Guns have been around for centuries, and throughout history people have strived to make them shoot faster. With each new innovation in firearms technology, muzzle velocities get higher and higher. But what is the absolute fastest gun ever made? Let’s take a look at some of the speed records set by different types of firearms over the years.
Rifles
For most of history, rifles have held the title of fastest guns. Their elongated barrels allow the propellant gases pushing the bullet to act over a longer distance, resulting in higher muzzle velocities. Here are some record holders in rifle speed:
- In 1918, the .220 Swift rifle cartridge was introduced, reaching a whopping 4,110 feet per second (1,250 m/s). This was the first commercial cartridge to break the 4,000 fps barrier.
- In 1935, Winchester released the .220 Zipper cartridge, which achieved a velocity of 4,185 fps (1,275 m/s).
- In 1964, Remington came out with the .221 Fireball cartridge, which pushed a 50-grain bullet to 4,400 fps (1,340 m/s).
However, in recent years specialty wildcat cartridges have taken rifle velocities even higher. Using exotic materials and handloading techniques, firearms enthusiasts have created custom cartridges capable of 5,000 fps or more!
Current Rifle Speed Record Holder
The current fastest rifle cartridge is the .220 LRV made by Lazzeroni Arms. It propels a 35-grain bullet at an astonishing 5,715 fps (1,743 m/s)! While producing a substantial recoil and requiring a long barrel to achieve such velocity, it shows just how fast a bullet can travel when shot from a rifle.
Handguns
Handguns have seen great advances in velocity as well. Achieving such speed in a short barrel is challenging, but pistol makers have come up with innovations like the following:
- In 1935, the .357 Magnum cartridge ushered in a new era of powerful handgun loads, reaching 1,500 fps with an 80 grain bullet.
- In 1963, Remington released their .221 Remington Fireball cartridge, attaining 1,875 fps from a 2 inch pistol barrel.
- In 1989, FN Herstal introduced the 5.7x28mm cartridge, which can drive a 31 grain bullet to 2,133 fps from a handgun.
Current Handgun Speed Record Holder
Today, the speed crown for pistols goes to the .224 BOZ cartridge designed by J.D. Jones of SSK Industries. Fired from a single-shot pistol with a 10 inch barrel, it launches a 50 grain bullet at an incredible 3,125 fps (953 m/s). This is faster than many rifle cartridges!
Shotguns
Early shotguns lacked rifled barrels and primarily fired multiple pellets at low velocities. But the development of slug ammunition allowed shotguns to propel a single projectile at much higher speeds. Here are some notable velocity barriers broken by shotgun slug loads:
- In 1934, Western Winchester’s Super-X 12 gauge load reached 1,500 fps with a 1 oz slug.
- In 1952, the .410 bore was the first shotgun caliber to break 2,000 fps with a slug.
- In 1984, Brenneke achieved 2,125 fps with a 1 oz 12 gauge slug out of a 30 inch barrel.
Current Shotgun Speed Record Holder
Today, specialized shotgun slugs with a finned design can travel even faster. The current record holder is held by the .410 bore Xtreme Shock Wasp load by PolyCase Ammunition. It propels a 1/5 oz slug at 2,800 fps out of a 14 inch shotgun barrel!
Revolvers
Revolvers have also seen advancements in velocity over the years. While limited by having multiple chambers in a cylinder (unlike single-shot pistols), progress has still been made, including:
- In 1935, the .357 Magnum reached 1,515 fps with a 158 grain bullet from an 8 3/8 inch barrel.
- In 1955, Remington’s .22 Jet cartridge achieved 1,895 fps from a 6 inch revolver barrel.
- In 1971, Dan Wesson Arms introduced the .357-445 Supermag cartridge driving a 145 grain bullet at 1,975 fps.
Current Revolver Speed Record Holder
The fastest revolver cartridge today is another wildcat round from SSK Industries – the .224 Harvey Kay-Chuk. From a 14 inch barreled revolver, it can launch a 55 grain bullet at 2,600 fps, an incredible velocity from a wheelgun.
Automatic Pistols
Finally, let’s look at semi-automatic pistols. Without multiple chambers to index like a revolver, auto-loading designs can feed cartridges very quickly into the barrel. Here are some of the velocity milestones for auto pistol cartridges:
- In 1902, the 7.63x25mm Mauser cartridge used in the C96 pistol achieved 1,400 fps.
- In 1949, the .30 Carbine round broke 1,970 fps from the M1 Carbine’s 18 inch barrel.
