What’s the difference?

joneb said:

Yep here we go again What is the difference between a caliber and a cartridge?
I will start with this, for the .30 caliber there are over thirty cartridges chambered in this caliber.
I don't mean to be a stickler but some here that profess to have knowledge don't seem to get this simple fact.

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1. 
   cal·i·ber
   /ˈkaləbər/
   
2. 
   
3. 2.
   the internal diameter or bore of a gun barrel.

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car·tridge | \ ˈkär-trij
, dialectal ˈka-trij \




: a case or container that holds a substance, device, or material which is difficult, troublesome, or awkward to handle and that usually can be easily changed: such as
a tube (as of metal) containing a complete charge for a firearm and usually an initiating device (such as a primer)

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....as you can see, two completely different things. When used in firearms conversation, one is a measurement and one is a object. Then there is also the name that describes the firearm platform a specific cartridge is intended for. Many times these get interchanged, but most of us know what the other is referring to. A simple thing really that many folks like to complicate.

I got me some 9mm calibers in my clips.

It's a fantastic journey. Enjoy.

joneb said:

Yep here we go again What is the difference between a caliber and a cartridge?
I will start with this, for the .30 caliber there are over thirty cartridges chambered in this caliber.
I don't mean to be a stickler but some here that profess to have knowledge don't seem to get this simple fact.

Click to expand...

Personally I would like to think that many are new people that just don't understand that the hole at the end of a 45-70 is the same basic hole as in the end of a 45acp...or.....on and on and on.

I know people that actually like to shoot but are not "gun nutz" that just figured out there are different weights in 9mm bullets, and I had a long conversation on the different weights on bullets. 223 was the topic we used with some bullets being twice as heavy as others, and why you would want to use it, that went into what you have to have to use it, that went into twists, that went into........you get the idea.

Many "casual" gun people are just clueless to so much of this, we went back to my reloading area, I grab a box of 308 rifle bullets and he says you use that in the 308, but you don't have a 308, your right, but you use it in about every other military round out there, and the few that don't you use a 311. And see all these different weights, different guns like the different weights.

This went into the oh this is why you reload. And do you save money thing.....

I would like to think that it is just not common for many of the people shooting to know, they really don't understand much past it says 9mm on the box and 9mm on the side of my gun, so I know they should work together.