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Ammunition Abbreviations

23K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  FfNJGTFO 
#1 ·
Mainly for newcomers to firearms, here are some of the more common abbreviations used when referring to ammunition:

Bullets:
LRN - Lead Round Nose
SWC - Semi-Wadcutter
LSWC - Lead Semi-Wadcutter
FMJ - Full Metal Jacket
TMJ - Total Metal Jacket
JHP - Jacketed Hollow Point
JSP - Jacketed Soft Point
gr - Grain (refers to bullet weight, as in 115 gr 9mm, 230 gr .45 ACP, etc.)

Cartridge Types:
ACP - Automatic Colt Pistol (.45 ACP)
GAP - Glock Automatic Pistol (.45 GAP)
LR - Long Rifle (.22 LR)
AE - Action Express (.50 AE...if this is your first pistol, you've got issues :) )
LC - Long Colt (.45 LC)
S&W - Smith & Wesson (.40 S&W)
Rem - Remington (.223 Rem)
Win - Winchester (.308 Win)
WMR - Winchester Magnum Rimfire (.22 WMR)
Spl - Special (.38 Spl)
Mag - Magnum (.357 Mag)
NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (5.56mm NATO)

Pressure:
+P and +P+ indicate rounds loaded to pressure higher than 'standard'. A 124 gr +P cartridge will have higher velocity and energy than a 'standard' 124 gr cartridge by the same manufacturer. Likewise, a 124 gr +P+ cartridge will have even higher velocity and energy. Do NOT fire a +P or +P+ cartridge in your gun unless the manufacturer explcitly states the gun can handle the higher pressures.

Round Compatibility:
In general, a gun chambered for .357 Mag can fire slower (and cheaper!) .38 Spl ammunition. It's common for owners of guns chambered for .357 Mag to carry and/or practice with .38 Spl in standard or +P loads, due to ammo cost, and reduction in recoil. However, a .357 Mag round should NOT be loaded into a revolver chambered for .38 Spl. Even in the unlikely event you manage to cram a .357 Mag cartridge into a .38 Spl cylinder, if you somehow manage to fire the round, the significantly higher pressure of the magnum round will likely blow the gun up.

.223 Rem can be safely fired in a rifle chambered for 5.56mm NATO, but accuracy may suffer, due to slightly different cartridge dimensions. However, the opposite is NOT true...the 5.56mm NATO round is generally loaded to higher pressures, in addition to slightly different cartridge dimensions. While it may be possible to get a .223 Rem chambered rifle to load a 5.56mm NATO cartridge, the higher pressure of the 5.56mm cartridge will at best lead to excessive wear on the firearm, and could very likely cause a catastrophic failure of the weapon and lead to injury of the shooter.

.308 Win and 7.62mm NATO are similar cartridges, and I know of no pressure-related cautions when loading one cartridge in a rifle chambered for the other.

Cartridge Length:
You will often see ammunition with a bullet size, followed by a cartridge lenth, such as: 7.62 X 39mm (or just 7.62 x 39).

Though the AK-47 7.62 X 39mm round may seem similar to the 7.62mm NATO round, they are entirely different rounds, and not interchangable at all. The NATO round is 7.62 X 51mm...a significantly longer rifle round, versus the intermediate lengh of the AK-47 cartridge.

Likewise, 9mm Luger/NATO/Parabellum (9 X 19mm) is not compatible with 9mm Makarov (9 X 18mm).

Okay, I probably should actually get back to WORK...

-JT
 
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#4 ·
You should be able to search online for numerous guides and info on reloading. Initial cash expenditure can be hefty, depending on what equipment you buy, but if you shoot a relatively expensive caliber (say, .40 S&W or .45 ACP), and you shoot a lot, it will soon pay for itself.

I've done it on somebody else's equipment. It can be a very 'Zen' experience, but you can't be distracted while doing it. Need to make sure you don't overcharge cases, or undercharge them, too.

Once you get the equipment set up, it's relatively straight forward.
Since I shoot 9mm, I'm not too worried about ammo costs, so I don't reload at this time.

-JT
 
#5 ·
reloaded ammo could void the warranty on your pistol. I've got dies, brass, manuals, etc., to reload for my rifles but haven't had the time to do it. The initial cost of it is hefty as someone already said. But, you can check e-bay for reloading dies as well as some of the other on-line auction sites like gunbroker.com for some of the other equipment. If you get into it, start off with a single stage press. It will help you get the technique down and make you go slow enough to keep your concentration level high. You need to have a high level of concentration because distractions could cost you.
 
#6 ·
Good point, Red Dawg...be aware of what your gun manufacturer's warranty has to say regarding reloads.

Also, it's best not to use the reloads of someone you don't know and trust. You never know if they're easily distracted and doublecharge cases, or just as bad, undercharge them, resulting in squibs.

The first time I reloaded, I was scared to death of a squib load, and was way too paranoid about them when I used those reloads in an IDPA match.

-JT
 
#7 ·
I have been considering completing the Certified Reloaders Instructors course through the NRA and putting on Reloading classes.

I see a lot of people on a buncha forums saying how they would "like" to get into reloading...but I think some folks are intimidated by the idea of going it alone.

What would you guys' opinion be of something like that?

In fact...I think I will post a separate post with a poll on that...so as to not further muddy this "sticky'd" topic... :)
 
#10 ·
Common calibers also have sister names in Europe:

.222/.223/.224 calibers:
.222 Remington = 5.7x43mm
.223 Remington = 5.7x45mm

.30 calibers:
.308 Winchester = 7.62x51mm
.30-06 Springfield = 7.62x63mm
.300 Winchester Magnum = 7.62x67mm

.338 calibers:
.338 Lapua Magnum = 8.6x70mm

Other larger calibers:
.50BMG = 12.7x99mm
 
#16 ·
For my own confirmation, a .308 Win and 7.62mm NATO (or just 7.62 x 51) may be used interchangeably in long guns chambered for either?

Out of curiosity, what would happen if a 7.62 x 39 was chambered into a .308 Win?
Yes, IF chambered for either like SA m1a's. :thumsup

The ak cartridge fired in a 308 chamber could be a catastrophic event, due primarily to not head spacing properly. If you fire a round in an m1a that's headspace is "no go" [ meaning it's length has been lengthened through firing over time ] you beg for an event you won't soon forget if and when it happens. Research head space and how important it is to not fire on a "no go" chamber based on the go, no go guage of the chamber. You'll understand it better when you see diagrams that show what's happening when the head space is guaged no go.
 
#20 ·
"ACP?" Boy there's an argument in the making!:grin
 
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