7.62×51mm NATO
Encyclopedia
The 7.62×51mm NATO is a rifle
cartridge
developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries (not to be confused with the similar 7.62x54mmR cartridge). When loaded with a bullet design that expands, tumbles, or fragments in tissue, this cartridge is capable of delivering very effective terminal performance.
It was introduced in U.S. service in the M14 rifle
and M60 machine gun
in the late 1950s. The M14 was superseded in U.S. service as the infantry adopted the 5.56x45mm NATO
M16
. However, the M14 and many other firearms that use the 7.62×51 round remain in service, especially in the case of sniper rifle
s, machine guns, and as the service weapon chosen by special operations forces. The cartridge is used both by infantry and on mounted and crew-served weapons mounted to vehicles, aircraft and ships.
Although not identical, the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge is similar enough to the commercial .308 Winchester
that the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute
(SAAMI) considers it safe to fire the NATO round in weapons chambered for the commercial round.
that it replaced in U.S. service. Though shorter, standard loadings fire similar bullet weights at similar velocities. Modern propellants allowed the same velocity from a case with less capacity. The smaller case requires less brass and yields a shorter cartridge. This shorter cartridge allows a reduction in the size of the firearms that chamber it. Proponents of the hydrostatic shock
theory contend that the difference affects remote wounding characteristics known as hydrostatic shock.
when the large, powerful .30-06
cartridge proved difficult to adapt to semi-automatic
rifles. A less-powerful cartridge would allow a lighter firing mechanism. At the time the most promising design was the .276 Pedersen
. When it was eventually demonstrated that the .30-06 was suitable for semi-automatic rifles, the .276 was dropped.
Thus when war appeared to be looming again only a few years later, the .30-06 was the only round available and the M1 Garand
provided US troops with greater firepower than their bolt action-armed opponents. The Garand performed so well that the US saw little need to replace it during World War II
and the .30-06 served well beyond the Korean War
and into the 1960s.
During the 1940s and early 1950s several experiments were carried out to improve on the Garand. One of the most common complaints was the limited capacity en-bloc clip
and many experimental designs modified the weapon with a detachable box magazine. Springfield Armory
's T20 rifle, was a fully automatic version. Though not adopted, experience with a fully automatic Garand laid the groundwork for its replacement.
The test program continued for several years, including both the original .30-06 round and a modified .300 Savage
(then known as the T65). In the end, the T65 cartridge demonstrated power roughly equal to the original .30-06, firing a 147-grain bullet at 2750 feet per second (838.2 m/s) but was approximately half an inch shorter. The eventual result of this competition was the T44
rifle.
When the United States developed the T65 cartridge, the British took a different route. They had spent considerable time and effort developing the intermediate-power .280 British
cartridge with an eye towards controllable fully automatic fire. Meanwhile, the US held to its desire not to reduce the effectiveness of individual shots. The American philosophy was to use automatic fire for emergencies only and continue to use semi-automatic fire the majority of the time. After considerable debate the Canadian Army
announced they would be happy to use the .280 only if the U.S. did as well. It was clear the U.S. would not use the .280. The T65 was chosen as the NATO standard cartridge in 1954.
The T44 was adopted as the M14
in 1957. Britain and Canada adopted the FN FAL
around the same time followed by West German
army as the G1. The Germans soon transitioned to a modified version of the Spanish CETME
rifle, Heckler & Koch G3
. With all three of these firearms, it was clear that the 7.62mm NATO could not be fired controllably in fully automatic
due to recoil
. Both the M14s and FAL would later go through several variations intended to either limit fully automatic selection through semi-auto version or selector locks or improve control with bipod
s and/or heavier barrel
s.
While all of this was going on, the U.S. Project SALVO concluded that a burst
of four rounds into a 20 inches (508 mm) circle would cause twice the number of casualties as a fully automatic burst by one of these battle rifles, regardless of the size of the round. They suggested using a much-smaller .22 caliber cartridge with two bullets per cartridge (a duplex load), while other researchers investigated the promising flechette
rounds that were even lighter but offered better penetration than even the .30-06. These studies were kept secret to prevent the British from using them as evidence in favour of their smaller rounds.
