Cartridges

   After the end of WW1 and into the early 1920’s a lot of research went into the development of not just an anti-tank rifle, which soldiers first encountered during the last stages of the War, but also to defeat artillery pieces as a more economical means...

With the introduction of tanks during WW1, the need quickly arose for infantry anti-tank weapons. Late in World War 1, Germans introduced the first heavy anti-tank rifle – the 13.35mm Mauser Tank Gewehr Model 1918 based on the 7.92mm Mauser Model 98 rifle. This new...

This was one of a series of experimental rounds started in 1931 for the Karabinek KP-32 anti-tank rifle designed by Józef Maroszek as his academic thesis at the Faculty of Engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology. Trials were done around 1934-35 by the...

This was an unsuccessful high velocity experimental cartridge by Rheinmetall-Borsig designed for aircraft machine guns. It appears to have been a parallel development with the 13mm machine gun. At that time during WW2, the Germans were on the defensive and were taking...

Mr. Janacek was a Czech designer and his principles incorporated a rifle with a standard barrel, but with a tapered bore muzzle attachment which could be easily unscrewed and replaced. The bullet worked on the almost the same principle as the Gerlich bullet which was...

The Norwegians came to the same conclusion as most European Nations during the years post WW1 and that was that their 6.5x55SE was not powerful enough for machine gun use. The 7.92x57 M.98 was in use in Norway, but they introduced a new caliber with the case extended...

   During 1900 the Dutch put together a commission to study and evaluate the procurement of machine guns for the Dutch Military. Extensive test were performed with a variety of guns available and in the end, the most cost effective gun was selected by the...

   This was one of a series of British experimental cartridges dating from the 1920’s. It has a slight rebated rim.

   This was a development by Polte Magdeburg during the years between WW1 and WW2 similar to the 7x45 Polte when the Germans did research regarding short cased intermediate cartridges that culminated in the 7.92 Kurz. The Swiss were also doing research in...

          With the capitulation of Germany at the end of WW2, the Mauser factory fell in the French area of occupation. Most of the Mauser engineers were transferred to France, together with the machinery from these...

SYNTOWN MINIATURES, UDIMORE SUSSEX, ca 1986       04 = Mechanische Werkstatten, Königswartha...

   This is the predecessor of the 7.62x24.5mm sub caliber cartridge and was used as an anti-tank spotter round. It was phased out of service when the 7.62mm became standard, although it remained in use to some extent. The case was not based on the...

From a note in the IAA Journal 466:25 (March/April 2009). The VBR-B 7.92x24mm caliber was first developed in Belgium by Rik Van Bruaene on 14 April 2005 as a new defence cartridge for a PDW (Personal Defensive Weapon) with the first official pressure measurements and...

   This was one of a series of small, intermediate cartridges developed by Germany during the 1930’s. The 7.9x30 was done by Polte Armaturen und Maschinenfabrik AG at Magdeburg. Their experimental cartridges were generally shorter than the corresponding...

This was a Belgian experimental round for very early M.88 testing.   

   The German Heereswaffenamt (military weapons development establishment) contracted with Gustav Genschow & Co. (GeCO) during 1934 for the development of a smaller, lightweight cartridge. The Vollmer-Maschinenkarabiner 35 or M35 was developed in early...

The official Japanese service rifle was the 6.5x50 Type 30 that was adopted in 1897, right after the First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895). This was in the move towards smokeless powder and the Type 30 was eventually replaced by the Type 38 in 1905,...

The official Japanese service rifle was the 6.5x50 Type 30 that was adopted in 1897, right after the First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895). This was in the move towards smokeless powder and the Type 30 was eventually replaced by the Type 38 in 1905,...

The 7.65 Argentine Navy cartridge was designed by a Capt. Casey who used to be at DuPont who used a shortened 30-06 case and loaded with a 7.65mm bullet weighing 180gr. the prototype cases were from Frankford Arsenal. He proposed the design to the Argentine Naval...

On the page describing the history and development of the 6.5 X 52 Carcano and other 6.5mm’s, one name surfaces throughout the late 1880’s onwards in practically all facets of military rifle and cartridge research, development and manufacturing and that is the name of...

Developed by Uldarique Marga, who was an official in the Belgian Infantry. He was granted patents during 1899-1902 for an M.88 rifle loosely based on the Dutch Beaumont system. The rifle also had a sliding safety catch at the back of the bolt (not unlike modern...

Experimental cartridge for a Berthier rifle, probably for Turkey.    Bullet shown at 200% scale Shown below is drawing 7021 from SFM made in June 1891 that shows the "Turkish cartridge for Mr. Berthier" with cylinder-ogival bullet and drawing 8088E showing...

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After World War II, the Mauser firearms factory was captured by French Forces and restarted to supply the French. Mauser's Department 37 development group was placed under control of the French War Department's armament group, Direction des Etudes et Fabrication...

