7.92×57mm Mauser

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The 7.92×57mm Mauser (designated as the 8mm Mauser or 8×57mm by the SAAMI[1] and 8 × 57 IS by the C.I.P.[2]) is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. The 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge was adopted by the German Empire in 1903–1905, and was the German service cartridge in both World Wars. In the first half of the 20th century, the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge was one of the world's most popular military cartridges. In the 21st century, it is a popular civiliansport and hunting cartridge in the West.

Development

File:8x57.jpg
1888 pattern M/88 (left) parent cartridge alongside the 1903 pattern 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone.

Parent cartridge Patrone 88

The parent cartridge, upon which the 7.92×57mm Mauser is based, was adopted by Germany in 1888 as the Patrone 88 (cartridge 88) or M/88 (along with the Gewehr 1888 service rifle). It was a first-generation smokeless propellant cartridge designed by the German Script error: No such module "Lang". (Template:Lit, abbreviated to G.P.K.), as the new smokeless propellant introduced as Poudre B in the 1886 pattern 8mm Lebel had started a military rifle ammunition revolution. The M/88 cartridge was loaded with Template:Cvt of single-base (based on nitrocellulose) smokeless powder and a relatively heavy, Template:Cvt, round-nosed ball bullet with a diameter of Template:Cvt. The M/88 bore originally had Template:Cvt lands diameter and Template:Cvt grooves diameter. The M/88 barrel bore specification was changed by 1894–1895 to Template:Cvt lands diameter and Template:Cvt grooves diameter to improve accuracy and reduce barrel wear in M/88 chambered arms.[3]

8mm S Patrone

German government driven efforts to further improve on the performance of the military M/88 ammunition and the service arms in which the M/88 was used after several development steps eventually resulted in the official adoption on 3 April 1903 by the G.P.K. of the dimensionally redesigned 7.92×57mm Mauser chambering. Besides the chambering, the bore (designated as "S-bore") was also dimensionally redesigned because the new bullet with a shorter cylindrical part had reduced bearing surface, which necessitated increasing its diameter and deepening barrel grooves (as a result the new cartridge was not fully interchangeable with the old one).

The 1903 pattern S Patrone (S ball cartridge) was loaded with a lighter Template:Convert, pointed Script error: No such module "Lang". of Template:Convert diameter and more powerful double-base (based on nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin) smokeless powder resulting in nearly 38% higher muzzle velocity and 27% more muzzle energy.[4][5][3] The operating pressure was Template:Convert. With the improved ballistic coefficient – (G1 BC) of approximately 0.321 to 0.337 (ballistic coefficients are somewhat debatable)Template:Sndof the new bullet, the 1903 pattern cartridge had an improved maximum effective range and a flatter trajectory, and was therefore less critical of range estimation compared to the M/88 cartridge.[6][7]

In the German military service the Patrone 88 was replaced in 1904 and 1905 by the S Patrone. Many arms originally chambered for the Patrone 88 could be and were adapted for chambering the S Patrone by reaming out metal from the chamber as it required a wider chamber throat to take the differently shaped and thicker brass of the new S Patrone. Other military arms chambered for different 8 mm cartridges were also converted to the S-Patrone.

The rimless cartridge case has been used as the parent cases for several other necked-down and necked-up cartridges and a rimmed variant the 8 x 57 IR and IRS, that than also has been necked up and down.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Military use

File:K98kclip.jpg
Karabiner 98k stripper clip with brass-cased 7.92×57mm ammunition
File:MG 42, detalle, réplica coleccionista, Madrid, 2015.JPG
MG 34 with inserted 7.92×57mm Gurt 34 ammunition belt

Due to restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, the Germans were not able to develop or sell any military equipment after World War I. In the post-war years, 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered Gewehr 98 pattern rifles were produced in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Mexico, Austria and China. This, and the cartridge's high performance and versatility, led to the 7.92×57mm Mauser being adopted by the armed forces of various governments. These included: Spain, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Iran, Turkey, China, Egypt, Yugoslavia, former German African colonies. This made the round the most widely used military rifle cartridge in the world during the inter-war years.[8]