- In 1975, the .357 SIG cartridge developed by SIG Sauer attained 1,350 fps from a 4 inch barrel.
Current Auto Pistol Speed Record Holder
Today’s fastest auto pistol load is the .17 Wylde chambered in a Thompson Center single shot pistol. Using a very light bullet, this wildcat cartridge can launch a 20 grain projectile at a blazing 4,224 fps from a 20 inch barrel!
Specialty Guns
Beyond standard rifles, handguns, shotguns, and revolvers, some specialty firearms stand out for their extreme muzzle velocities:
- The Gyrojet rocket pistol from the 1960s could accelerate its tiny rockets to 1,250 fps.
- The O’Dwyer VLe pistol from the early 1900s shot a 1/4″ projectile at 2,400 fps using compressed air.
- The Voere VEC-91 anti-tank rifle fired a 35mm shell at 4,500 fps during testing in the 1990s.
These unique designs shed light on just how fast a projectile can be propelled down a barrel under ideal conditions.
Ammunition Type Records
Looking beyond specific firearms, the upper velocity limits of certain ammunition types also provide insight into ballistics:
- .22 Long Rifle – 1,755 fps (Stinger)
- 9mm Parabellum – 1,400 fps (Lehigh Defense Maximum Expansion)
- .45 ACP – 1,260 fps (Doubletap)
- .357 Magnum – 1,875 fps (Underwood Ammo)
- 5.56 NATO – 3,950 fps (loaded to SAAMI maximum)
- 12 Gauge Shotgun Slug – 2,800 fps (Polycase Wasp)
These represent the peak velocities attained by standard ammunition types, whether in factory loads or handloads.
Air Guns
One category of firearm that should not be overlooked is the air gun. While not receiving the same attention as gunpowder-based guns, air rifles and pistols have also seen massive velocity increases in recent years. Airgun projectile speed records include:
- .177 caliber pellet – 1,000 fps+ (high-end smallbore air rifle)
- .22 caliber pellet – 1,000 fps (high-end smallbore air rifle)
- .25 caliber pellet – 975 fps (high-end smallbore air rifle)
- .357 caliber bullet – 600 fps (high-end big bore air rifle)
- .45 caliber bullet – 475 fps (high-end big bore air rifle)
- .50 caliber bullet – 450 fps (high-end big bore air rifle)
These velocities approach or even surpass some firearms, especially considering the projectiles are propelled simply by compressed air, CO2, or pre-charged pneumatic tanks rather than explosives.
Electromagnetic Guns
One final category to discuss is electromagnetic guns, or “railguns”. These use electromagnets rather than chemical propellants to accelerate a projectile. While still in the research and development phase, railguns have achieved muzzle velocities as high as:
- 10 km/s (6.2 mi/s) Naval Surface Warfare Center tests
- 2.5 km/s (Mach 7) DARPA tests
- 1 km/s (3,281 fps) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory tests
This technology could see battlefield deployment in the future, drastically increasing projectile speeds.
Fastest Muzzle Velocity Ever Achieved
Taking all categories into account, what is the outright fastest muzzle velocity ever recorded? That honor goes to special two stage light gas guns developed by physics laboratories to simulate meteorite impacts. These hypervelocity guns use gas pressure builds up over two stages to accelerate a projectile to insane speeds. The record is held by a gun at Sandia National Laboratories, which fired a 3.2 mm aluminum sphere at a staggering 15 km/s – that’s 33,559 mph or Mach 44!
While not a conventional firearm, this demonstrates the upper limits of known ballistic science, with the projectile moving dozens of times faster than a bullet from even the most powerful firearm.
Conclusion
In summary, while chemically propelled firearms may seem limited to velocities under 5,000 fps, air guns and electromagnetic rail guns continue to push ballistic science forward. The fastest projectile speeds are achieved in specialty research guns, using advanced designs unavailable to the public. But among conventional firearms, several stand out for achieving muzzle velocities once thought impossible, including:
- .220 LRV rifle cartridge – 5,715 fps
- .224 BOZ pistol cartridge – 3,125 fps
- Polycase .410 shotshell – 2,800 fps
- .224 Harvey Kay-Chuk revolver cartridge – 2,600 fps
- .17 Wylde auto pistol cartridge – 4,224 fps
Future innovations will undoubtedly propel projectiles to even faster velocities. But for now, these representative guns showcase the blazing acceleration achieved by internal and external ballistics.