When the M14 arrived in Vietnam
, it was found to have a few disadvantages. The rifle's overall length was not well suited for jungle warfare. Also, the weight of 7.62×51mm cartridges limited the total amount of ammunition that could be carried when compared with the common 7.62×39mm
cartridge of the Type 56 assault rifle
s, which the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army
soldiers were equipped with. In addition, the originally issued wooden stocked versions of the M14 were susceptible to warping from moisture in tropical environments, producing "wandering zeroes" and other accuracy problems (this was fixed with the adoption of fiberglass stocks).
Fighting between the big-round and small-round groups reached a peak in the early 1960s, when test after test showed the .223 Remington
cartridge fired from the AR-15
allowed an 8-soldier unit to outgun an 11-soldier unit armed with M14s. U.S. troops were able to carry more than twice as much 5.56×45mm ammunition as 7.62x51mm for the same weight, which would allow them a better advantage against a typical NVA
unit armed with AK-47s.
(*AK-47 magazines are much heavier than M14 and M16 magazines)
In 1964, the U.S. Army started replacing their M14s with the M16, incurring another series of complaints from the British. Regardless of the M14 having disadvantages in jungle warfare, 7.62×51mm NATO rifles stayed in military service around the world due to several factors. The 7.62×51mm NATO has proved much more effective than 5.56×45mm at long ranges, and has since found popularity as a sniping round. For instance, M14 variants such as the Mk 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle and M21 are still used in the United States military as designated marksman
and sniper
rifles. Shorter, easier to handle 7.62mm rifles like the Heckler & Koch G3
stayed in service due to their accuracy, range, cartridge effectiveness and reliability.
The 7.62×51mm NATO round nevertheless met the designer's demands for fully automatic reliability with a full-power round. It remained the main machine gun
round for almost all NATO forces well into the 1990s, even being used in adapted versions of older .30-06 machine guns such as the Browning M1919A4
from the WWII era. These have been replaced to a considerable extent in the light machine gun
role by 5.56×45mm NATO weapons, such as the widespread use of the FN Minimi
, but the 7.62 round is still the standard chambering for most general-purpose machine guns such as the FN MAG
and the German MG3, and flexible mountings such as helicopters, jeeps, and tanks.
Winchester Ammunition (a division of the Olin Corporation) saw the market for a civilian model of the T65 cartridge and released it commercially in 1952 as the .308 Winchester
, two years prior to adoption of the cartridge by NATO.
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
developed in the 1950s as a standard for small arms among NATO countries (not to be confused with the similar 7.62x54mmR cartridge). When loaded with a bullet design that expands, tumbles, or fragments in tissue, this cartridge is capable of delivering very effective terminal performance.
It was introduced in U.S. service in the M14 rifle
M14 rifle
The M14 rifle, formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. The M14 was used for U.S...
and M60 machine gun
M60 machine gun
The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
in the late 1950s. The M14 was superseded in U.S. service as the infantry adopted the 5.56x45mm NATO
5.56x45mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
. However, the M14 and many other firearms that use the 7.62×51 round remain in service, especially in the case of sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
s, machine guns, and as the service weapon chosen by special operations forces. The cartridge is used both by infantry and on mounted and crew-served weapons mounted to vehicles, aircraft and ships.
Although not identical, the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge is similar enough to the commercial .308 Winchester
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...
that the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute
Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute
The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute is an association of American firearms and ammunition manufacturers...
(SAAMI) considers it safe to fire the NATO round in weapons chambered for the commercial round.
