What is a caliber? What are the calibres of weapons

For the fifth century, one of the parameters characterizing the power of firearms is caliber. What is a caliber, anyone who is more or less versed in the military sphere will be able to answer - this is the size of the ammunition and the diameter of the barrel. The French origin of the term, literally meaning `` how many pounds '', can tell an interesting history of parameterization in the arms industry. There is also an opinion that the basis of the word is Arabic: "Galib" means "form". The barrel diameter of modern small arms can be characterized in accordance with four classification systems. For example, the Saiga smooth-bore hunting carbine is the 36th caliber, .410 caliber, .41 caliber or 10.25 mm caliber.

English system

Two centuries ago, both artillery systems and small arms used round ammunition. Cores for guns and mortars were made of cast iron, and in some cases were carved out of stone. Bullets for rifles and pistols were cast from lead. England, as a leading industrial power, distributed not only advanced technologies in metal processing, the latest weapons systems, but also an original system of measures and weights. The British principle of measuring the internal diameter of the barrel was common in all armies of the world. The standard was the English pound (453.59 g) of lead (for guns) or cast iron (for guns) and the ammunition made from it. So, a core weighing three pounds of cast iron served as ammunition for the corresponding gun - a three-pound gun (76 mm according to modern classification). And the number of bullets made from one pound of lead placed in the barrel of the gun explains what the caliber of small arms is. For a barrel of a larger diameter, accordingly, a smaller amount of ammunition was obtained. The smaller the number of markings, the larger the diameter of the barrel. The fourth caliber is significantly larger than the thirty-sixth.

Nowadays, this measuring system is used only for smooth-bore hunting weapons. Some foreign ammunition is equipped with the inscription Gauge, standing next to the number - gauge. Gage is a measured lead ball, which a few centuries ago determined the caliber of weapons.

In the West, measured in inches

After 1917, Russia switched to the metric system of measures, and in the countries of the British Commonwealth and in the United States, the diameter of the barrel is still measured in fractions of an inch. In Russia, the parameters are considered in millimeters: the caliber of the AK-47 assault rifle is 7.62 mm. In the New World, this weapon is called the AK-47 of the thirty caliber, that is, thirty hundredths of an inch. Moreover, in the UK and the USA, different designation principles are applied. Zero in the English-speaking world is omitted, the separator of tenths and hundredths of a decimal is not a comma, but a period. In England, they will write about the diameter of the bore of the legendary AK with a .300 caliber, and in the USA with a .30 caliber in thousandths and hundredths of an inch, respectively. In colloquial speech the same picture: the familiar to us machine will be called an automatic carbine of the 300th or 30th caliber. The most widely used weapons are the following calibers.

What is a rifle caliber

Arms firms use two systems for measuring the diameter of the bore. In Russia, the states of the former USSR, as well as in the armies of our former satellites in Asia and Africa, the caliber is determined by the distance between opposing rifling (smallest distance). In countries of the Alliance, the caliber is the distance between the bottom of the rifling (largest diameter). So, the most common type of small arms in the West, the M16 rifle , has NATO caliber of 5.6 mm by NATO standards, and 5.42 mm by domestic standards.

Caliber is a parameter that determines the type of guns and small arms. The length of the barrel is measured in calibers. If 130/55 is written in the gun’s description, this means that the gun’s caliber is 130 mm, the barrel length is 55 calibers - 7150 mm. If the barrel length is less than 30 calibers, then the gun is a howitzer, more is a gun. In small arms, the same principle. Rifles have a barrel length of 70 calibers, carbines - 50. The domestic AKM assault rifle has a cartridge caliber of 7.62 mm and a barrel length of 54 calibers. Therefore, this type of weapon is a carbine with the ability to conduct automatic firing. Automatic AK-74 caliber 5.45 cartridge has a barrel length of 76 calibers. According to the generally accepted classification, this is an automatic rifle. And the term "machine" was coined for ideological reasons.

A large machine gun or a small gun?

The countless variety of samples of small arms for military and civilian purposes according to the size of the barrel channel is conventionally divided into three groups:

• small caliber - less than 6.5 mm - sports and special weapons, as a rule, rimfire cartridges;
• normal caliber - from 6.5 mm to 9 mm - the most common type of small arms;
• large caliber - from 9 mm to 30 mm - machine guns for arming technical equipment and special weapons.

  

Small arms, as a rule, have a barrel diameter of up to 30 mm. With 30 mm small-caliber artillery begins. Ammunition for small arms is ammunition, for artillery - shells. There may be exceptions to this classification. So aviation weapons with a caliber of 23 mm are called a cannon, and shells are made for a heavy American sniper 20 mm rifle. In the special literature, products with a caliber of 30 mm are classified as small arms. Devices that absorb recoil after a shot, characteristic of artillery systems, this type of automatic weapon does not have.

The main caliber of hunters

This term, of course, does not apply to the field of small arms. The main caliber is the largest guns, which formed the basis of the power of artillery warships. The larger the caliber of the guns, the more powerful the ship. The situation with small arms is slightly different: a large caliber is not always convenient. Only a specialist can figure out the variety of modern guns and classification systems. In marking the parameters of smooth-bore samples, the archaic English system of measures is still used. What is a caliber for a big game hunter? It is a matter of life and death. You can compare the caliber of smoothbore hunting rifles with the metric measurement system in the following table.

