| 7.62×54mmR | ||
|---|---|---|
Examples of 7.62 × 54mm ammunition. The photo shows, reading from left to right: Sellier & Bellot hollow point boat tail; "Czech silver tip", mild steel core, light ball; Hungarian silver/yellow-tip, mild steel core, heavy ball; Wolf Ammunition Gold soft-point; USSR 1986 steel core light ball, Factory 60. [1]; Yugoslav surplus (1953); USSR 1940s lead core light ball [2] |
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| Type | Rifle | |
| Place of origin | Russian Empire | |
| Service history | ||
| In service | 1891–present | |
| Used by | Russian Empire, Soviet Union, Russian Federation, Finland[1] former Warsaw Pact, China, Vietnam, North Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Cuba, Albania, United States | |
| Wars | Boxer Rebellion, Russo-Japanese war, World War I, Russian Civil War, Winter War, World War II, Korean war, Vietnam War, Cambodian Civil War, Soviet war in Afghanistan, Yugoslav wars, Gulf War, War in Afghanistan, Iraq War | |
| Production history | ||
| Designed | 1891 | |
| Produced | 1891–present | |
| Specifications | ||
| Case type | Rimmed, Bottleneck | |
| Bullet diameter | 7.62 mm (0.300 in) | |
| Neck diameter | 8.53 mm (0.336 in) | |
| Shoulder diameter | 11.61 mm (0.457 in) | |
| Base diameter | 12.37 mm (0.487 in) | |
| Rim diameter | 14.40 mm (0.567 in) | |
| Rim thickness | 1.6 mm (0.063 in) | |
| Case length | 53.72 mm (2.115 in) | |
| Overall length | 77.16 mm (3.038 in) | |
| Case capacity | 4.16 cm³ (64 gr H2O) | |
| Rifling twist | 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in) | |
| Primer type | Berdan or Boxer Large Rifle | |
| Maximum pressure | 390 MPa (57,000 psi) | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 11.3 g (174 gr) HPBT | 797 m/s (2,610 ft/s) | 3,593 J (2,650 ft·lbf) |
| 11.7 g (181 gr) FMJ | 786 m/s (2,580 ft/s) | 3,614 J (2,666 ft·lbf) |
| 11.7 g (181 gr) SP | 800 m/s (2,600 ft/s) | 3,744 J (2,761 ft·lbf) |
| 9.7 g (150 gr) FMJ | 865 m/s (2,840 ft/s) | 3,629 J (2,677 ft·lbf) |
| 11.7 g (181 gr) SP | 805 m/s (2,640 ft/s) | 3,779 J (2,787 ft·lbf) |
| Test barrel length: 73cm, 28inch Source(s): Sellier & Bellot rifle ammunition, Wolf Gold ammunition in a reloadable brass case |
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The 7.62×54mmR is a rimmed rifle cartridge developed by the Russian Empire and was introduced as a service cartridge in 1891. Originally designed for the bolt-action Mosin–Nagant rifle, it was used during the late Tsarist era and throughout the Soviet period to the present day. The cartridge remains one of the few standard issue rimmed cartridges still in military use and has the longest service life of all military issued cartridges in the world.[2]
The American Winchester Model 1895 was also chambered for this cartridge per a contract with the Russian government. The 7.62×54mmR is still in use by the Russian military in the Dragunov and other sniper rifles, as well as some modern machine guns like the PKM. Historically, the round was known as the "7.62mm Russian" (and is still often referred to as such colloquially), but the "R" in the modern official C.I.P. designation (7.62 × 54 R) stands for Rimmed, in line with standard C.I.P. designations. The name is sometimes confused with the "7.62 Soviet" round, which refers to the 7.62×39mm cartridge used in the SKS and AK-47 rifles.
