7.62x54r Ammunition Identification

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Follow the links below to separate pages for surplus ammunition from each country or for commercial ammunition from all countries. If you are not sure about the country scroll down through the overview sections of headstamps and bullets on this page and then follow the link in the header of each section to it's dedicated page. For all headstamp, cartridge, and bullet pictures available on 7.62x54r.net in a single location see the 7.62x54r Master Cartridge Reference page. For ballistic data on recently available surplus and commercial loads see the 7.62x54r Ammunition Evaluations section. Thanks to Hendere for providing many of the cartridges pictured.

Introduction

Along with the Mosin Nagant rifle a new "small caliber" cartridge was adopted by Russia known as the Three Line (7.62mm) Rifle Cartridge, Model of the Year 1891. Later known as the 7.62x54R, it utilized the relatively new smokeless powder ignited by a Berdan primer to fire a 13,73 gram (212 grain) round nosed bullet at approximately 615 meters/second (2020 feet/second). The rimmed case with cupro-nickel jacketed lead core bullets first went into production at the St. Petersburg cartridge factory in 1891. The cartridge factory at Tula, which was a private company at the time, received a contract shortly thereafter and likely began production in 1893. The Lugansk plant was constructed in 1894 and began full production in 1895. During the Russo-Japanese War contracts for ammunition were given to factories in Germany, Austria and Belgium to supplement domestic production. In 1908 the new pointed "spitzer" bullet known as the "L" for light was adopted which weighed 9,6 grams (147 grains) and had a muzzle velocity of 855 meters/second (2800 feet/second). The increased velocity required the addition of the recoil crossbolt and a new rear sight leaf for the original rifles. During WWI, contracts were given to Winchester, Remington, Western, and the U.S. Cartridge Co. in the United States and Kynoch, Eley Brothers, Greenwood & Batley, Birmingham Metal and Munitions, Royal Laboratory and Government Cartridge Factories in England. Germany again produced cartridges during this time, but for it's own use in captured Mosin Nagant rifles.

With the adoption of the Mosin Nagant rifle, Finland began production of 7.62x54R ammunition in the 1920s using a light ball bullet similar to the Russian Type L, but designated the Type S. The Civil Guard cases have an SAT (Sako) headstamp while the Army cases are marked VPT (State Cartridge Factory). Just as they did with the rifles, the Finns improved upon the cartridge developing the D166 heavy ball in the late 1930s, which is currently available from Lapua. During the Winter and Continuation Wars Finland purchased cartridges from Winchester in both the Type S and D166 loads.

In 1930 the Soviet D heavy ball weighing 11,8 grams (182 grains) was adopted and produced along with the Type L. In the same year the B-30 armor piercing and T-30 tracer bullets were adopted and began production. The B-32 armor piercing incendiary followed shortly, but the B-30 continued production into the late 1930s. In 1930 the case head was changed from a rounded shape to a bevel and tombac jacketed bullets began to replace the cupro-nickel bullets in the early 1930s. Copper washed steel cases made an appearance in 1934 being first used with the special purpose ShKAS aircraft machine gun cartridges including the new PZ exploding bullet. However, brass cases were also used for ShKAS cartridges and still used at some factories for certain loads until the '50s and even beyond for specialty ammunition.

During the Spanish Civil War Republican forces were armed in part with Mosin Nagant rifles from the Soviet Union and began domestic production of cartridges. These, along with cartridges from France and Mexico are some of the more uncommon variations.

When the Soviet Union began exporting it's weapons technology to other countries in it's sphere of influence after WWII the 7.62x54R cartridge was part of the package. Domestic production was undertaken by Bulgaria, China, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Egypt, Iraq, and Albania. East Germany purchased components from other countries for it's local production while Yugoslavia loaded it specifically for export. Sporting cartridges were loaded in the US post WWII also.

