# Please explain bullet sizes for guns (and other ammo jargon)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-bullet-sizes-for-guns-and-other-ammo-jargon/965964>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 10, 2022, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-bullet-sizes-for-guns-and-other-ammo-jargon/965964 "2022-06-10T10:49:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-bullet-sizes-for-guns-and-other-ammo-jargon/965964/121 "2022-06-29T01:59:20Z")

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Remember that the Springfield was a direct copy of the Mauser 98, so much so that we licensed a bunch of Mauser’s patents. The rifle was the easy part. We also licensed the _spitzer_ bullet design, so I wonder if the paperwork for that added a couple of years to the process, if they started _after_ the rest was licensed.

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**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-bullet-sizes-for-guns-and-other-ammo-jargon/965964/122 "2022-06-29T18:33:21Z")

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Yeah, I actually have a real life example of this.

I once purchased four Taurus PT-22 (.22 cal) semi-auto pistols from a distributor. They accidentally sent three PT-22s and one PT-25 (.25 cal). The two models are virtually identical except for the cartridge they use. (I’m too lazy to provide a link to more technical info, but you can find pictures and specs easily enough.) I was going to keep two PT-22s and sell the other two, but I decided it was simpler and easier to keep one PT-22 and the odd PT-25 instead.

While the PT-25 (.25 cal) definitely didn’t have the velocity or power of the PT-22 (.22 cal), it definitely fed and extracted more reliably. I also experienced absolutely no misfires with the PT-25, probably due to the centerfire nature of the cartridges. I did experience misfeeds, failures to extract, and misfires with the PT-22. Again, these pistols were virtually identical in construction and operation.

Just my two cents. I’d prefer the reliability of the PT-25 over the power of the PT-22 any day.

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