Soon To Disappear Handgun Cartridges

[Shoots Left]

I found this article while tripping across the World Wide Web. I was thinking that this was just gonna be one of those “filler” articles. The author did make some reasonable arguments for his case until he got to #6. That’s when I figured that the gummies had kicked in.

Enjoy

https://www.survivalworld.com/second...d-much-longer/

[veprdude]

There's a lot not on that list that I would put above .32ACP, .25ACP, and .40 S&W. I agree with 45 GAP. .32 and .25 have lots of older pocket pistols still in use. and .40 S&W going away is just absurd. It's like saying 7.62x39 is going away because Russian and Chinese imports of the stuff are banned.

[JohnKSa]

The only one he has a chance of being right on is the GAP, but there are still a lot of pistols out there and there are still a handful of companies making ammo for it.

The rest of his predictions are nonsense.

[Tom Servo]

Today, the .41 Magnum feels like an orphaned idea – a round with no clear audience in a market full of better-defined choices.

People have been saying that for 30 years now. Yet it still has a loyal following.

[glider]

The 40S&W will have an increase in popularity eventually. As soon as folks realize that the 9mm is not as good as a 40, not even close! The 41 magnums are a neat caliber but there really isn't a reason for it, but I suppose if someone wants it that's reason enough.

[Mike Irwin]

40 years ago Charles Askins wrote an article on rifle cartridges that were dying and which would soon be dead.

Included on the list is one of my absolute favorites, the .300 Savage.

Askins never fully defined by what would constitute death of the cartridge, but as far I know, none of the cartridges that he called out to be on death's door in 1985 or so has truly died.

[44 AMP]

The 40S&W will have an increase in popularity eventually. As soon as folks realize that the 9mm is not as good as a 40, not even close!

It is going on 35 years now, how much longer do you think it will take for people "realize" it??

[Paul B.]

My neighbor's widow gave me her lated husband's Star .40 caliber with a couple of boxes of ammo and told me to get rid of it for her. She was absolutely terrified of even having it in the house. I took it to the range and shot the ammo and it was accurate enough. It operated just like a 1911 for the most part as I recall but I just didn't like the gun so I took it to the next gun show and sold it for her. I probably would have bought it for myself if I'd liked it but while it was smaller than the 1911, it was heavier. She was surprised when I showed up and gave her the $200 I got for the gun. Seems like Stars were not all that popular. Most offered less.
Paul B.

[Mike Irwin]

"It is going on 35 years now, how much longer do you think it will take for people "realize" it??"

How long did it take for people to realize "Holy crap! Why did we ever fall out of love with the .45 Long Colt/.45-70"?

[Skans]

They've been predicting the demise of the 25 auto for years. It's still with us and I think it will be for at least another 10 years.

On another note, 10mm was supposed to die with the death of the Bren10. I never would have predicted its current popularity.

[jmr40]

The 40S&W will have an increase in popularity eventually. As soon as folks realize that the 9mm is not as good as a 40, not even close! The 41 magnums are a neat caliber but there really isn't a reason for it, but I suppose if someone wants it that's reason enough.

The fact that there are truckloads of police trade-in 40 caliber pistols out there dirt cheap will keep the 40 S&W alive for another generation. There are very few new pistols being made in that cartridge. It is the popularity of 10mm that is keeping holding the 40 back.

[Nathan]

I’m a big fan of the 40 S&W. So is my buddy. We are in the minority. Most bras sitting at my range is 9mm. 40 S&W is about 2nd. There are fewer 45’s. Don’t tell the 45 fans that! I think 45 gets picked up more.

[44 AMP]

I'd say the .25 ACP is going to be around as long as the little guns that shoot it are.

Even though the same guns are available in .22LR, which is slightly ballistically superior, the .25 hangs in there, because it nearly always functions.

In my experience, .22 semis are the most picky (about function) semis there are, and the pistols seem to be even more picky than the rifles.

Long for its width, with soft (or at best, plated) bullets, and the rimfire ignition the .22LR has more potential for problems, (particularly in pocket pistol) than the .25acp does with centerfire ignition and (generally) a FMJ bullet. It tends to feed better and go off reliably and most of the .25 owners aren't "gun people".

And while the ammo isn't cheap, the guns often are, which plays a big part for a lot of people. It's always been a "niche" round, but its got a firm lock on its niche and has had for well over a century. I doubt it will go away anytime soon.

