7.62×54 rifle cartridge

7.62×54 rifle cartridge

The Russian 7.62 mm rifle cartridge or machine gun-rifle cartridge 7,62×54 is perhaps the oldest live cartridge in the whole world for today- And though it’s coming into the world are dated to 1891 if should be noted that after practically three stages of modernization only a way of cartridge fixing in a chamber by a projecting flange stop to barrel breech has remained from an old cartridge.

In spite of ordinary opinion that the cartridge with flange becomes hopelessly obsolete today it is necessary to note the following.

First of all, designing difficulties of cartridges feed system with a simian cartridge case have led to that the considerable attention has been given to this question in the USSR. As a result domestic gunsmiths managed to create the most reliable in the whole world weapon under cartridge with flange.
Secondly, the two stroke seating (cartridge extraction back from cartridge belt before seat it to chamber) used in domestic machine guns PKM, PKTM and «Pecheng» provides automatic cartridge cleaning from possible contamination from tape Sink during of its extraction moment. Reliable 10 cartridges magazines which capacity is sufficient for the battle tasks decision have been worked off for sniper rifles SVD, SVDS and SV-98 as the second consumer of this cartridge.

Projecting flange on a cartridge case has not interfered to that domestic 7.62mm machine gun-rifle cartridge remains among the similar class cartridges widespread in the whole world, and it is lawful to consider that opportunities on its further modernization are not exhausted yet.
7 62mm machine gun-rifle cartridge is intended for machine guns and sniper rifles shooting. At the present time some cartridge modifications with different bullets types intended for performance of various tasks are on arms.

 

Cartridge with steel core bullet 7.62 LPS (57-N-323S)

Cartridge with steel core bullet 7.62 LPS (57-N-323S)

Cartridge with a bullet with steel core 7.62 LPS produced before 1978

Cartridges with ordinary steel core bullet 7.62 LPS (LPS — light steel core bullet) has been developed at Scientific Research Institute SR1-61 (subsequently TSNIITOCHMASH) for changeover of cartridges with light and heavy bullets and has been accepted on arms at 1953. The cartridge is intended for military personnel of enemy defeat being openly and behind barrier punched out by a bullet and also unarmoured armaments and military equipment.

LPS bullet has a bimetallic shell and a low-carbon steel core that has led also to negligible increase of bullet breakdown ability besides lead economy (in comparison with a light lead core bullet). The weight of LPS bullet is 9.6 g. A bullet bottom part is conic. The cartridge is produced with bimetallic or steel lacquered cartridge case. Since 1986 LPS bullet is made with steel heat-strengthened core which has essentially increased its breakdown action. The name and marks of cartridges have not changed.

In the middle of 1980 employees from TSNIITOCHMASH together with designers from Novosibirsk Low-Voltage-Equipment Works had been lead modernization of LPS bullet. The batch production of cartridges with ST-M2 bullet has begun in 1988 in Novosibirsk.

The bullet has heat-strengthened core of the greater weight, the best close grouping of shots and 1.5 times best breakdown in comparison with LPS bullet. The name of a cartridge and its marks also did not change.

Since 1953 and till 1978 the LPS bullet head part was painted in silvery color. After 1978 a bullet painting is not made.

7.62-mm bullet with steel core 7,62×54 rifle cartridge LPS

General properties of cartridges 7.62 LPS

Weight of a cartridge, g: 21.8
Weight of a bullet, g: 9.6
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 820

 

Cartridge with armour piercing incendiary bullet 7.62 B-32 (57 BZ 323, 7-BZ-3)

Cartridge with armour piercing incendiary bullet 7.62 B-32 (57 BZ 323)

At the beginning of 1950 modernization of a cartridge with armour piercing incendiаrу bullet 8-32 accepted on arms as 1932 has been carrying out at Scientific SRl-61. A bullet incendiary action has been increased due to placing the second little cartridge with incendiary composition into its bottom part behind the steel core. The brass cartridge case has been substituted by bimetallic or steel lacquered cartridge case.