During World War II it was one of the few cartridges used by both the Axis and Allied powers, a distinction that it shared with the 9×19mm Parabellum pistol round. Apart from being the standard rifle cartridge of the German and Polish armed forces, it was also used by the armed forces of the United Kingdom in the Besa machine gun, which was mounted in some of their tanks and other armoured vehicles, as well as being extensively used by the Chinese, especially early in the war. After World War II it was used by the early Bundeswehr of West Germany. It saw limited uses by the various (police and paramilitary) units in East Germany before being completely phased out of service in the 1960s. Later, when Egypt decided to manufacture the Hakim rifle, a licensed copy of the Swedish Ag m/42, they redesigned the breech to accept the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge rather than use the original 6.5×55mm Ag m/42 cartridge. Its military use continues today (2012) in some former Yugoslavia republics.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The Zastava M76 sniper rifle, M48 bolt-action rifle and the license-built copy of the MG 42, the M53 Šarac machine gun use this cartridge.[9]

Rifles formerly manufactured for the Wehrmacht, captured by the Allies and acquired by Israel were important in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Israel did not have a domestic arms industry and could not manufacture rifles but it could produce replacement parts and refurbish weapons. Israel only used its Mauser rifles in their original configuration for a short period, when NATO countries adopted a standard rifle cartridge, the 7.62×51mm NATO, Israel replaced all of the 7.92×57mm Mauser barrels on its Mauser rifles with barrels chambered for the new 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Civilian use

Two bullets side by side for comparison with a tape measure for scale.
7.92×57mm Mauser (above) and the rimmed 8×57mm IRS cartridges loaded with Brenneke TIG hunting bullets

After World War I the Treaty of Versailles imposed comprehensive and complex restrictions upon the post-war German armed forces (the Reichswehr). According to the treaty the Reichswehr could, on a limited scale, continue using the 7.92×57mm Mauser as their service cartridge. The Treaty of Versailles however effectively nixed the civilian use of 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered rifles by German hunters and sport shooters. During the mid-1930s Germany stopped obeying the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles and gradually the civilian use of 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered rifles by German hunters and sport shooters was resumed. In 1939 the Normalisierungsverordnung (Normalization regulation) effectively prohibited the production of non S-bore/7.92×57mm Mauser chambered arms in Nazi Germany. In post-World War 2 Germany, the production of the various preceding chamberings is allowed again, but these chamberings have become rare in post-1939 produced arms.[3]

The 7.92×57mm Mauser is a common chambering offering in rifles marketed for European and North American sportsmen, alongside broadly similar cartridges such as the 5.6×57mm, 6.5×55mm, 6.5×57mm, and the 6.5×68mm and 8×68mm S magnum hunting cartridges. Major European manufacturers like Zastava Arms, Blaser, Česká Zbrojovka firearms, Heym, Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH and Steyr Mannlicher produce factory new 7.92×57mm Mauser hunting rifles and European ammunition manufacturers like Blaser, Lapua, RUAG Ammotec/RWS, Prvi Partizan, Sako and Sellier & Bellot produce factory new ammunition.[3] In 2004 Remington Arms offered a limited-edition Model 700 Classic bolt action hunting rifle chambered for the 7.92×57mm Mauser.[10]

The 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge's performance makes it suitable for hunting all medium-sized game such as the deer family, chamois, mouflon, bighorn sheep, wild boar and bear. The 7.92×57mm Mauser can offer very good penetrating ability due to a fast twist rate that enables it to fire long, heavy bullets with a high sectional density.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

The 7.92×57mm Mauser cannot be used in countries that ban civil use of former or current military rifle cartridges, though since 2013 is no longer restricted in France.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

The rimmed variant of the 7.92×57mm Mauser, the 8×57mm IRS, was developed later for break-barrel rifles and combination guns.[11] The 8×57mm IRS is commercially offered as a chambering option in European break-action rifles.[12][11]

Cartridge naming

The naming of this cartridge is cultural and epoch dependent and hence not uniform around the world.

The 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge is also known by the following designations:

  • 7.9, 7.9mm[13]
  • 7.9 Mauser, 7.9mm Mauser
  • 7.92, 7.92mm
  • 7.92 Mauser, 7.92mm Mauser
  • Cartridge SA, 7.92
  • 7.92×57, 7.92×57mm
  • 7.92×57 Mauser, 7.92×57mm Mauser
  • 8mm Mauser
  • 8×57, 8×57mm
  • 8×57 Mauser, 8×57mm Mauser
  • 8 × 57 IS, 8 × 57 JS

This list is not conclusive and other nomenclature or designation variations might be encountered.

