interchangeable calibers
Table of Contents
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to go over interchangeable calibers today. Our goal with this blog post is to go over some of the more common examples of caliber interchangeability one will encounter. While other examples may exist, we are mainly sticking to the most common examples and specifically avoiding ones which require additional hardware or tinkering. This means that examples such as moonclips for
.45 ACP use will not be included on this list. Without further ado, let’s go over some interchangeable calibers.
What Do We Mean by Interchangeable Calibers?
For the context of this blog, we are using the term “interchangeable calibers” to describe calibers which can be used in the same firearm. For this to happen, the firearm in question must be chambered in the larger or higher-pressure caliber. One or both of these features can apply depending on the calibers in question. For example,
.44 Magnum and
.44 Special are dimensionally different and have considerable differences in pressure. Simply put, we are going to be looking into and covering instances of when multiple calibers can be used interchangeably in the same firearm.
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.357 Magnum & .38 Special
Firearms chambered in
.357 Magnum are capable of shooting
.38 Special ammunition. The
.357 Magnum cartridge is physically longer than the
.38 Special cartridge, preventing it from being loaded into
.38 Special chambered firearms. Due to the fact that the
.38 Special is shorter than the
.357 Magnum, it can fit into cylinders and magazine tubes without any issues. The fact that
.357 Magnum chambered firearms such as revolvers and lever action rifles can accept
.38 Special means that shooters have access to more
affordable ammunition. Loadings for
.38 Special are generally cheaper than
.357 Magnum offerings, allowing end users to shoot their firearm more often and build an
ammunition stock of two potential calibers.
.44 Magnum & .44 Special
Similar to the relationship between the
.357 Magnum and
.38 Special, firearms chambered in
.44 Magnum can chamber and safely fire
.44 Special ammunition. The high pressure
.44 Magnum is one of the most prominent magnum handgun calibers, meaning that firearms built for the caliber are overbuilt for
.44 Special ammunition. The inverse is not the case as
.44 Magnum ammunition is incapable of being chambered in firearms chambered in
.44 Special. While both calibers tend to be a bit pricy, one can often find
.44 Special ammunition a bit cheaper than they can find
.44 Magnum ammunition. That being said,
.44 Magnum ammunition does tend to be a bit more prevalent and sees more support from
ammunition companies.
.45 Colt & .410 Shotgun Shells
A number of revolvers such as the Taurus Judge and Smith & Wesson Governor are able to accept both
.45 Colt and
.410 bore shotgun loadings. This compatibility comes from the length of the cylinders being able to support and accommodate both calibers. While bore diameters may be similar, other firearms in
.45 Colt will not accept
.410 shotgun shells due to differences in chamber dimensions. The aforementioned revolvers are also exempted from the NFA’s definition of a short-barreled shotgun (SBS) as they feature rifled barrels.
.460 Smith & Wesson, .454 Casull, & .45 Colt
Most firearms chambered in
.460 Smith & Wesson will be able to accept
.454 Casull and
.45 Colt ammunition. This is due to the fact that the
.460 Smith & Wesson exceeds the pressure of the two other cartridges. It should also be known that firearms chambered in
.454 Casull are capable of chambering and firing
.45 Colt ammunition. The
.460 Smith & Wesson’s parent case is the
.454 Casull, which in turn was derived from the
.45 Colt. The result of this lineage of parent cases is the fact that these types calibers all feature similar case dimensions. The calibers differ in terms of length and pressure, much like the relationship exhibited by other calibers such as
.44 Magnum and
.44 Special. Like similar cartridges, the larger and higher pressured cartridges will not work in their smaller counterparts.
.460 Smith & Wesson ammunition cannot be chambered in a
.454 Casull chambered firearm, just like a
.45 Colt chambered firearm cannot accept
.454 Casull ammunition.
