A question about cartridges and rifles.

[xhare]

I know this is not the right place for this topic, but this is a high traffic forum.

I was wondering about cartridge design and copyrights,trademarks and patents. For example, can any rifle manufacturer chamber a rifle for the 300 WSM, or do they need to get Winchesters permission?  Is this something that membership in SAAMI deals with (ie if you are a member, you can use any caliber designed by another SAAMI member).  For example, I read that one of the factors considered in the design of the 500 SW was that other revolver manufacturers would have to do some major redesign before they could produce a revolver in that caliber, thus giving S&W a major headstart in the market.  

Where do "proprietary" cartridges fit in?  Could someone like JD Jones sue someone for making rifles and pistols in cartridges he designed?

I have asked this on other forums in the past and no one really seems to know the answer.

[trotterlg]

I'm fairly sure you can make a rifle that will chamber any cartridge you like.  I don't think you can patent a dimension.  I have never heard of anyone complaining about some one making a rifle that will help sell more of someones product.  Kind of curious, why would you think up such a question?  Larry

[knight0334]

The reason why other revolver manufacturers had to redesigned their guns for the .500 S&W is because the 500 S&W is a rather long cartridge.  Same holds true for the 460 S&W as well.

I've never heard of any copyright/trademark licensing needed to chamber a gun for and to advertise as another's given cartridge.  The firearm industry treats cartridges as the computer world treats Linux, as open source, unlicensed, trade.

If a company like Winchester were to make a .437 Winchester UberMag, they would be better off if other companies were chambering firearms for such.  Winchester's sales of ammo would be far greater then if they aren't the only company making a gun in that cartridge.

[xhare]

I have always wondered about this, given the propensity of businesses to sue each other over practically everything.  I have read in the past for example that JD Jones did not "allow" other people to create chamber reamers for his cartridges.  Since his business is custom stuff, he would suffer if someone else took up his cartridges.

I also see that Remington makes at least one 300 WSM load.  How does Winchester feel about that?  While I am sure it is flattering to them, everytime someone buys Remington made 300 WSM ammo, that is money Winchester did not make.  

I also read in one of the major magazines that one of the reasons for the size (length) of the 500 SW was to force other manufacturers to redesign their revolvers, thus forcing a lag time before others could get there guns out and giving SW at least a year in the market by itself.

Here is a "what if".  What if Remington had found out about the 300 WSM before it was released.  And lets just say Remington was able to release both rifles and ammunition to the market before Winchester was able to. Say that Remington even released the cartridge as the 300 RSM (Remington Short Magnum). Would Winchester have any recourse whatsoever.....could they stop Remington from going foward with the project.  I understand that Ruger basically did this, or almost did it, in the 50's with the release of the 44 magnum.  I believe Ruger claims to have released the first 44 mag revolver before Smith and Wesson.