Overview
The cartridge itself offers similar ballistic performance in most firearms to the .30-06 Springfield.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
that it replaced in U.S. service. Though shorter, standard loadings fire similar bullet weights at similar velocities. Modern propellants allowed the same velocity from a case with less capacity. The smaller case requires less brass and yields a shorter cartridge. This shorter cartridge allows a reduction in the size of the firearms that chamber it. Proponents of the hydrostatic shock
Hydrostatic shock
Hydrostatic shock or hydraulic shock describes the observation that a penetrating projectile can produce remote wounding and incapacitating effects in living targets through a hydraulic effect in their liquid-filled tissues, in addition to local effects in tissue caused by direct impact...
theory contend that the difference affects remote wounding characteristics known as hydrostatic shock.
Development
Work that would eventually develop the 7.62×51mm NATO started just after World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
when the large, powerful .30-06
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army...
cartridge proved difficult to adapt to semi-automatic
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
rifles. A less-powerful cartridge would allow a lighter firing mechanism. At the time the most promising design was the .276 Pedersen
.276 Pedersen
The .276 Pedersen round was an experimental 7 mm cartridge developed for the U.S. Army and used in the Pedersen rifle and early versions of what would become the M1 Garand rifle.-Summary:...
. When it was eventually demonstrated that the .30-06 was suitable for semi-automatic rifles, the .276 was dropped.
Thus when war appeared to be looming again only a few years later, the .30-06 was the only round available and the M1 Garand
M1 Garand
The M1 Garand , was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to the infantry of any nation. Called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S...
provided US troops with greater firepower than their bolt action-armed opponents. The Garand performed so well that the US saw little need to replace it during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the .30-06 served well beyond the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and into the 1960s.
During the 1940s and early 1950s several experiments were carried out to improve on the Garand. One of the most common complaints was the limited capacity en-bloc clip
Clip (ammunition)
A clip is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit, ready for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. This speeds up the process of loading and reloading the firearm as several rounds can be loaded at once, rather than one round being loaded at a...
and many experimental designs modified the weapon with a detachable box magazine. Springfield Armory
Springfield Armory
The Springfield Armory, located in the City of Springfield, Massachusetts - from 1777 until its closing in 1968 - was the primary center for the manufacture of U.S. military firearms. After its controversial closing during the Vietnam War, the Springfield Armory was declared Western Massachusetts'...
's T20 rifle, was a fully automatic version. Though not adopted, experience with a fully automatic Garand laid the groundwork for its replacement.
.300 Savage
The .300 Savage cartridge is a rimless, .30 caliber rifle cartridge developed by the Savage Arms Company in 1920. It was designed to replace the less powerful .303 Savage in their popular Savage Model 99 lever-action rifle...
(then known as the T65). In the end, the T65 cartridge demonstrated power roughly equal to the original .30-06, firing a 147-grain bullet at 2750 feet per second (838.2 m/s) but was approximately half an inch shorter. The eventual result of this competition was the T44
M14 rifle
The M14 rifle, formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. The M14 was used for U.S...
rifle.
When the United States developed the T65 cartridge, the British took a different route. They had spent considerable time and effort developing the intermediate-power .280 British
.280 British
The .280 British was an experimental intermediate rifle cartridge. It was later designated 7 mm MK1Z, and has also been known as 7 mm NATO, .280/30, .280 Enfield, .280 NATO, 7 mm FN Short, and 7×43mm. It was designed by the British Army in the late 1940s, with subsequent help from...
cartridge with an eye towards controllable fully automatic fire. Meanwhile, the US held to its desire not to reduce the effectiveness of individual shots. The American philosophy was to use automatic fire for emergencies only and continue to use semi-automatic fire the majority of the time. After considerable debate the Canadian Army
First Canadian Army
The First Canadian Army was the senior Canadian operational formation in Europe during the Second World War.The Army was formed in early 1942, replacing the existing unnumbered Canadian Corps, as the growing number of Canadian forces in the United Kingdom necessitated an expansion to two corps...
announced they would be happy to use the .280 only if the U.S. did as well. It was clear the U.S. would not use the .280. The T65 was chosen as the NATO standard cartridge in 1954.
