What caliber do you think should be on my list?

[M88]

Frankenmauser... I'm interested in adding a 32 S&W Long you mention. Is this the same black powder round as 32 S&W? Or does "Long" make it a different round? In other words, is it like the black powder 38 S&W I put in my old Iver Johnson from the turn of the century (just .32 instead of .38)?

[FrankenMauser]

.32 S&W Long is a longer version of .32 S&W.
It has also been called .32 Colt New Police.

Although introduced with black powder, the S&W revolvers chambered for .32 S&W Long were quickly updated, not long after the turn of the century, to handle smokeless powder.
Other brands, like H&R and Colt, will likely differ on the BP/smokeless transition.

[M88]

Thank you Frankenmauser... wealth of knowledge on this forum. Was busy this evening and haven't gotten to digging around on the web for the answer to that yet.

[Aguila Blanca]

Did I miss it? Nobody seems to have suggested .22WRF (Winchester RimFire). It's the parent cartridge that led to the .22 Magnum. Shorter than the .22WMR, but doesn't use a heeled bullet and cannot be chambered in firearms chambered for .22 Short, Long, or Long Rifle.

And then there's the .22 WRA (Winchester Rimfire Automatic). It's a niche cartridge -- the only firearm that uses it was the Winchester 1903 carbine. It was significant because of the reason for its existence. It was Winchester's first rifle designed for smokeless powder, and they didn't want people trying to fire the then-new smokeless ammo in older firearms designed for black powder, so they made it with a larger case (but different from .22WRF) using a non-heeled bullet so that it could not be accidentally or intentionallt chambered in a black powder firearm.

Ammo is mostly unobtainium. The only company that makes it today is Aguila, and I don't know if they do so on a regular basis, or sporadic. The last time I bought some it cost $19 per box of 50!

[Erno86]

Besides the 7.62x39 and the 6.5x55 Swede...a rifle chambered in 416 Rigby/10.6x74 ---- maybe?

Though I don't own a 416 rifle...I've had dreams of owning one. Yet I still wouldn't mind having a rifle chambered in 375 H&H magnum...myself.

[M88]

Thanks guys. I just bought a used "as is" H&R 732 .32 S&W Long for $99 local shop. Yes, already found that .32 S&W Long is easier and often cheaper than .32 S&W.

So with that purchase and purchases last few days with the input of this great forum, I will update my list to add:
.32 S&W Long (H&R 732)
.44 Mag/ SPL (AEE Bounty Hunter SA)
45-70 (CVA Scout V2 single shot)
7.62x39 (Ruger American Ranch)

Saw a nice clean used 10GA at the shop where I got the H&R... $300, which would complete my shotguns (other than 28GA) but ran out of money, so that and others will have to wait. Some may dissagree, but I'm going to call the 28GA not really "major or common". Same with calibers like the "unobtainium" 22 WRA Aguila mentioned. Interesting, perhaps historic, but need to stop somewhere. Ran into a BEAUTIFUL great condition M1 carbine made in 1943, barrel was still great shape... $1400. No can do now, but boy was that tempting. Nice M1 carbines seem to be harder to find now than nice Garands.

[44 AMP]

M88, get a copy of Cartridges of the World (Barnes). You can find old editions dirt cheap at gun shows, used book places, etc.

While there are some errors here and there, its generally pretty good, and gives a pretty comprehensive read on nearly all current and obsolete cartridges.

I think you'll be able to find a lot of interesting information there, and have a good idea what sort of things deserve to go on your "common" list, and which ones are for the "obscure, obsolete, and just plain neat", list.

Lots of reloading manuals also have a few paragraphs or a page on the history of the rounds. And again, old copies can be found for a couple bucks or even less. Stick with new manuals for current load data, but the cartridge history in the older ones is still as good as it was when first printed.

And, of course, don't take anything on the Internet as gospel, just because its on the Internet. Including what I say,

[bamaranger]

Notably absent from your handgun collection is .44 mag.

[FrankenMauser]

Very cool.
Enjoy the new toys.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by bamaranger

Notably absent from your handgun collection is .44 mag.

See post #31

[big al hunter]

7mm-08 and 280 rem come to mind for rifles. Also 7mm mag. You could get a TC Encore pistol and have some rifle calibers in the handgun list too.

[unclejack37]

A couple of guys mentioned it already but now that I got a 44 cal I think everyone should be blessed with one.

That is an impressive collection you have there.

[T. O'Heir]

It's not the calibre that gets to be or is collectable. It's the firearm. For example, a 1903 Springfield and an M1 Rifle are both collectable rifles. Doesn't matter that they're both .30-06.
"...to have at least one gun in every..." You need more money. You're not even close to that. You have very few European battle rifle cartridges that are fairly common. 6.5 x 55, 7.5 Swiss, etc. Nor do you have any of the H&H cartridges.
"...just now got off of Bud's..." Quit paying retail. Costs too much. Gun shows are where you need to be.
You don't list the .32 S&W either. It's chambered in revolvers that are usually considered junk, but are becoming collectable just the same. Those won't cost a great deal either. Mind you, IJ's, H&R's and the like, in decent condition, are starting to dry up.

