Dumb question

[David B]

Hi everyone,

Dumb question of the week...
What caliper are P38s, Lugers and MP40s?
Thanks,

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, no such thing as a dumb question! I assume you mean calibre? They all take the standard 9mm pistol cartridge known as "9mm Pist Patr 08".
Cheers, Ade.

[David B]

See, I can't even spell it
Thanks for the info Ade.

[Gene]

Or here in the US, caliber

[David B]

So thats where I got it from, but in NZ we speak 'Queen's' English, so Ade would be right

Would a 9mm have more power than say, a .303 (7.62mm(?))?
Surely a K98 would have more power than a MP40...

Edited - K98 or 98k? Im Hoplees

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, a 9mm bullet, being a pistol cartridge, is far less powerful than say a British .303 rifle (7.7mm) round or the German 7.92mm rifle round. So a Mauser K98 is a more powerful weapon with a far greater range than the MP40. Hope this helps you?
Cheers, Ade.

[Brian M]

so as not to confuse you, there are several types of 9mm ammunition. the correct type for these guns is the 9mm x 19mm (9mm Lugar). there is also a 9x17 (kurz .380acp), 9x18 (Makarov), and 9x21 cartridge, but none of these will work.
Bri

[Brian M]

Ade is correct as well with the statement that the rifle cartridges are much more powerful.
the size in diameter of the projectile in no way will relate to more power, it is in the amount of charge behind the bullet. a rifle cartridge contains more powder and a rifle is designed for a much higher pressure in the chamber than a pistol would be.the end result is a much faster and more accurate projectile with much more knock down power.
Bri

[Matt Weber]

I was just going to add to what Brian just said. Here in the USA we call the 9mm, "9mm Luger". The real caliber is 9X19. The original designation for this caliber is 9mm Parabellum. The pistol now commonly know as "the Luger" was originally named the Pistola Parabellum, and was chambered to fire this newly made up caliber.
Other 9mm rounds are of couse as Brian stated the .380 round, which is 9X17. The other 9mm round is the 9X18, which is commonly called the 9mm Makarov here in the US.

As for rifle rounds, they are generally smaller diameter than the pistol rounds. There are exception of course! Like the 7.65mm pistols (.32ACP).
During WWII the Germans used the 7.92X57. The British used the .303. The Americans used the .30 cal (.30-06). The Russians used 7.62X54. The Japanese used 6.5mm and also 7.7mm. All of these rounds are very simular in diameter. The German 7.92 being the largest, and the Jap 6.5mm being the smallest. However the big difference in these rounds was the size of the shell. The American .30-06 round for instance, had a smaller diameter, but large shell (more powder!), and great range, and accuracy. Most modern rifles use a smaller diameter with a larger shell. The Americans use .223 (5.56mm) round! Most NATO countries use the 7.62NATO (.308). I like the Nato round, and even have an H&K rifle that shoots it.

Hope this info helps you out. I know that gun calibers are confusing sometimes! Especially when they call the same round several different names, like the 7.65mm round.
Now are you ready for Shotgun guages??

Matt

[David B]

Thanks for the help guys!
Matt, your right, its very easy to get confused
Im not going any where near shotguns
Thanks again everyone!

[Matt Weber]

Your staying away from Shotguns!! But Duck season starts in just 2 days!! I just re-supplied all my ammo, and scouted around the lake last night, and I'm all pumped up and ready to go! I'm going for a male woodie!

Matt

[David B]

I dont know when duck season starts here, hunting is not my thing really, I'm a target shooter

[Dez H]

Hi everyone

While we are on the subject of rifle rounds I thought I would jump in here with this question. Is there a difference between .308 Winchester and 7.65mm NATO style ammo? Some say yes, some say no. I realise it is not really a question related to the forum but I thought someone might know.


Regards

Dez

[Steiner]

I want to add that even in the "luger" 9 mm there were differences. During WW2 the 9 mm patronen for pistols and the MP 40 were different. MP - patronen were more powerfull and that was also indicated on the boxes (that is was only for MP40).
The use of these patronen could damage a pistol.

Mehr sein als scheinen

[Matt Weber]

Dez,

The answer is "No". 7.62 Nato is the same as .308, which is sometimes known as .308 Winchester. It is all the same stuff though.

Steiner,
You are correct, they did have more powerful rounds for the SMGs. However this was simply putting more powder into the round. The round itself was not different at all, and could be safely fired from a P38 or luger.
If you buy 9mm ammo today, you can find it will usually be 115 grain or 125 grain. The 125 grain will have more power, but there is no difference in the round, and both can be fired from the same gun.

Matt