The T44 was adopted as the M14
M14 rifle
The M14 rifle, formally the United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire automatic rifle firing 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition. It was the standard issue U.S. rifle from 1959 to 1970. The M14 was used for U.S...
in 1957. Britain and Canada adopted the FN FAL
FN FAL
The Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal . During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, with the notable exception of the United States...
around the same time followed by West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
army as the G1. The Germans soon transitioned to a modified version of the Spanish CETME
CETME
CETME is an acronym for Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales , a Spanish government design and development establishment. While being involved in many projects CETME was mostly known for its small arms research and development...
rifle, Heckler & Koch G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
. With all three of these firearms, it was clear that the 7.62mm NATO could not be fired controllably in fully automatic
Automatic firearm
An automatic firearm is a firearm that loads another round mechanically after the first round has been fired.The term can be used to refer to semi-automatic firearms, which fire one shot per single pull of the trigger , or fully automatic firearms, which will continue to load and fire ammunition...
due to recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
. Both the M14s and FAL would later go through several variations intended to either limit fully automatic selection through semi-auto version or selector locks or improve control with bipod
Bipod
A bipod is a support device that is similar to a tripod or monopod, but with two legs. It provides significant stability along two axes of motion .-Firearms:...
s and/or heavier barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
s.
While all of this was going on, the U.S. Project SALVO concluded that a burst
Burst mode (firearm)
In automatic firearms, burst mode or burst fire is a firing mode enabling the shooter to fire a predetermined number of rounds, usually 2 or 3 rounds and 100+ on anti-aircraft weapons, with a single pull of the trigger. This firing mode is commonly used in submachine guns, assault rifles and carbines...
of four rounds into a 20 inches (508 mm) circle would cause twice the number of casualties as a fully automatic burst by one of these battle rifles, regardless of the size of the round. They suggested using a much-smaller .22 caliber cartridge with two bullets per cartridge (a duplex load), while other researchers investigated the promising flechette
Flechette
A flechette is a pointed steel projectile, with a vaned tail for stable flight. The name comes from French , "little arrow" or "dart", and sometimes retains the acute accent in English: fléchette.-Bulk and artillery use:...
rounds that were even lighter but offered better penetration than even the .30-06. These studies were kept secret to prevent the British from using them as evidence in favour of their smaller rounds.
When the M14 arrived in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, it was found to have a few disadvantages. The rifle's overall length was not well suited for jungle warfare. Also, the weight of 7.62×51mm cartridges limited the total amount of ammunition that could be carried when compared with the common 7.62×39mm
7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm round is a rifle cartridge of Soviet origin that was designed during World War II. It was first used in the RPD machine gun. Due to the worldwide proliferation of the SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, the cartridge is utilized by both militaries and civilians alike.The 7.62×39mm...
cartridge of the Type 56 assault rifle
Type 56 Assault Rifle
The Type 56 assault rifle is a Chinese copy of the Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle, which has been manufactured since 1956. It was produced by State Factory 66 from 1956-73, then by Norinco from 1973 onwards.-Service history:...
s, which the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
soldiers were equipped with. In addition, the originally issued wooden stocked versions of the M14 were susceptible to warping from moisture in tropical environments, producing "wandering zeroes" and other accuracy problems (this was fixed with the adoption of fiberglass stocks).
Fighting between the big-round and small-round groups reached a peak in the early 1960s, when test after test showed the .223 Remington
.223 Remington
The .223 Remington is a sporting cartridge with almost the same external dimensions as the 5.56×45mm NATO military cartridge. The name is commonly pronounced either two-two-three or two-twenty-three. It is loaded with a diameter, jacketed bullet, with weights ranging from , though the most common...
cartridge fired from the AR-15
AR-15
The AR-15 is a lightweight, 5.56 mm, air-cooled, gas-operated, magazine-fed semi-automatic rifle, with a rotating-lock bolt, actuated by direct impingement gas operation. It is manufactured with the extensive use of aluminum alloys and synthetic materials....
