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Caliber Conversions
Z-Day comes, you're running for your life and you're running low on ammo - now what?Knowing what calibers you can shoot in your weapon might just save your life when you are forced to scrounge up ammo in some backwoods country store. In addition, it is possible to buy inserts that convert a weapon into another caliber. They're generally blocks that lock into the chamber, and are most often for manually operated weapons.
Revolver Ammunition Conversions:
Here's a quick guide to SAFE conversions that you can use if you scrounge up something you've never seen before.
(NOTE: These are posted RIGHT TO LEFT.
You can shoot anything to the RIGHT of the caliber you have, but NOT to the LEFT.)
.22 LR (Long Rifle) shoots .22 Long, .22 Short .22 CB Cap
.327 Federal Mag shoots .32 H&R Mag, .32 S&W Long, .32 S&W Short
.357 Mag shoots .38 sp +P, .38 special, .38 Colt
.44 Mag shoots .44 special, .44 Russian
.454 Casull shoots .45 Colt shoots .45 Schofield
So if you have a .44 Special Revolver, you CAN shoot .44 Russian (to the right), but NOT .44 Mag (to the left).
Note that ALL of these are Revolver calibers. One thing that revolvers give you, that auto pistols do not, is the ability to shoot low velocity ammo without jamming up your gun. You cannot do this with an auto pistol as the ammo must be powerful enough to cycle the slide. That doesn't mean there is no loss of performance, there is! But having low powered ammo is your revolver is better than switching off to your melee weapon because you're out of ammo.
Single Shot Rifles & Multi-Barrelled Derringers:
Single Shot rifles and multi-barrel Derringers, like the Bond Arms Defender (pic left) can do this too. Both of these let you switch barrels to shoot different calibers. It is a simple process to swap barrels in these types, but not something you can do immediately while under attack or on the run. You may have to mill the barrel to fit and you must re-zero upon installation.
Most of the Single Shot Rifles and the Bond Arms have dual caliber barrels like .410/.45 Colt and will shoot both the .410 shotshell and .45 Colt. This is NOT TRUE for ALL .410 shotguns - in fact it will destroy them!
An interesting weapon suited to swapping calibers is the Thompson-Center series of rifles and pistols. Instead of being produced in a number of calibers, the single shot pistols are simply made to swap barrels very easily, allowing a staggering variety of calibers to be used on the same base frame. The weapon even has a setting to change firing pin type. One of the best features of this weapon is that the sights are zeroed to the individual barrel, allowing one to swap calibers without losing zero. While a bulky option, few are easier to convert than these pistols.
Lever Action Rifles:Lever Action Rifles can shoot lower powered ammo reliably and are the best of both worlds. Usually they can only shoot the next caliber to the left due to issues with how the rifle's action works - i.e. the physical length of the round. Also, using the "shorter" round, Lever Action Rifles can sometimes hold 1-2 more rounds in their magazine.
For example: The Marlin 1894C rifle (pictured) in .44 Mag will shoot .44 Specials with no problem, but not .44 Russian. The Russian is too short to work through the action, but could be fired single shot. Also, the 1894C is spec'd out to hold 10 rounds of .44 mag, but will hold 11 rounds of .44 special.
Auto Pistol Conversions:
With auto pistols, you usually have to do some modifications to the gun in order for it to work properly using low power ammunition. This usually includes changing out the recoil springs, magazines & barrels.
With that said, here are some SAFE auto pistol conversions for you ONLY for those desperate and extreme times:
.38 Super shoots 9mm Parabellum
7.62.25mm Tokarev shoots .30 Mauser
9x18 mm Makarov shoots .380 acp
10mm shoots .40 S&W
These are not recommended in any but extreme circumstances.If you have a 7.62x25mm CZ52 Pistol (pictured), it WILL reliably shoot the .30 Mauser ammo. I am not sure about the Russian Tokarev pistol.
Also, the 9x18mm Makarov will shoot the .380 acp ammo with moderate reliability, but only for short period of time without damage to the pistol. Do NOT use .380acp in your 9x18mm pistol if you don't absolutely have to.
Lastly, I have fired .40S&W in a 10mm 1911 style pistol with some success. Modifications where only having changed out to a lighter recoil spring. This is very tough on the brass, which expands too much to reload easily. A curious matter is how the 1911 fires a cartridge so short. The answer is that the 1911 has a firing pin of redundant length, allowing it to strike the primer even when out of normal reach,
Hope this helps.
Good luck & good Zombie hunting. If you do use them, reliability will be questionable after the first shot as more than likely the gun will jam.
Ironhand
John_234 |
Latest page update: made by John_234
, Apr 23 2010, 11:55 PM EDT
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Keyword tags:
ammo ammunition caliber pistol
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| byates | Extreme measures | 4 | Nov 8 2010, 11:46 PM EST by kalani_bg | ||
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Thread started: May 25 2009, 5:27 PM EDT
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There are also some rifle calibers that can fire other calibers. Following the methodology from the article
35 Whelan shoots 338-06 shoots 30-06 shoots 270 Winchester shoots 25-06 What they have in common is rim size and headspace, they all shoot different size bullets so the smaller bullet will "rattle" down the barrel giving lousy accuracy. You could probably hit a barn, from the inside with the doors closed. With luck you would have reloadable brass after firing the undersized bullets. |
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| White76Knight | Not exactly the same but... | 8 | Jul 23 2010, 9:38 PM EDT by Filadog | ||
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Thread started: Jul 23 2010, 11:14 AM EDT
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I have heard that it is unsafe to fire 9mm ammo that is intended for SMG out of a 9mm pistol. Exactly the same case, primer and bullet, but loaded hotter (ie - to a higher pressure).
First of all, is this so? Second, is it therefore unsafe to fire 9mm pistol ammo out of a 9mm SMG? Or will it simply lack the power to cycle the action. Third, what would be involved in modifying an SMG to fire the less powerful pistol ammo, and would it thereafter be unsafe to fire the full power 9mm SMG ammo?
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Keyword tags:
ammo ammunition caliber pistol
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| byates | Caliber conversion by changing barrels | 1 | Dec 13 2009, 3:18 AM EST by John_234 | ||
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Thread started: Dec 12 2009, 11:27 PM EST
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With most pistols it is easy to change barrels and calibers. Here are a couple of online dealers for conversion barrels
http://www.handgundirect.com/items-6373_Handgun_Barrels.aspx http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Products.aspx?CAT=241 Stopping power chart for those interested http://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/2009/12/08/stopping-power-of-body-armor-diagram/
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Keyword tags:
ammo ammunition caliber pistol
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