At 1954 the modernized cartridge with armour piercing incendiary bullet has been accepted on arms under the old name as 7.62mm cartridge with armour piercing incendiary bullet B-32 7.62 B-32. The cartridge with B-32 bullet is intended for light armouring targets defeat and provides light fuel ignition after armour breakdown.

The armour piercing incendiary bullet head part of cartridge is painted in black color with red rib.

7.62-mm armor-piercing incendiary bullet 7,62×54 rifle cartridge B-32

General properties of cartridges 7.62 B-32

Weight of a cartridge, g: 22.9
Weight of a bullet, g: 10.4
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 800

 

Heightened breakdown cartridge 7.62 PP (7N13)

Heightened breakdown cartridge 7.62 PP (7N13)

7.62 mm rifle cartridge with a heightened breakdown bullet 7.62 PP has been created by designers of «Barnaul machine-tool constructing factory» to the middle of 1990 and has been accepted on arms at 1995. The cartridge is intended for defeat of military personnel in personal armoured protective equipment and light armouring weapons and equipment.

The cartridge 7.62 PP meets the requirements on trajectory associativity for machine gun – rifle cartridges completely. Its bullet punches out 2P type armour plate thickness 10mm at range up to 200m. The bullet core of cartridge 7.62 PP is made from tool steel U12A type with the subsequent heat treatment. The cartridge can be produced with the steel lacquered or bimetallic cartridge case.

The bullets of cartridge 7.62 PP have no distinctive painting, but color of lacquer encapsulating propelling powder on bullet and muzzle of cartridge case have been substituted from red on violet.

7.62-mm bullet 7,62×54 rifle cartridge enhanced penetration – 7.62 PP

General properties of cartridges 7.62 PP

Weight of a cartridge, g: 21.8
Weight of a bullet, g: 9.4
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 820

 

Cartridge with armour piercing bullet 7.62 BP (7N26)

Cartridge with armour piercing bullet 7.62 BP (7N26)

Manufacture of 7.62mm rifle cartridges with armour piercing bullet 7.62 BP has begun at 2002 at «Novosibirsk cartridge plant». This cartridge is analogue of 7.62 PP cartridge practically. The bullet core of this cartridge as well as 7.62 PP cartridge is made by tool steel U12A type stamping with the subsequent heat treatment. I he cartridge is produced with bimetal cartridge case.

The cartridges with armour piercing bullet is intended for defeat of military personnel in modern personal armoured protective equipment and light armouring weapons and equipment. The cartridge bullet ensures breakdown of 2P type armour plate thickness 10 mm at range up to 200 m. Bullet of cartridge 7.62BP has no distinctive painting.

7.62-mm armor-piercing bullet 7,62×54 rifle cartridge BP

General properties of cartridges 7.62 BP

Weight of a cartridge, g: 21.8
Weight of a bullet, g: 9.75
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 820

 

Cartridge waft tracer billet 7.62 T-46 (7T2)

Cartridge waft tracer billet 7.62 T-46 (7T2)

Modernization of tracer bullet T-46 has been completed at the beginning of 1970 by employees from TSNIITOCHMASH. Cartridge 7.62 T-46 has been developed at factory № 46 and accepted on arms at 1938. Modernization has been directed on trajectory associativity of tracer bullet T-46 trajectory with other nomenclature bullets on average and big range and also increasing tracing range up to 850 m.

New slow-burning tracer composition for this bullet has been developed and that has allowed to create smaller dimensions tracer and to increase the core sizes. Change of a bullet design has led lo increase close grouping of shots.

The cartridge with tracer bullet T-46 is intended for defeat not protected military personnel, unarmour technical equipment, fire correction and target designation. It also can be used for inflammable subjects ignition. The name and marks of a cartridge have remained former. The bullet head part is painted in green color.