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The 7.62×54mmR is the oldest cartridge still in regular combat service with several major armed forces in the world. In 2011 the cartridge reached the 120 years in service mark. The 7.62×54mmR is currently (2011) mainly used in sniper rifles like the Dragunov and machine guns like the PKM. The ballistic performance is similar with the .308 Winchester/7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (7.62x63 mm) with its higher service pressure and case capacity outperforms the 7.62×54mmR, especially when same length test barrels are used in this comparison.[3] Even when comparing a 24 inch barrel .30-06 Springfield to a 28 inch barrel 7.62×54mmR, the latter still is more in line with the .308 Winchester but a handful of modern loads of the 7.62×54mmR nearly reach the 30-06's power. Because of performance nearly approaching that of the iconic American .30-06 cartridge, a similarly rich military and historic heritage and amazing longevity, the 7.62×54mmR is nicknamed "the Russian 30-06" by some. It is also one of the few (along with the .22 Hornet, .30-30 Winchester and .303 British) bottlenecked, rimmed centerfire rifle cartridges still in common use today. Most of the bottleneck rimmed cartridges of the late 1880s and 1890s fell into disuse by the end of the First World War.
The 7.62×54mmR originally had a 13.7 g (210 grain) round-nosed full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet. Due to experiences in the Russo-Japanese War, it was replaced in 1908 with a 9.7 g (148-grain) spitzer FMJ bullet, which has remained standard to the present. To increase accuracy, the Dragunov SVD uses the 7N1 variant of the cartridge, which uses extruded instead of ball propellant and has a 9.7 g (152-grain) boat-tailed FMJ bullet. The 7N14 is a new load developed for the SVD.
The 7.62×54mmR has 4.16 ml (64 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity. The pronounced tapering exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable case feeding and extraction in bolt action rifles and machine guns alike, under challenging conditions. Although the design did not help improve reliability, the cartridge's shape remains the same to the present day.
7.62×54mmR maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 18.5 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in), 4 grooves, Ø lands = 7.62 mm (0.300 in), Ø grooves = 7.92 mm (0.312 in), land width = 3.81 mm and the primer type is Berdan or very rarely Boxer (in large rifle size).
According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) guidelines the 7.62×54mmR case can handle up to 390 MPa (56,564 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
The 7.62×54mmR is just in the same power class as the .30-06 Springfield.[3] The spitzer bullets used in the military variants have a particularly elongated shape which results in a high ballistic coefficient for its class, contributing to above average long range performance and energy retention.
When used with modern hunting bullets, the round is capable of taking medium to large game. In Russia the 7.62×54mmR is commonly used for hunting purposes mostly in sporterized Mosin-Nagant rifles and civil Dragunov variants (Tigers).
The 7.62x54mmR rounds in use with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are designed for machine guns and sniper rifles. As per 2003 there were several variants of 7.62x54mmR rounds produced for various purposes. All use clad metal as case meterial.
| Cartridge designation[4][5] |
57-N-323S | 7N13 (AP) | 7T2 (tracer) | 7BZ3 (API) | 7N1 (sniping load) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cartridge weight | 21.8 g (336 gr) | 21.7 g (335 gr) | 22 g (340 gr) | 22.6 g (349 gr) | 21.9 g (338 gr) |
| Bullet weight | 9.6 g (148.2 gr) | 9.4 g (145.1 gr) | 9.65 g (148.9 gr) | 10.39 g (160.3 gr) | 9.8 g (151.2 gr) |
| Muzzle velocity | 828 m/s (2,717 ft/s) | 828 m/s (2,717 ft/s) | 798 m/s (2,618 ft/s) | 809 m/s (2,654 ft/s) | 823 m/s (2,700 ft/s) |
| Muzzle energy | 3,291 J (2,427 ft·lbf) | 3,222 J (2,376 ft·lbf) | 3,073 J (2,267 ft·lbf) | 3,400 J (2,508 ft·lbf) | 3,319 J (2,448 ft·lbf) |
| Accuracy of fire at 300 m (328 yd) (R50) |
90 mm (3.5 in) | 90 mm (3.5 in) | 150 mm (5.9 in) | 150 mm (5.9 in) | 80 mm (3.1 in) |
7.62×54mmR is widely available both as military surplus and new production, but less so for match-grade rounds. Most surplus ammunition is steel-cased and uses Berdan primers, which effectively hinders its use for handloading. However, with the increased popularity of surplus Eastern-bloc Mosin-Nagant rifles in the United States, Boxer primed ammunition and unfired cases are increasingly available; these cases take large rifle primers.
The 6.5×54mmR cartridge used in many Vostok brand target rifles in the 1960s and 1970s is a necked down version of the 7.62×54R.
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