Story by Shane Jahn

The idea of matching the same cartridge to a rifle and handgun is certainly nothing new. I expect some of the first serious shooters to actually put this practice to use were lawmen. Early photos of Texas Rangers oftentimes show those determined peace officers with a Colt Single Action Army sidearm and a Winchester 1873 lever-action, presumably chambered in the same cartridge, when possible. The tried-and-true practice of carrying like-chambered sidearms and long guns is still a sound one.

Traditional handgun cartridges fired in rifles and carbines will take on an additional advantage of increased velocity. Basically, the increase in bullet speed occurs from a higher efficiency of powder burn as the bullet spirals down longer barrels. A website called Ballistics by the Inch (ballisticsbytheinch.com) has some interesting information regarding this and other collected data. Visiting their site is time well spent. For example, a Cor-Bon 125 gr. 357 Magnum JHP fired from a four-inch S&W Model 686 revolver registers 1477 fps in their Real World Weapons section. The same round launched in a 16-inch Winchester 94 lever gun reaches 2105 fps. The added 12-inches of barrel length increased velocity by 628 fps. Interesting enough, the velocities shown on their Barrel Length Chart from 2 to 18-inches do not always go the way one would assume.

The ease of carrying a handgun and longarm firing the same ammo for hunting and soul-soothing woods-bumming simplifies life. While our primary focus of carrying a gun in the field might be for hunting, personal safety should always be a real concern for the hunter and outdoorsman. Certain types of criminals are drawn to the remote outdoors, especially those with access to the public. Some wild animals can pose a threat as well and it’s not always a bear or mountain lion that’s the problem.  Ever see the video of a lady being attacked by a rabid fox? This all boils down to the fact that a responsible person should be appropriately armed whenever legally possible. Being prepared is not paranoia. Personal safety and the safety of friends and loved ones should be a priority and something we must contemplate, no matter where we are.

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