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| 7.92×57mm Mauser, 8×57mm (IS or Mauser) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 From left to right7.92×33mm Kurz,7.62×39mm,5.56×45mm NATO,7.62×51mm NATO,.303 British,6.5×55mm Swedish,7.92×57mm Mauser, and.30-06 Springfield military cartridges | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Rifle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of origin | German Empire | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In service | 1905–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Used by | Germany,United Kingdom,Czechoslovakia,Spain,Poland,China,Dominican Republic,Yugoslavia,Ottoman Empire,Turkey,Iran,Egypt, and many other countries | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wars | World War I, World War II, and numerous others | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Production history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Designer | German Rifle Testing Commission | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Designed | 1903 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Produced | 1903–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Variants | 8×57mm IRS (rimmed) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Specifications | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent case | M/88 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Case type | Rimless, bottleneck | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bullet diameter | 8.22 mm (0.324 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Land diameter | 7.92 mm (0.312 in) or 7.89 mm (0.311 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neck diameter | 9.08 mm (0.357 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shoulder diameter | 10.95 mm (0.431 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Base diameter | 11.94 mm (0.470 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rim diameter | 11.95 mm (0.470 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rim thickness | 1.30 mm (0.051 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Case length | 57.00 mm (2.244 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall length | 82.00 mm (3.228 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Case capacity | 4.09 cm3 (63.1 gr H2O) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rifling twist | 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primer type | Large rifle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum pressure (C.I.P.) | 390.0 MPa (56,560 psi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum pressure (SAAMI) | 241.3 MPa (35,000 psi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum CUP | 37,000 CUP | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test barrel length: 600 mm (23.62 in) Source(s): RWS / RUAG Ammotech[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The7.92×57mm Mauser (designated as the8mm Mauser or8×57mm by theSAAMI[2] and8 × 57 IS by theC.I.P.[3]) is arimless bottleneckedriflecartridge. The 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge was adopted by theGerman Empire in 1903–1905, and was the German service cartridge in bothWorld 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 civillian sport and hunting cartridge in the West.
The parent cartridge, upon which the 7.92×57mm Mauser is based, was adopted by Germany in 1888 as thePatrone 88 (cartridge 88) orM/88 (along with theGewehr 1888 service rifle). It was a first-generationsmokeless propellant cartridge designed by the GermanGewehr-Prüfungskommission (lit. 'Rifle Testing Commission', abbreviated toG.P.K.), as the new smokeless propellant introduced asPoudre B in the 1886 pattern8mm Lebel had started a military rifle ammunition revolution. The M/88 cartridge was loaded with 2.75 g (42.4 gr) of single-base (based onnitrocellulose)smokeless powder and a relatively heavy, 14.7 g (227 gr), round-nosed ball bullet with a diameter of 8.08 mm (0.318 in). The M/88 bore originally had 7.90 mm (0.311 in) lands diameter and 8.10 mm (0.319 in) grooves diameter. The M/88 barrel bore specification was changed by 1894–1895 to 7.90 mm (0.311 in) lands diameter and 8.20 mm (0.323 in) grooves diameter to improve accuracy and reduce barrel wear in M/88 chambered arms.[4]
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 reducedbearing 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 patternS Patrone (S ball cartridge) was loaded with a lighter 9.9 grams (153 gr), pointedSpitzgeschoß of 8.2 mm (0.323 in) diameter and more powerful double-base (based on nitrocellulose andnitroglycerin) smokeless powder resulting in nearly 38% higher muzzle velocity and 27% more muzzle energy.[5][6][4] The operating pressure was 300 MPa (43,511 psi). With the improvedballistic coefficient – (G1 BC) of approximately 0.321 to 0.337 (ballistic coefficients are somewhat debatable) – of 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.[7][8]
In German military service thePatrone 88 was replaced in 1904 and 1905 by theS Patrone. As thebolt thrust of the 7.92×57mm Mauser is relatively low compared to many other service rounds used in the early 20th century, many arms originally chambered for thePatrone 88 could be and were adapted for chambering theS 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 newS Patrone.
