If you don't know,it's not a dumb ?

I

ifithitu

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I have not been in the gun collection game that long.So I have this question,I own four 1911's two say AUTO and two say ACP,what's the difference in the wording? They all are semi auto's right? Thanks:D
 
There are no dumb questions - just beware of dumb answers. Several months ago - I go to a large local sportig good shop to pick up some ammo. I asked the two young men behing the counter, 'What kind of .380 ACP they had in stock?' They both look at the ammo shelf closely - turn to me and say -- ' We don't have any .380 ACP.' -- I could see several different types from where I stood - I pointed out that fact to them -- they were dumbfounded to learn that .380 ACP was the same as .380 Auto, which was what the labels said on all their boxes. -- Go figure.
 
Tell us what you have in your collection so far - pictures too!


I've learned to ignore most of the nomenclature rolled on pistols - the variation in terminology is not usually helpful and can be confusing. But, in dating and authenticating older guns, all of this stuff can matter.

Don't feel bad, I bought an STI 2011 pistol at an auction. I thought it was 45acp. But, when I examined it again, the barrel said "hybrid .450". I thought "holly crap, where do you buy Hybrid .450 ammo???" When I asked, I was told that it is just another way of saying 45acp and the "hybrid" designation had nothing to do with the chambering. It shoots any 45 acp I decide to shoot in it; quite accurately too!

So, even if you've been collecting guns for over 25 years, you will still have to ask occasional stupid questions.:o
 
I figure you come here to learn and talk about guns, and gun related subjects.
There are no dumb question but I have heard some dumb answers.:)
 
Manufacturers are loathe to put their competitor's name on their products.
When Colt chambered their revolvers in .38 Smith & Wesson, they stamped the guns ".38 Colt New Police".
Similarly, Smith & Wesson wouldn't want their guns rolled ".45 Automatic Colt Pistol", so it's .45 Auto.
It can certainly get confusing when the same cartridge has a half-dozen names, like 9mm Luger, 9mm Parabellum, 9mm NATO, 9x19, etc.
 
STI 2011 pistol - the barrel said "hybrid .450".
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Weird/cool...don't know which.

I wonder what STI was thinking? Also STI might not be Ruger, Colt or S&W but even I've heard of the company so they are kind of big...I wonder why they would do something so odd.
 
Some barrels, which might be chambered in a number of different calibers, don't have a specific caliber marking.
A short-chambered "1911" barrel with a .355" bore could end up chambered in 9mmP, .38 Super Comp, 9x23 WIN, etc., so the maker might not want a specific caliber marking on it.
There aren't as many .45" cartridges, but I think Schuemann Barrels marks theirs with the nominal bore diameter rather than a specific cartridge name.
 
My collection of 1911's are these " Skans.":D
Springfield Armory .45 Auto.,Ruger SR 1911 .45 Auto.
Rock Island Armory Cal..45 ACP, Kimber Custom II.45 ACP

 
Don't feel bad, I bought an STI 2011 pistol at an auction. I thought it was 45acp. But, when I examined it again, the barrel said "hybrid .450". I thought "holly crap, where do you buy Hybrid .450 ammo???" When I asked, I was told that it is just another way of saying 45acp and the "hybrid" designation had nothing to do with the chambering. It shoots any 45 acp I decide to shoot in it; quite accurately too
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IIRC it was Schuemann barrels that first marketed the "Hybrid" barrels. Though others likely first developed the concept.These were and are barrels drilled to specific diameter and normally ported or comped that could be chambered in a number of loads. So a .355 hybrid could be chambered in 9mm, 38 Super, 9x23, etc. you'd just need to drill and ream the chamber for the round you wanted. They are usually tapered externally and do away with the need for a bushing.

These were intended for competition. A .450 Hybrid is not another way of saying 45 acp. It's a way of saying you can make this barrel into a 45acp, 45 GAP, or something else entirely by modifying the chamber.

A link to Schumann,

http://www.schuemann.com/Store/tabid/91/c/barrels/PageIndex/1/Default.aspx?filter=20

Link to STI,

http://stiguns.com/barrels/

Link to Speedshooter

https://www.speedshooter.com/product_detail.cfm?id=GO35CTM0&n=Schuemann-355-3-Port-Hybrid-Barrel



tipoc
 
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The only dumb question is the one not asked. :)

We sent one of the non-gun guys at a match to get some .22 ammo. He brought back a box of .22Long Rifle...to the pistol stage. We sent him back to get .22 Pistol ammo. Still good for a ribbing here and there. :D
 
We sent one of the non-gun guys at a match to get some .22 ammo. He brought back a box of .22Long Rifle...to the pistol stage. We sent him back to get .22 Pistol ammo. Still good for a ribbing here and there.
Click to expand...

How long does the rifle have to be to fire that Long rifle?:D
 
45 ACP and 45 Auto are two names for the same cartridge. SAAMI and Cartridges of the World both call the cartridge 45 Automatic, which is shortened to 45 Auto. COTW notes that the cartridge is also known as 45 ACP, but the official SAAMI designation for the cartridge is 45 Automatic. Case heads are stamped 45 Auto, at least all of my Starline, Remington and Winchester brass is.

As was posted earlier ACP stands for Automatic Colt Pistol, which is also used for several other auto pistol cartridges (25, 32, 380, and 38 ACPs.) It seems to have been a marketing term employed by Colt's when John Browning designed the cartridges for their pistols. SAAMI doesn't use ACP for any official cartridge designation.

Cartridge designation on pistols varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. My Tanfoglio 45s are all marked 45 ACP. Ruger uses 45 Auto on their pistols. They are so loath to put another manufacturer's name on their pistols that their 40 S&W pistols used to be designated 40 Auto, even though the official SAAMI designation is 40 Smith & Wesson.
 
^^^ IMHO mmb713's post is the first to directly answer the OP's question. :)

Most major gun and ammo manufacturers voluntarily follow standards set by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) in the United States, or the Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives (CIP) in Belgium. SAAMI calls the cartridge .45 Automatic or .45 Auto for short, while the CIP calls it 45 Auto. A gunmaker wishing to follow SAAMI or CIP specs to the letter will put one of these designations on the gun. Others choose to use alternate or traditional names such as .45 ACP.

FWIW many cartridge names originally and technically include a manufacturer name, but the full name is no longer in common use; two common examples are .38 Smith & Wesson Special and .44 Remington Magnum.
 
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