[url=http://www.bungie.net/7_How-dangerous-is-an-Ammunition-Cook-off-Firearms-K/en/Forum/Post?id=62378197]Gun Guide I: How Dangerous is an Ammunition Cookoff[/url] [url=http://www.bungie.net/7_Gun-Guide-II-Corrosive-Ammo-and-Suppressors/en/Forum/Post?id=62457302&path=1]Gun Guide II: Corrosive Ammo and Suppressors[/url] *Disclaimer*This is general knowledge. I am not, nor do I claim to be an expert on any of these things*Disclaimer* Welcome back to another Gun Guide. I am your host, Kernel Kraut. Today we will be talking about interchanging cartridges in firearms, and revolvers. These two are closely connected, and I hope I can provide some insight into these subjects today. Interchanging Cartridges: Okay, generally, mixing ammunition types is a bad f­u­c­king idea. Do not do it, unless some very specific criteria are met. So what does that mean exactly. Well it means do not load a cartridge into a gun that is not designed for that cartridge. .454 casull in a .410 shotgun? Bad idea, don't do it. 9mm +P in a gun rated for 9mm? Do not f­u­­c­king do it. There are a few exceptions to the rule. Primarily in the pistol caliber range, as well as rimfire. Lets talk about rimfire first. Now, we all know about the venerable old .22 long rifle. A workhorse of a cartridge used for small game hunting, plinking, and in some cases self defense. But .22lr is not the only one in it's class. Standing by the side of .22lr is .22 short, and .22 long These rounds are all very similar, with the primary difference being case length. .22 short is of course short and stubby, .22 long is longer than short but shorter that .22lr. But are these rounds interchangeable? In some firearms, yes. Something chambered in .22lr will shoot anything below. But something chambered in .22 short will not shoot anything above. It's a pretty simple concept, it's down to what you can reliably chamber. You can even shot .22 short in a ruger 10/22, but it has extraction and cycling issues. Guns you can reliably shoot all three in are lever actions, a few semi-autos, revolvers, etc... Generally manual action works just fine, and issues only arise when you move to an automatic action. Now for pistols. Only shoot what your gun is built for. If you have a gun chambered in 9mm, do not use 9mm +P in it. "But it's the same round!" you yell defiantly. No, it's not. 9mm +P is the same diameter yes, and looks the same, yes, but it's loaded much hotter than standard 9mm. +P means extrended pressure and is the most popular choice for self defense. Anything rated for +P can shoot the standard cartridge, but not vice versa. With that out of the way, there are a few adaptations of cartridges. Which I guess in the end is similar to +P. One comes to immediate mind since I own one. Back in the early 1900s Colt created the .38acp (Automatic Colt Pistol) Short there after .38 super was created. .38 super is dimensionally identical to .38acp. In fact you can load .38 super catrides with .38acp reloading data. But, a gun chambered in .38 acp cannot safely shoot .38 super. But a gun in .38 super can safely and reliably shoot .38acp. It's all down to chamber pressure. .38 super has significantly more pressure than .38acp. Shooting .38 super out of a gun chambered in .38acp could result in catastrophic failure, ie. Exploding. To segway into Revolvers. Revolvers are the ultimate guns for interchanging cartridges. From the Taurus Judge line, to .44 mag or .357 mag. There is even a revolver that will shoot many different .38 pistol caliber cartridges So, lets talk about them. Revolvers: The modern revolver isn't your Granddaddy's Wheel gun. We've moved out of the era of a police issue .38 special and into the real of .357 mag and the infamous .44 mag. Of course production revolvers come in many different formats. From the venerable .22lr to the terrifying .500 S&W mag. Revolvers have come a long way from Samuel Colt's Navy cap and ball. To elaborate on the previous section in terms of interchanging cartridges. A revolver chambered in .357 mag will shoot .38 spcl since .357 is an elongated .38 spcl. Same goes for .44 mag and .44spcl. They are essentially the same cartridges save for case length and thus powder charge. The rule is still in effect. Do not shoot .357 mag out of a .38 spcl. That's asking for trouble. As for the Judge series from Taurus. They are chambered in .45 long colt (historic ass round. I'd love to have something in .45lc) But the cylinder is elongated to allow for the use of .410 shot shells. Yes, that's right, a revolver that can shoot shotgun shells. From what I've heard it's pretty inaccurate past 5 feet, but it's become a very popular snake gun, and it's also brought .410 back into some sort of popularity. More and more ammo plants have been making .410 self defense load just for the Judge line. Now, what are the dangers of revolvers, wait, they are dangerous to the shooter, right? Yes, yes they are. Improper grip of a revolver can result in serious injury. The cylinder is not seated flush to the barrel. When you fire a revolver some of the gas escapes out the side of the cylinder. This gas is essentially shaped into a blade. If you have your fingers near that cylinder gap, depending on caliber, you could lose that finger. So when shooting revolvers, do not put your fingers anywhere near that cylinder. Can a Revolver be suppressed? Generally, no, with a few exceptions. Like I said, there is an area where the gas escapes at the cylinder. As stated in last week's gun guide, the escaping gas is what causes the loud noise of the gun being shot. Most revolvers have this gap that allows gas to escape. There is one exception that I know of, there may be more. It's ironic really, it was designed in 1895 by a man named Leon [b]Nagant[/b]. It has a very unique action where when the trigger is pulled the cylinder is seated against the barrel forming a seal. Gas cannot escape that seal between the cylinder and the barrel. Because of this the Nagant revolver can be suppressed. Also because of this the Nagant revolver has a goofy ass [url=http://i858.photobucket.com/albums/ab144/55_grain/Jun_19_2011_285.jpg]cartridge.[/url] The bullet is actually seated inside the casing. Like I said, goof ass cartridge. Oh, about that revolver I mentioned that can shoot many different .38 caliber cartridges. It's called the Medusa and it's very rare and very expensive. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaNoDR1MMCQ]It has 25 different cartridges it can shoot.[/url] Well that concludes today's Gun Guide. Feel free to ask questions that you may have and I will answer them as best I can. Also, I am taking ideas for next week's gun guide. I was thinking Battle Rifles, but I am not entire sure. Feel free to make a suggestion.