The rimless cartridge cases have been used as the parent cases for several other necked-down and necked-up cartridges and a rimmed variant.[citation needed]
Due to restrictions imposed by theTreaty 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 chamberedGewehr 98 pattern rifles were produced inBelgium,Czechoslovakia,Poland,Mexico,Austria andChina. 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, formerGerman African colonies. This made the round the most widely used military rifle cartridge in the world during the inter-war years.[9]
DuringWorld War II it was one of the few cartridges used by both theAxis andAllied powers, a distinction that it shared with the9×19mm 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 theBesa 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 earlyBundeswehr ofWest Germany. It saw limited uses by the various (police andparamilitary) units inEast Germany before being completely phased out of service in the 1960s. Later, when Egypt decided to manufacture theHakim rifle, a licensed copy of the SwedishAg m/42, they redesigned the breech to accept the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge rather than use the original6.5×55mm Ag m/42 cartridge. Its military use continues today (2012) in some formerYugoslavia republics.[citation needed] TheZastava M76 sniper rifle, M48 bolt-action rifle and the license-built copy of theMG 42, theM53Šarac machine gun use this cartridge.[10]
Rifles formerly manufactured for theWehrmacht, captured by the Allies and acquired by Israel were important in the1948 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, the7.62×51mm 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.[citation needed]
After World War I theTreaty of Versailles imposed comprehensive and complex restrictions upon the post-war German armed forces (theReichswehr). According to the treaty theReichswehr 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 theNormalisierungsverordnung (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.[4]
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 the5.6×57mm,6.5×55mm, 6.5×57mm, and the6.5×68mm and8×68mm S magnum hunting cartridges. Major European manufacturers likeZastava Arms,Blaser,Česká Zbrojovka firearms,Heym,Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH andSteyr Mannlicher produce factory new 7.92×57mm Mauser hunting rifles and European ammunition manufacturers like Blaser, Lapua,RUAG Ammotec/RWS,Prvi Partizan,Sako andSellier & Bellot produce factory new ammunition.[4] In 2004Remington Arms offered a limited-editionModel 700 Classic bolt action hunting rifle chambered for the 7.92×57mm Mauser.[11]
The 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge's performance makes it suitable for the hunting all medium-sizedgame such as thedeer family,chamois,mouflon,bighorn sheep,wild boar andbear. 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 highsectional density.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
The rimmed variant of the 7.92×57mm Mauser, the8×57mm IRS, was developed later forbreak-barrel rifles andcombination guns.[12] The 8×57mm IRS is commercially offered as a chambering option in Europeanbreak-action rifles.[1][12]
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:
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 and7.92×33mm 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.[3]
The widespread use in German militaryGewehr 98 andKarabiner 98k service rifles designed and manufactured byMauser caused the "Mauser" tag, though the Mauser company had nothing to do with the development of this cartridge.[7]
The letter "J" often mentioned by English speaking sources is actually an "I" forInfanterie (German for "infantry"). A stamped "I" at the cartridge bottom inwriting 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 forSpitzgeschoß ("pointed bullet"), and the English designation "spitzer" for that style of bullet is derived from this German term.[citation needed]
The mainly European arms standards bodyCommission 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 the8 × 57 IS. This designation has the power of law for civil use in C.I.P. member states like the United Kingdom.[citation needed]
The United States standardizing body for sporting cartridgesSporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) currently (2012) designates the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge as the8mm Mauser, also known as8×57mm.[2]
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" meaninglight) 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'sBesa 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]
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 inbolt-action rifles andmachine guns alike, under extreme conditions.
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 = 7.89 mm (0.311 in), Ø grooves = 8.20 mm (0.323 in), land width = 4.40 mm (0.173 in) and theprimer type is large rifle.
According to the officialC.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) rulings the 7.92×57mm Mauser can handle up to 390.00 MPa (56,565 psi) Pmax piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to beproofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.[3]This means that 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered arms in C.I.P. regulated countries are currently (2013) proof tested at 487.50 MPa (70,706 psi) PE piezo pressure.[3]
TheSAAMI (voluntary) Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) for this cartridge is 35,000 psi (241.3 MPa) piezo pressure or (37,000CUP).[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 - 380.00 MPa (55,114 psi) Pmax piezo pressure for the 8×57mm I civilianPatrone 88 offspring - for I-bore cartridges and use 8.08 to 8.09 mm (0.318 to 0.319 in) diameter projectiles;[22] while the US based manufacturerHornady followed their lead in their (now discontinued) EuroSpec brand 8×57 JS load.
