Which calibers have been gaining and which have been waning?

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Playboypenguin

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It seems to me lately that the 10mm have really been gaining in popularity once again. Yet, it still does not compare to the .380acp which seems to have shot through the roof in popularity. I have never seen so many .380acp pistols being rushed to market with such heavy advertising. I guess it has something to do with the national CCW craze.

I have also noticed that calibers like .32acp, .25acp, and even even .45gap have been slowly waning in poularity.

Anyone else noticing similar trends?
 
How is the .41 Magnum doing? I once owned a model 58 S&W. In some ways it was nicer, mainly because I prefer the fixed sights, than a 4" Model 29. But I couldn't tell the difference when firing magnum rounds.
 
LOL... 100mm!

I want one!

Seriously, though, I still don't see the 10mm gaining in popularity much, even if it is a good round. I agree about the .380acp, though.

The .25acp has taken a hit as importation of pistols in .25acp was stopped, and they have to be "home grown" now. The Taurus PT-25 is really about the only thing out there (it's assembled in the U.S.), and older guns that chamber that round are either falling apart or no longer being shot much.

The .32acp gained a bit with the Kel-Tecs and Seecamps, but thats about it.

Another round that's been dropping off the radar is the .41 magnum. Great round, but most just stick with the .44 mag now.
 
I disagree that the .32 ACP has been waning. I still see a lot more Kel-Tec P32's than I do P3AT's and in many ways I think the Kel-Tecs have contributed a lot to the .32's resurgence.

As far as other calibers that seem to be gaining, I've noticed a slightly higher amount of attention being given to the .32 H&R Magnum than it had a few years ago. The .45 ACP has been on an upswing for about the past 10-15 years it seems while 9mm and .40 S&W remain strong. The .44 Special seems to be gaining a bit of popularity with S&W bringing back the 396, M21, and M24. Finally, the .38-40 seems to be making a bit of a comeback in Cowboy Action circles.

With regards to what's waning, I don't seem to see as many .357 Sigs as I used to leading me to believe that this cartridge has plateued, .45 GAP seems to be declining as does .480 Ruger, I don't see much in .17 HMR or .17 Mach 2 anymore, .22 Magnum doesn't seem to be as popular in handguns as it used to be, and .38 Super seems to be on a downward slide after a breif burst of popularity in competition.
 
.38 Super seems to be on a downward slide after a breif burst of popularity in competition.
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I think the .38super relies greatly on foreign sales to the land down under. My dealer sells a lot of them to Latinos. Since they cannot own any caliber the government uses it tends to be their best option power wise. I do not see much desire for it stateside...or real justification for it.
I disagree that the .32 ACP has been waning.
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When was the last time you saw a new gun produced and promoted in .32acp? :)
 
Going down:
357sig
45gap
40s&w

Going up:
45acp
32h&r
38 special
10mm

GAP is over with, now that XD/M&P/Glock have come out with less ogre-like grips for doublestack .45acp handguns.

shortn'weak is no longer "new" and people realize that:
1. it isn't a 45acp
2. it costs more to shoot than 9
3. it has less capacity than 9
4. it recoils more than 9 and 45 with no appreciable power benefit

it will continue to slowly fall as a result.

A fella can't find a .38 revolver in phoenix, it seems. At least I can't. Between the CCW snubby buyers and the new first-time shooters scared into the lifestyle via Obama, .38's are hard to find.
 
Quote:
.38 Super seems to be on a downward slide after a breif burst of popularity in competition.

I think the .38super relies greatly on foreign sales to the land down under. My dealer sells a lot of them to Latinos. Since they cannot own any caliber the government uses it tends to be their best option power wise. I do not see much desire for it stateside...or real justification for it.
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At one time, .38 Super was also quite popular in Mexico as "military" calibers were prohibited there. However, my understanding is that the law has since been changed and nothing larger than .380 is allowed in an auto or .38 Special in a revolver.

Quote:
I disagree that the .32 ACP has been waning.

When was the last time you saw a new gun produced and promoted in .32acp?
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Just because new models aren't coming out in a certain caliber doesn't mean it's popularity is waning. In my area, Kel-Tec P-32 sales continue to be brisk and are typically higher than P3AT sales, likewise I've only actually seen one Ruger LCP. Beretta continues to produce their Tomcat in .32 ACP as does Walther in their PPK and PPK/S, Seecamp in their LWS 32, CZ in their CZ-83 and North American Arms in their Guardian. Likewise, inexpensive surplus pistols such as the CZ-50/70 and Walther PP are fairly popular right now.
 
Just because new models aren't coming out in a certain caliber doesn't mean it's popularity is waning. In my area, Kel-Tec P-32 sales continue to be brisk and are typically higher than P3AT sales, likewise I've only actually seen one Ruger LCP. Beretta continues to produce their Tomcat in .32 ACP as does Walther in their PPK, Seecamp in their LWS 32, CZ in their CZ-83 and North American Arms in their Guardian. Likewise, inexpensive surplus pistols such as the CZ-50/70 and Walther PP are fairly popular right now.
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But is that because of the caliber or because of the price of the gun?

