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Questions tagged [ammunition]

Questions about the material expended in projectile weapons (typically guns).

1 vote
2 answers
445 views

357 Magnum vs 38 Special +P single shot weapon

Have a single shot short barrel weapon of unknown caliber. Was told it was handmade for either 38 Special +P or 357 Magnum. How safe is it to shoot 357 Magnum if made for 38 Special+P ? Maybe handload ...
John M's user avatar
  • 11
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

What is the standard barrel length used for calculating the velocity of ammunition?

If you buy a box of ammunition, it usually says the muzzle velocity on the box in addition to the bullet weight (or you can find the information online). Given that bullet velocity depends on the ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

Why would one type of 22lr ammo be louder than another?

I was doing some target 22 target practice and had three different brands of ammo, supersonic Thunderbolt 35 grain, Aguila 40 grain subsonic and Aguila 60 grain subsonic. The Thunderbolt was the ...
Charlie Brumbaugh's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is it safe to fire .38 cartridges in a 38.40

I have an old Marlin 38.40 lever action rifle and am having trouble finding ammo for it. Can I fire modern .38 cartridges in this rifle?
Kevin's user avatar
  • 39
9 votes
3 answers
2k views

Do shotgun shells containing mixed shot sizes have any applications in hunting?

A friend of mine has a reloading shotgun machine in his basement and often makes specialty loads upon request. He is able to make shotgun shells that have mixed shot sizes of various weights. Are ...
Ken Graham's user avatar
  • 9,609
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Disposing of live ammunition

While out hiking today, I came across a spot where someone had fired off a couple dozen shotgun shells, then left the spent cartridges lying around. Dealing with those was simple (put them in my ...
Mark's user avatar
  • 2,998
13 votes
4 answers
150k views

Is it safe to fire 38 caliber rounds in a 357 magnum pistol?

I have a .357 revolver. The rounds have a significant amount of kick. When I go out target shooting the kick makes it unpleasant to shoot before I have gone through a full box of ammunition. ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
16 votes
4 answers
7k views

What is the difference between a rifle and a shotgun?

This is one of those things, that seems like it has just always been in my knowledge. A recent comment about rifles on a question about shotguns got me thinking, it really is not all that simple. ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
6k views

What material are the shells I just purchased made of?

I purchased a box of shotgun shells in the United States. On the box it says they are for pheasant. But it does not say if the shot is lead, steel or some other nontoxic material. We know from the ...
James Jenkins's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
330 views

Are there performance differences between lead and lead-free ammunition?

According to this article (full disclosure: I wrote it) lead-based ammunition is a well-known threat to Condors and other scavengers, and may have negative effects on humans who unknowingly ingest ...
Lost's user avatar
  • 19k