Really, what do these measurments mean? Is it a European name for an Northamerican cartridge (5.56mm/ .223 rem.) or is it a thing all it's own?

Its Soviet/Russian/Eastern Block/Chineese etc..
AK47-SKS and Texas hog gun and damn fun to play with.
Also 7.62 mm x 39 mm
Hope this is good enough answer.

You'll find that many of these cartidges with both metric and standard measurements are or were military or NATO rounds.

.311x1.528

7.62mm is the bullet diameter, actually 0.311" vs the NATO 7.62mm which is 0.308" in dia. The 39mm relates to the length of the case.

As mentioned, std issue soviet block assault rifle ammunition.

Modern .30-30.

They make a great short range deer rifle for younger kids! My oldest took his first deer 5 years ago with a Ruger 77 stainless handloaded with 125 Nosler BT's. 110 yards, she ran a few circles, ran 20 yards and dropped.



IV

quote:

7.62mm is the bullet diameter, actually 0.311" vs the NATO 7.62mm which is 0.308" in dia. The 39mm relates to the length of the case.

As mentioned, std issue soviet block assault rifle ammunition.

The Russians have always been funny about using the bore diameter to name their cartridges over the grove diameter like we do. I guess everybody has to be different though...

Wel actually on bore diameter, we Americans are the odd lot...

American calibers in 30 caliber are .308

The rest of the ones in Europe are .311 bore...

Like the .303 British ( just to confuse ya some more)... the 7.62 x 54, the 7.72 x 39, the 7.65 Belguim Mauser..the French Mas, the 7.5 x 55 Swiss...

All use .311 as a bore diameter...

I thought the MAS used a .308 projectile.

I believe both the 7.5x53.5 French (the MAS round) and the 7.5x54.5 Suisse (aka 7.5x55 or 7.5 Swiss) both use .308" diameter bullets. At least that is what the European factory ammo I have bought for them comes loaded with and what the loading handbooks I have seen recommend for them.....

The bore diameter is just that (drill size if you will). After it is rifled the groove diameter is .308.
Good luck!

Alberta Canuck, I don't know about the French MAS, but the 7.5 Swiss round does use .308 projectiles. (makes it easy to reload for).

mike

quote:

The Russians have always been funny about using the bore diameter to name their cartridges over the grove diameter like we do. I guess everybody has to be different though...

Actually, "we" don't really have a system of cartridge nomenclature! For example, "we" have the .30 WCF (.30/30), .30/40 Krag, the .30/'06, a number of various .300's, like the .300 Savage, .300 H&H Magnum (called the "Super .30" in England where it originated), the .300 Dakota, .300 Win. Mag., .300 Weatherby, etc., and some .308's like the .308 Wincherster, AKA 7.62X51mm NATO, the .308 Norma Magnum, and perhaps others, ALL OF WHICH HAVE nominal .308" groove diameters, and all using the same diameter of bullets.

A true 7.62mm bore is actually .300" inches in diameter, but this is bore, not groove, diameter. And the "39" (mm) is of course the length of that Russian case.

For some cartridges, "7.62mm" bores are rifled with grooves .005" deep, hence they come out to be .310" in total internal diameter, and should be used with .310" to .311" diameter bullets, although I've had some great accuracy results using .308" bullets in ".303" British, "7.62X"39mm, and "7.65"X53mm Mauser caliber rifles....

A great number of ".303", "7.62mm", and "7.65mm" European rifle bores have groove diameters ranging from .310" all the way up to .314", even though they may have started with .300" to .303" bores before rifling! The last batch of FN-made 7.65X53mm Argentine Mauser bullets I pulled miked .314", even though 7.65mm is supposed to be .30118", and with a total depth of rifling of as much as .010", bullets need only be .311" to .312".

quote:

believe both the 7.5x53.5 French (the MAS round) and the 7.5x54.5 Suisse (aka 7.5x55 or 7.5 Swiss) both use .308" diameter bullets.

Right! They are both .308's!