .400/350 Nitro Rigby, is a medium bore rifle cartridge developed by John Rigby & Company.


.400/350 Nitro Express, Design
The .400/350 Nitro Express is a rimmed bottlenecked centerfire cartridge originally designed for use in single-shot, bolt action and double rifles. It fires solid or soft point bullets of .358 inches (9.1 mm) weighing 310 grains (20 g) at 2,000 feet per second (610 m/s).


.400/350 Nitro Express, History
The .400/350 Nitro Express was developed by John Rigby & Co by necking down the .400 Purdey and was introduced in 1899. That same year Rigby approached the engineers at Mauser to make a special Gewehr 98 bolt action to handle this cartridge, its introduction in 1900 was the birth of the magnum length bolt action, paving the way for such cartridges as the .375 H&H and .416 Rigby. The magazines of these early magnum length Rigby mauser rifles were slanted to accommodate these rimmed cartridges.


.400/350 Nitro Express, History
At one time the .400/350 Nitro Express was one of the most popular and widely used medium bore cartridges for hunting in Africa, this popularity was in a large part a result of the excellent bullet design which gave uniform and dependable results.


.400/350 Nitro Express, Use
While the .400/350 Nitro Express was not intended for hunting dangerous game, it was successfully used for hunting all African game. John "Pondoro" Taylor used a single-shot extensively on lion and other African big game, stating in his African Rifles and Cartridges that this was a favourite rifle of his and the cartridge produced excellent penetration and overall performance.


.400/350 Nitro Express, Use
The later .350 Rigby No 2 uses the same cartridge case but fires a lighter projectile at higher velocities.


.400/360 Nitro Express
The .400/360 Nitro Express (23⁄4-inch) cartridges are a number of very similar, but not interchangeable, centerfire rifle cartridges developed by James Purdey & Sons, William Evans, Westley Richards and Fraser of Edinburgh, all at the beginning of the 20th century.


.400/360 Nitro Express, Design
The .400/360 Nitro Express cartridges are all rimmed, bottlenecked cartridges designed for use in single shot and double rifles. Whilst almost identical in appearance there were slight variations in both the cartridge dimensions, bullet weights and, with the Purdey cartridge, calibre.


.400/360 Nitro Express, Design
As is common with cartridges for double rifles, due to the need to regulate the two barrels to the same point of aim, each .400/360 Nitro Express cartridge was offered in only one loading.


.400/360 Nitro Express, Design, .400/360 Evans
The .400/360 Evans fires a .358 in (9.1 mm) calibre, 300 gr (19 g) bullet at a velocity of 1,950 ft/s (590 m/s).


.400/360 Nitro Express, Design, .400/360 Fraser
The .400/360 Fraser fires a .358 in (9.1 mm) calibre, 289 gr (18.7 g) bullet.


.400/360 Nitro Express, Design, .400/360 Purdey
The .400/360 Purdey fires a .367 in (9.3 mm) calibre, 300 gr (19 g) bullet at a velocity of 1,950 ft/s (590 m/s). These cartridges were usually marked .400/.360P or .400/.360B.


.400/360 Nitro Express, Design, .400/360 Westley Richards
The .400/360 Westley Richards fires a .358 in (9.1 mm) calibre, 314 gr (20.3 g) bullet at a velocity of 1,900 ft/s (580 m/s). Westley Richards also produced a rimless version of this cartridge, also firing a 314 gr bullet.


.400/360 Nitro Express, Design, 9x70mm Mauser
The 9x70mm Mauser is a German version of the Westley Richards cartridge which fires a lighter .358 in (9.1 mm) calibre, 217 gr (14.1 g) bullet at a faster velocity of 2,477 ft/s (755 m/s). The 9x70mm Mauser can be fired through rifles designed for the .400/360 Westley Richards, although this is rarely satisfactory as these rifles are usually regulated for a different loading.


.400/360 Nitro Express, History
All versions of .400/360 Nitro Express cartridges appeared at the beginning of the 20th century and were initially very popular for use in Africa and India.


.400/360 Nitro Express, History
The .400/360 Nitro Express cartridges gradually declined in popularity with the increased popularity of the magnum lengthed Gewehr 98 bolt action rifles, being supplanted by such cartridges as the .350 Rigby and the .375 H&H Magnum, whilst in European rifles, the 9x70mm Mauser was superseded by the 9.3×74mmR.


.400/360 Nitro Express, History
The .400/360 Purdey and the .400/360 Westley Richards cartridges can still be sourced today by manufacturers such as Kynoch.


.400/360 Nitro Express, Use
All versions of the .400/360 Nitro Express are suitable for use for hunting medium-sized game.


.400/360 Nitro Express, Use
In his African Rifles and Cartridges, John "Pondoro" Taylor wrote that the .400/360 Nitro Express cartridges "all killed game, but failed to satisfy."


.400/375 Belted Nitro Express
The .400/375 Belted Nitro Express, also known as the .400/375 Holland & Holland and the .375 Velopex is a rifle cartridge designed by Holland & Holland and introduced in 1905.


.400/375 Belted Nitro Express, Development
The .400/375 Belted Nitro Express was developed to compete with the 9.5×57mm Mannlicher–Schönauer, marketed in the UK and British Empire as the .375 Rimless Nitro Express 21⁄4 inch.


.400/375 Belted Nitro Express, Development
The cartridge is unique in that it was the first ever cartridge to use a belted rim. The addition of a belt to a rimless cartridge design provided the advantage of allowing for correct headspacing of highly tapered cartridges (an advantage of rimmed cartridges) and smooth feeding through magazine rifles (the advantage of rimless cartridges).


.400/375 Belted Nitro Express, Development
The .400/375 Belted Nitro Express almost died at birth, as in 1905 a Berlin gunmaker, Ottoman Bock, designed the 9.3×62mm to fit into the Model 1898 Mauser bolt-action rifle, this cartridge easily eclipsed both the 9.5×57mm and the .400/375 Belted NE. In 1912 Holland & Holland created the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum utilising the same caliber in a much larger belted case, and the .400/375 Belted NE faded from production.


.400/375 Belted Nitro Express, Development
Kynoch still manufacture .400/375 Belted NE ammunition with a lighter loading.


.400/375 Belted Nitro Express, References, Bibliography
This ammunition-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


.401 Winchester Self-Loading
The .401 Winchester Self-Loading (also called .401SL or .401WSL) is an American rifle cartridge.


.401 Winchester Self-Loading, Description and performance
Winchester introduced the .401SL in the Winchester '10 self-loading rifle as a supplement to the Winchester '07 and the .351SL in their offering of hi-power, self-loading rifles. The only chambering available in the Winchester Model 1910, the .401SL was used by France, Russia, and American company security forces in the First World War.