Plus, as my dealer said, he sells several .32 Kel-tecs but does not sell much ammo for them because people do not tend to shoot them after buying them. :)
 
Quote:
Just because new models aren't coming out in a certain caliber doesn't mean it's popularity is waning. In my area, Kel-Tec P-32 sales continue to be brisk and are typically higher than P3AT sales, likewise I've only actually seen one Ruger LCP. Beretta continues to produce their Tomcat in .32 ACP as does Walther in their PPK, Seecamp in their LWS 32, CZ in their CZ-83 and North American Arms in their Guardian. Likewise, inexpensive surplus pistols such as the CZ-50/70 and Walther PP are fairly popular right now.

But is that because of the caliber or because of the price of the gun?

Plus, as my dealer said, he sells several .32 Kel-tecs but does not sell much ammo for them because people do not tend to shoot them after buying them.
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Most people I talk to cite two reasons for their choice of the P-32 over the P3AT. The first is that the P-32 tends to be more reliable than the P3AT (this is what I've been told and not my personal opinion as I don't own nor have I shot either). The second is that the majority of people will carry FMJ in such a small gun and don't believe there will be a significant difference in performance between a .380 and .32. This being the case, they typically choose the .32 because of it's lighter recoil.
 
I guess my point about it being the caliber or the price of the gun could be expressed like this...if the 9mm Rohrbaugh was the same price as the .32acp Kel-Tec which would people choose? I think the only reason people are buying the Kel-Tec is because of price and price alone. It has nothing to do with the caliber. That just happens to be one of the calibers it comes in. :)
 
azredhawk44 said:
Going down:
357sig
45gap
40s&w

Going up:
45acp
32h&r
38 special
10mm

GAP is over with, now that XD/M&P/Glock have come out with less ogre-like grips for doublestack .45acp handguns.

shortn'weak is no longer "new" and people realize that:
1. it isn't a 45acp
2. it costs more to shoot than 9
3. it has less capacity than 9
4. it recoils more than 9 and 45 with no appreciable power benefit

it will continue to slowly fall as a result.

A fella can't find a .38 revolver in phoenix, it seems. At least I can't. Between the CCW snubby buyers and the new first-time shooters scared into the lifestyle via Obama, .38's are hard to find.
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Does anyone make a 32 H&R Magnum anymore? I have a S&W 631 that I would shoot more, if it didn't cost twice as much as a .38 to shoot.
 
Ammunition like this is a market. If there is a demand, there will be supply.

If there is a functinoal use for a round by enough customers, the company's make them.

Take the .303 British Cartridge. As far as I know, its not put into any new production rifles. But, it continues to be popular for hunting, and military operations in some countries.

I can find .303 ammunition just about anywhere around here. Cheap too. Not the top cartridge you might choose given the choice of something like .223, or .308, but a great round all the same.
 
I guess my point about it being the caliber or the price of the gun could be expressed like this...if the 9mm Rohrbaugh was the same price as the .32acp Kel-Tec which would people choose? I think the only reason people are buying the Kel-Tec is because of price and price alone. It has nothing to do with the caliber. That just happens to be one of the calibers it comes in.
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That may be so, but regardless of the reason people are still buying a lot of them thusly the cartridge is not waning.
 
going down
...
40s&w
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Wait, what? I'm not going to start a caliber war or anything here, but .40 SW is the King of the Competition hill for Limited/L10 shooters, and is still the number round issued to LE. In fact, the Coast Guard in the last 3 or 4 years became the 1st branch of the military to issue .40 as the standard service cartridge. I wouldn't call that "going down."
 
I've seen a little more talk on the forum, about the 10mm, as of recent. I haven't seen any 10mms' at my local gun shop though. Sunday, I plan on going to a gunshow. I will pay a bit more attention as to what everyone has to offer.
 
P-32--cheap yes, also very light and very available. I can afford one of Seecamp's or Rohrbaugh's fine little pistols, and one of these days I will find one, but the Kel-Tec serves for now. Although he is now making a .380, I'll bet most Seecamp pistols out there are .32 Auto. The caliber serves a need, and I don't see it fading. The 10 mm, on the other hand, can't seem to find its place against the .40 S&W and the "granddaddy" .45 ACP. I'm not sure why, because an autoloader cartridge with more bite than a .357 magnum that can be fired from a standard size pistol (like a 1911) should be in big demand. Go figure. By the way, who makes a 1911 in 10 mm? Anybody shooting one?
 
By the way, who makes a 1911 in 10 mm?
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Dan Wesson, Kimber, Fusion Firearms, and Wilson Combat all currently offer 1911's in 10mm. Colt is supposed to be re-introducing the Delta Elite, but I haven't seen one yet.
 
I checked the website, and the DW Commander Classic Bobtail made me drool. So, why not 10mm over .45 ACP? We always say all pistols are underpowered for defense. Why not go with the most powerful? I may have to join Playboypenguin's 10mm fan club.
 
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