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From: bobd@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Bob DeBula)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Birth of the 9mm
Message-ID: <35644@mimsy.umd.edu>
Date: 14 Jun 91 20:05:14 GMT
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In article <35598@mimsy.umd.edu> boyd@mailer.cc.fsu.edu (Mickey Boyd) writes:
#
#The way I heard the "birth of the 9mm" story is as follows.  The cartridge is 
#a "cut down" version of another one common at the time (I think it was the 
#.30 carbine, but I could be wrong). 
		  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
		  You *are* wrong :-) 
The 9mm was perhaps a necked up .30 Luger (ACP), the .30 carbine
case was developed by Winchester in the late 1930's unless I'm mistaken
(I believe 9mm Luger came out in 1904).

#ballistic design, they just needed to rechamber the Luger for a different 
#round, and doing it this way meant less retooling.  Thus, (the way I understand
#it) the 9mm specs were created in a "less than scientific" way.  Oh, the 
#rechambering was needed due to a "request" by the German army, who did not 
#want to adopt the pistol in the previous caliber.  
#

This was probably in a rare fit of military "sanity" (as opposed to the
normal condition for making ordinance decisions :-). Seriously, I would
certainly not criticize this decision at all (look how long 9mm 
Parabellum has been around and how many current arms are chambered
for it -- they were defintely on the ball when they requested this
change). Don't get me wrong, I *like* .30 Luger, but for a lot of
reasons the 9mm Luger cartridge is just a better all around choice
for military/police work.
-- 
==========================================================================
Bob DeBula                    | Disclaimer: These are my views, not the U's