Lindcott Armory Revolver · Obsolete
.46 Rimfire
Large-bore rimfire revolver cartridge used in early American metallic cartridge revolvers.
- Caliber
- 0.456″ · 11.582 mm
- Introduced
- 1866
- Case
- Rimfire
- Primary use
- Self Defense, Target
- Status
- Discontinued
- Introduced
- 1866
- Type
- Revolver
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Various / American commercial
- Manufacturer
- Various
- Standard
- Obsolete
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Antique
- Case capacity
- 30 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:20
- Primer
- Rimfire
- Case type
- Rimfire
- Max pressure
- 18,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 50 yd
- Max range
- 100 yd
- Recoil
- 1.5–2.5 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Ballistics
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Performance
Buy links open .46 Rimfire ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 11.58 | 0.456 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | 11.63 | 0.458 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 11.63 | 0.458 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 13.46 | 0.530 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | — | — | |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 21.23 | 0.836 | · |
| Overall length | 33.93 | 1.336 | · |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .46 Rimfire is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 3 active loads across 3 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 20 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graf & Sons | Cowboy | 330 | RNFP | 1,100 | 886 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Cowboy | 330 | Lead RN | 1,100 | 886 | — |
| Ten-X Ammunition | Cowboy | 330 | Lead RN | 1,100 | 886 | — |
| Old Western Scrounger | Replica | 330 | Lead RN | 1,095 | 878 | — |
| Eley | Classic | 330 | Lead RN | 1,095 | 878 | — |
| Winchester | Lead RN | 330 | Lead RN | 1,000 | 733 | — |
| Spencer Repeating Rifle Co. | Lead RN Original | 330 | Lead RN | 1,000 | 733 | — |
| Remington | Lead RN | 330 | Lead RN | 1,000 | 733 | — |
| UMC | Lead RN | 330 | Lead RN | 1,000 | 733 | — |
| Peters | Lead RN | 330 | Lead RN | 1,000 | 733 | — |
| Norma | Classic | 330 | Lead Round Nose | 950 | 661 | — |
| PPU | Standard | 330 | Lead Round Nose | 950 | 661 | — |
| RWS | Classic | 330 | Lead Round Nose | 950 | 661 | — |
| Graf | Standard | 330 | Lead Round Nose | 950 | 661 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Custom | 330 | Lead Round Nose | 950 | 661 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Connected reference
History
Part of the post-Civil War transition to metallic cartridge revolvers. Used in various transitional revolvers of the 1860s–1880s before centerfire cartridges with reloadable brass cases rendered large rimfires obsolete. Very few firearms chambered for it survive in shootable condition.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .46 Rimfire use?
- .46 Rimfire typically uses a 1:20 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .46 Rimfire?
- .46 Rimfire uses a 0.456″ (11.582 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .46 Rimfire still in production?
- .46 Rimfire is discontinued; typical availability is antique.
- What is .46 Rimfire used for?
- .46 Rimfire is primarily used for self defense, target.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 3 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →