7.62×40mm Wilson Tactical

Type

Rifle

Place of origin

United States of America

Production history

Designer

Wilson Combat

Designed

2011

Specifications

Parent case

5.56×45mm NATO

Case type

Rimless, bottleneck

Bullet diameter

.308 in (7.8 mm)

Base diameter

.377 in (9.6 mm)

Rim diameter

.378 in (9.6 mm)

Rim thickness

.045 in (1.1 mm)

Case length

1.565 in (39.8 mm)

Overall length

2.250 in (57.2 mm)

Rifling twist

1-12"

Primer type

Small rifle

Ballistic performance

Bullet weight/type	Velocity	Energy
110 gr (7 g) Sierra HP	2,600 ft/s (790 m/s)	1,650 ft·lbf (2,240 J)
110 gr (7 g) Barnes TTSX	2,400 ft/s (730 m/s)	1,407 ft·lbf (1,908 J)
125 gr (8 g) Nosler Ballistic Tip	2,350 ft/s (720 m/s)	1,533 ft·lbf (2,078 J)
125 gr (8 g) Speer TNT	2,400 ft/s (730 m/s)	1,598 ft·lbf (2,167 J)

Test barrel length: 20" for the 110gr Sierra HP, 16" for all others
Source(s): http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Wilson-Combat-Custom-Ammunition/products/414/

The 7.62×40mm Wilson Tactical (7.62×40mm WT) is a centerfire rifle cartridge introduced in 2011 by Wilson Combat. The goal was to produce an accurate, low-recoil .30-caliber cartridge that could be used in AR-15/M4 rifles using as many standard components as possible.

Design

The 7.62×40mm WT is based off the 7.62×40mm wildcat cartridge, the shoulder of the WT was moved .003" forward and the throat was made .001" larger to accommodate mass-production tolerances but stay within the tolerance of the original reloading die tooling of the 7.62×40mm. The parent case (5.56×45mm NATO) is trimmed down to 1.560" and is re-sized with a 7.62×40mm WT sizing die. The overall case length after the shortening and re-sizing is 1.565". The cartridge is designed to use .308" diameter bullets in weights of 110 to 150 grains, with a standard twist rate of 1-12". Wilson Combat states that heavier bullets can be used in a barrel with a 1-8" twist rate for subsonic loads.

Cartridge use

The 7.62×40mm WT is designed for both tactical/defense rifles and for hunting medium-sized game. In tactical applications, the 110gr Barnes TTSX bullet can be used to penetrate tough barriers, while the soft-point and hollow-point bullets provide reliable terminal performance on soft tissue.^[1] In hunting applications, the 7.62×40mm WT delivers slightly more energy than the 7.62×39mm and is similar to the 6.8 SPC^[2] and .30-30 Winchester, making it useful for game such as deer and feral hogs.

Firearms chambered for 7.62×40mm WT

Since the 7.62×40mm WT is based upon the 5.56mm NATO, the only required modification to AR-15/M4 rifles currently chambered for 5.56mm NATO or .223 Remington is a new barrel. Wilson Combat offers barrels and complete upper receiver sets, with barrel lengths offered in 11.3", 16", 18", and 20".^[3] US Machine Gun Armory in Utah has begun offering a conversion kit for the Mk 46/M249 in 7.62 WT.^[4]

Cartridge availability

Wilson Combat currently (2011) offers custom loaded 7.62×40mm WT ammunition with bullet weights of 110gr and 125gr, but the cartridge can also be hand-loaded using new brass available from Wilson Combat, or by using 5.56mm NATO or .223 Remington brass and the appropriate sizing/forming dies, also available from Wilson Combat.

References

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