[RickB]

I'd say the list already contains a lot of minor, uncommon calibers.

For auto pistol; 9mm, .40, 10mm and .45.
For revolver; .38 Special/.357 (kill two with one stone), .44 Special/Magnum (same), and .45 Colt.

If I were going to add one more to each, it would probably be .38 Super for autos, and . . . maybe .45 Auto/Auto Rim for revolver.

For rifles, I'd go .223, .30-30, .30-'06, and .45-70.
One more would be . . . .375 H&H.

A rimfire conversion for one of the auto pistols and the .223 would round it out.

[M88]

Thanks for the advice T.O'Heir. I understand what you mean when you say collecting guns, not calibers. Got that. Example, I have 4 different rifles that shoot 30-06, 4 different handguns and a rifle that shoots 9mm, 4 different styles of 12 GA shotguns. But yes, the majority of calibers I only have one handgun or rifle at this point, and it will probably stay that way. $$

Gun shows... yes, have gotten some great deals at shows on both guns and sometimes ammo, especially rare stuff like 7.7x58 JAP that I picked up cheap at a show one time. Four of my Garand's were great deals I ran into at shows. Living where I do, there is a gun show within an hour drive almost every month SOMEWHERE. Some small, some HUGE with several thousands of tables. As for me needing more money if I want a gun in every caliber?... I prefaced the original post asking for a list of "common or major" calibers. As I said in the post, that's rather nebulous but had to start somewhere. As some have pointed out, I already have some "minor and uncommon" calibers. I probably wouldn't call the 5.7x28 for my FN handgun all that common, but it was an interesting handgun, unique, and I wanted it for the collection. Today I was looking at a Marlin 444P Outfitter, a short lever action gun that takes the .444 Marlin round. Don't think that is a very common round, and such a huge killer cartridge in a rifle that small has gotta hurt shooting it! Don't know much about them. Point being, you are right, I certainly don't have a big enough bank account for a gun in every caliber. Museums do that, not retired guys like me! I took 44AMP's advice and ordered Barnes "Cartridges of the World". Can't wait to thumb through that and read the history of some of the cartridges I now have.

[chrisintexas]

Now suggest best value, reliable guns in the list of extensive calibers suggested!

[Mike Irwin]

All of them.

ALL of them.

[lamarw]

.375 Ruger


You never know when a Water Buffalo is going to appear in your back yard.

[Mike Irwin]

"am Water Buffalo"

What about pm Water Buffalo? Or are they easier to take down in the evening?

[lamarw]

OK Mike, I shot the "am Water Buffalo" with a .375 H&H.

[M88]

No water buffalo in Pennsylvania, but we do have a limited number of elk tags issued every year. Native elk were all gone by 1877, but re-introduced in 1913 up into the 20's. 1000 lb animal with a LOT of meat! There is an elk tag lottery, but good luck... currently you have about one chance in over 400 or getting one. My Dad, who has now "moved on" tried every year for his last 30 and never got lucky.

Don't want to de-rail this thread though... I want to thank all for responses, as my questions concerning my gun collection have been answered. I now have a much better idea of which guns to add to my collection.

[Mike Irwin]

"No water buffalo in Pennsylvania"

But I grew up near New Buffalo...



Anyway...

To the OP... I don't see .300 Savage on that list. EVERYONE should own a Savage Model 99 in .300 Savage.

[M88]

Thanks Mike... no... no .300 Savage yet... no 30 WinMag. I have to stop buying for a while. Since I started this post, I got lots of good responses, and as a result added 5 guns/calibers to the collection to fill in a few obvious holes, namely the .44 Mag and the 7.62x39. Added .32 S&W Long... .44 Mag/SPL... .308 Win/7.62 NATO... 7.62x39... .444 Marlin and finally 45-70 Govt.

I appreciate all the good advice and input. I bought the 15th addition of "Cartridges of the World" by Frank Barnes (now deceased) but carried on and edited by Tod Woodard. VERY interesting just reading through the history of some cartridges. I didn't know the .22 short was the oldest round still produced and in use here in the US.

[PushPuller]

It has been mentioned more times than I care to keep track of, but I am a huge fan of 7.62x39. I honestly feel like the AK doesn't do the cartridge fair justice from my experiences with it. With decent ammo and a good bolt action or even a nice SKS you can have a lot of fun for relatively cheap. Its also a cartridge that will likely be "popular" and readily available for many years.

[Jdin8455]

A 9x18 Makarov handgun, for sure!