The 7.92 naming convention is often used by English speaking sources for the military issued 7.92×57mm Mauser and 7.92×33mm Kurz cartridges. Remarkably, both the 7.92 and 7,9 used in these and alike designations do not exactly comply to the actual C.I.P. or SAAMI cartridge, chamber and bore dimensions. All other non-military issued rimless and rimmed rifle cartridges originating from Germany having approximately 8 mm bullet diameter are connected to 8 mm namings.[2]

The widespread use in German military Gewehr 98 and Karabiner 98k service rifles designed and manufactured by Mauser caused the "Mauser" tag, though the Mauser company had nothing to do with the development of this cartridge.[6]

The letter "J" often mentioned by English speaking sources is actually an "I" for Infanterie (German for "infantry"). A stamped "I" at the cartridge bottom in writing styles used in the past in Germany could be easily mistaken for a "J". Even in the 21st century the "I" is often substituted by a "J" in English speaking communities and German ammunition manufacturers often write "JS" instead of "IS" to avoid confusing customers. The letter "S" stands for Spitzgeschoß ("pointed bullet"), and the English designation "spitzer" for that style of bullet is derived from this German term.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Current European civil C.I.P. designation

File:8x57mm IS RWS cartridge cases.jpg
German made unprimed cases with their packaging box displaying the C.I.P. 8 × 57 IS cartridge designation.

The mainly European arms standards body Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives (Permanent International Commission for portable firearms testing) (C.I.P.)—an organisation for standards in ammunition for civilian use—currently (2012) designates the 7.92×57mm Mauser as the 8 × 57 IS. This designation has the power of law for civil use in C.I.P. member states like the United Kingdom.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Current U.S. civil SAAMI designations

The United States standardizing body for sporting cartridges Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) currently (2012) designates the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge as the 8mm Mauser, also known as 8×57mm.[1]

Historic military designations

five cartridges held together at their bases by a strip of metal
Ammunition box and stripper clip with five brass cased s.S. (ball-type load) cartridges produced for the German military in July 1939

The German military used 7,9mm as designation or omitted any diameter reference and only printed the exact type of loading on ammunition boxes during World War II.

In Sweden the cartridge was designated "8mm patron m/39"[14]

The Polish military used 7,9mm or 7,92mm designations (mostly 7,9mm).[15] The Norwegian military used the designation 7,92×57 mm, sometimes "7,92 Lett" ("lett" meaning light) to differentiate it from the similar but not interchangeable 7,92×61 Tung (heavy).[16] Ammunition produced by Raufoss after the war was designated 7,92×57.

The British military's Besa machine gun was chambered for the 7.92×57mm Mauser, and was used in armoured vehicles during World War II. The British referred to this ammunition as Cartridge SA, 7.92.[17]

United States intelligence documents from World War II refer to the cartridge as 7.92 or 7.92 mm or 7.92-mm.[18][19]

Cartridge drawings and dimensions

The 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge has a cartridge case capacity of 4.09 ml (63 grains) H2O. The exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable case feeding and extraction in bolt-action rifles and machine guns alike, under extreme conditions.

File:8 x 57 IS.jpg

7.92×57mm Mauser maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters.

Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 19.1 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in), 4 grooves, Ø of the lands = Template:Convert, Ø grooves = Template:Convert, land width = Template:Convert and the primer type is large rifle.

According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) rulings the 7.92×57mm Mauser can handle up to Template:Convert Pmax piezo pressure. 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.[2] This means that 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered arms in C.I.P. regulated countries are currently (2013) proof tested at Template:Convert PE piezo pressure.[2]

The SAAMI (voluntary) Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) for this cartridge is Template:Convert piezo pressure or (37,000 CUP).[20][21] This is considerably lower than the C.I.P. pressure limit and is done for liability reasons, in case a 7.92×57mm Mauser "S-bore" cartridge is fired in an "I-bore" rifle that has a narrower throat and barrel diameter. Most European ammunition manufacturers load to a lower C.I.P. pressure limit - Template:Convert Pmax piezo pressure for the 8×57mm I civilian Patrone 88 offspring - for I-bore cartridges and use Template:Convert diameter projectiles;[22] while the US based manufacturer Hornady followed their lead in their (now discontinued) EuroSpec brand 8×57 JS load.