In the Soviet Union itself, Ulyanovsk (#3) ended military production of 7.62x54R in 1969 and Frunze (#60) in1991. Only Barnaul (#17, formerly Podolsk) and Novosibirsk (#188, formerly Klimov) remained open into the 21st century as military facilities. Current production is several types of specialty ammo such as armor piercing, tracer, sniper, and the ST-M2 steel core light ball which replaced the LPS in 1988. The BP armor piercing and SNB armor piercing sniper bullets both entered production in 1999 to take this venerable cartridge into it's third century of continuous military use. Tula, Ulyanov, and Klimov continue to produce 7.62x54R cartridges for the commercial market as do Barnaul and Novosibirsk. The former Yugoslavian military export production now includes sporting loads marketed under the Privi Partizan and Wolf Gold labels. Igman sporting loads are produced in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the former bxn has resumed using the Sellior and Bellot name to market it's sporting cartridges which are sold under the Winchester brand in the US.

With such a long history and continued production this caliber should hold the interest of collectors for decades to come.

T (Tula) Л (Lugansk) П (Podolsk) 17 (Podolsk) У (Ulyanovsk) ЗВ (Ulyanovsk) 60 (Lugansk/Frunze) 179 (Novosibirsk) 188 (Klimov/Novosibirsk) 529 (New Lyalya) Not Pictured П (Petersburg) 38, 44, 46, 54, 270, 304, 539 540, 541, 543, 544, 545, 710, 711

Bullets

1908 Cupro-nickel Type L

147gr lead core Tombac Type L

147gr lead core 1930 Type D

182gr lead core LPS

147gr steel core LPS

147gr steel core SN sniper

(no visible difference from LPS) T-30 Tracer T-46 Tracer T-46M Tracer, stepped bullet B-30 Armor Piercing B-32 Armor Piercing/Incendiary PZ Incendiary Bullet Blank

U.S.C.Co./7.62 M-M. W.R.A.CO/7,62 M/M RUSS. REMINGTON REM-UMC/7.62 m/m W WESTERN

Bullets

U.S. Cartridge Co. Bronze Tip Remington-UMC Bronze Tip Winchester Bronze Tip Remington Type L nickel Winchester Finnish Contract light ball Winchester Finnish Contract heavy ball

C.17.F.1/7.62 G 17/7.62 Not Pictured B, E, K, КАЙНОКБ (Kynoch), RL

D M Not Pictured P M (Polte)

Not Pictured X (Hirtenberger Patronen, Zündhütchen und Metallwarenfabrik AG) B (Weiss Patronenfabrik)

S.A.T./RIIHIMAKI SAT VPT

Bullets

Copper Type S light ball Nickel Type S light ball D166 heavy ball

Lion Star 10

Bullets

Type D lead core Type D lead core Type L lead core LPS steel core

Double Circle 61 71 81 ·321· ·671· 9611 Not Pictured 31, 51

Bullets

Type L lead core Type 53 steel core light ball Armor Piercing/Incendiary

aym bxn ZV

Bullets

Tz lead core heavy ball Tz lead core heavy ball Type 59 steel core light ball Type 59 steel core light ball Tracer Hollow core short range practice Blank

21

Bullets

Type D lead core Type D lead core LPS steel core LPS steel core Steel core heavy ball "Etalon"

Circle 21 21 343 Not Pictured PFA

Bullets

LPS steel core LPS steel core Tracer

Misr UAR ARE RT 54x7.62

Bullets

Ball Tracer Plastic practice Plastic practice

ППУ

Bullets

Heavy Ball

21 (Hungary) ZV (Czechoslovakia) Not Pictured 10 (Bulgaria)

22 (Romania)

Bullets

123gr. short range practice

3

Bullets

Type 53 steel core light ball

WOLF (Russia) Barnaul Logo (Russia) ППУ (Serbia) Logo S&B Logo (Czech Republic) Lapua (Finland) Igman Logo (Bosnia-Herzegovina) E.D.F. (Greece)

Bullets

Russian 200gr. soft point (Wolf, Barnaul, etc.) Serbian 180gr. soft point (Privi Partizan, Wolf Gold) Czech 180gr. soft point (S&B) Bosnia-Herzegovina 150 gr. soft point (Igman)

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Acknowledgements:

Russian 7.62-mm Rifle Cartridge, History and Evolution by R.N. Chumak

An article by Andrey at Municion.org

110 Years of the 7.62x54r by Gene Whitehead at MosinNagant.net

Small Caliber Ammunition Identification Guide, Volume 1, Defense Intelligence Agency

Many cartridges provided by Hendere