5.56x45mm NATO & .223 Remington
One of the most common examples of interchangeability on the market comes in the form of the relationship between the
5.56x45mm NATO and
.223 Remington. The
.223 Remington served as the basis for developing the
5.56x45mm NATO, a fact which explains their nearly identical dimensions as far as projectiles and casings go. The biggest difference, however, is the fact that the
5.56x45mm NATO is a higher-pressure round than the
.223 Remington. This means that
5.56x45mm NATO chambered firearms are able to accept
.223 Remington ammunition. The use of
5.56x45mm NATO ammunition in a firearm chambered in
.223 Remington is ill-advised due to the increased pressure of the cartridge. While most firearms, regardless of caliber, are tested with overpressure loadings during the manufacturing process, a steady diet of
ammunition of this type is not recommended. Luckily for shooters, the number of
5.56x45mm NATO chambered firearms outweighs the number of firearms exclusively chambered in
.223 Remington. This means that most of the time, shooters will be able to safely shoot either
5.56x45mm NATO or
.223 Remington ammunition in their firearm without any worries.
.308 Winchester & 7.62x51mm NATO
Another common example of interchangeable calibers in the realm of rifles comes to us in the form of the
.308 Winchester and
7.62x51mm NATO. While the
5.56x45mm NATO cartridge features a higher pressure than its non-NATO counterpart, the inverse is true when it comes to
.308 Winchester and
7.62x51mm NATO. The
.308 Winchester cartridge features a higher pressure than the
7.62x51mm NATO. Due to this fact, one can safely and reliably shoot
7.62x51mm NATO out of most
.308 Winchester chambered firearms. Conversely, one should avoid shooting
.308 Winchester out of firearms chambered in
7.62x51mm NATO as the increased pressure can lead to potentially catastrophic damage to the firearm or user.
.22 Caliber Interchangeability
There are multiple examples of .22 caliber interchangeability. This possibility is particularly notable with
.22 Long Rifle chambered lever action rifles, like those made by Henry Repeating Arms. These firearms use tubular magazines and will effectively feed and chamber .22 Long and
.22 Short ammunition in addition to the designated
.22 Long Rifle. An example of interchangeability is also observable in the form of revolvers such as the convertible models of the Ruger Single-Six. These revolvers feature .22 caliber bores and are accompanied by two cylinders, one for
.22 Long Rifle and the other for
.22 Magnum. With a simple cylinder swap, one can switch between the two calibers and effectively employ them in the same revolver.
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Sighting Considerations
It should be known that one will need to prepare for variances in accuracy and effect on target when using different calibers than the one the firearm is designed for. Most users zero their firearms with the loading they are most likely to use. This can be due to the performance, reliability, and other factors of a chosen loading. Simply put, even when shooting the same caliber, one may experience differences when shooting different loadings than the one the firearm is zeroed for. Variances can be caused by a number of things such as the powder charge, velocity, and bullet weight to name a few. These differences can become more prominent and obvious when shooting different calibers. For example,
.38 Special loadings will generally be much slower than their
.357 Magnum counterparts. This means that, depending on zero distance and loadings, one may see drastic differences in their point-of-aim/point-of-impact when shooting some
.38 Special loadings. Typically, these loadings will impact lower than the intended point of aim if used in something like a lever action rifle in
.357 Magnum.
This is not to say that people should rezero their firearms for each and every caliber and loading that they shoot. One should simply be aware of the fact that variances can and will occur in most cases and that one should be prepared to familiarize themselves with their holds and shooting these other calibers. In some cases, variances can be minimal. In other cases, the variances can be more substantial. Variables such as specific traits of the loadings and calibers in question paired with the specific features of a firearm can influence potential variances.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, interchangeable calibers allow end users to get more use and versatility out of their firearms. The ability to shoot different calibers out of one firearm allows an end user to access a wider selection of potential
ammunition to use. By having more options, a shooter can select a loading more conducive to their shooting needs and preferences. If a
.357 Magnum lever action owner wanted to have an optimal suppressed shooting experience, they can shoot some naturally subsonic
.38 Special ammunition. One can also benefit from the simple fact that they have a larger
ammunition pool available to them with the ability to shoot more calibers, making it easier to stock
bulk ammunition for their favorite firearms. Whether you are after one of the calibers on this list or something else, we here at True Shot Ammo have you covered. As always, happy shooting.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options.
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