a ripple in time and gun history

[Zanad]

I was thinking about what would happen if a gun or caliber was
invented/adapted out of order.

for example what would happen if the united states somehow adopted the 7.62x39 or 6.8spc instead of the .30 carbine for use in the m1 carbine during WW2. Would russia adapt the .223/556 in the AK platform?

how would that effect cartriges that came out later such as .308 or .223/556 or your favorite modern caliber?




(the .223/556 imo would not even be considered becasue the US was looking for a reduced recoil .30 cal carbine round)

 

[NOLAEMT]

well the ruskies switched from the 7.62X39 to the 5.45X39 due to the US adoption of the 5.56 NATO round. What that has to do with the price of rice in China, I do not know.

 

[russ69]

Like most things, guns and cartridges get "invented" due to a perceived need or future perceived need. If you were watching carefully you would have noticed that from the start of the smokeless powder era, bore diameters have been getting smaller decade by decade, all the way until current day. The firearm designs have followed this trend.

 

[yeti]

If the Indians had WMDs this would all be moot.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Um, they do, and so do the pakis....

 

[Oyeboten]

I wonder if the Calibers of the major Military Arms, have gotten as small as they will? Or, if they have any smaller to go..?

 

[oldfool]

what is the smallest rifle caliber bullet of all time ?
they ever do one smaller than 17 ?

 

[Sam1911]

what is the smallest rifle caliber bullet of all time ?
they ever do one smaller than 17 ?

Yes.

http://14caliber.com/

I also seem to recall a .12 somewhere, but I haven't found it yet. Ahhh... http://www.saubier.com/smallcaliber/eichelbergerinterview.html
A discussion of .14s, .12s, and even a .10"!

Not sure where this thread is going?

 

[oldfool]

thread ain't going nowhere that I can see, so thought I might as well ask an idle curiosity question

thanks !

 

[Tommygunn]

.... for example what would happen if the united states somehow adopted the 7.62x39 or 6.8spc instead of the .30 carbine for use in the m1 carbine during WW2. Would russia adapt the .223/556 in the AK platform?

Well, for one the M-1 Carbine would have had a better round and might have made a much better rear echelon weapon!!!
The Russkies actually did "copy" the 5.56mm. round after we introduced our AR series of rifles in Vietnam.
Hard to say all of what would happen ...... I sorta think U.S. Grant and George Armstrong Custer might have appreciated Thompson SMGs more than the guns they had .... but that's stuff of imagination only.