German military ammunition

File:Karabiner 98k ballistics.png
Ballistic tables for the S Patrone and the s.S. Patrone fired from a Template:Convert barrel.[6][23]

Germany produced many military versions of the cartridge, and continued the development of different variations until the end of World War II. The bullet lengths substantially varied between the different cartridge types, but all were loaded to an overall length of Template:Convert. The Germans had started using steel cases in World War I, and by the end of 1943, most German ammunition had that type of case.[24] The weights and case capacities of the World War II military cartridge cases varied somewhat. The German military ammunition manufacturer Polte produced brass cartridge cases weighing 10.32 g (159 gr) with 4.03 ml (62 gr) H2O case capacity and steel cartridge cases weighing 10.90 g (168 gr) with 3.95 ml (61 gr) H2O case capacity.[25] The steel cartridge cases were produced in copper plated and lacquered executions. Some military cartridge cases were made with the aim to use less material and their ammunition boxes were marked Für Gewehr ("for rifle") use. Other military cartridge cases were made extra sturdy and their ammunition boxes were marked Für MG ("for machine gun") use.[26]

German military standard ball service rifle cartridge evolution

7.92×57mm Mauser German military standard-issue rifle cartridgesScript error: No such module "Unsubst".
Name Year Caliber Bullet mass Length Rim Base Shoulder Neck OAL Muzzle velocity Muzzle energy Operating pressure
M/88 1888 Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert ?
S Patrone 1903 Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert
s.S. Patrone 1933 Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert
S.m.E. (mild steel core) 1940 Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert Template:Convert
The data for the M/88 and the 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone of 1905 is for Gewehr 98 rifles with Template:Convert barrel length.

The data for the 7.92×57mm Mauser s.S. Patrone of 1934 and S.m.E. are for Karabiner 98k rifles with Template:Convert barrel length.

German cartridge variants during World War II

composite photograph of cartridge cut in half stood next to intact cartridge and base of cartridge
German 7.92 mm s.S. Template:Convert Full Metal Jacket Boat-Tail round
File:7.9 SS and SME Patrone.jpg
Left 7.9 mm s.S. and right S.m.E. ammunition beside their boat-tailed projectiles
File:World War 2 German ammunition.JPG
Steel lacquered cased German s.S. ball ammunition produced in 1941
File:World War 2 German 7.92x57IS Spitzer with core.JPG
Spitzgeschoß mit Kern, yellow bullet, and red primer sealant
File:SMKLspur(gelb).JPG
S.m.K. L'spur - Spitzgeschoß mit Kern Leuchtspur, red circular groove, black bullet point tracer ammunition

The German standard s.S. Patrone ("s.S. ball cartridge") was originally designed for long range machine gun use. It was loaded with a Template:Convert long, boat-tailed, s.S. - schweres Spitzgeschoß ("heavy pointed or spitzer bullet") full metal jacket bullet and very well made.[24][27] It was lead filled, had a gilding-metal-plated jacket, and weighed Template:Convert. The s.S. Patrone had a muzzle velocity of Template:Convert fired from a Template:Convert long barrel and an operating pressure of Template:Convert. From a Template:Convert long barrel the muzzle velocity increased to Template:Convert. From its 1914 introduction the s.S. Patrone was mainly issued for aerial combat and as of 1918 in the later stages of World War I to infantry machine gunners. The desire for adopting new shorter barreled rifles and the introduction of the Karabiner 98k were reasons for changing the standard German service ball rifle cartridge. The 1903 pattern 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone produced excessive muzzle flash when fired from arms that did not have a long barrel like the Gewehr 98. It was found that the s.S. Patrone, originally designed for long range machine gun use, produced less muzzle flash out of rifles that had a shorter barrel and also provided better accuracy. Because of this the S Patrone was phased out in 1933 and the s.S. Patrone became the standard German service ball cartridge in the 1930s when the German rearmament program started.[26][8] The s.S. ball projectile with a Template:Convert long 6° 25′ 51″ boat tail was designed for long range use and offered the best aerodynamic efficiency and external ballistic performance of any standard rifle bullet used during World War II, with a G1 ballistic coefficient between 0.593 and 0.557 (ballistic coefficients are somewhat debatable) or a ballistic coefficient of approximately 0.295 (G7). When fired at the typical muzzle velocity of Template:Convert out of a Template:Convert barrel the s.S. bullet retained supersonic velocity up to and past Template:Convert (V1000 ≈ Mach 1.07) under International Standard Atmosphere conditions at sea level (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3). Mounted to a Lafette tripod and aimed through the MG Z 34 or MG Z 40 telescopic sight, the effective range of the MG 34 and MG 42 general-purpose machine guns in long-range indirect fire support roles could be extended out to Template:Convert, though plunging fire or indirect fire methods were not as commonly used by machine gunners during World War II as they were during World War I.[28] This indirect firing method exploits the s.S. Patrone useful maximum range, that is defined by the maximum range of a small-arms projectile while still maintaining the minimum kinetic energy required to put unprotected personnel out of action, which is generally believed to be 15 kilogram-meters (147 J / 108 ft⋅lbf).[29] The s.S. Patrone had a maximum range of approximately Template:Convert.[6] Even by contemporary (2012) standards 1000+ m (1,094+ yards) effective supersonic range is quite remarkable for a standard military rifle round. For recognition the primer sealant was green, and it had a yellow-tip marked bullet.