[flyer898]

The .405 Winchester was obsolete for a couple of decades; it is back. I regularly see Miroku Winchester model 1895 rifles for sale in that caliber. I have three .405 Winchester rifles: two are 1895s (one a takedown) and a Ruger Number One.
I suspect the .300 Savage is obsolete, nevertheless, I have a nice Savage 99 takedown in that caliber.
Some pistol calibers that never got to the place where they could be obsolete were the .22 Harvey Kay-Chuk, 9X25 Dillon, and .400 Corbin. I have one of each.
Then there is the .22 Remington Jet. There are no new rifles or handguns (yet) available in this caliber, but PPU still makes ammunition. The used S&W revolvers command good prices and mine is very accurate.
Finally, there is the .256 Winchester. Ruger made a little over 3,000 single-shot pistols and Marlin made their Levermatic Model 62 in this caliber. I have one of each, but except for a few high price custom loaders, there is no new ammo available.
Still, other calibers have come back from worse declines and still others have faded away.

[105kw]

If .300 Savage is obsolete, why did I find new factory ammo at 2 local retailers.
There are a lot of Savage and Remington .300s still in use.
My vote for low use, about to be obsolete, .357 Sig.
Fun cartridge, but sort of niche.

[Bill DeShivs]

There are literally millions and millions of .25 and .32 acp guns.

[Shadow9mm]

Terrible article.
1. 45 gap was designed for the European and South American markets where the general public cant own a military cartridge like 45 auto. Honesly it was our loss. Fits in a 9mm frame, puts out 45 auto +p power.

2, 32 H&R mag. niche but not going anywhere.

3. 41 mag has a cult following, not going anywhere.

4. 32acp is not going anywhere either, super compact guns.

5. 25 auto. not gone, but less common, no where near gone though.

6. 40 S&W, it has definitly been dropping off, but no where near fading into obscurity.

That article was terrible. No idea what they are talking about. Might as well be reading the tabloids.

And they totally missed 30 super carry....

[The Happy kaboomer]

Article was one man's opinion........Each one of use has our own ideas on such.

[Jim Watson]

1. 45 gap was designed for the European and South American markets where the general public cant own a military cartridge like 45 auto.

That is news to me, I thought it was to put a Manly American Bullet in a 9mm action.
Yes, I am aware of the .45 HP for the non-military market, as well as the 9x21.
I am not entirely sure about the basis for a Colt 9mm Steyr which is way more military than .38 Super.

[JohnKSa]

I think Glock thought they were coming up with the next .40S&W. Instead of a scaled down 10mm to fit in a 9mm sized gun, they were going to make a scaled down .45ACP to fit in a 9mm sized gun. One major difference was that unlike the .40S&W that gave up performance to the 10mm, the .45GAP actually equaled .45ACP performance.

The other major difference was that the FBI never embraced the .45ACP, so the bump that the .40S&W got from providing identical performance to the FBI 10mm loading never happened with the GAP.

On paper it probably looked like a great idea.

[jetinteriorguy]

3. 41 mag has a cult following, not going anywhere.
Never knew I belonged to a cult.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by 105kw

My vote for low use, about to be obsolete, .357 Sig.
Fun cartridge, but sort of niche.

I agree with this.
My first handgun was a Glock 33 in 357Sig.
I still have the gun and it's a fun cartridge.
I haven't shot that gun in years and haven't bought another .357sig

I'm surprised it has lived as a factory offering for this long.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by flyer898

The .405 Winchester was obsolete for a couple of decades; it is back. I regularly see Miroku Winchester model 1895 rifles for sale in that caliber. I have three .405 Winchester rifles: two are 1895s (one a takedown) and a Ruger Number One.
I suspect the .300 Savage is obsolete, nevertheless, I have a nice Savage 99 takedown in that caliber.

But the article -- and this discussion -- are about handgun cartridges.

[Mike Irwin]

"45 gap was designed for the European and South American markets where the general public cant own a military cartridge like 45 auto. Honesly it was our loss. Fits in a 9mm frame, puts out 45 auto +p power."


Uhm... no. The .45 GAP was a project designed to target American police agencies that wanted a .45 caliber Glock handgun in a frame depth profile that matched the 9mm Glock handguns.

It was marketed primarily at, and gained the most usage with, a relatively small number of US police forces.

Its use outside of the United States was virtually non-existent.

[Mike Irwin]

"But the article -- and this discussion -- are about handgun cartridges."

I think what Flyer898 was really pointing out with that observation is that it's VERY difficult for a cartridge to truly go "obsolete" and die and STAY dead.

Rounds like the .44 Colt and .44 Russian were literally dead for close to 100 years. No new guns, no new ammunition.

Now you can get both because of groups like the Single Action Shooting Society and its members.

They're not just a shooting organization, they're a living history organization, and as part of that living history they're more than willing to reach into the depths of history to resurrect what used to be dead.