Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Missed oppurtunies

Here are some rounds I think should have been hits, but weren't.



--9 mm Action Express (AE)--This is basically a 41 Action Express necked down to 9 mm, an early version of the 357 Sig (essential a 40S&W necked down to 9 mm). Thing is, the 9 mm AE is way more powerful then the 357 Sig. The 357 Sig pops out a 115 gr bullet at 1584 fps and 624 ft-lbs of energy and a 124 gr bullet at 1329 fps and 486 ft-lbs of energy. The 9 mm AE pops out the same 115 gr bullet at 1825 fps and 850 ft-lbs of energy and a 124 gr bullet at 1530 fps and 645 ft-lbs of energy. Either 9mm AE round is twice the power of a 9 mm Parabellum. It was introduced in 1988, 7 years before the 357 Sig.



--357 Auto Mag--While larger then the 357 Sig or the 9mm AE, this round is quite a bit more potent. 125 gr bullet travelling at 1810 fps with 915 ft-lbs of energy and 158 gr bullet travelling at 1635 fps and 940 fps. This is more powerful then a 357 Magnum in an auto-pistol. This would have made an awesome round for weapons like the MP5 or Uzi.



--5.7 Spitfire, aka 5.7 Johnson, aka MMJ 5.7 mm. This is essentially a 30 carbine necked down to 22 caliber. This was a 40 gr bullet travelling at 3000 fps with 795 ft-lbs of energy or a 50 gr bullet at 2700 fps and 810 ft-lbs of energy. It makes the 5.7x28mm that is all the rage for the new FN weapons seem dismal.



--7.62x25mm Russian Tokarev--This round is alive and well in the surplus market with all the importation of Tokarev and CZ-52 pistols and the Ppsh41 machine pistols (etc). This is a great little round. Prior to the creation of the 357 Magnum in 1935, this round and it's twin (30 Mauser) were the fastest, flattest shooting handgun rounds available. Only S&B currently makes a HP version of this round, at about 1650 fps. This round needs further innovation and it would be extremely useful for more then just it's penetration ability.