h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Under the section "Pieces and Parts", subsection "Gauge and Bore", there seems to have been a bit of an oversight in editing. The paragraph gives a good explanation of gauge, but omits bore altogether. It then lists common shotgun gauges, but .410 is not a gauge, it is .410 bore. While it is often mistakenly referred to as ".410-gauge", it should be differentiated and a brief explanation of how bore differs from calibre (if it does) would be helpful. Hypothetically, a .410 is the equivalent of a 68-gauge.

Since the editors know little about guns, can you suggest a wording yourself for that paragraph?

I'm no expert, I just recognized that "one of these things is not like the others" and did a quick google.

Let me do a bit more looking around as the wiki article is a bit vague on bore as well. It suggests, but with speculation, that the .410 was adapted from older single shot weapons.

I thought the bore (or calibre) was the internal diameter of the barrel, whereas the gauge is the diameer of the bullet you fire with it.

I probably shouldn't do much more research from this computer as I keep hitting the warning/click through page of the nanny filter under the category "weapons".

Bore refers to the inside diameter (in inches) of the barrel just as calibre, but is only used in reference to shotguns, specifically the .410. The .410 is a relatively new bore and seems to have been developed around the beginning of the 20th century possibly having been adapted from converted rifles.

Currently:

Gauge and Bore

Shotgun shells are a special kind of ammunition fired in only those weapons. The calibre of shotguns is measured in terms of gauge or bore. The gauge number is determined by the number of solid spheres of a diameter equal to the inside diameter of the barrel that could be made from a pound of lead. So a 10 gauge shotgun has an inside diameter equal to that of a sphere made from one-tenth of a pound (43.4g) of lead. The higher the gauge number, the smaller the diameter of the barrel. Common gauges are 10, 12, and 20, as well as the .410.


Suggested:

Gauge and Bore

Shotgun shells are a special kind of ammunition fired in only those weapons. The calibre of shotguns is measured in terms of gauge or bore. The gauge number is determined by the number of solid spheres of a diameter equal to the inside diameter of the barrel that could be made from a pound of lead. So a 10 gauge shotgun has an inside diameter equal to that of a sphere made from one-tenth of a pound (43.4g) of lead. The higher the gauge number, the smaller the diameter of the barrel. Common gauges are 10, 12, 16, and 20. Bore is measured in the same manner as calibre but is typically only used in association with the smallest popular shotgun, the .410 bore, which has a barrel with an inside diameter of 0.410 inches (10.414 mm). It is often mistakenly referred to as a .410 gauge.

Optional: The .410 bore shotgun is relatively new becoming popular around the beginning of the 20th century. It is believed that the early ones were converted from existing rifles of the era, possibly .40 calibre.



The optional addendum is likely true, but I don't have citations for it. I'd omit it.

Has this been forgotten or just ignored?

Our fine band of curators seem to be strangely inactive at the moment.

Some are on holiday perhaps.

Nope... this was thoroughly ignored.

Hello?...


Is there anybody in here?...

Thanks for reminding us about this. It's done now. I omitted the optional addendum.

Thanks.

I'll add that bit as a comment. It's more suited to that anyway.

And because I forgot to post this above...

A87748249

Thanks very much for the reminder BG, and thanks to Gnomon for fixing the updated information.

And thanks for helping to make this article that little bit better

<BB<

You're welcome.

We're all in it together