7.62×39mm
The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as well as RPD and RPK light machine guns.
| 7.62×39mm | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A steel-cased 7.62×39mm FMJ cartridge | ||||||||||||||||
| Type | Rifle | |||||||||||||||
| Place of origin | Soviet Union | |||||||||||||||
| Service history | ||||||||||||||||
| In service | 1945–present | |||||||||||||||
| Used by | former Soviet Union, former Warsaw Pact, Iraq, Iran, Russia, China, India, Egypt, Cambodia, North Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Finland, Venezuela, many others | |||||||||||||||
| Production history | ||||||||||||||||
| Designed | 1943 | |||||||||||||||
| Produced | 1944–present | |||||||||||||||
| Specifications | ||||||||||||||||
| Case type | Rimless, bottleneck | |||||||||||||||
| Bullet diameter | 7.85–7.9 mm (0.309–0.311") SAAMI 7.92 mm (0.312") CIP | |||||||||||||||
| Land diameter | 7.62 mm (0.300 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Neck diameter | 8.60 mm (0.339 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Shoulder diameter | 10.07 mm (0.396 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Base diameter | 11.35 mm (0.447 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Rim diameter | 11.35 mm (0.447 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Rim thickness | 1.50 mm (0.059 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Case length | 38.70 mm (1.524 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Overall length | 56.00 mm (2.205 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Case capacity | 2.31 cm3 (35.6 gr H2O) | |||||||||||||||
| Rifling twist | 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Primer type |
| |||||||||||||||
| Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) | 355.0 MPa (51,490 psi) | |||||||||||||||
| Maximum pressure (SAAMI) | 310.3 MPa (45,010 psi) | |||||||||||||||
| Filling | SSNF 50 powder | |||||||||||||||
| Filling weight | 1.605 – 1.63 g | |||||||||||||||
| Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Test barrel length: 520 mm (20 in) (in Sellier & Bellot tests) Source(s): Wolf Ammo Sellier & Bellot | ||||||||||||||||
The AK-47 was designed shortly after WWII, later becoming the AKM because the production of sheet metal had issues when first initiated. This weapon is now the world's most widespread military-pattern rifle. The cartridge remained the Soviet standard until the 1970s. It was partly replaced in Soviet service by the 5.45×39mm cartridge, which was introduced with the new AK-74 rifle, and continues in service with the modernized current-issue Russian Armed Forces AK-74M service rifle, as well as the AK-12 rifle. In the 21st century, the 7.62×39mm remains a common service rifle chambering, including for newly developed rifles like the AK-15.