Over the years, many cartridges have come and gone from the industry. Some cartridges and calibers caught on or remained and became widely accepted. As with anything in the industry, debates ensued over the pros and cons of caliber uniformity within a personal firearm collection.
The idea of caliber uniformity is nothing new, and there are many benefits to maintaining cartridge consistency. However, with every positive benefit, there is almost always a tradeoff. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of caliber uniformity within your personal arsenal.
The Pros of Caliber Uniformity
Uniformity is Embraced by the Military and Law Enforcement
For years, the military and law enforcement embraced the benefits of caliber uniformity. For example, NATO has enforced standardized calibers amongst its member nations. These calibers include 5.56 NATO (.223 Remington), 7.62 NATO (.308 Winchester), and 9mm.
Law enforcement is no different. For years, .40 Smith and Wesson was THE law enforcement cartridge. Before that, .357 Magnum and .38 Special were the standard amongst law enforcement wheel guns. Within the last decade, the 9mm pushed the .40 out of popularity. By maintaining caliber uniformity, cooperating agencies and militaries can supplement ammunition to one another depending on operational needs and, in the case of militaries, global conflicts. Most recently, caliber uniformity benefited Ukraine and Israel during their conflicts.
Uniformity Minimizes Caliber Confusion
Many years ago, I was at a range day event at a local shooting club where we brought our individually owned firearms. One of the attendees had AR-15s chambered in 5.56 and 5.45x39mm. Unfortunately, the attendee mistakenly loaded a 5.45 cartridge into their 5.56 and encountered a massive headache from the stuck cartridge. Over the years, I’ve seen newer shooters inadvertently purchase and use the wrong ammunition because they were confused by similarities in the name or appearance of the ammo amongst their firearm collection. In the interest of keeping things simple, caliber uniformity prevents, or at least minimizes, inadvertent misuse of ammunition that a firearm isn’t chambered for.
Easier Stockpiling
Unless you’ve lived under a rock the last decade or so, you’re probably familiar with past ammunition shortages. Without delving into the reasons behind those shortages, it’s not a bad idea to gradually stockpile ammunition to keep on hand for personal defense, hunting, recreation and competition, or training. It’s far easier to save up two or three calibers than it is 20 calibers; not that I speak from experience or anything. While it depends on the caliber and type of ammunition, your dollar may go further by sticking to a cheaper and more common caliber than some of the more exotic ones available.
The Cons of Caliber Uniformity
I’ve covered the obvious pros of maintaining caliber uniformity within your firearm collection. Not to beat a dead horse, but there are inherent drawbacks to any decision we make. The primary consideration is whether or not those “cons” outweigh the “pros”. So, without further deliberation or explanation, here are the drawbacks to maintaining caliber uniformity.
Availability and Cost
Earlier, I discussed how caliber uniformity makes stockpiling ammunition easier because you’re shopping for fewer calibers. This course of action cuts both ways. When ammunition shortages and consumer panic-buying on available calibers hit, they hit hard. The ammunition and gun-buying panic of 2012 (and subsequent years) is a prime example of how caliber uniformity may not serve you well in a crisis.
During the shortage of 2012, 9mm, .223/5.56, and .22LR ammunition were the first to disappear from retailer’s shelves. .40 Smith and Wesson and .45 ACP weren’t long for retailer’s shelves either and followed suit shortly thereafter. When much of the dust settled, less popular calibers, such as .357 Sig or 6.8 SPC, remained available for some time. So, in a pinch, diversifying your collection’s calibers may enhance your ability to keep ammunition on hand – even if you’re paying a premium for less common calibers.
Embracing Diversity
You’ve probably heard the idiom, “Diversity is the spice of life.” Well, the same holds true for firearms and calibers. Life is boring and predictable when based on routine, consistency, and uniformity. The same goes for calibers. Over the years, I’ve amassed a diverse collection of rifle, pistol, and shotgun chamberings. While mine is not as expansive as some collections I’ve encountered, mine encompasses a diverse interest in ballistics and cartridge performance. Because of a diverse collection of calibers, I’ve come to appreciate the nuances and quirks of cartridges that would have otherwise gone unexplored in my lifelong continuing education in firearms.
Furthermore, diversifying calibers prompted my interest in the cathartic hobby of reloading. While less popular calibers may be readily available during an ammo crunch, they won’t always be available as demand eventually catches up with production and retailer stockpiles dwindle. Reloading opened a brave new world of options for popular, antique, expensive, or “extinct” cartridges that I otherwise never would have appreciated.
Uniformity Limits Specialization
Since the beginning of time, we’ve sought the “magic bullet” of calibers. Whether for defense, hunting, competition, or precision applications; gun culture has pursued a one-size-fits-all solution to our ailments. While caliber uniformity is convenient for simplicity, it doesn’t have the same capabilities as specialized cartridges.
Where one cartridge excels, another will fall short. Thus, diversifying calibers within your arsenal expands your capability to have a cartridge specialized for a given task. For example, I prefer .223/5.56 for 3-gun competition, training, personal defense, and law enforcement applications. However, it’s not as tailored to hunting whitetail deer as my .270 or .308 Winchester platforms. Caliber diversity excels in this area where uniformity falters.
Parting Thoughts on Caliber Uniformity
Regardless of the size of your firearm’s collection, it’s never a bad idea to maintain a healthy stock of ammunition. Over the last 20 years, world events, supply chain issues, and consumer panic created tremendous ammunition shortages. As certain calibers became harder to obtain, many consumers, including myself, re-directed our attention to less popular calibers to fulfill our needs as shooters, hunters, and armed citizens. It’s nice to have caliber uniformity and consistency within a collection, but that comes with an inherent assumed risk that the chosen caliber(s) will have a run on them and be exceptionally hard to acquire.
All of us live on a budget with some bigger than others. While any shooter would love to have an endless supply of ammunition and firearms, it’s not practical for the vast majority of us. However, the prospect of an ammunition shortage is always on the horizon – especially with current global events. It’s worthwhile to gradually build up a surplus of stockpiled ammunition to weather the predictable – and unpredictable – nature of today’s world. Otherwise, just like investing in the stock market, diversification means you’re less likely to take a hit if the market becomes volatile.
Caliber uniformity has benefits. However, there’s also nothing wrong with diversity. If anything, you may find a new caliber you enjoy carrying for personal defense, taking to the range, or spending a day hunting.
