9mm parabellum

Question
Sorry to sound naive and idiotic.  But I have a (rather stupid) question.  A glock (or many other handguns) use 9 mm rounds.  So does a uzi submachine carbine.  Are the rounds (bullets) interchangeable??  Can the same bullets be used or specific bullets are needed???

Answer
Hi Avi.

This is a completely normal question which is commonly asked.  There are numerous firearms that are capable of sharing the same cartridges between rifles and pistols.  Examples include .22 LR, 9mm Parabellum, .357 Magnum, and many others.

There is not a general rule about compatibility so it all depends on the design of your specific firearms.  Even in cases where the caliber of both firearms is the same, you might not be able to fire the exact same cartridges in both firearms.  For example, a .357 Magnum revolver can fire bullets with a pointed tip.  These same cartridges might fit and fire in a rifle chambered for .357 Magnum however it may not be safe to load these bullets into a tubular rifle magazine since the pointed tips could strike the primers of the other rounds in the magazine and the resulting detonation could cause serious injury or death.  So in this case you might need to purchase cartridges which have flat or rounded bullets instead.

Hope this helps.

Bob