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Authors: Anne Wingate
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loaded with steel shot.
What does caliber mean? Caliber, which is used to describe weapons other than shotguns, has to do with the nominal diameter of the barrel (hence of the ammunition) expressed in hundredths of an inch; in real life, there are some discrepancies, but this is another of those areas I would not attempt to discuss in fiction without first talking with a gunsmith. Thus, a .38 revolver has a barrel .38-inch in diameter. A .30-caliber rifle fires bullets .30-inch in diameter. Magnum used in a description of a firearm refers not to the caliber but to the firepower of the propellant used; however, normally a magnum firearm is a slightly different caliber from the closest caliber of regular firearm—thus, you have .357 magnums which can fire .38 ammunition, but don't try to fire .357 magnum ammunition in a .38 revolver; it will fit the chamber and cylinder, but the firing mechanism and the barrel aren't meant to withstand a magnum load. However, .45-caliber ammunition cannot be used in a .44 magnum firearm at all, nor, of course, can .44 magnum ammo be used in a .45-caliber firearm. In general, it is extremely dangerous to attempt to fire anything in any firearm other than the ammunition designed to fit it. Even though in some cases ammunition may appear to fit, it may actually damage the barrel and/or firing chamber irreparably or even cause an explosion.
Some calibers of guns and ammunition, such as the 9mm, are
measured in millimeters rather than in inches. This measurement format, however, remains relatively uncommon in American-made civilian firearms, although it is frequently encountered in European-designed weaponry and in military firearms.
Sometimes, ammunition and the weapons that use that ammunition are described by a name that refers both to the caliber and to the year that specific type of ammunition was first used. .30-30 ammunition was first used in 1930; .30-06 (in speech, this is called thirty-ought-six) was first used in 1906. Where weapons seem to be the same caliber but the ammunition is not interchangeable, the difference usually has to do with such things as the overall length of the cartridge and/or the explosive force of the charge, as in the case of the .22 short, the .22 long, and the .22 long rifle ammunition, which in most but not all guns can be used interchangeably.
How can you tell whether any given ammo can be used in any given firearm? If the weapon is yours and you bought it new, the manufacturer's instructions will tell you. Otherwise, ask someone knowledgeable. By the time you're into that type of question, you've reached the point where you need a good reference book exclusively about firearms, or even better, a good gunsmith who will patiently answer questions.
The number of lands and grooves (which of course is identical, as each two lands are separated by a groove and each two grooves are separated by a land) and the direction of twist cannot possibly be addressed in this book; firearms examiners have immense reference books containing this information. Short tables for hundreds of the more common firearms appear in American Ammunition and Ballistics by Edward Matunas, which is listed in the bibliography. If it is not in your library, you can obtain a copy of it through interlibrary loan.
More Information Sources
Obviously, this is only the bare beginning of an outline about weapons. If you intend to get at all technical in your fiction, you would be well advised to buy several good reference books—at least one current one such as The Shooter's Bible, which appears annually, and at least one on historical firearms. Michael Newton's Armed and Dangerous: A Writer's Guide to Weapons, published by Writer's Di-
gest Books, is especially useful, as it is designed for the writer rather than for the police officer or forensics technician.
Firearms at the Scene
What firearms evidence should be collected at the scene of the crime? What can be determined from what is
What does caliber mean? Caliber, which is used to describe weapons other than shotguns, has to do with the nominal diameter of the barrel (hence of the ammunition) expressed in hundredths of an inch; in real life, there are some discrepancies, but this is another of those areas I would not attempt to discuss in fiction without first talking with a gunsmith. Thus, a .38 revolver has a barrel .38-inch in diameter. A .30-caliber rifle fires bullets .30-inch in diameter. Magnum used in a description of a firearm refers not to the caliber but to the firepower of the propellant used; however, normally a magnum firearm is a slightly different caliber from the closest caliber of regular firearm—thus, you have .357 magnums which can fire .38 ammunition, but don't try to fire .357 magnum ammunition in a .38 revolver; it will fit the chamber and cylinder, but the firing mechanism and the barrel aren't meant to withstand a magnum load. However, .45-caliber ammunition cannot be used in a .44 magnum firearm at all, nor, of course, can .44 magnum ammo be used in a .45-caliber firearm. In general, it is extremely dangerous to attempt to fire anything in any firearm other than the ammunition designed to fit it. Even though in some cases ammunition may appear to fit, it may actually damage the barrel and/or firing chamber irreparably or even cause an explosion.
Some calibers of guns and ammunition, such as the 9mm, are
measured in millimeters rather than in inches. This measurement format, however, remains relatively uncommon in American-made civilian firearms, although it is frequently encountered in European-designed weaponry and in military firearms.
Sometimes, ammunition and the weapons that use that ammunition are described by a name that refers both to the caliber and to the year that specific type of ammunition was first used. .30-30 ammunition was first used in 1930; .30-06 (in speech, this is called thirty-ought-six) was first used in 1906. Where weapons seem to be the same caliber but the ammunition is not interchangeable, the difference usually has to do with such things as the overall length of the cartridge and/or the explosive force of the charge, as in the case of the .22 short, the .22 long, and the .22 long rifle ammunition, which in most but not all guns can be used interchangeably.
How can you tell whether any given ammo can be used in any given firearm? If the weapon is yours and you bought it new, the manufacturer's instructions will tell you. Otherwise, ask someone knowledgeable. By the time you're into that type of question, you've reached the point where you need a good reference book exclusively about firearms, or even better, a good gunsmith who will patiently answer questions.
The number of lands and grooves (which of course is identical, as each two lands are separated by a groove and each two grooves are separated by a land) and the direction of twist cannot possibly be addressed in this book; firearms examiners have immense reference books containing this information. Short tables for hundreds of the more common firearms appear in American Ammunition and Ballistics by Edward Matunas, which is listed in the bibliography. If it is not in your library, you can obtain a copy of it through interlibrary loan.
More Information Sources
Obviously, this is only the bare beginning of an outline about weapons. If you intend to get at all technical in your fiction, you would be well advised to buy several good reference books—at least one current one such as The Shooter's Bible, which appears annually, and at least one on historical firearms. Michael Newton's Armed and Dangerous: A Writer's Guide to Weapons, published by Writer's Di-
gest Books, is especially useful, as it is designed for the writer rather than for the police officer or forensics technician.
Firearms at the Scene
What firearms evidence should be collected at the scene of the crime? What can be determined from what is
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