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Jeff Higgins Jeff Higgins is online now
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Higgs Field
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Good stuff James, thanks for posting. Those guys are certainly thorough and very methodical. One of the better sites I have seen concerning this topic.

What you really need to study is their "real world guns" data. When you do, you will notice just how common it is to see a shorter barreled gun producing greater velocities with some ammo than those with longer barrels. You will also begin to notice a great deal of overlap between the ballistics of disparate cartridges, where one is commonly perceived to be "more powerful" than the other, as makes and barrel lengths change. This is particularly pronounced when comparing "standard" barrel lengths (is your 1908 a 4" or a 3 3/4"?) with the shorter (3" and less) barrel lengths of these sub compact guns.

Here is a great example of what I'm driving at. Below is a photo of four of my .44 mag revolvers, representing four barrel lengths and three different manufacturers.



It would be easy to assume that the highest velocities are achieved with the two longest barrels, the 6" M29 and 6" Virginian Dragoon. Such is not the case, however. That little 3" Ruger actually beats them all, having unusually tight dimensions in the chambers and barrel. To further confuse things, the two guns from the same manufacturer, the two M29's, show the shorter 4" barrel producing higher velocities than the 6" barrel. Who would have thought?

So, again, using someone else's figures, derived in their guns with the ammo they had on hand tells you nothing about your own. You need to do your own testing. If and when you do, don't be surprised if your old 1908 is nipping right at the heels of a modern 9mm snubbie. Enough so that that shiny new gun isn't quite the "upgrade" you think it might be.
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Jeff
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"God invented whiskey so the Irish wouldn't rule the world"
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