Is there such a thing as a list of calibers & when they came out & who made them first?

Not so much as handgun calibers, those seem to be fairly common knowledge, but mostly rifle calibers.

Thanks in advance.

Whole books are written on the subject.  "Cartridges of the World" gets my nod as a good overall reference on cartirdge history.  None of the blurbs on a specific cartirdge is very deep or invovled.  There are a few errors, but darn few, and that's pretty good in a book like that.  

Some of the reloading manuals will have a little historical narrative for each cartirdge, but alot of useless info if you don't reload.

There has been so many different cartirdges made, that it would be a pretty long list even if limited to only rifle rounds.  If you limit it to just common ones, well then you get into what's common and what isn't is just subjective.

Was there any specific cartridges you wanted to know about?  You could build your own list and save work for everyone else

Ross

Perhaps this link will help: inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blgun.htm?iam=ask&terms=firearms+history

Mike

Quoted: Was there any specific cartridges you wanted to know about?  You could build your own list and save work for everyone else Ross

No, not any specific caliber. I was reading Guns & Blammo & they had a brief history on the 45-70 & I just thought it was kinda cool given my vast pool of ignorance on caliber history.  

I'm a history buff anyway so I kinda like knowing WHEN something came out for the first time. Or perhaps why the .35Remington was made when there was the 30-30 already out, or the the .35Whelen, etc. etc.

I don't reload but perhaps one of the manuals would be a good Christmas request.  

I second the book "Cartridges of the World".  It is an excellent reference.

As a side note 1873 was a good year for new cartridges.  Also introduced in 1873 with the .45-70 Springfield was the .45 Colt and the .44-40 Win.

Kent