Caliber Commonality...Maybe not the best idea

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C

CZ223

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Or, why I own lots of guns in lots of different calibers.:evil:
Every time I start to reload for a different caliber I wonder why can't I just settle on one and be done. Why do I have handguns in 380, 9mm, 40 S&W, 357 sig, 357 Mag, 38 special, 10mm and 45 acp? Why do I have dies for another half dozen or so handgun cartridges as well? Why do I have 5 Ar-15's and and two AK type rifles and a half dozen other rifles chamber in everything from 204 to 308? Wouldn't I be better off with just one handgun caliber and and one or two rifle calibers? The answer has become abundantly clear recently and the answer is a resounding HELL NO.

As I said, I reload but I also buy some ammo. Recently, as you all know, ammo has become very scarce, as have reloading components. 223 ammo became impossible to find very quickly and doubled in price when you could find it. The same was true of 9mm ammo and the components for both calibers. Everything else followed shortly after but other calibers could be found. Around here 45 acp was the last to dry up so when I saw it I bought it. I have never had a hard time finding 7.62x39 at a decent price so I have been buying it right along. When I go to Wal-mart and find 380 or 40 S&W, I buy it because I have guns that shoot it. If I only owned a 9mm and a 223 I would have been SOL.

I know this goes against the grain for some of you. What do you guys think? Before I get blasted for not being prepared, I was. I had several hundreds rounds of each caliber and a a couple thousand rounds for the 45 and the 223. I also had and still have over 20K 22 caliber bullets etc. etc. etc. In fact I had so much that I felt comfortable selling some of it off at inflated prices and buying back as the shelves fill up again.:D
 
Many shooters have advocated narrowing the chambering range of a collection to just the few basic (9mm and .45acp, .223 and .308 or 30-06, 22 LR). But I've gone the other way and I'm glad I did. Most of that stuff became scarce very quickly after Sandy Hook.

I can tell you there is every bit as much .257 Roberts ammo (zilch, most often) and 7mm Rem Mag (usually a few boxes of something viable) in the gun stores around here as there was pre Sandy Hook. The same can't be said for any of the handgun rounds I shoot, but then, there are way fewer different handgun rounds than rifle rounds, so with handguns it's much more problematic to diversify away from the stuff everyone buys.
 
Among many others I have every caliber our military and NATO uses.
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Wow, that's a lot of calibers. Where are you getting your 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 40mm, 57mm, and 76mm from? How are you getting by the "destructive device" if over .5" laws for your guns?

And I bet those 105mm, 5", and 155mm artillery shells are EXPENSIVE!
 
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For what you spend on various guns to shoot all that different ammo you could stock up on a heck of alot of one type of ammo and/or reloading componants instead. To each their own, but unless the other cartridges offer some significant advantage over what I already have, I'll stock up on ammo rather than expand my cartridge selection. If I get an additional weapon, it'll either duplicate what I've already chosen and be a backup, or else add a significant new capability.

In common semi auto handgun cartridges the differences between 9mm, .40S&W & .45acp aren't great enough when using good ammo IMO to have more than one. My choice is 9mm and I stocked up last spring before the latest panic. I use to have lots of gun in many chamberings, with little ammo for most. I now have far fewer guns in a handfull of chamberings with lots of ammo. As I'm a shooter and not a collecter, and guns are useless without ammo this way works lots better, especially these days.
 
It amazes me how fast handgun ammo flew off the shelf, but what is even more incredible is the fact that I could find 30-30 and 30-06 the entire time. I have not wanted for either cartridge, at any time I could find 125s thru 180 gr cartridges. .22 lr on the other hand is still a random phenominon. Good thing I prefer .22 WMR!
 
I agree with the OP. I have diversified and expanded recently and am glad I did. Best purchase was 9mmMAK which I got for a song, and I can find plenty of ammo around here. The more calibers I have, the better I feel lately. In 5 years that may change but I doubt it.
 
