6 Dead, Dying, and Soon-To-Be-Obsolete Handgun Cartridges

[Raidingtime]

(from the article....)

Not really, it's a shorter cased .45 acp and uses more inexpensive primers. It's a good round for folks to reload with

 

[CLT65]

I have no doubt that 9mm is king as far as amount produced (by far), and .40 and .45 are right up there, but from the brass I find on the ground at the range, I also have no doubt that the .380 does very well too. It's got to be a strong fourth place, if anything.

While 9mm pistols get smaller, so do .380 pistols. A 9mm the size and weight of a small .380 is quite a handful for most people, as far as recoil and bark.

I have a 9mm Shield, and a little .380 LCP. The LCP is of course a lot smaller. My wife doesn't particularly like either, since she's not a gun person and doesn't like recoil, but I think the .380 will always have it's place in very small guns, as she can handle that.

Given the choice between a very small .380 and a 9mm of the exact same size, I'd take the .380 every single time. The 9mm is significantly more powerful and I guarantee my wife would hate it. I probably wouldn't enjoy it either. Would probably be a great gun for some people, but a little too painful for the average person.

I'm not trying to argue, just my opinion, for what it's worth.

I recently shot a .44 Magnum derringer. Oh yeah, there is such a thing as too much gun in a small package.
First I fired a couple .44 Specials, not too bad really, but not what I'd call enjoyable. Then I fired a couple mid-range .44 Magnums (240gr-1000fps). OUCH!!!
I was done right there, didn't try the heavy magnums. It would take a much more manly-man than myself to try that. If a grizzly bear were coming at me and all I had was that little thing and some full-load ammo, I'd have to decide which bite would be worse...

 

[21tango]

Seacamp lws

I meant to say i believe the seacamp is the smallest 380. But yes the ruger lcp 9 is very small

 

[21tango]

I have no doubt that 9mm is king as far as amount produced (by far), and .40 and .45 are right up there, but from the brass I find on the ground at the range, I also have no doubt that the .380 does very well too. It's got to be a strong fourth place, if anything.

While 9mm pistols get smaller, so do .380 pistols. A 9mm the size and weight of a small .380 is quite a handful for most people, as far as recoil and bark.

I have a 9mm Shield, and a little .380 LCP. The LCP is of course a lot smaller. My wife doesn't particularly like either, since she's not a gun person and doesn't like recoil, but I think the .380 will always have it's place in very small guns, as she can handle that.

Given the choice between a very small .380 and a 9mm of the exact same size, I'd take the .380 every single time. The 9mm is significantly more powerful and I guarantee my wife would hate it. I probably wouldn't enjoy it either. Would probably be a great gun for some people, but a little too painful for the average person.

I'm not trying to argue, just my opinion, for what it's worth.

I recently shot a .44 Magnum derringer. Oh yeah, there is such a thing as too much gun in a small package.
First I fired a couple .44 Specials, not too bad really, but not what I'd call enjoyable. Then I fired a couple mid-range .44 Magnums (240gr-1000fps). OUCH!!!
I was done right there, didn't try the heavy magnums. It would take a much more manly-man than myself to try that. If a grizzly bear were coming at me and all I had was that little thing and some full-load ammo, I'd have to decide which bite would be worse...

I don't believe the 380 is on its way out anytime soon just adding a comment to the post. It made sense to me that the 380 had suffered a loss of the market share based on the newest sub compact designs (i have no factual statistics that support that statement just seems likely) and the fact 380 ammo is more expensive.

 

[flylo]

I think the only one that may not be around in 10 years is the 45GAP which IMHO was a mistake. Glock thought too highly of themselves & sat on their hands & now everyone's passed them.

 

[21tango]

You meant to type "Ammo.com's 3 biggest sellers". I call BS on them! I hope you take their fluff with a grain of salt. They are just small fish in this very big pond. It honestly doesn't appear that they sell much of anything so I'm going to take a pretty good guess that they are blowing smoke and inflating those stats just to sound cool while trying to convince everyone that they're like minded folks out to back our 2A rights.

I have researched several sources with similar results. G&A and lucky gunner also show 9mm 40cal 45 5.56 and 308 as the most sold and demanded ammo

 

[CLT65]

I find it interesting that many/most of the popular cartridges are also the oldest.

9mm - since 1901
.45acp - 1905
.380acp - 1908
.38 Special - 1898
.45 Colt - 1873

Even the 7.62x25 Tokarev has made a resurgence in recent decades with the influx of surplus Eastern European guns. It's roots go back to the world's first successful auto pistol cartridge - .30 Borchardt (dimensionally the same)- 1893.

 

[Flopsweat]

I meant to say i believe the seacamp is the smallest 380. But yes the ruger lcp 9 is very small

It's almost an inch longer and an inch taller. In a gun that small that's a lot. Still pretty amazing for a 9, but not quite there. And bottom line I expect .380 ammo to still be in production in 10 years, so long as there is still a free country in which to make it.

 

[21tango]

I think the only one that may not be around in 10 years is the 45GAP which IMHO was a mistake. Glock thought too highly of themselves & sat on their hands & now everyone's passed them.

The 45 gap reminds me of the now obscure 41ae

It's almost an inch longer and an inch taller. In a gun that small that's a lot. Still pretty amazing for a 9, but not quite there.

