ok, i've been wondering this for forever, but what does the -06 in .30-06 mean? and other calibers like that? I hav never understood it. I know in the 45-70 the 70 stands for the powder charge (so i've heard) but not sure really what all the last numbers mean. can yall clarify? thanks.

06 stands for 1906, the year it was introduced.

quote:

Originally posted by waxman:
06 stands for 1906, the year it was introduced.

IIRC the original designation was the "30 caliber government model of 1906" and eventually was just shortened to 30-06.

Now ask someone at Federal why they named their latest cartridge the 338-08!!! Maybe they expect the first gun to be chambered for it in 2008!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by beretta9289:
ok, i've been wondering this for forever, but what does the -06 in .30-06 mean? and other calibers like that? I hav never understood it. I know in the 45-70 the 70 stands for the powder charge (so i've heard) but not sure really what all the last numbers mean. can yall clarify? thanks.

Unlike the European system of cartridge designation, the US "system" at first seems without rhyme or reason (and sometimes I think it is). A 38 Spl is not 38 caliber, a 218 Bee is a 22, and a 44 Mag is .429". It can be confusing. Get yourself a copy of "Cartridges of the World" and study up.

wow, i guess it's not as obvious as i thought it was gonna be..kinda random, lol

Oh yeah! i forgot to ask, what does the 55 in 6.5x55 mean? and 7.62x39? never understood that one

Those would be the nominal lengths in millimeters of the brass cases. Best-o-Luck

quote:

Originally posted by beretta9289:
Oh yeah! i forgot to ask, what does the 55 in 6.5x55 mean? and 7.62x39? never understood that one

The "55" and the "39" designate the case length in millimeters.

With the majority of American, British or European (metric) cartridges, the caliber is the first figure given. However, there are exceptions that will be pointed out later. Caliber may be given in terms of bullet or bore diameter (land or groove), and is neither accurate nor consistent We have such things as the 303 Savage cartridge, which has a .308-inch diameter bullet as opposed to the 303 British with a .312-inch diameter bullet. Then we run into the .458 Winchester Magnum and the 460 Weatherby Magnum, both of which are loaded with the same 458-inch diameter bullet. The Weatherby people didn't want anyone to get their round mixed up with the Winchester design so they changed the figures a little. That is why some cartridges do not follow in normal caliber designation in the dimensional tables.

The second figure, if there is one, is usually some distinguishing feature such as the case length or powder charge. European cartridges are, almost without exception, designated by caliber and case length. Obsolete American cartridges, or any that have a blackpowder origin, are designated by caliber and powder charge; or caliber-powder charge-bullet weight (the last two in grains weight). Smokeless powder charges vary so widely with the powder type and grain structure that this is no longer used. However, there are again such exceptions as the 30-30 and 30-40 Krag. Here, the second figure represents the original smokeless powder charge although it no longer has anything to do with it. With blackpowder cartridges the designation 45-70 means a 45-caliber cartridge with 70 grains of blackpowder; or 45-70-405 spoils out the same cartridge with 405-grain bullet to distinguish it from such other bullet loadings as the 45-70-500.

The truth of the matter is that the American system of cartridge nomenclature really hasn't any system to it, and can only be learned through reading and experience; Otherwise, you simply never know what the hell is meant. For example, take the 30-06, a very popular military and sporting round. Here, the first figure shows the caliber, the second the date of origin. In other words, a 30-caliber cartridge model of 1906. Or again, the 250-3000 Savage. This translates out as a 25-caliber cartridge firing a bullet at 3000 fps muzzle velocity. The bullet diameter is actually .257-inch and muzzle velocity varies with bullet weight from 2800 to over 3000 fps. Some of the older backpowder cartridges included the case length and type; thus the 44-90 Sharps 2 5/8-inch necked, or 45-120 Sharps 3 1/4-inch straight. This isn't a system at all, it's a code.

The British, to a large extent, follow the same "system" as we do. However, they add to the general confusion with such cartridges as the 577/450 or 500/465. Here, the second figure gives the actual caliber, and what is meant is the 577 case necked to 450.caliber and a 500 case necked to 465-caliber. They may also add the case length. At this point it is necessary to point out that some American wildcat (noncommercial) cartridges dreamed up by individual experimenters are designated by a similar but opposite system (?). Here, we have such cartridges as the 8mm-06, 30-338 and 25-06. These work out as an 8mm based on the 30-06 case, a 30-caliber based on the 338 Winchester case and a 25-caliber based on the 30-06 case. Confusing indeed.