According to the book “Du und dein Heer"(1943) the regular s.S. projectile had the following penetration performance: Template:Convert of dry pine wood at Template:Convert, Template:Convert at Template:Convert, Template:Convert at Template:Convert and Template:Convert at Template:Convert, Template:Convert of iron at Template:Convert, Template:Convert at Template:Convert, Template:Convert of steel at Template:Convert and Template:Convert at Template:Convert.The penetration in wood is higher at 400 m because of the tendency of the projectile to yaw at closer range.

During World War II German snipers were issued with purpose-manufactured sniping ammunition, known as the 'effect-firing' s.S. round.[30] The 'effect-firing' s.S. round featured an extra carefully measured propellant charge and seated an sS full-metal-jacketed boat-tail projectile of match-grade build quality, lacking usual features such as a cannelure, to further improve the already high G1 ballistic coefficient to approximately 0.595 (G1) or 0.300 (G7).[31] The 'effect-firing' s.S. projectile had a form factor (G7 i) of 0.869, which indicates good aerodynamic efficiency and external ballistic performance for the bullet diameter.[32][33]

In 1940 Germany introduced Script error: No such module "Lang". ("spitzer with iron core") — mild steel cored projectile ammunition.[26][34] The S.m.E. ammunition was developed to replace the s.S. ammunition to save on lead and other metals that became scarce in Germany during World War II. The projectile core was covered by a relatively thin layer of lead. Muzzle velocity was Template:Convert and the operating pressure was Template:Convert. For recognition the primer annulus or whole primers were colored blue. S.m.E. bullets were Template:Convert long, boat-tailed, and weighed Template:Convert. The mild steel core weights varied between the four production sub-executions from Template:Convert.[26] From 1942 onwards S.m.E. ammunition practically replaced the s.S. ammunition.[26] In 1943 the lead content of the S.m.E. bullet was further reduced. To compensate for the lead reduction the mild steel core was redesigned resulting in a projectile lengthened to Template:Convert to retain the original S.m.E. bullet weight of Template:Convert.[35][36] This ammunition was designated Script error: No such module "Lang". ("spitzer with iron core long") and lacked recognition marks. The S.m.E. lg external ballistic characteristics were practically identical to s.S. ammunition up to Template:Convert and the lengthened S.m.E. lg projectile was more accurate compared to the shorter S.m.E. projectile.[26]

Special ammunition included:[25][37][38][39]

