Why Some Cartridges Endure

Heym SR20

Well-Known Member
Here is a reprint of an article Jack O‘Connor wrote 63 years ago in 1963. That was a time of E Type Jaguar, the Space Race and Cold War. You got your news from a newspaper and you communicated by letter. Mail Order did exist. You had a catalogue, you looked up what you wanted and sent an order with cheque or postal order and few days or weeks later the postman would deliver it to your door as part of his daily rounds. And you had things called magazines which had ling interesting articles about things that you were interested in.

And the internet and smart phones didn’t exist. Nor did the 6.5 Creedmoor. But life expectancy - well you were doing very well if you got to 65 which was retirement age. Oh and the War was closer in time than 9/11 is to all of us today. But reading this article- everything or nothing much has changed.

 
I would say military adoption is the biggest factor. PPU, S&B, and other major manufacturers still make a number of old military surplus cartridges despite in some cases the countries that developed them no longer even exist. For that matter, components to load for a Brown Bess are still to be had.
 
Nice read!......and very true today! How many of todays "wonder" cartridges will be around in 25 years, let alone 50..........while the .243, .308 and 7mm-08 will still be merrily rolling along!
 
Thanks for that, brilliant read - incredible to think how popular the 222 still is despite the later arrival of the 223, Jack was on the money:

The .222 is now, after a decade of use, the No. 1 .22 centerfire, the queen of the benchrest cartridges. It is accurate, cheap to reload, and it gives long barrel life. Competition from the .222 on one hand and the .243 on the other has just about killed off the .220 Swift, a fact that saddens me no end as in many ways the Swift is the best varmint cartridge ever brought out.
 
And they all survived to a ripe old age despite using lead bullets...and smoked probably 🤫😉
Well they didnt

Read the opening post. Working men were lucky if they enjoyed a few short years of retirement, many passed away before reaching 65.
 
I’ve spoken to a few of the last generation of gun writers about the generation that proceeded them, none attended the Sorbone, could speak a second language or had traveled in persia more than once.
J O’C was the last gentleman correspondent afield.
what young people call an OG.

Pedro Spanish-Poshboy is probably as well travelled, his english is fantastic, but he’s a video star. it’s not the same.
 
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