Civilian models of small arms throughout the world are produced in the range from 4th to 36th. In Russia, the most common hunting calibers are the twelfth, sixteenth and twentieth. It should also be borne in mind that each weapon manufacturer has its own specifics for the manufacture of the barrel. Even with such serious arms concerns as Izhmash and TOZ, the 12 gauge of the barrel channel has a difference of almost a millimeter.

Twelfth caliber

The 12-caliber gun today is the most popular among hunters, although in previous years it was not very common. This is a very powerful weapon. The target can be hit at a distance of up to 35 meters. By virtue of its versatility, it is used in fishing for any kind of game - from squirrels to moose and bear. Shot from a gun with an eight-millimeter buckshot is equivalent to nine shots from a 32-caliber pistol.

Renaissance smoothbore

In the seventies of the last century, smoothbore guns began to return to military service, first as a weapon of self-defense, and then as equipment for combat units. Many weapons experts believe that the most effective melee weapon (up to 50 m) is a tactical shotgun that provides a fire density no less than an automatic weapon. Ammunition smoothbore guns have a significant stopping effect. Most common among police shotguns is 12 gauge.

In some countries, smoothbore guns are classified as assault weapons and are armed not only with law enforcement forces, but also with special units. Shotguns of this caliber are equipped with US marines guarding embassies abroad. The 12-gauge gun is universal and allows the use of various types of ammunition: from rubber bullets to special devices that throw `` cats '' on the roofs of houses. Designed with the ability to conduct automatic fire. The best example is the 12-shot Protecta assault rifle manufactured by South Africa.

Sixteenth caliber

Lighter in impact - 16 gauge. This type of guns in Soviet times was most widespread due to the mass production of Tula gunsmiths. Nowadays, domestic manufacturers, focusing on the foreign market, practically do not produce rifles of this caliber. Hunting rifles are made in Italy and France. The weapon is lighter than the twelfth, but more powerful and cheaper than the twentieth. Very often, samples of weapons of this caliber are pump-action without a butt. 16 gauge is popular with security personnel, although some hunters call it "dying."

Professionals Choice

20 gauge is mainly used by professional traders. It has less lethal force than the first two options. The weight of the ammunition is 10-12 grams less than that of 12 caliber. The main advantage is less weight, which is not the last value for long trekking. The 20 gauge received a second life with the advent of new Magnum cartridges with a fraction weight of up to 36 grams. Owners note a significantly lower recoil force with the same weight of ammunition and the comfort of using such weapons.

Reviews and tips experienced

Which caliber to choose depends on the shooter himself. There is no definite answer. The choice depends on several factors: the quality and size of the gun, type of ammunition, fishing conditions, type of game and dexterity of the shooter. It is clear that you should go to big game with powerful weapons. Regarding any model, there are arguments and counterarguments. For example, a controversial opinion causes 20 gauge. Reviews about him are diametrically opposed. For some, it is very pleasant to have powerful and light weapons, while others do not see the point of overpaying for ammunition. Moreover, there are lightweight models of the twelfth, and domestic weapons of the twentieth caliber do not gain much in weight. Some do not like the strong recoil of rifles with a large caliber, this is especially noticeable with several consecutive shots during the autumn flight of the bird. In addition, the weapon must be carried on hands for a long time and thrown up quickly. When hunting from the approach, the twelfth is not the best option.

Go to the duck

Less popular are rifles of the 24th and 28th calibers. In Russia, they have not been produced since the forties of the last century. For this specific weapon, small-shot cartridges for duck and hare are intended. Hunting small game with similar guns requires considerable skill and accuracy. The owners of these rifles note the excellent accuracy of the battle and significant savings in the case material. Small-caliber rifles when shooting produce significantly less noise. However, such products are quite rare and it is difficult to pick up ammunition.

Pneumatics

Hunting with pneumatic weapons is gaining popularity. 5.5 mm caliber is produced by many domestic and foreign gunsmiths. Pneumatic weapons before firing require prior pumping of the tank. In the West, this system was called Pre Charge Pneumatics, abbreviated PCP. The pistols use a replaceable cartridge with compressed air.

Caliber 5.5 is used when hunting a bird, including wild goose. Experienced hunters with pneumatics go on small game: hare, groundhog, fox. This weapon is designed for accurate and accurate shooting. Air rifles should be well shot; to increase efficiency, they are equipped with expensive optics and bipod. The use of a sound moderator will nullify the already quiet sound of a shot. In case of a miss, you can use the second attempt.

Other smoothbore weapons

Hunters are offered smoothbore guns of 32 and 36 caliber. The thirty-second is designed for a similar cartridge rifled combat weapons. Also used in sports samples. The 36th came into use in our country with the start of production of the Saiga self-loading smoothbore carbine under the unusual ammunition - the 10.25x76 magnum cartridge. This weapon is used for amateur and commercial hunting, as well as fighters of some special forces and security organizations in Russia and Kazakhstan. The eighth gauge is used for special weapons firing syringes with sleeping pills for euthanizing cattle and for catching large animals in the wild. 4th caliber have signal and starting pistols. In Russia, a four-shot rifle of this caliber was developed for commercial hunting under the Selezen-4 brand, but after the release of a small series it was discontinued.

And one more caliber

Some today are trying to find the answer to the question of what is 13 gauge. We answer. This is not a sample of small arms, but the largest arms store in Moscow and the region. '' 13 caliber '' directly cooperates with many arms brands worldwide and carries out wholesale and retail sale of all types of hunting, sports, traumatic weapons and ammunition for them.