The Europeans have evolved the only real system of cartridge designation that is consistent and meaningful. Dimensions are in millimeters, including bullet diameter, case length and type. The 7x57mm Mauser is a cartridge, for example, using a 7mm bullet in a 57mm rimless case. The 9.3x74Rmm is a 9.3mm caliber and a 74mm rimmed case,the R denotes the rimmed type, its absence a rimless case. The name of the originator or manufacturer may follow. This is a relatively simple and straightforward system, but unfortunately it isn't perfect either. The Germans used two rim types in some of their older cartridges, and this resulted in duplicate designation of cartridges that differ only in the rim (9.05x36.R, 10.85x24.9R, etc.), and there must be at least three 9.3x72mm cartridges that differ only in case configuration. It is all something of a mess and probably too late to change.

One must not forget the least famous cartridge of all time.....as a matter of fact it's barely known that Bill Clinton developed the 365 Monica Magnum.

The 365 don't mean caliber.....instead it's the number of interns hired by Bill.....one for each day of the year.....and the Monica gives a clue as to the caliber which is known to many but still a mystery to the male shooters of the world and the magnum part referrs to some type of cigar.

The cartridge was the sole cartridge used on his eight year Safari to hunt "DC cats" in the whitehouse.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
One must not forget the least famous cartridge of all time.....as a matter of fact it's barely known that Bill Clinton developed the 365 Monica Magnum.

The 365 don't mean caliber.....instead it's the number of interns hired by Bill.....one for each day of the year.....and the Monica gives a clue as to the caliber which is known to many but still a mystery to the male shooters of the world and the magnum part referrs to some type of cigar.

The cartridge was the sole cartridge used on his eight year Safari to hunt "DC cats" in the whitehouse.

quote:

Originally posted by beretta9289:
ok, i've been wondering this for forever, but what does the -06 in .30-06 mean? and other calibers like that? I hav never understood it. I know in the 45-70 the 70 stands for the powder charge (so i've heard) but not sure really what all the last numbers mean. can yall clarify? thanks.

As Ricciardelli syas, our "system" is not a system at all, since cartridges tht originate here are called whatever the orginator wants to name them, whether such names have anything to do with actual cartridge design characteristics or not!

The problem is, those last numbers in U.S. cartridge designations (IF ANY!!) can mean different things. The '06 is, as mentioned, 1906. But the .30/'06 is one of the very few (if not the ONLY) U.S. cartridges that carries the year of introduction as part of its nomenclature - (there was a .30/'03, but it is long gone!) The '06's first .30-caliber predecessor, the .30 US Army, is also called .30/40 Krag, with the last two numbers supposedly standing for the powder charge in grains, just like the .30/30 Win. was supposed to be loaded with 30 grains of SMOKELESS powder. However, more often than not, neither of these rounds actually contained the weight of powder the numbers would have lead you to expect. (Maybe they did for the first week or so, but I doubt it!)

In addition to powder charge numbers, many black powder loads also showed the nominal weight of the bullet, as well as the powder weight, ie., .45/70/500 - a .45 caliber round holding 70 grains of powder and a 500-grain bullet.

And when you look at the designation of some of the British cartridges, it gets more confusing: the .577-450 Martini-Henry, for example, means they took the .577 Snyder cartridge and necked it down to shoot .45-caliber bullets (which were actually .458" in diameter, not .450")!

The Europeans seem a little better off, since they designate a cartridge by caliber in millimeters, (usually land, or bore diameter, not groove) and the length of the case in mm as well, such as 7X57mm, a 7mm (.276") bore and a 57mm long case. Of course, this round shoots a bullet that is bigger than .276", being .284" or .286". They then add an "R" after the case length numbers to designate cases that have a protruding rim instead of an extractor groove, 7X57R, etc. BUT, even so, it is possible to have TWO (or more!!) rounds designated the same in the European system, but which are NOT INTERCHANGEABLE!! For example, there is an 8X57mm and one called the 8X57-360, and they are different!

The only way to know for sure which cartridge is which is by studying such references as CARTRIDGES OF THE WORLD until you are familiar with the vast majority of the world's cartridge cases, and you will still encounter one now and then that is still a mystery!

BUT this is what makes it fun!!