Rimfire · Proprietary · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardizedObsolete
.46 Short Rimfire
Large-bore rimfire pistol cartridge of the Civil War and Reconstruction era; used in National Arms Company single-shot pistols and early revolvers..
- Caliber
- 0.456″ · 11.582 mm
- Introduced
- 1864
- Case
- Rimmed
- Primary use
- Target, Small game
- Status
- Discontinued
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Introduced
- 1864
- Type
- Rimfire
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Various / American commercial
- Manufacturer
- Various / American commercial
- Standard
- Proprietary · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardized
- SAAMI
- Not SAAMI standardized
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Rare
- Case capacity
- 22 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:20
- Primer
- Rimfire
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 12,000 CUP, SAAMI crusher
- Eff. range
- 50 yd
- Max range
- 2600 yd
- Recoil
- 3.9–5.4 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .46 Short Rimfire — an obsolete/collector cartridge.
Performance
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 | 1.58 | 0.062 | |
| 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 Short Rimfire is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Lineage
History
Produced during the Civil War era for large-bore rimfire revolvers and single-shot pistols, the .46 Short Rimfire represents the upper end of rimfire handgun cartridges before the introduction of large centerfire revolver cartridges. Encountered in National Arms Company and a handful of other period handguns.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .46 Short Rimfire use?
- .46 Short Rimfire typically uses a 1:20 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .46 Short Rimfire?
- .46 Short Rimfire uses a 0.456″ (11.582 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .46 Short Rimfire still in production?
- .46 Short Rimfire is discontinued; typical availability is rare.
- What is .46 Short Rimfire used for?
- .46 Short Rimfire is primarily used for target, small game.
Sources & provenance
- Standard SAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — .46 Rimfire
- Secondary Lindcott Armory editorial — Card 4 — obsolete cartridge standards status (.38/.46 Short Rimfire) · standards_status
- Standard Obsolete — no current SAAMI or CIP standard
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 →
