Astra A-75 will shoot both 9MM and .40?

[Kentucky]

My brother-in-law has an Astra A-75 which he says will shoot both 9MM and .40. I was not aware that this was possible. According to him it is semi-auto in .40 but not in 9MM. I can understand how in a .40 pistol the firing pin might still strike the primer on a 9mm cartridge and fire it, but is this safe and is it good for the pistol? My main interest is rifles and although something tells me strongly that this is wrong I dont know enough about these Astra's to say for sure. For autoloaders I am stuck on 1911's

 

[hksw]

Have seen a few 9mm shot through .40SW guns in error. Worst was the casing (from the extrator ring forward) expanding to the chamber diameter. In all cases, the slide did not cycle as there was not enough recoil force. I' would imaging accuracy and velocity would be poor also as the bullet is undersized as it goes down the barrel.

So, IMO, at best, a single shot.

 

[ftierson]

Of course you shouldn't shoot 9x19mmP through a .40S&W, and you certainly can't do the latter...

Astra made the A75 in 9x19mmP, .40 S&W and .45 ACP. The 9mm and .40 S&W slides and barrels fit the smaller frame, and the .45ACP fit a larger frame.

Astra sold magazines for the 9x19mmP and .40 S&W versions that worked in both the 9x19mmP and .40 S&W guns (holding 9mm in the 9mm and .40 S&W in the .40 S&W)...

The magazines are marked (near the back side of the side of the magazine near the base) ASTRA 75 CAL 9 MM on the left side and ASTRA 75 CAL .40 S&W on the right side. In other words, the same magazine is used for 9x19mmP (but in the gun chambered for 9x19mmP) and .40 S&W (but in the gun chambered for .40 S&W).

I'm guessing that your B-I-L saw the mags and assumed something not true...

I have both a 9x19mmP A75 and a .45 ACP A75...

They're great guns...

Forrest

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

The only way this would work is by swapping .40 and 9mm-chambered barrels and maybe magazines between the same gun. Somehow I have a feeling that is not what we are talking about here.

I too have seen 9mm fired in a .40 chamber. It can fire if the case slips up on the breechface the right distance to be centered over the firing pin, and the extractor claw will hold the cartridge in place against the firing pin blow. The case will bulge at the mouth, the undersized bullet will rattle down the bore like a musket ball (in fact, much worse) and will be lucky to hit anything beyond a few feet, and you will only get that one shot because there will not have been enough recoil generated to cycle the action.

The bottom line is that you should NEVER shoot the WRONG ammunition in ANY firearm.

 

[Snowdog]

How ridiculous! This reminds me of a buddy of mine that claimed his Taurus PT-99 9mm would fire .22LR. When I asked if he managed to find a Ciener .22LR slide or something of the ilk to mate to the frame, he informed me he was still using the existing slide, but could only fire .22LRs when aiming at a steep upward angle. I simply didn't know what to say as I had no idea folks could be so absent minded.

 

[hemiram]

Your brother in law is confused, his gun will not fire a 9mm, or at least it's not supposed to. It is a great little gun, I have a .40 and it shoots great. Not exactly pleasant in .40, but not nearly as bad as a couple of other tiny pistols are. The .40 and 9mm use the same mags. I got two with my gun, bought two in Ebay, and then I was in a local gunshop and they had a box of "closeout" stuff and there were two more mags, in nickel for 9.99 each. I snatched them up.

Hopefully he won't screw his A-75 up.

I am going to buy a 9mm as soon as I can. Hopefully in SS, they do exist.