Script error: No such module "Lang". ("spitzer with core")
hardened steel cored projectile for use against targets behind thick covers, tanks, or airplanes. Red circular cap groove, yellow bullet, bullet weight Template:Convert, muzzle velocity Template:Convert, operating pressure Template:Convert. This ammunition was also produced in a S.m.K.-v high-velocity or "v" ammunition variant that added Template:Convert muzzle velocity to the normal S.m.K. variant.[40] There was also a version Script error: No such module "Lang". ("spitzer with hardcore") which had a tungsten carbide instead of a steel core. Sintered iron and mild steel cores also came into use in this ammunition. German Spitzgeschoss mit Kern armor-piercing bullets were very good, being very stable and accurate at long ranges.[24]
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("spitzer with core tracer")
red circular groove, black bullet point—German tracer bullets "were the best put out by any country — streamlined and with excellent ballistics".[24] The bullet was basically the same as used in the S.m.K. ammunition but combined with a tracer that burned for Template:Convert. It had a bullet weight of Template:Convert and a muzzle velocity of Template:Convert and an operating pressure of Template:Convert. This ammunition was also produced in a S.m.K. L'spur-v high-velocity or "v" ammunition variant that added Template:Convert muzzle velocity to the normal S.m.K. L'spur variant.[40] These rounds were also available in 'S.m.K. L'spur 100/600' and S.m.K. L'spur-v 100/600 variants for aerial use that burned between Template:Convert.
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("spitzer with core night tracer" )
red circular groove, black bullet point—German night tracer bullets. The bullet was basically the same as used in the S.m.K. ammunition but combined with a dimmed tracer that was visible from Template:Convert to Template:Convert and would not temporarily blind dark adapted eyes in low light conditions. It had a bullet weight of Template:Convert and a muzzle velocity of Template:Convert and an operating pressure of Template:Convert. This ammunition was also produced in a S.m.K. Gl'spur-v high-velocity or "v" ammunition variant that added Template:Convert muzzle velocity to the normal S.m.K. Gl'spur variant.[40] These rounds were also available in S.m.K. Gl'spur 100/600 and S.m.K. Gl'spur-v 100/600 variants for aerial use that burned between Template:Convert.
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("phosphorus with steel core")
machine gun ammunition loaded with the Template:Convert P.m.K. bullets that had a muzzle velocity of Template:Convert and an operating pressure of Template:Convert. This cartridge can be recognised by the black primer sealant and yellow tipped bullet. The projectile contained a hardened steel core embedded in lead at top and bottom and 0.5 g phosphor. The projectile has a small opening, sealed with solder that melts during firing allowing the phosphor to ignite and release a white smoke trail for Template:Convert during flight. The projectiles were intended to ignite flammable substances like fuels to set vehicles and aircraft on fire. This ammunition was also produced in a P.m.K.-v high-velocity or "v" ammunition variant that added Template:Convert muzzle velocity to the normal P.m.K. variant.[40]
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("observation")
The German Luftwaffe Template:Convert B (Beobachtung—"observation") incendiary ball bullets contained phosphorus and "had a pellet in it which exploded on contact with any target, however frail".[24] The projectile featured an internal floating firing pin mechanism detonates a small capsule of tetryl which in turn ignites the white phosphorus in the nose of the projectile during sudden deceleration producing a clearly observable amount of flash and smoke. The detonation on contact could cause fire. It had a muzzle velocity of Template:Convert and an operating pressure of Template:Convert.[26] The B bullet was like any other high-explosive or incendiary bullet, illegal for anti-personnel use according to the Saint Petersburg Declaration and Hague Conventions. "The Germans maintained that it was used mainly for observation and range-finding, but observers report having seen them in rifle clips and machine gun belts".[24] Often this round was used to set vehicles and aircraft on fire.[26] The regular German infantry units were not allowed to use this round; however German snipers on the Eastern Front were permitted by Adolf Hitler in February 1945 to use these rounds that caused horrendous wounds as the projectiles tended to detonate after Template:Convert penetration in human tissue. Karabiner 98k service rifles handled these cartridges without issues.[41] This cartridge can be recognised by the black primer sealant, and a blackened bullet leaving the tip without colour. This ammunition was also produced in a B-v high-velocity or "v" ammunition variant that added Template:Convert muzzle velocity to the normal B variant.[40]
All verbesserte (v) ("improved") high-velocity ammunition variants were loaded to a Template:Convert higher operating pressure than the corresponding normal ammunition variants. This increase in operating pressure resulted in a noticeable increase in muzzle velocity and barrel wear.[40] The verbesserte (v) high-velocity ammunition variants operating pressures remained below the civilian (Pmax) Template:Convert C.I.P. ruling.
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("light spitzer bullet")
machine gun anti aircraft training ammunition loaded with Template:Convert bullets with aluminium cores that had a muzzle velocity of Template:Convert. Due to the lightweight bullet the maximum range was limited to approximately Template:Convert. This cartridge can be recognized by the green stripe painted over the case head.
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("light spitzer bullet with tracer")
machine gun anti aircraft training ammunition. The L.S. L'spur bullet weighed Template:Convert and was basically the same as used in the L.S. ammunition but combined with a tracer that added Template:Convert extra weight. This cartridge can be recognized by the green stripe over the case head and a black bullet tip.
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("blank cartridge")
two cannelures in the brass, red wood- or cardboard-bullet, cardboard plug (Fließpappe-Pfropfen) between bullet and propellant powder. Safe distance given at Template:Convert.
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("drill cartridge" )
Exerzierpatrone S.K. ("drill cartridge S.K.") with vertical grooves in the brass for aiming exercises.
Werkzeugpatrone s.S. ("toolcartridge s.S.") with the same weight as a s.S. ball cartridge for examining the functioning of a firearms action. A horizontal ring of small holes above the extractor grooves differentiated the Werkzeug round from the s.S. ball cartridge.
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("proof cartridge s.S.")
proof test cartridge that produced Template:Convert proof pressure. This is lower than the civilian C.I.P. Template:Convert PE piezo pressure proof test required for new or old refurbished 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered arms.[2]
Script error: No such module "Lang". ("sighting-in cartridge s.S.")
s.S. cartridge purpose-manufactured with particularly low production tolerances. These were used for zeroing in new arms as part of the acceptance process before issue. Due to their precision they were also popular with snipers. There were no markings on the cartridge itself present to distinguish it from a normal s.S. cartridge. For recognition the cartridge boxes had a label with the word Anschuß on the outside.