Germany produced many military versions of the cartridge, and continued the development of different variations until the end ofWorld War II. The bullet lengths substantially varied between the different cartridge types, but all were loaded to an overall length of 80.6 mm (3.17 in). The Germans had started using steel cases inWorld 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 manufacturerPolte 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 markedFür Gewehr ("for rifle") use. Other military cartridge cases were made extra sturdy and their ammunition boxes were markedFür MG ("for machine gun") use.[26]
| Name | Year | Caliber | Bullet mass | Length | Rim | Base | Shoulder | Neck | OAL | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Operating pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M/88 | 1888 | 8.07 mm (0.318 in) | 14.6 g (225.3 gr) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 11.95 mm (0.470 in) | 11.94 mm (0.470 in) | 10.95 mm (0.431 in) | 8.99 mm (0.354 in) | 80.6 mm (3.17 in) | 639 m/s (2,096 ft/s) | 2,983 joules (2,200 ft⋅lbf) | ? |
| S Patrone | 1903 | 8.2 mm (0.323 in) | 9.9 g (152.8 gr) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 11.95 mm (0.470 in) | 11.94 mm (0.470 in) | 10.95 mm (0.431 in) | 9.08 mm (0.357 in) | 80.6 mm (3.17 in) | 878 m/s (2,881 ft/s) | 3,816 joules (2,815 ft⋅lbf) | 300 MPa (43,511 psi) |
| s.S. Patrone | 1933 | 8.2 mm (0.323 in) | 12.8 g (197.5 gr) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 11.95 mm (0.470 in) | 11.94 mm (0.470 in) | 10.95 mm (0.431 in) | 9.08 mm (0.357 in) | 80.6 mm (3.17 in) | 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) | 3,697 joules (2,727 ft⋅lbf) | 320 MPa (46,412 psi) |
| S.m.E.(mild steel core) | 1940 | 8.2 mm (0.323 in) | 11.55 g (178.2 gr) | 57 mm (2.2 in) | 11.95 mm (0.470 in) | 11.94 mm (0.470 in) | 10.95 mm (0.431 in) | 9.08 mm (0.357 in) | 80.6 mm (3.17 in) | 790 m/s (2,592 ft/s) | 3,604 joules (2,658 ft⋅lbf) | 310 MPa (44,962 psi) |
| The data for the M/88 and the 7.92×57mm MauserS Patrone of 1905 is forGewehr 98 rifles with 740 mm (29.1 in) barrel length. The data for the 7.92×57mm Mausers.S. Patrone of 1934 andS.m.E. are forKarabiner 98k rifles with 600 mm (23.6 in) barrel length. | ||||||||||||
.JPG)
The German standards.S. Patrone ("s.S. ball cartridge") was originally designed for long range machine gun use. It was loaded with a 35.3 mm (1.39 in) 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 12.8 grams (197.53 gr). Thes.S. Patrone had a muzzle velocity of 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) fired from a 600 millimetres (23.62 in) long barrel and an operating pressure of 320 MPa (46,412 psi). From a 740 millimetres (29.13 in) long barrel the muzzle velocity increased to 785 m/s (2,575 ft/s). From its 1914 introduction thes.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 MauserS Patrone produced excessive muzzle flash when fired from arms that did not have a long barrel like the Gewehr 98. It was found that thes.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 theS Patrone was phased out in 1933 and thes.S. Patrone became the standard German service ball cartridge in the 1930s when the German rearmament program started.[26][9]The s.S. ball projectile with a 5.9 millimetres (0.23 in) 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 G1ballistic 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 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) out of a 600 mm (23.6 in) barrel the s.S. bullet retainedsupersonic velocity up to and past 1,000 m (1,094 yd) (V1000 ≈Mach 1.07) underInternational Standard Atmosphere conditions at sea level (air density ρ = 1.225 kg/m3). Mounted to aLafette tripod and aimed through the MG Z 34 or MG Z 40 telescopic sight, the effective range of theMG 34 andMG 42 general-purpose machine guns in long-rangeindirect fire support roles could be extended out to 3,500 m (3,828 yd), thoughplunging 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 thes.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] Thes.S. Patrone had a maximum range of approximately 4,700 m (5,140 yd).[7] 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: 65 cm (26 in) of dry pine wood at 100 m (109 yd), 85 cm (33 in) at 400 m (437 yd), 45 cm (18 in) at 800 m (875 yd) and 20 cm (8 in) at 1,000 m (1,094 yd), 10 mm (0.39 in) of iron at 300 m (328 yd), 7 mm (0.28 in) at 550 m (601 yd), 5 mm (0.20 in) of steel at 100 m (109 yd) and 3 mm (0.12 in) at 600 m (656 yd).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 (G7i) of 0.869, which indicates good aerodynamic efficiency and external ballistic performance for the bullet diameter.[32][33]
