- As cap-and-ball revolvers developed, the common calibers originated as a function of how many balls of equal size
could be cast from a pound of lead:
- Revolvers designed for balls of 150 to the pound were designated .31 caliber and marketed as pocket pistols.
- Revolvers designed for balls of 100 to the pound were designated .36 caliber and marketed as Navy pistols,
intended for holster carry and use primarily on human targets.
- Revolvers designed for balls of 50 to the pound were designated .44 caliber and marketed as Army pistols,
intended for potential use against a cavalryman's horse.
- As metallic cartridges developed, the caliber designations changed to the approximate diameter of the cartridge case,
with .31 caliber becoming .32 caliber and .36 caliber becoming .38 caliber; in .44, the bullets ended up reduced to about
.43 caliber, with the cases measuring close to .46 caliber.
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