Does anyone know the reason(s) for caliber names?

[Philintheblanks]

Just idle thinking, which, as a retiree, I do a lot. Today I was moving some projectiles to a better location and wondered why a ',38 Special' uses .35 caliber bullets (same as .357 Magnum) and a '.44 Magnum or Special' use .43 caliber bullets. Historically, was there a reason for using improper or imprecise naming conventions?

Phil

[david s]

The bullets use to fit at the same diameter as the case diameter and bullets were outside lubed. The bullets were of a heeled design. Something like the 22 L.R. When the 44 American became the 44 Russian the bullet diameter was decreased to fit inside the case and the bullet had internal lube grooves. The new design didn't pick up sticky random debris like the outside lubed bullets.

[Wobbly]

I understood the naming convention in the late 1800's was based on the case diameter, and the 38/357 cases are still 0.380" diameter. By the time the .357 was invented (mid-1930's) they had changed the convention to name them after the bore diameter.

The 38Spcl case is so big because it started out as a black powder round. That cartridge is really an ancient thing. When the 357M was invented they had to do something to keep fools from shooting the new high pressure cartridge in the older, low pressure 38 pistols. So the case was elongated to physically eliminate the possibility.

Cartridge history is a very interesting. I urge you to read the several paragraphs in your load manual that accompany each cartridge.

[warriorgeez]

Historically there was no standard or naming convention.

Car names aren't standardized, either. Neither are airplanes or computer parts. The names are just names and inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

[Philintheblanks]

Thanks for the replies and the information! I had always thought that projectile or bore diameter dictated the name of the caliber. Now I understand. I don't even want to think about bottleneck cartridges, 

Phil

[HollowDawg]

Marketing decisions often involved. Gotta make ya boolets sound sexy!

[Wobbly]

Marketing decisions often involved. Gotta make ya boolets sound sexy!

I'm always amazed that brassier marketers haven't renamed the cup sizes starting at C or D. 

[Grendel]

Caliber

[WW Martin]

I still haven't figured out how the 38-40wcf was named.

Bill

[Joe A.]

I still haven't figured out how the 38-40wcf was named.

Bill

38-40 rolls off the tongue better than 40-38. Seriously.

[HollowDawg]

38-40, "whatever it takes" .

[OMCHamlin]

The first thing you should understand; there IS no "naming convention" for calibers, new OR old. It's totally marketing, from start to finish. Understand that, and you'll be fine.

[bang bang]

The first thing you should understand; there IS no "naming convention" for calibers, new OR old. It's totally marketing, from start to finish. Understand that, and you'll be fine.

this more or less.

But if you really want to know, you will have dust off your google-fu and start reading.

[eastman]

Marketing decisions often involved. Gotta make ya boolets sound sexy!

I'm always amazed that brassier marketers haven't renamed the cup sizes starting at C or D. 

Certain brands are known for "vanity sizing" (calling it one letter size bigger than it really is). I found that out years ago setting up the details for a model photoshoot (wardrobe trying to copy a Gil Elvgren painting). That is Victoria's real Secret.

[solidmatter]

Caliber is simply: Barrel (most of them) have rifling with hills (called lands) and valley (called grooves). There isn't any standard for caliber, like I said it's a name for marketing, so the number could be the diameter of the bullet, the diameter at the grooves or the diameter at the lands, or even a round up or down number. For example the .308 Norma Magnum and .300 Norma Magnum actually have the exact same caliber, but one have a round down number as the name to differentiate one from the other. In reality the .300 Norma Magnum is a bigger casing ''neck down'' to fit a smaller .308 caliber bullet. The end result is a light faster bullet, popular for long range shooting.