When I mention an "addition" 1st words out of the wife's mouth -
U GOT Dies, & Powder for that ?
& Whats it gonna cost to add that to the reloading bench. SO I have a limited selection
Odd, she didn't quibble when I got her a 20ga 11-87 for her B-day. I don't reload for that

I was lucky - Assistant mgr of a Cabelas told me last spring to start stalking up on supplies. He knew those large Gov. contracts were coming & how many HG's & AR's he'd been selling. Then Colorado & Sandy Hook & the Ammo buying binge hit.
 
While I have a...variety...of calibers and ammo for all but one, I haven't been able to get any range time for a while now. I also have reloading supplies for most of my needs. Now, if I could wedge in some more time for reloading and range trips...:D

Mark
 
Wow, that's a lot of calibers. Where are you getting your 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 40mm, 57mm, and 76mm from? How are you getting by the "destructive device" if over .5" laws for your guns?
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Same way everybody gets around the NFA.

And I bet those 105mm, 5", and 155mm artillery shells are EXPENSIVE!
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Not if you have the dies. It cuts the cost down to about 25%
 
CZ223 I agree with you......
Although, I do see some usefulness in focusing on one caliber :eek:

I guess; To each their own.

Lateck,
 
Diversity makes sense if the goal is being able to buy the cheapest ammo available. If the goal is having enough dependable ammo for sustained training/usage in your preferred defensive weapons went you won't have opportunities for resupply, you're likely better off concentrating funds on quantity purchases of your core calibers.

I stock 6 ammo types, with a concentration on 9mm, 7.62x51, 22LR, and 12 gauge. Other than shotgun, I'm stockpiled a year's worth of normal usage. I doubt I could have afforded to do that if I was trying to do that for 20 calibers.
 
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I think back in the good ole days it probably made a lot of sense. I think doing it say, at a deer lease makes sense too. For example, we have a couple of extra rifles on our ranch that never really get used except by visiting cousins from the city and such. One is a Sporterized 1903. The other is an M77 that is really dinged up. But they are both 30-06 because my uncle, who runs the ranch, keeps a 30-06 on the Mule. It can also make sense in your house, having the same gun in the same caliber upstairs and downstairs.

But I personally believe commonality should be a luxury only after procuring multiple guns in multiple calibers that can serve the same purpose. Case in point is 9mm right now. I certainly would not want four 9mm pistols right now and nothing else. Or 380 a few years ago. You would be pretty screwed. But if you also had a 45gap, or 327 federal, or just a 40, your chances of finding ammo if you need it would be much greater. I have a 9mm, 40, 357mag, and 357 sig that can serve the same purpose even though I only actively use the 9mm's. Same could be said for my rifles.
 
All ammo didn't go up, I just bought 450 Marlin cheaper than last year. Almost or as cheap as 223. 308, 3006 of the same quality. Hornady for $31/20 box.
 
Agsalaska said:
I think back in the good ole days it probably made a lot of sense. I think doing it say, at a deer lease makes sense too. For example, we have a couple of extra rifles on our ranch that never really get used except by visiting cousins from the city and such. One is a Sporterized 1903. The other is an M77 that is really dinged up. But they are both 30-06 because my uncle, who runs the ranch, keeps a 30-06 on the Mule. It can also make sense in your house, having the same gun in the same caliber upstairs and downstairs.

But I personally believe commonality should be a luxury only after procuring multiple guns in multiple calibers that can serve the same purpose. Case in point is 9mm right now. I certainly would not want four 9mm pistols right now and nothing else. Or 380 a few years ago. You would be pretty screwed. But if you also had a 45gap, or 327 federal, or just a 40, your chances of finding ammo if you need it would be much greater. I have a 9mm, 40, 357mag, and 357 sig that can serve the same purpose even though I only actively use the 9mm's. Same could be said for my rifles.
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This is an interesting take on the debate. What I got from your post is that you suggest having several guns (pistols) across several calibers that will "serve the same function", whatever that function may be. So, one should consider having, for instance, a .380, 9mm, and a .40 for concealed carry. Three different guns in three different calibers that serve the same "function". You could have several guns for concealed carry, several for home defense, several for shooting matches, etc.