Not really both fit in my pocket with ease

 

[Flopsweat]

The 45 gap reminds me of the now obscure 41ae

Not really both fit in my pocket with ease

Literally won't give an inch.

 

[21tango]

I find it interesting that many/most of the popular cartridges are also the oldest.

9mm - since 1901
.45acp - 1905
.380acp - 1908
.38 Special - 1898
.45 Colt - 1873

Even the 7.62x25 Tokarev has made a resurgence in recent decades with the influx of surplus Eastern European guns. It's roots go back to the world's first successful auto pistol cartridge - .30 Borchardt (dimensionally the same)- 1893.

You are correct. The caliber stays the same but bullet technology improves the old rounds. 357 sig 45 gap 41AE are all really good rounds but at the end of the day not really better than what we already have in 38/357 mag 45 acp 45 long colt 9mm…

 

[21tango]

It's almost an inch longer and an inch taller. In a gun that small that's a lot. Still pretty amazing for a 9, but not quite there. And bottom line I expect .380 ammo to still be in production in 10 years, so long as there is still a free country in which to make it.

I agree it won't be going anywhere anytime soon. Freedom might

 

[flylo]

One of my favorites, just wish more handguns chambered in it. "
Even the 7.62x25 Tokarev has made a resurgence in recent decades with the influx of surplus Eastern European guns. It's roots go back to the world's first successful auto pistol cartridge - .30 Borchardt (dimensionally the same)- 1893"

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[21tango]

One of my favorites, just wish more handguns chambered in it. "
Even the 7.62x25 Tokarev has made a resurgence in recent decades with the influx of surplus Eastern European guns. It's roots go back to the world's first successful auto pistol cartridge - .30 Borchardt (dimensionally the same)- 1893"

Like Quote Reply

Yeah i have a tokarev. Fun little gun to shoot. I had a jerico 9mm/41AE it was a beast of a gun. Sold it years ago unfortunately

 

[CLT65]

One of my favorites, just wish more handguns chambered in it.

It would be interesting to see a modern design in the old Tokarev chambering. The 7.5 FK seems like simply an updated version, though quite a bit hotter.

How about a high-capacity Glock in 7.62x25?

I never was able to get much accuracy from Tokarevs or CZ52s with the various surplus ammo I used in them. Handloaded 100gr cast/powder-coated shoot much better.

 

[21tango]

It would be interesting to see a modern design in the old Tokarev chambering. The 7.5 FK seems like simply an updated version, though quite a bit hotter.

How about a high-capacity Glock in 7.62x25?

I never was able to get much accuracy from Tokarevs or CZ52s with the various surplus ammo I used in them. Handloaded 100gr cast/powder-coated shoot much better.

Dang! I would buy a glock in 7.62x25 thats a really cool idea. I bet they would sell a ton of em. My tok is plenty combat accurate out to 10 yards lol. I bought a CZ TSO recently. Amazing quality 2lb trigger kinda spendy but a true tack driver

 

[Nosferatu]

Dang! I would buy a glock in 7.62x25 thats a really cool idea. I bet they would sell a ton of em. My tok is plenty combat accurate out to 10 yards lol. I bought a CZ TSO recently. Amazing quality 2lb trigger kinda spendy but a true tack driver

You can do better.

Step 1. Buy a G29, G20 or G40. (Or a Springfield XD-M 10mm if you're a true plastic fantastic aristocrat).

Step 2. Buy a 9x25 Dillon barrel from Barsto or KKM.

Step 3. Rejoice.

 

[21tango]

You can do better.

Step 1. Buy a G29, G20 or G40. (Or a Springfield XD-M 10mm if you're a true plastic fantastic aristocrat).

Step 2. Buy a 9x25 Dillon barrel from Barsto or KKM.

Step 3. Rejoice.

Yeah my son did exactly that neck down a 10mm.

 

[Nosferatu]

Yeah my son did exactly that neck down a 10mm.

He should be elected the leader of the free world.

 

[Member 3687]

As others have asked, what is dead and or dying as many of these rounds have been around more than 100 years and many were said to be dying in other articles 30 years ago yet they are still here. Also are they just less popular in the US or worldwide.

KelTec, Beretta still produce 32 autos and then there are several companies still producing the VZ 61 Scorpion so is the 32 ACP truly dead or is it just hard to find ammo.

The 40 may not be as popular as it once was but when every company still makes firearms to fit the round it must not be dead or is it just good business practice to still produce something that won't sell. O wait they are still are selling.

The 41 mag is and has always been a niche group as it has a milder recoil than the 44 mag yet more power than the .357 and at one time many states would not allow you to hunt with the .357. Washington state was one of those for many, many years. So, nothing has changed it still has a small group of fallowers and it will still be here for many more years.

The 45 GAP never really had a following from day one, I understand the concept and why it came about but the 45ACP had such a large following for competition and SHTF when the GAP came out it did not have a chance. So, it will be produced in small quantiles to fill the guns that are out there even if it is just contracted buy Glock to sell as they are the ones who came up with it.

The rest on the list will be filled by either small niche companies or limited runs each year as there are still a lot of guns out there in these calibers.

Just my opinion