Take a look at this article http://www.realguns.com/Commentary/comar5.htm

I read this article and thought it was so full of mistakes and impossibilities that it must be a joke. However, I wrote the author and he stood behind the article.

What do you think ?

Am I losing my mind?

Sounds insane to me too.

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RAB

J.W. Blute __

Suspicious at least. Given that the 50 BMG with a case capacity [available for gunpowder] of around one cubic inch fires a 750 gr. bullet at velocities in excess of 2000 fps, it doesn't seem reasonable that a cartridge with 1/3 that capacity can drive a 900 gr. bullet in the same velocity range. Unless the propellant is Semtex, or maybe straight nitroglycerine. Hmmm.

Also, boring-out an already skinny AR barrel to .416 would seem hazardous at best. Unless it's made from Unobtainium. Hmmm.

I've contacted RCBS to see if they're really making the dies. I'll post the results when received.

Good shooting.

Robert

In addition to everything else, it would be interesting if someone with "Load From a Disk" could show how much pressure 45gr of Bullseye in this case would really produce.

If nobody beats me to it, I'll run some numbers through QuickLoad when I get home this evening. Anybody have a reasonable estimate on case capacity? I will say this -- I want no part of a cartridge operating at 80,000 psi!

Cannon,
I'm also trying to figure out how he gets a sm rifle primer to stay in the back of a 460 wby case.....and how a cartage with ballistics similar to a 416 Rigby is going to compete with .357 Sig / .40 S&W in a pistol.

I think the referenced article/commentary is a piece of satire. Joe D'Alessandro runs an excellent site at www.realguns.com.

-Bob

The .300 Whisper uses 250 grain .308 bullets to remain subsonic.
If you could spin them fast enough you don't need to go fast and here it definitely wouldn't.

There is an individual that builds AR's using standard Ar/m-16 mags that shoot .458 and .475 standard hunting bullets. I will get the website. He also sells the uppers so you can put them on your full-auto lower.
Rock-and-Roll baby.

www.tromix.com

[This message has been edited by Roger Rothschild (edited 12-11-2001).]

Bfaucett,
Here is the complete correspondence I had with Joe. See for yourself.

-----Original Message-----
From: John [mailto:blute@y-city.net]
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2001 1:02 AM
To: joe@realguns.com
Subject: .40 Regular

Joe I have read several of your articles and found them to be very enjoyable and well written. However, I have some concerns with an article contained in your commentary archive. The article is on the new 40 regular cartridge and my concerns are as follows:

1. The .40 regular is based on 460 Wby brass, yet is said to be made for AR-15 based rifles. Ar-15 based rifles are built for .223 case head cartridges and there is no way to open the bolt up enough to accommodate the 460 case head. Even the AR-10 rifles which, are designed for 308 case head cartridges wouldn't open up enough to handle the 460 (which is essentially a belted 416 Rigby necked up)

2.The article states that: "Best results have been achieved with the 900 grain bullet over 45 grains of Bullseye, using CCI benchrest small pistol primers." However, the 460 Wby case uses a large rifle primer.

3. The article states : "Chamber pressure is in the 80,000 PSI range" If this is true, this is borderline dangerous. The maximum chamber pressure on even the most modern cartridges is 65,000 PSI. (i.e. the new Ultra Mag's)

4. Also the article states: "muzzle velocity is in the neighborhood of 2,200 fps from barrels as short as 16"

This meets and even exceeds the performance of both the 416 Rigby and the 416 Rem Mag. All in a rifle designed for 400 meter free style competition? Due to recoil, few people can hold a safari rifle steady for more than a few shots from the prone position.

5. Speaking of recoil, the article states: "Zeep plans to offer a gas operated autoloader pistol later in the year. He believes the .40 Regular can compete head on with the .357 SIG and the .400 CORBON. "

This cartridge in a pistol? A 300 Win Mag in a 8 lb rifle generates about 33 ft.lbs of recoil. (Most people consider this to be "Stiff") This cartridge in a 2 lb pistol would generate in excess of 100 ft.lbs.!!!!! No one would / could fire such a pistol more than once!!

A recoil calculator can be found at the following site http://benchrest.com/sst/ if you would like to check my work.

6. Finally, the article states: "Sighted to a 300 yard zero, the bullet is 1.5" high at 100 yards, 2" high at 200 yards and 1" low at 400 yards".

Even if you were pushing the 900gr bullet (bc 1.2) at 2200 fps, the drop from a 300yrd zero to 400 yrds is over 16".

This checks out with the ballistic calculator on SST's web site and with my own Sierra infinity program.

Joe, I didn't write this e-mail to bust your chops. I have enjoyed many of your articles and this one just struck me as being completely out of norm.

Thanks for the entertainment.

J.W.

John,

Actually there is a recoil and ballistics calculator on the Real Guns home page for future reference. I'm sorry you were disappointed in the .40 Regular, however, the cartridge has been widely accepted and now the standard in N.A.T.O. 400 meter free style flom competition. It joins the success of other once per year new product introductions such as those appearing at http://www.realguns.com/archives/christ1.htm.

Joe

80K psi sounds a little conservative for 45 grains of Bullseye under a 900 grain bullet. Or was that 9000gr?

However, I guess I should just check it out tonight in my basement. If I don't post again, you may reasonably conclude that the pressure was a little high for my DPMS upper.

I'll bet the Mall Ninja security guards will be packing 40 Regulars. And the Martians just landed in Kansas. Satire, spoof, gotta be! Sounds like Saeed may be trying to get Walter interested in a new gun.

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RAB

Anyone who still isn't convinced this is a joke needs to look at the web page cited in JW's email from Joe: http://www.realguns.com/archives/christ1.htm (The URL in JW's post has an extra "." at the end.)

If still in doubt, check out what QuickLoad has to say:

A full-length .416 Weatherby can't hit 2200 fps with a 900 gr. bullet -- even at 80,000 psi in a 30" barrel. 45 grains of Bullseye behind a 900 gr. bullet would generate >65k psi in the full-length 416, more like 160k psi in the short version, and still produce only 1500 fps in a 16" tube.

According to my external ballistics program, the bullet would have to average 6800 fps between 300 and 400 yds in order to only drop an inch.

Friends,
I appear to have been had.

I sincerely apologies for dragging you into a spoof. If Saeed has a yearly "Thick Headed" award, I fear I may be a contender.

I went back and actually followed the link Joe sent me...and wound up on a page with articles even more outrageous than the .40 regular.

The .40 regular article was cleverly hidden among several legitimate articles. Thus, the hook was set.

J.W.

It's about time!! Doesn't everyone need a .700 weatherby. HA HA HA. I better tell santa!!!!!

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Gotta love that BIG MEDICINE

Wonder if that article was posted April 1st?

Bye
Jack