British military ammunition

British cartridges included "ball", "armour-piercing", "tracer", and "incendiary". Blanks and a drill round were also available for instruction purposes. The drill round was an aluminium bullet fixed in a chromium-plated case which had three deep lengthwise recesses painted red to identify it. Ammunition was supplied in belted form with 225 rounds per belt.[17]

Designation Marks Annulus colour Notes
Cartridge, SA, Ball, 7.92mm Mark I.Z, Mark II.Z Dark purple if present Mark II.Z bullet has "flatter" nose and longer parallel portion to engage with rifling
Cartridge, SA, Armour-piercing, 7.92mm Mark I.Z, Mark II.Z Green Hard steel core, lead-antimony sleeve, steel envelope
Cartridge, SA, Tracer, 7.92mm Mark I.Z, Mark II.Z Red Red tracer composition in non-streamlined bullet. Effective for 900 yards.
Cartridge, SA, Incendiary, 7.92mm Mark I Blue

The ball case was filled with a charge of around 45 grains (3 g) of nitro-cellulose.[17]

The British cartridge was used in the Besa machine gun. This was a Czechoslovak ZB-53 design adopted shortly before the war as a move towards rimless ammunition across the armed service. However the move was disrupted by the lead up to war. The BESA was installed in most tanks and armoured cars of British design of that period. The original Czech design was also produced for German use following the occupation of Czechoslovakia and captured German ammunition could be used and vice versa.

Polish military ammunition

The cartridges manufactured in Poland during the interwar period were mainly copies or modifications of the corresponding original German cartridge designs. The standard rifle cartridge was loaded with the Template:Convert S bullet (Spiczasty, "Pointed [Ball]"), a copy of the 1905 pattern German S Patrone. For machine guns a cartridge variant loaded with the heavier Template:Convert SC bullet (Spiczasty Ciężki, "Pointed, Heavy [Ball]") — a copy of the German 1934 pattern s.S. cartridge — was used. The variant loaded with the armor-piercing P bullet (przeciwpancerny) was a copy of the German SmK cartridge. The armor-piercing-with-tracer PS (przeciwpancerny smugowy) and incendiary Z (zapalający) cartridges were Polish modifications of the original German counterpart designs. The Polish designed a machine gun cartridge loaded with the long-range D bullet (dalekosiężny), which offered a maximum plunging fire range of Template:Convert to Template:Convert.[15]

Romanian military ammunition

The Romanian military used the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge as standard issue from its independence. It gradually converted over in the 1950s and 1960s to using Warsaw Pact standard calibers.

The 7.92 LPS gs MD71 (7.92×56mm) cartridge was manufactured in Romania by their Factory 22 (UM Sadu) from 1972 to 1978. It had a Template:Convert Semi-Armor-Piercing bullet with a copper jacket and mild steel core, corrosive VT stick propellant, and a Berdan-primed steel case with a green lacquer coating. The case mouth and primer pocket were sealed with a red sealant.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". It is unusual in that it has a uniform 56mm-long case, perhaps for cleaner extraction when used in belt-fed 8mm machine guns. Since it is from the portion after the neck, it chambers and feeds safely and extracts positively. It has sometimes been confused with the rather different Hungarian 8×56mmR Mannlicher cartridge. Some experts mistakenly believed it to be an experimental rimless pointed-bullet Hungarian "sniper rifle cartridge" developed by Hungary's Factory 22 (Andezit Muvek) until it became available as surplus.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

It is not clear why the cartridge was manufactured, as the Romanian military used the standard Communist-Bloc 7.62mm M91 Mosin-Nagant rifle round. Some believe it may have been for an experimental self-loading rifle or for a Communist Bloc client.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". It was most likely for use in the obsolete 8mm vz 24 rifles and MG 42 machine guns used by the Romanian Garzile Patriotice ("Patriotic Guards") from 1968 to the early 1980s.