My concern with this strategy is with shooting your guns on a regular basis, enough so that you feel they are dependable and are familiar with their operation. While all guns are similar in the most basic sense, each make/model will tend to have slightly to very different controls, ergonomics, etc.

However, there are ways to minimize this. For example, I really like 1911's, so I picked up an officer's model for CC, as well as a Sig P238 and a Colt Mustang, both in .380. I could cover my bases here and add a Sig P938 to the mix, and they would all have similar controls/functionality across .380, 9mm, and .45. I would not necessarily want to jump between a subcompact Glock and a 1911 officer's model without being able to shoot both on a regular basis.

I have taken the strategy of owning multiple varieties of guns in the same caliber that use the same magazines. The Sig P238 and Colt Mustang can share magazines. I have a Beretta 92A1 and a CX4 Storm, which share magazines. Then I have several full sized 1911's. The officer's model is my only odd-ball pistol that won't share mags with anything else. This strategy will severely limit me in the future in terms of owning other hand guns. However, at some point I can get away from the need to have common ammo & mags by having some guns that I shoot just for fun at the range. Guns that I wouldn't keep loaded / easily accessible for defense. I just have to wrap my head around this...

I see the merits of the common caliber strategy as well as the diversified strategy. I think personality plays a large role in your decision. I am the sort of person who prefers to rely on what I have control over, so I prefer to keep a significant shooting stock on hand for each caliber I shoot. Knowing that I can't shoot a gun if I want to drives me nuts. The other approach works, too: Own lots of different guns in lots of different calibers, figuring that you'll be able to find ammo for at least one of your guns at any given time.
 
Why do I have handguns in 380, 9mm, 40 S&W, 357 sig, 357 Mag, 38 special, 10mm and 45 acp?
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Your missing a couple.

I can include .32 ACP, .32 Long, .32 Mag, .32-20, (No .380 anymore) .38 Super, .38 S&W, 400 Corbon, (No 10MM), .44 Spl, .41 Mag, .44 Mag, and .45 Colt.

Now get busy. :D
 
I think that if you want to have ammo when you need it you need to get the ammo when you don't.

I think thinking you are going to "find" ammo once the excrement hits the impeller is silly. You have it when it happens or you will not have it.

I think if you took all that money you used to buy all those guns in different calibers and sank it into ammo to begin with then the ammo shortage would be something you read about on the internet but were not too concerned about.

Personally I have two rifles in two different calibers. I have 4 handguns in two calibers. My main rifle I have a couple of thousand rounds for. My main pistols I have 5,000 rounds for. If this time next year there is no ammo on the shelves I'll be concerned. I suspect I have a lot less money tied up in guns and ammo than you do. If you want to have a bunch of different guns, hey that is great, your prerogative as an American, spend your money how you want. But don't fool your self into thinking that is being prepared. Lincoln said it best, "When the time for action has come - The Time for preparation has past!"
 
Part of the definition of "well regulated Militia" is , during times of Standing to, that the arms, caliber and training be a common as can possibly be. Regulation in arms and training is important, so fewer calibers clog the supply line or can be captured, or issued by or from a military. Often, as in Alaska, during WWII is that the Militia in the villages musterd up with what they had at hand, then the US army came through and armed everyone and distributed ammo to keep the Hunters hunting and on the lands observing, during a time when no ammo was available for civilian use. The young and middle age men were made int o the Federal Alaska Territorial Guard and were out fitted by the US Military, while men over 45 and youger than 18 were maintained as Militia, armed by the US, and all kept their arms when the Militia stood down and the ATG men were discharged at the end of the war. They protected their selfs and country with what was at hand until the Military got there. Only a few islands in the Aleutions were taken, but the whole state stood to. The 2nd Amendment to the perfect letter, in action.

Loading and shooting for yourself, many calibers is cool, with variety are as great as you wish, if it were bad times and the Governor of your state called up the Militia, you would want as much ammo of a common type as you could get. .22LR is a great round to keep on hand.
 