This was a “Pistolengewehr” development dating from around 1921 by Swiss engineer Adolf Furrer, who was the director of Waffenfabrik Bern. The Pistolengewehr was a toggle-action short-recoil operated weapon with a side-mounted 30 round magazine with a wooden stock. It...

The experimental 1901/04 carbine was One of Ferdinand von Mannlicher’s very last firearms and was a scaled up version of the original pistol round in order to create an intermediate round for use in carbines. The mechanics of this carbine is an evolution of his...

This is a dummy (manupulierpatrone) for a very early experimental machine pistol that was produced prior to 1921. It was constructed as a hollow, one-piece steel dummy.   

Finnish sub caliber device from the middle 1970’s for the Carl Gustav Antitank rocket system.         

The Swiss/German designation for this cartridge is 7,65 mm Leuchtspurpatrone 75 für 8,3 cm Rak Rohr Einsatzlauf. It is loaded with a tracer projectile that consists of a GM clad lead bullet with tracer compound and was designed to be used in the RL-83 Antitank Rocket...

This cartridge was designed as a training variant for the RPG-75 68 mm rocket launcher that is designated RPG Cv-75 (Cv = Cvičný). The training cartridge is designated “7,62mm Zaměřovací vz.75” (7,62-Zm75) and it is loaded with a tracer bullet that is based on the...

This is the longer version of the 7.62x62mm Sjögren that was used in the 1908 trial by the National Rifle Association of England at Bisley and was designed by Swedish Gun Designer Carl Axel T Sjögren of Stockholm. (Dixon Ref. SC72)    

This cartridge was developed during the Cold War years as an alternative to the 7.62x54R Nagant for the ShKAS rifle. Although again not the real focus of this website, it is still interesting to look at the ShKAS design and history, which will maybe give a clearer...

The 7.62×51mm CETME is a variant of the 7.62×51mm NATO with a plastic-cored lead bullet and a reduced propellant charge. It was produced as a joint venture by the Spanish Government design and development establishment known as CETME (Centro de Estudios Técnicos de...

Adopted by the Czech Army in 1952, this was an assault rifle cartridge more powerful than the 7.62x39 AK that the Soviets were using at the time. Mother Russia did not take kindly to these developments and it was dropped in favour of the Warsaw pact AK47 7.62 x 39...

This was one of various assault rifle experimentals based on the 7.62 NATO by the French Direction des Études et Fabrications d’Armament (D.E.F.A) during the late 1950’s.      

Experimental cartridge designed by CETME (Centro de Estudios Tecnicos de Materiales Especiales - Special Materials Technical Studies Center) in 1953. The case is slightly longer than the original 7.92 X 40 CETME. During the development of the CETME rifle, it was...

   This is a replica of the 7.62x41 M43 intermediate cartridge that was the predecessor to the highly successful 7.62x39 AK-47 cartridge. The development of the 7.92 Kurz cartridge in Germany served as the basis for Russian developments starting in 1943 that...

This was a joint development in the early 1960’s by the Dutch (NWM) and German factory (IWK) Industrie Werke Karlsruhe,A-G Germany       

This was a Gustav Genschow (GECO) project from the 1960’s. It is unsure if an assault rifle was ever produced for it, other than just test barrels for ballistic data.         Bullet at 200% scale

From an old ECRA newsletter (Feb 96) it was stated that it was a lot produced by NWM but that the headstamp was an error. It might also have been done deliberately to mask the purpose or country for which it was produced.      

This was developed at Radway Green at the request of Heckler & Koch, who were developing a rifle for silenced combat. They had previously studied the .300 Whisper cartridge but decided to develop their own as well, by shortening and necking-up the 5.56x45 case....

During 1943 the Finnish authorities began showing a passing interest in an assault rifle/SMG concept like the 7.92 Kurz. They however did not have neither the time or the inclination to start the development of a whole new assault rifle/cartridge concept smack bang in...

This was part of the US caseless design program during the late 60’ and early 70’s

Spanish sub caliber training round for the M65 Instalaza rocket launcher                                   Relatively...

The U.S. Air Force Armament Technology Lab modified the 221 Multi-Purpose Weapon during 1973 with a .30 Cal barrel fitted with a silencer. Three different versions were tested of which this is the third version that is, like the second version, based on the 5,56 NATO...

      The 7.62 Gerasimenko was developed during the early 1970’s by Vladimir Gerasimenko (1910 – 1987), a researcher from Kiev, which at that stage was still part of the old USSR. The cartridge consisted of a machines steel projectile with a...

Type 64 submachine gun is one of the first domestically designed Chinese submachine guns. It was designed as a special purpose weapon for clandestine operations, and therefore is fitted with integral silencer (sound moderator) of significant size. Standard ammunition...

This is a Portuguese development dating from 1973 used as a sub caliber training device for a rocket launcher to simulate the flight of the rocket.   ...