Yugoslav military ammunition

File:7.9Blanks.jpg
Yugoslav People's Army 7.9 mm blank cartridges

After World War II the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia used the 7.92×57mm Mauser as a military service round. The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) designated their 7.92×57mm Mauser ammunition as 7.9 mm. At the end of the 1940s the Yugoslav People's Army adopted a 7.9 mm cartridge, ball M49 variant, designated M49, as infantry ammunition for use in Mauser-type bolt-action rifles and MG 42 general-purpose machinegun clones like the M53.[42] Yugoslavian state arms manufacturers like Prvi Partizan started making 7.92×57mm Mauser ammunition for export to the Middle East in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s the JNA started to develop a new more accurate 7.9 mm ammunition, sniper universal ball M75, variant, designated M75.[43] This was done to support the new Zastava M76 sniper/designated marksman rifle for the JNA. Other adoption of the ammunition where tracer round 7.9 mm cartridge, ball with tracer, designated M70. The M70 tracer round burns out to Template:Convert.[44] For training and ceremonial use a 7.9 mm cartridge, blank was adopted.[45] By the mid-1980s the JNA started to push toward adopting Soviet / Warsaw Pact 7.62×54mm R ammunition. This process was interrupted by the fall of Yugoslavia and brought the 7.9 mm back into military service with the onset of the Yugoslav wars.

The 7.92×57mm Mauser as parent case

File:8 57 JRS rim.jpg
8×57 IRS and 8×57 IS (a.k.a. 7.92×57mm Mauser) sporting rounds. The rimless (IS) cartridge on the right is used in repeating and self-loading rifles, while the rimmed cartridge on the left is for breech-loading actions only (and is marked IRS).

This was the parent case for many other later cartridges, such as:

Chambered service weapons

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See also

Contemporary military rifle cartridges

Notes

Footnotes

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Citations

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References

External links

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Template:Mauser Firearms Template:WWIGermanInfWeaponsNav Template:Military navigation Template:Military navigation Template:WWIIItalianInfWeapons

  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Dead link
  2. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ US PAT No. RE12927
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Die neue Gewehrpatrone A. Korzen 1906 (German)
  8. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b Table II Template:Webarchive pages 31-32.
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ruag.com
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ http://gotavapen.se/gota/artiklar/rifles_se/gev39_40.htm Swedish
  15. ↑ a b Dąbrowski, Jarosław. Amunicja małokalibrowa kampanii wrześniowej (Small-calibre ammunition of the September campaign) in: "Strzał" 10/2010, pp. 18-24 (in Polish)
  16. ↑ Nordisk Våpenforum, Norske militærpatroner, Vidar Andresen, nr 3-1985, page 46
  17. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Military Intelligence Service, Special Series No. 14, May 25, 1943 Section V: AMMUNITION 27. RIFLE AND MACHINE-GUN AMMUNITION (7.92-MM)
  19. ↑ Catalog of Enemy Ordnance Template:Webarchive Originally Published by U.S. Office of Chief of Ordnance, 1945
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ ANSI/SAAMI Velocity & Pressure Data: Centerfire Rifle Template:Webarchive
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ a b c d e f Script error: No such module "template wrapper".Template:Main otherScript error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ a b c d e f g h Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Towards a “600 m” lightweight General Purpose Cartridge, v2015 p. 12
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  30. ↑ Peter R. Senich: German Sniper 1914-45, Page 91
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Patrone S.m.E.
  35. ↑ Patrone S.m.E. lg
  36. ↑ Patrone S.m.E. lg Schnittmodell
  37. ↑ W. Reibert, Der Dienst-Unterricht im Heere, Ausgabe für den Schützen der Schützenkompanie, edition 1940, pp. 169f.
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Die Geschoße (German)
  40. ↑ a b c d e f Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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