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.46 rimfire
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.46 caliber pistol and rifle cartridge
.46 Short United States Revolver Remington 1868 1868–1917 Rimmed, straightBarnes Frank C. Cartridges of the World 1997 0873491785 388 DBI Books 8th McPherson, M.L. .456 .458 .458 .530 0.836 1.336 Rimfire
.46 rimfire / 11.6x21mmRF is a family of rimfire cartridges which were chambered in revolvers and rifles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were primarily made in short, long and extra long lengths; however, a variety of other lengths were designed. Manufacturers in the USA discontinued making .46 Short and .46 Long ammunition after the country's entrance into World War I in 1917; however, production of .46 Extra Long / 11.6x39mmRF continued after the war.Barnes Frank C. McPherson, M.L. Cartridges of the World 8th 1965 1997 DBI Books 384 0-87349-178-5
History
thumb|left |Remington Conversion, Rollin White Patent
The .46 Short was used in the first large-caliber metallic cartridge revolvers available. Previously Smith & Wesson, who owned the Rollin White patent, had produced the Model 1 in .22 Short and Model 2 in .32 Short.Kinard Jeff Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact 2004 ABC-CLIO 978-1851094707 116 In 1868, Remington paid a royalty fee to Smith & Wesson for use of the Rollin White patent and began to produce .46 Short metallic cartridge conversions for their New Model Army. These converted revolvers were also capable of firing the .46 Long cartridges when they were introduced a few years later..46 Rimfire http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=14761.0 11 July 2013
Technical background
The Remington New Model Army was a .44 caliber percussion cap revolver. In the nomenclature of the time, .44 caliber referred to the bore diameter of the barrel which was nominally 0.440". The grooves of the rifling were .006-.007" deep so the groove diameter was nominally 0.451-0.454". These revolvers were generally loaded with a .457" diameter lead ball (48-gauge), ensuring a good seal in the chamber.Ware Donald L. Remington Army and Navy Revolvers 1861-1888 2007 University of New Mexico Press 978-0826342805 228 On conversion to cartridge ammunition, the nomenclature changed so that the name of the cartridge was based on the size of the projectile, hence the .46 Short (0.458" diameter bullet) fit the .44 caliber revolver.
See also
Table of handgun and rifle cartridges
References
Category:Pistol and rifle cartridges
Category:Rimfire cartridges
Category:Cartridge families