What is America's cartridge?

[PLANEMECH]

Great job guys with coming up with other choices. I contemplated 30/30 and .30-06 as the rifle round. I agree I love .45 best but when I thought of which round may have been used the most while maybe not being superior I kept coming back to .38 special due to its police & military service and snub nose carry and is American made and almost as old as .45.Blam it on movies or tv growing up but most always on screen you saw a .38 not always a .45 unless it was a military show. It just seams the .38 was more visible growing up. A friend brought up the .22 and had to agree a little with him it probably is the most sold rifle/pistol out there. I still love my .45 and not giving it up for a .38 even though my wife carries one. Love ya dear.

 

[sbcman]

America is all about the biggest and the baddest. We want big trucks, we want Big Macs and we want big cups to hold our beverages. Thus, the 500S&W is the preeminent American pistol cartridge.

I need to get one of those.

 

[huntall50]

.45 ACP
30-06
.22lr
12ga

Everything else is frivolous!

 

[gdog243]

357 for me

 

[VinceU1]

In a pistol, the .45ACP. In a rifle, the .30-30Win as it's taken more deer than just about any two other cartridges combined!

 

[OneBadV8]

30/06. Everything else is a distant second.

handgun 45 acp

rifle 30-06

.45 and .30-06

America's pistol cartridge is most certainly the 45ACP, but I'm a rifle guy and, to me, there is simply nothing more "American" than the 30-'06 Springfield, and its various progeny. I don't agree that everything is a distant second...the 30/30 is also uniquely American and its popularity is not far behind, despite being quite a bit older and less powerful.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the 12 gauge shotgun shell, though it is not a "cartridge" per se.

50 years ago I would have said the 30-30 or 30-06. These days it's the .223/5.56.

.45 ACP
30-06
.22lr
12ga

Everything else is frivolous!

I would definitely say .30-06

Who doesn't know someone that has a .30-06 if they don't have one themselves?

 

[Eric05]

1.30/06
2.45ACP/45 Colt (tie)
3.357 Mag
4.44 Mag
5.30-30
6.38spl

 

[Cerberus]

I know far more people with .30-'06, 22lr and 12ga than anything. Even the ever popular .45 ACP would be a FAR 4th place. In fact I would say that .22s and 12s outnumber all others. Even though I don't care for it, the .30-'06 cartridge is still king of all centerfire rifle cartridges.

 

[jbrich]

I love my .45 acp but i would have to go with the .22lr. Its cheap and allows almost anybody to afford to shoot. My

 

[foszoe]

50 years ago I would have said the 30-30 or 30-06. These days it's the .223/5.56.

Don't let all the endless drivel on internet forums skew your judgement!!

They are all buying and SELLING .223 rifles, the aught 6's are sitting happily in everyones safe

 

[actaeon277]

I think limiting yourself to a cartridge is UnAmerican.

Come on. This is America.
We shoot them all.
Even if we don't make em, we still shoot em.

 

[.45 Dave]

.45, either ACP or Colt (aint no such thing as Long Colt, only to the unedumacated )

.30-06, .30-30

I dunno. I kinda like the sound of Long Colt.
Besides if you say .45 Colt everyone nowadays always thinks you mean .45 ACP and don't know the difference. I usually say I've got a .45 Colt, look for their reaction and then say Long Colt if they seem confused.

Also I'm a big .30-30 fan so I definitely vote for that one!

 

[actaeon277]

I dunno. I kinda like the sound of Long Colt.
Besides if you say .45 Colt everyone nowadays always thinks you mean .45 ACP and don't know the difference. I usually say I've got a .45 Colt, look for their reaction and then say Long Colt if they seem confused.

Also I'm a big .30-30 fan so I definitely vote for that one!

It used to be the Long Colt to differentiate from the .45 Schoefield. As the Schoefield has passed, the name has been shortened.
But, here's the kicker.
Calling it the Long Colt.
Is NOT wrong.
Maybe, if there were a department on naming cartridges that could come out with a ruling.

Which is it: .45 Long Colt or .45 Colt?

 

[.45 Dave]

It used to be the Long Colt to differentiate from the .45 Schoefield. As the Schoefield has passed, the name has been shortened.
But, here's the kicker.
Calling it the Long Colt.
Is NOT wrong.
Maybe, if there were a department on naming cartridges that could come out with a ruling.

Which is it: .45 Long Colt or .45 Colt?

Thanks! Good post!

 

[Kedric]

45 ACP

 

[inlineman]

My personal favorite is the 44mag,but I thought somebody would have paid homage to the 45/70 especially since it seems to be gaining its popularity back.I think if I owned one it could be my favorite.

 

[theweakerbrother]

I think limiting yourself to a cartridge is UnAmerican.

Come on. This is America.
We shoot them all.
Even if we don't make em, we still shoot em.

This is the best post. /end thread

 

[VERT]

Classic Cartridges:
Revolver = .38 spl/.357 magnum
Pistol = .45 acp
Rifle = .30-06
Shotgun = 12 guage

Most Popular Today:
Handgun = 9mm
Rifle = .223/5.56

Most Unique and yet widely available in the US:
.40 S&W

My pick for #1: .22LR
-Originally developed in the US in the 19th. Now almost every firearm manufacturer makes a gun chambered in this round. I would be surprised if this is not the most popular and widely availble cartridge in the world. A good rimfire .22LR is basically a must have for every gun owner.

 

[Fordtough25]

45 anything, 30-06, and 12 gauge.

 

[88E30M50]

If we were to have a national cartridge as a symbol, similar to how we see the eagle, I'd say it would have to be a 45 ACP. It's big, it's American and it's recognizable. The Europeans refused to accept it because it was too much for some European limp wrists to handle.

The quintessential American cartridge is the 45 ACP because:

It was developed by Americans, for Americans
It served us well in many wars
It's big
It's easily recognizable
It was too much for Europeans
It's embraced by sport shooters
It makes anti-gun weanies wet themselves
It makes street scum that are unlucky enough to attack an armed citizen and then find themselves looking down the huge barrel at the business end of a Speer Gold Dot wet themselves even more.