The Gun Digest Book of the Revolver. Grant Cunningham
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sporadically chambered in revolvers, requiring the use of 9mm moon clips.
Since the ACP had no rim, it could not be ejected from a revolver cylinder. The solution was the invention of the half-moon clip, holding three rounds of ammunition and allowing simultaneous extraction and ejection. (Over time the half-moons were combined into a single full moon clip holding six rounds.) These modified revolvers were adopted in 1917 and served through the war, with many being sold as surplus in the 1930s.
The surplus guns were very popular with civilians, and new models were produced as well. This popularity resulted in the creation of the .45 Auto Rim cartridge, which was nothing more than the ACP with a rimmed base. This allowed the owner of a 1917 or later revolver to use a .45 cartridge without the need for the bothersome clips. Though not proving to be terribly popular, Auto Rim brass can still be found today.
The ACP-revolver combination received a big boost in popularity in the late 20th century when shooting matches that exploited the reloading speed of moon clip equipped revolvers became popular. This was helped by match rules that favored large, heavy bullets of the type used in the cartridge.
The .45ACP makes a fine self defense and target round, though revolvers chambered for it are inevitably large and heavy. This tends to limit the appeal of the .45 for concealed carry, though is certainly not a hindrance in competition or hunting activities.
The Boomers: If some is good, more is better!
In the last few decades we’ve seen the introduction of cartridges that push the limit of the power that can be contained in a revolver. It started in the 1970s with Elgin Gates and his SuperMag calibers, designed for the demanding sport of long-range metallic silhouette competition.
The SuperMags were never terribly popular, being chambered primarily in Dan Wesson revolvers, but the concept was what mattered. Many people continued experimenting with extra-powerful rounds, testing the extremes of revolver construction and human tolerance for recoil, and today we have a large collection of such hand cannons: the .454 Casull, .460 S&W Magnum, 480 Ruger, and the king of the hill: the mighty .500 S&W Magnum.
These are specialized cartridges designed primarily for handgun hunting of large game, though some have been pressed into service in the game of steel silhouette shooting. None are suitable for self defense or pure target shooting, but they excel at the task for which they’re designed.
The recoil generated by these monsters is probably at the outer edge of controllability for most shooters. Shooting a heavy Magnum cartridge is rough on the body’s joints, and shooting multiple sequential shots at any rate of speed is painful for even the most experienced shooter. (I did so one time, and vowed never to try something so stupid again!)
Bullet types
One of the revolver’s advantages that we touched upon in the first chapter is its relative indifference to bullet types. In all but a very few specific instances a revolver doesn’t care what bullet is loaded, it only cares that the bullet is of the correct caliber and cartridge type. An autoloader, by comparison, is sensitive to bullet weight, length, and even shape. Ammunition that doesn’t closely adhere to that which the gun was initially designed for will cause frustrating stoppages.
Unlike autoloader, the revolver isn’t sensitive to bullet weight, shape, or material. As long as the caliber is correct the revolver will work!
This advantage allows the revolver shooter to pick the ammunition best suited to the job, not the one that’s necessary to get the gun to work. There is a wide variety of loads to pick from, and as long as the cartridge is correct for the gun the combination will work.
Plain or jacketed?
Revolver bullets are offered in plain lead, plated lead (lead with a very thin plating of copper), and jacketed varieties. It’s not unusual for a revolver shooter to have some of each on hand, picked to for the best combination of performance and economy.
Plain lead is the staple of revolver shooting. Lead bullets are usually cast, though some are swaged from very soft lead. Lead bullets generally have grooves cut to hold a solid lubricant, which helps to keep the bullet material from rubbing off and fouling the bore. Lead bullets are usually found in the most affordable ammunition, because they are the least expensive bullet to make. There are exceptions, however, as solid lead bullets in heavy weights are often used by serious handgun hunters. Such ammunition using them is usually made in small quantities by specialty companies and carries a larger price tag.
Lead bullets are often available in a larger variety of diameters within a caliber than any other bullet. While any given caliber has a specific bullet diameter, there can be small variances between guns which can be compensated for by slightly changing the bullet size.
For instance, the nominal diameter of a .38 Special bullet is .357 inches. That works well for most guns, but what if you have a revolver whose chamber or bore is slightly oversized? It’s not uncommon to find guns which measure .358 or .359 inches, and the serious accuracy buff can order lead bullets in the size that will best fit his gun. That’s one of the chief methods to build the most accurate ammunition for any given gun.
Speaking of accuracy, lead bullets are often the most accurate available. Since there is only one component to worry about, their size and weights are very consistent. A jacketed bullet, for instance, can have variance in both the core and the jacket, which means that the weight and concentricity of the resulting slug can vary. Lead bullets can be made closer to standard size and weight, which helps accuracy. The standard target load, regardless of caliber, is almost always a plain lead wadcutter bullet.
Excess lead deposited in bore can require the use of a special tool, called the Lewis Lead Remover, to remove. Regular and thorough cleaning, along with proper ammunition choice, reduces leading.
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