7.5×54mm French
The 7.5×54mm French, 7.5 French, or 7.5 MAS (designated as the 7,5 × 54 MAS by the C.I.P.) is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was developed by France as an update to the 7.5×57mm MAS mod. 1924 cartridge. It replaced the obsolete 8×50mmR Lebel round used during World War I, and served as the French service cartridge until superseded by the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges in the 1970s and 1980s.
| 7.5×54mm MAS mod. 1929 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Type | Rifle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of origin | France | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In service | 1929–1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Used by | France, Germany, Vietnam, Cameroon | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wars | World War II First Indochina War Algerian War Suez Crisis Vietnam War Shaba II Anglophone Crisis | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Production history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Designer | MAS | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Designed | 1924 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Variants | Balle "C", Balle "D" | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Specifications | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent case | 7.5×57mm MAS mod. 1924 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Case type | Rimless, bottleneck | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bullet diameter | 7.84 mm (0.309 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Land diameter | 7.57 mm (0.298 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neck diameter | 8.66 mm (0.341 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoulder diameter | 11.30 mm (0.445 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Base diameter | 12.25 mm (0.482 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rim diameter | 12.34 mm (0.486 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rim thickness | 1.40 mm (0.055 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Case length | 54.00 mm (2.126 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall length | 76.00 mm (2.992 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Case capacity | 3.76 cm3 (58.0 gr H2O) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rifling twist | 270 mm (10.63 inches) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primer type | Berdan or Boxer Large rifle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) | 380.00 MPa (55,114 psi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Test barrel length: 574 mm (22.60 in) and 600 mm (23.62 in) Source(s): C.I.P. SurplusRifle.com /Cartridges of the World | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 7.5×54mm French MAS has an uncommon 12.39 mm (0.488 in) breech and breechface diameter, and it has ballistics comparable to the 7.62×51mm NATO/.308 Winchester round. The 7.5 French cartridge is somewhat similar in appearance to the slightly longer and thicker 7.5×55mm Swiss GP11 round but users should never try to interchange the two rounds.