To answer the question: “What Is A Centerfire Pistol?”, you must first understand that there are two main types of ammunition:
- Centerfire
- Rimfire
These ammo categorizations are based on where the firing pin hits the back of the bullet to make it fire.
A centerfire pistol is one where the firing pin strikes the center of the bullet instead of the rim. The firing cap is at the center of the bullet, which explains why the firing pin strikes the center of the bullet.
Once the pin hits the middle of the bullet, its propellant ignites and the round is fired.
The rimfire pistol, on the other hand, is where the firing pin strikes the rim of the bullet to ignite its propellant and send it into motion.
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Centerfire or Rimfire: Which One to Select
If you are an avid hunter, you have most likely come across both rimfire and centerfire ammunition. To truly determine which kind of ammunition is best for your hunting adventure, you need to look into their designs and operation.
The centerfire wins in both design and function, making it the most popular type in today’s rounds.
The first advantage of the centerfire is how the gunpowder is burned evenly upon firing.
On a rimfire bullet, the powder on one end of the rim may burn faster than on the other; therefore, reducing the amount of powder that can be used in each round.
Since the centerfire is struck in the middle, it is assured that all the powder will ignite and burn evenly.
The second advantage to the centerfire is that it can be made with thicker cartridges.
With rimfire, the edge of the cartridge must be struck for it to fire, which weakens the cartridge wall.
For a successful firing, the cartridge wall needs to be thin to ensure the strike ignites the primer bead.
On the other hand, a centerfire round’s primer bead is removable and is the only piece that needs to be struck. This allows designers to make the cartridge walls as thick as possible, allowing more powder and bigger bullets.
The last advantage of the centerfire is that the cartridge is left intact after firing, making it available for reuse.
The cartridge of a centerfire round remains in one form because the primer is self-contained and removable. If you have the tools needed to reload your rounds, you can save your cartridges and use them multiple times.
The Centerfire and Rimfire Also Differ In Terms Of Functionality
In addition to design, you must also consider the functionality of the pistol’s rounds, which will determine your user experience.
The first crucial difference between the centerfire and the rimfire is reliability.
Centerfire rounds have separate self-contained primers built for one function only–making them more reliable and less likely to misfire.
On the other hand, a rimfire rounds’ primer bead is built into its casing, making it more likely to have issues at the manufacturing stage, often leading to misfires.
This difference in reliability is why people use centerfire rounds for the military and self-defense, and rimfire rounds for hunting and practice. Everyone can agree that in both the military and self-defense, the round is required to fire every single time.
A second distinction in functionality is accuracy.
When it comes to accuracy, both rimfire and centerfire have their pros and cons.
Rimfire rounds are generally smaller and carry less powder. This means the recoil from a rimfire will be less than a centerfire, and less recoil can help with the following:
- the user may flinch less as the level of recoil they anticipate is reduced
- recoil is also known to make the second and third shots less accurate because the explosion will pull the barrel off target, causing the user to have to realign the pistol for each shot.
Due to reduced recoil, the rimfire may be deemed more accurate. However, the lack of recoil may be due to reduced power and a lighter bullet, making long-distance shots more difficult.
Due to reduced powder and therefore less propulsion, the round will travel slower and drop more over longer distances.
Lighter bullets can also be affected by crosswinds. Firing such a shot over 100 yards will show the winds clearly taking the bullet up to 6 inches from its initial path. Therefore, for longer distances, the best round is the centerfire.
The last element of functionality is how the round type affects the design of the gun.
On a single-shot gun, there is no difference in reloading. However, on semi-automatic rifles, there is a significant difference arising from the kind of round used. Centerfire rifles use the force generated by escaping gases upon igniting the powder to reload the round.
Rimfire pistols, on the other hand, rely on the small amount of recoil generated by the round to reload, making their operation less complex. When it comes to guns, simplicity is often the better option.
Differences between the Centerfire and Rimfire Cartridge for Hunting
If you are hunting small game, rimfire ammunition may be the best option. For example, the rimfire .22 rounds are inexpensive and have less recoil, making them good enough for hunting rabbits and squirrels.
If you are hunting larger game, you need to consider your proficiency as the rimfire rounds will greatly reduce your chances of success. A well-placed shot with a rimfire can take down a larger animal, but to increase your chances of success, save the rimfire rounds for smaller animals.
The other factor to consider is the bullet quality. Rimfire bullets are made with thinner, weaker metals so that they fracture and spread upon impact.
This will work well for smaller game, but not for the thick hides of larger animals.
Although there are centerfire rounds for small game, they are more expensive. Instead, use centerfire rounds for larger game, where the power, speed, and accuracy will significantly boost your chances of taking down an animal.
Centerfire Vs. Rimfire for concealed carry
Centerfire is generally recommended for concealed carry because larger rounds mean more stopping power. It’s often said that a .380 is the smallest caliber that you should even think about carrying for self defense.
However, you have to choose a gun you will carry consistently and have the most accurate aim with.
If the only round you can handle is a .22 rimfire, then choose that gun and carry it every day (Just remember to find proper defense ammo).
Personally, I carry the Ruger LCP, which is chambered in .380. Since I have to tuck in my shirt at work, I can easily slip this little gun in my front pocket.
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