The response of piezoresistance gauges to dynamic stress loading is analyzed in a general framework which is based on the elasto‐plastic properties of the gauge material. This analysis is then applied to manganin transducers on which a relatively large number of empirical calibration curves has been determined in the past 20 years. It is shown that most of the apparent discrepancies between these calibrations can be accounted for by considering the different stress and strain states for wire gauges and foil gauges. We also show how the low stress calibration for manganin wire can be accounted for by considering the nonhydrostatic nature of the material in which the gauge is embedded.