A couple firearms and lots of ammo over time = a couple firearms and a box or two of ammo left. Not much value then unless you hoard the ammo and don't use it.:scrutiny: From the self sufficiency standpoint diversity trumps. Own a couple firearms and one breaks then do you use the other or "save" it for an emergency? Same with dies and components. Lots of firearms in a fair number of calibers/reloading capabilities and some supplies for each make the whole bunch worth a lot more to a larger number of people at one time. Advantage of commonality then would be handgun and long gun using the same ammo and multiple examples of these. Or the combo rifles like the Savage 24. It would cost more to spread out but the rewards are better IMHO. Just my take on this whole thing FWIW. :D
 
I shoot multiple calibers because I enjoy all of them, not because I worry about bad times and finding ammo to fit a gun or a gun to fit ammo. Couldn't care less. I stay stocked up so I can shoot when things are scarce. Clinton taught me that.

I do admit I have some rainy day ammo I don't shoot. :)
 
I have firearms in a variety of cartridges because I enjoy owning, shooting and reloading them. For the most part, I do not attempt or care to have a dooms day supply of ammunition for them. In some cases, I have maybe 50 or 100 rounds on hand. Enough for some fun shooting once in a while.

Much of the reloading components I use are useful over a range of calibers and I inventory components. So, when the supply of a particular cartridge is low, I can whip up a few.

I do have my self defense firearms and I do keep a supply of ammunition and reloading components on hand for those.

To each his own, but I see no reason to sell off firearms just to reduce the number of different cartridges I reload for and shoot.
 
Over the years I have primarily stocked up on those calibers that I have the most guns for. This would be .22LR, .380, 9mm., .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .45ACP, .223, and 7.62x39. Any time I could find it on sale or was picking up a few things at Walmart I would pick up a couple of boxes. Other calibers that I shoot less often, like .38 Super and .45LC, I would order online as I needed to replenish them.
 
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There are a lot of good reasons for commonality

I never said there weren't. My everyday carry gun is a 1911 in 45 acp and I have 10 more in the same caliber as well as a newly acquired XDS in the same for when I want something a little smaller and lighter than my 3" Kimber ultras. I also have 3 Glocks in 40 S&W which I hardly ever carry but only because the 1911 carries easier and I don't have a real good holster, (Milt Sparks VMII), for the Glock. I also have a 357 sig barrel for any of the Glocks. I consider the 40 S&W to be at least the equal of the 45, if not better, and the Glock one of the most indestructible guns out there. While the 40 is not a military caliber it is the one most often carried by local law enforcement and I doubt that the 45 is far behind. Also if the crap does impact the rotary oscillator and I am forced to crawl through mud etc. it would be the Glock on my hip. I also have a Glock 19, an LC9, and a 1911 in 9mm. I have two lcp's in 380 and an S&W Lady Smith model 60 in 38/357. Without going into depth and reasons, they all have their purpose. As for rifles, my main caliber is 223 and I have several AR's as well as a couple bolt guns chambered in it. When all this began, the shortages I mean, I took inventory of all my supplies to see where I was. I had a couple thousand rounds each of commercial 45, 40 and 9mm and 600 rounds of 380. I also had enough reloading components to load 10 thousand more rounds of 45, 3-4 thousand rounds of 40 and a couple thousand 9mm rounds. I had about 1000 rounds of 7.62 x 39 on hand. I was woefully under-stocked in 223, only about 500 commercial rounds on hand but I had enough components to reload 20 thousand more. Since then I have loaded up on more components, lots more. I have also loaded:D several thousand rounds of each caliber.

So, why was I buying after the panic? For two very good reasons. The first reason is that ammo, and components to some extent, are never gonna be cheaper than they are right now, as long as you are buying at Walmart or some place like that. I scour the shelves at Wal-mart almost every day and when stuff is available, I buy my limit. The second reason that I continue to do this is also obvious, I can resell it and make money. My point was and is that if there is only 40 S&W on the shelves I can use it etc. In fact, I am convinced that diversifying calibers makes more sense than ever. I think I'll go buy a 30-30 (thutty-thutty for all us Mainers).:D One more point on commonality, many of the calibers I have can use the same bullets. The (40 and 10mm), the (9mm and 357sig), (38/357) and (45acp and 45 colt) all can use common bullets.
 
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