7.62-mm tracer 7,62×54 rifle cartridge T-46

General properties of cartridges 7.62 T-46

Weight of a cartridge, g: 22.0
Weight of a bullet, g: 9.6
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 800

 

Cartridge with advanced tracer bullet 7.62 T-46M (7T2)

Cartridge with advanced tracer bullet 7.62 T-46M (7T2)

The tracer cartridge has been modernized again at 1990 also at TSNIITOCHMASH and has received the name 7.62 mm cartridge with advanced tracer bullet T-46M. Modernization provided creation of new tracer which ignition occurs at distance up to 80-120 m from weapon muzzle it privities camouflage of.

The cartridge with advanced tracer bullet T-46M is intended for defeat of not protected military personnel and unarmour technical equipment fire correction and target designation. It also can be used for firing dry grass, wooden constructions and other inflammable subjects.
The bullet head pan is painted in green color.

7.62 mm upgraded tracer 7,62×54 rifle cartridge T-46M

General properties of cartridges 7.62 T-48 M

Weight of a cartridge, g: 22.3
Weight of a bullet, g: 9.4
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 800

 

Cartridges with armour piercing tracer bullet 7.62 ВТ (7BT1)

Cartridges with armour piercing tracer bullet 7.62 ВТ (7BT1)

7.62 mm cartridge with armour piercing tracer bullet 7.62 ВТ has been developed by employees of TSNIITQCHMASH together with designers of “Novosibirsk cartridge factory” for replacement of a cartridge with tracer bullet T-46 and T-46M. The steel tempered core from steel U12A is used in BT-90 bullet design. The new bullet is capable to punch out 5mm 2P type amoured plate at range up to 500m. The cartridge case is made from bimetal.

Head bullet part painting of green color is kept as mark of 7.62 ВТ cartridge. Tracer ignition of 7BT1 cartridge occurs in 80-120m from muzzle as well as T46M cartridge.

7.62-mm armor-piercing tracer 7,62×54 rifle cartridge BT

General properties of cartridges 7.62 BT

Weight of a cartridge, g: 21.6
Weight of a bullet, g: 9.2
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 820

 

Sniper cartridge 7.62 PS (7N1)

Sniper cartridge 7.62 PS (7N1)

7.62mm sniper cartridge 7.62 PS (PS — steel core bullet) have been created in the middle of 1960 at TSNIITQCHMASH for efficiency fire increase from Dragunov’s sniper rifle (SVD) and was accepted on arms at 1967. Experts of «Novosibirsk cartridge plant» where the cartridge also is made now have brought the significant contribution to this cartridge «know-how» manufacturing technology.

Designers managed to create a technological structure of a sniper steel core bullet of high battle close grouping of shots. The sniper cartridge has the best close grouping of shots in 2-2.5 limes than a cartridge with LPS bullet. The sniper steel core bullet is located in a head part directly under shelf unlike LPS. The lead core occupies leading and conic bottom part of a bullet it has allowed to optimize an arrangement of the bullet gravity centre and completely to get rid from technological eccentricity of steel core being a principal reason of the increased bullets LPS dispersion.

The sniper cartridge is intended for the single personnel target defeat from a sniper rifle. The cartridge is not specially marked but the inscription “Sniper” is put on cardboard or paper packs metal and wooden boxes.

The cartridge case of the sniper cartridge is made from bimetal.

7.62-mm bullet 7,62 x54 sniper cartridge PS

General properties of cartridges 7.62 PS

Weight of a cartridge, g: 21.9
Weight of a bullet, g: 9.8
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 820

 

Sniper cartridge with armour piercing bullet 7.62 SNB (7N14)

Sniper cartridge with armour piercing bullet 7.62 SNB (7N14)

7.62mm rifle sniper cartridge with armour plerong bullet 7.62 SNB {SNB — sniper with armour pierong bullet) is, as a matter of fact the modernized variant of rifle sniper cartridge 7.62 PS. Modernization us core substitute. The new peaked form core from steel U12A with additional thermal processing has been developed instead of truncated form cone from steel 10.