allowed an 8-soldier unit to outgun an 11-soldier unit armed with M14s. U.S. troops were able to carry more than twice as much 5.56×45mm ammunition as 7.62x51mm for the same weight, which would allow them a better advantage against a typical NVA
Vietnam People's Army
The Vietnam People's Army is the armed forces of Vietnam. The VPA includes: the Vietnamese People's Ground Forces , the Vietnam People's Navy , the Vietnam People's Air Force, and the Vietnam Marine Police.During the French Indochina War , the VPA was often referred to as the Việt...
unit armed with AK-47s.
| Rifle | Cartridge | Cartridge weight | Weight of loaded magazine | 10 kilogram ammo load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M14 | 7.62x51mm | 393 gr | 20 rds @ .68 kg | 14 mags / 280 rds |
| M16 | 5.56x45mm | 183 gr | 20 rds @ .3 kg | 33 mags / 660 rds |
| AK-47 | 7.62x39mm | 281 gr | 30 rds @ 1.2 kg* | 8 mags / 240 rds |
(*AK-47 magazines are much heavier than M14 and M16 magazines)
In 1964, the U.S. Army started replacing their M14s with the M16, incurring another series of complaints from the British. Regardless of the M14 having disadvantages in jungle warfare, 7.62×51mm NATO rifles stayed in military service around the world due to several factors. The 7.62×51mm NATO has proved much more effective than 5.56×45mm at long ranges, and has since found popularity as a sniping round. For instance, M14 variants such as the Mk 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle and M21 are still used in the United States military as designated marksman
Designated marksman
The designated marksman is a military marksman role in a U.S. infantry squad. The term sniper was used in Soviet doctrine although the soldiers using the Dragunov were the first to use a specifically designed designated marksman's rifle. Sniper is also used in Russian doctrine...
and sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
rifles. Shorter, easier to handle 7.62mm rifles like the Heckler & Koch G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
stayed in service due to their accuracy, range, cartridge effectiveness and reliability.
The 7.62×51mm NATO round nevertheless met the designer's demands for fully automatic reliability with a full-power round. It remained the main machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
round for almost all NATO forces well into the 1990s, even being used in adapted versions of older .30-06 machine guns such as the Browning M1919A4
M1919 Browning machine gun
The M1919 Browning is a .30 caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century. It was used as a light infantry, coaxial, mounted, aircraft, and anti-aircraft machine gun by the U.S. and many other countries, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War...
from the WWII era. These have been replaced to a considerable extent in the light machine gun
Squad automatic weapon
A squad automatic weapon is a weapon used to give infantry squads or sections a portable source of automatic firepower. Weapons used in this role are selective-fire rifles, usually fitted with a bipod and heavier barrel to perform as Light machine guns...
role by 5.56×45mm NATO weapons, such as the widespread use of the FN Minimi
FN Minimi
The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...
, but the 7.62 round is still the standard chambering for most general-purpose machine guns such as the FN MAG
FN MAG
The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...
and the German MG3, and flexible mountings such as helicopters, jeeps, and tanks.
Winchester Ammunition (a division of the Olin Corporation) saw the market for a civilian model of the T65 cartridge and released it commercially in 1952 as the .308 Winchester
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a rifle cartridge and is the commercial cartridge upon which the military 7.62x51mm NATO centerfire cartridge is based. The .308 Winchester was introduced in 1952, two years prior to the NATO adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO T65...
, two years prior to adoption of the cartridge by NATO.
