7.62x54R Russia

7.62x54R Russian

This is currently the longest-lived military cartridge around. It was initially adopted by imperial Russia in 1891 and continued to serve in the Post-Soviet era as a light machine gun cartridge. It was the Russian mainstay of both World Wars and saw wide distribution among communist-bloc countries. Original ballistics yielded a 210-grain bullet traveling approximately 2,000 feet per second. Following the trend of the world’s militaries, it was upgraded to a 150-grain bullet at 2,600 feet per second in 1909. American shooters first became familiar with the cartridge after World War I. Several U.S. companies produced Mosin Nagant rifles under contract for the Czar but withheld delivery following the Bolslhevik Revolution of 1917.

 Many of these brand new rifles chambered for the Russian cartridge subsequently turned up on the U.S.  Market. Many Mosin Nagant rifles have recently been imported for various countries in condition ranging from mint to truly awful. Shooters should have their rifle examined by a qualified gunsmith before shooting. Winchester also produced the Model 95 in 7.62x54R for the3 Russian government and these occasionally turn up.

Surplus ammunition is usually abundant but more often than not it is corrosive and berdan primed. Bullet diameter is nominally .310”, however, large variations in groove diameters are the norm here. The 7.62×54mmR originally had a 13.7 g (210 grain) round-nosed full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet. Due to experiences in the Russo-Japanese War, it was replaced in 1908 with a 9.7 g (148-grain) spitzer FMJ bullet, which has remained standard to the present. To increase accuracy, the Dragunov SVD uses the 7N1 variant of the cartridge, which uses extruded instead of ball propellant and has a 9.7 g (152-grain) boat-tailed FMJ bullet. The 7N14 is a new load developed for the SVD.

The 7.62x54mmR rounds in use with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are designed for machine guns and sniper rifles. Currently (2003), there are several variants of 7.62x54mmR rounds produced for various purposes. All use clad metal as case material.

57-N-323S

a conventional steel-core bullet is designed to engage personnel and weapon systems. The bullet has a steel core. The tip has no distinguishing color. It can penetrate a 6 mm (0.2 in) thick St3 steel plate at 520 m (569 yd.) and 6Zh85T body armor at 110 m (120 yd.).

7N13

An enhanced penetration bullet is designed to kill personnel wearing body armor. The bullet features a heat-strengthened core. The tip is uncolored. A sealing lacquer belt on the mouth of the case is red-colored. It can penetrate a 6 mm (0.2 in) thick St3 steel plate at 660 m (722 yd.) and 6Zh85T body armor at 800 m (875 yd.).

7T2

With the T-46 tracer bullet is designed for fire adjustment and target designation. The bullet has a green tip and the tracer burns for 3 seconds.

7BZ-3

With the B-32 armor piercing/incendiary bullet is designed to defeat light armored targets. The bullet has a black-red tip.

7N1

a sniper round designed to kill single targets from a sniper rifle. The tip of the bullet is uncolored.

The 7.62×54mmR has 4.16 ml (64 grains H₂O) cartridge case capacity. The pronounced tapering exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable case feeding and extraction in bolt action rifles and machine guns alike, under challenging conditions. Although the design did not help improve reliability, the cartridge's shape remains the same to the present day.

the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 18.5 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 1 in 9.45 in, 4 grooves, Ø lands = 0.300 in, Ø grooves = 0.312 in, land width = .15 in and the primer type is Berdan or very rarely Boxer.

According to the official C.I.P. guidelines the 7.62×54mmR case can handle up to 56,564 psi. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.

Over all this is a very old cartridge but doesn’t seem like it will be disappearing from the market just yet.