In 1940 Germany introducedS.m.E. - Spitzgeschoß mit Eisenkern ("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 790 m/s (2,592 ft/s) and the operating pressure was 310 MPa (44,962 psi). For recognition the primer annulus or whole primers were colored blue. S.m.E. bullets were 37.3 mm (1.47 in) long, boat-tailed, and weighed 11.55 g (178.2 gr). The mild steel core weights varied between the four production sub-executions from 5.47 to 5.79 g (84.4 to 89.4 gr).[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 39.8 mm (1.57 in) to retain the original S.m.E. bullet weight of 11.55 g (178.2 gr).[35][36] This ammunition was designatedS.m.E. lg - Spitzgeschoß mit Eisenkern 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 1,400 m (1,531 yd) 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]
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 theBesa machine gun. This was a CzechoslovakZB-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 theoccupation of Czechoslovakia and captured German ammunition could be used and vice versa.
The cartridges manufactured in Poland during theinterwar period were mainly copies or modifications of the corresponding original German cartridge designs. The standard rifle cartridge was loaded with the 9.9 g (152.8 gr) S bullet (Spiczasty, "Pointed [Ball]"), a copy of the 1905 pattern GermanS Patrone. For machine guns a cartridge variant loaded with the heavier 12.8 g (197.5 gr) 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 maximumplunging fire range of 5,200 m (5,687 yd) to 5,500 m (6,015 yd).[15]
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.
The7.92 LPS gs MD71 (7.92×56mm) cartridge was manufactured in Romania by their Factory 22 (UM Sadu) from 1972 to 1978. It had a 10 g (154.3 gr) 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.[citation needed] 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 Hungarian8×56mmR 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.[citation needed]
It is not clear why the cartridge was manufactured, as theRomanian military used the standard Communist-Bloc7.62mm M91 Mosin-Nagant rifle round. Some believe it may have been for an experimental self-loading rifle or for a Communist Bloc client.[citation needed] It was most likely for use in the obsolete 8mmvz 24 rifles andMG 42 machine guns used by the RomanianGarzile Patriotice ("Patriotic Guards") from 1968 to the early 1980s.
After World War II theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia used the 7.92×57mm Mauser as a military service round. TheYugoslav 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, designatedM49, as infantry ammunition for use in Mauser-type bolt-action rifles andMG 42 general-purpose machinegun clones like the M53.[42] Yugoslavian state arms manufacturers likePrvi 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, designatedM75.[43] This was done to support the newZastava M76 sniper/designated marksman rifle for the JNA. Other adoption of the ammunition wheretracer round 7.9 mm cartridge, ball with tracer, designatedM70. The M70 tracer round burns out to 900 m (984 yd).[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 Pact7.62×54mm 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 theYugoslav wars.
This was the parent case for many other later cartridges, such as:
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Army.Maj. James C. Beyer, MC; Maj. James K. Arima, MSC & Doris W. Johnson."Enemy Ordnance Materiel".Wound Ballistics. Office of the Surgeon General Department of the Army. pp. 52–53.