Military cartridge types
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Ball, M59 (United States): 150.5-grain 7.62×51mm NATO ball cartridge. A further development of the initial T65 cartridge.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Armor Piercing, M61 (United States): 150.5-grain 7.62×51mm NATO armor-piercing round, black cartridge tip.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Tracer, M62 (United States): 142 gr tracer cartridge, orange cartridge tip.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Grenade, M64 (United States): 7.62×51mm NATO grenade launching blank.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Ball, M80 (United States): 147-grain 7.62×51mm NATO ball cartridge.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Match, M118 (United States): 173-grain 7.62×51mm NATO Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail round specifically designed for Match purposes. Introduced in 1968 as XM118, standardized in 1970 as M118. Produced at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Ball, Special, M118 (United States): 173-grain 7.62×51mm NATO Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail round specifically designed for match purposes. Produced by Lake City Army Ammunition Plant. This is an interim match round which utilized M80 ball brass with the 173 gr FMJBT bullet. During this period in the early to late 1980s the performance of the round declined. Powder, primer, brass, bullets were no longer produced in matching lots.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Ball, Special, M118LR (United States): 175-grain 7.62×51mm NATO Hollow Point Boat Tail round specifically designed for long-range sniping. Produced at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Duplex, M198 (United States): 7.62×51mm NATO duplex round with two 84 gr bullets. The developmental designation was T314E3.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Tracer, M276 (United States): 7.62×51mm NATO so-called "Dim Tracer" with reduced effect primarily for use with night vision devices, green cartridge tip with pink ring.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Match, M852 (United States): 168-grain 7.62×51mm NATO Hollow-Point Boat-Tail cartridge, specifically designed for use in National Match competitions, later approved by US Army JAG for combat use by snipers.
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Saboted Light Armor Penetrator (SLAP)Saboted light armor penetratorThe Saboted Light Armor Penetrator family of ammunition is designed to penetrate armor more efficiently than standard armor piercing ammunition.-Design and use:...
, M948 (United States): 7.62×51mm NATO Saboted Light Armor Penetrator cartridge. - Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Armor Piercing, M993 (United States): 126.6-grain 7.62×51mm NATO armor-piercing round, black cartridge tip.
- Cartridge, Grenade, L1A1 (United Kingdom): 7.62×51mm grenade launching cartridge with one subvariant (L1A2) with unknown differences.
- Cartridge, Ball, L2A1 (United Kingdom): 7.62×51mm ball cartridge, with three subvariants (A2-A4) with unknown differences.
- Cartridge, Tracer, L5A1 (United Kingdom): 7.62×51mm tracer cartridge, designed to last out to 1000 meters. Four subvariants exist, with brighter ignition (A2), tracer reduced to 750 meters (A3), with a pistol powder charge (A4), and with improved ballistics (A5).
- Cartridge, Ball, L42A1 (United Kingdom): 7.62×51mm ball cartridge, 155 grain round
- Cartridge, Ball, L44A1 (United Kingdom): 7.62×51mm ball cartridge, 144 grain round
- Cartridge, Caliber 7.62mm, NATO, Ball, F4 (Australia): 144-grain 7.62×51mm NATO ball cartridge. Australian equivalent to U.S. M80 round. In service with the Australian Defence Force.
- Patrone AB22, 7.62mm x 51, DM111, Weichkern, (Germany): 147-grain 7.62×51mm NATO ball cartridge, cupronickel-coated steel jacket. German equivalent to U.S. M80 round. In service with the German military. Known for heavy fragmentation in tissue due to thin steel jacket.
See also
- 7.62 mm caliber7.62 mm caliber7.62 mm caliber is a nominal caliber used for a number of different cartridges. Historically, this class of cartridge was commonly known as .30 caliber, the Imperial unit equivalent, and was most commonly used for indicating a class of full power military main battle rifle cartridges...
- .276 Pedersen.276 PedersenThe .276 Pedersen round was an experimental 7 mm cartridge developed for the U.S. Army and used in the Pedersen rifle and early versions of what would become the M1 Garand rifle.-Summary:...
- Caliber conversion sleeveCaliber conversion sleeveA caliber conversion sleeve is a device which can be used to non-permanently alter a firearm to allow it to fire a different cartridge than the one it was originally designed to...
- NATO EPVAT testingNATO EPVAT testingNATO EPVAT testing is one of the three recognized classes of procedures used in the world to control the safety and quality of firearms ammunition....
- STANAGSTANAGSTANAG is the NATO abbreviation for Standardization Agreement, which sets up processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alliance. Each NATO state ratifies a STANAG and implements it within their own...
(Standardization Agreements of NATO) - List of rifle cartridges