The new cartridge does not concede on close grouping of shots in comparison with a cartridge 7N1 and provides requirements on trajectory associativity. The new cartridge bullet considerably surpasses a cartridge bullet 7.62 PS on breakdown ability. It is capable to punch out 5 mm 2P mark amoured plate at range up to 300m. The cartridge has a bimetallic cartridge case.

The cartridge is not marked specially, but before inscription «Sniper» the black strip is put on a paper package with 20 cartridges.

7.62-mm armor-piercing bullet 7,62×54 sniper cartridge SNB

General properties of cartridges 7.62 SNB

Weight of a cartridge, g: 21.9
Weight of a bullet, g: 9.8
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 820

 

Cartridge with ranging incendiary bullet 7.62 PZ (73P2)

Cartridge with ranging incendiary bullet 7.62 PZ (73P2)

7.62 mm rifle cartridge with ranging incendiary bullet 7.62 PZ (PZ — ranging incendiary) is intended for adjustment of targets both range and direction and also for unamoured technical equipment defeat. It also can be used for firing inflammable materials. Requirements on trajectory associativity with the main rifle cartridges are provided by a cartridge 7.62 PZ.

Cartridges are issued with the steel lacquered or bimetallic cartridge case. The bullet head part of cartridge 7.62 PZ is painted in red color.

1 – shell; 2 – incendiary; 3 – fuse head KB-11; 4 – Lead shirt; 5 – cup; 6 – centrifugal inertial fuse; 7 – drummer; 8 – brass circle

7.62-mm-sighting incendiary bullet 7,62 x54 rifle cartridge PZ

General properties of cartridges 7.62 PZ

Weight of a cartridge, g: 22.3
Weight of a bullet, g: 10.0
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 800

 

Cartridge with lowered ricochet ability buffet 7.62 PRS

Cartridge with lowered ricochet ability buffet 7.62 PRS

At the beginning of 2000 7.62 mm rifle cartridge with lowered ricochet ability bullet 7.62 PRS has been created by joint efforts of experts from Open Society “Barnaul Cartridge Plant” and “Special equipment and communication” under the Ministry of Interior of Russia order. Due to steel core absence the bullet PRS is rumpled at hit in firm barrier, quickly loses velocity and does not give such dangerous ricochets amount as steel core bullet. This cartridge surpasses on close grouping of shots a cartridge 7.62 LPS and at the same time full trajectory associativity with the others rifle cartridges bullets is provided.

The bullet has not distinctive painting but branding “PRS” in addition to factory number and manufacturing year is available on head-rounding of a cartridge case.

7.62-mm bullet ricochets with reduced ability to 7,62×54 rifle cartridge PRS

 

Blank cartridge 7.62 rifle blank

Blank cartridge 7.62 rifle blank

The blank cartridge provides sound imitation of small arms shooting during forces combat training. It also can be used for salutes producing.
The blank cartridge is performed with standard cartridge case of usage rifle cartridge and equipped by propelling powder but has no bullet. Muzzle of a cartridge case is pressed out by six-beam star. Blank cartridge is shorter than five cartridges and its length is 53.7 mm. At present blank cartridges are produced with bimetallic cartridge case.

The bushing for the blank shooting screwed on a chase and a slat inserted into the basis of machine gun receiver are used for performance of blank shooting from machine guns.

 

Dummу cartridge 7.62 UCh rifle

Dummу cartridge 7.62 UCh rifle

Dummy rifle cartridge is intended for training of charging and discharging weapon technique, firing shot and magazines and cartridge belt equipping.
Dummy cartridge is performed due to usage of the basic details of a cartridge with an ordinary bullet 7.62 LPS but does not contain a propelling powder and has inefficient percussion cap fuse. Cartridge is produced with bimetallic cartridge case.
Four symmetrically located longitudinal extrusions are made on a cartridge case of dummy cartridge for its difference from live cartridges. The dummy cartridges used as visual aids have painting off the bullets tip corresponding live cartridges.