7.62 x 51

7.62 x 51 (.308 Winchester)

The appearance and adoption of American cartridges into the Russian market was far from a triumph. There is a legend that occurred after OCB-1 treaty had been signed, the US president presented a hunting carbine with a set of cartridges to L.I. Brezhnev. General Secretary of CC KPSS, to assess the product for hunting purposes. He gave directions to start manufacturing the weapon in USSR. The head of SCII institute, TochMash, received orders to work out documentations which were done rather quickly. In a short time manufacturing of hunting carbines was started by "IZHMASH" and hunting cartridges 7.62x51A SP manufacturing was put into production at "Barnaul Machine-Tool Plant" In 1990's when Russian enterprises found possibilities in western markets, it turned out that geometric characteristics of carbines "Medved-3" and "Los-4" were beyond European safety requirements (CIP). After these errors were eliminated, weapon and cartridge constructions began. "IZHMASH" assimilated production of carbine "Los-4". This was followed by the manufacturing of 7.62x51M.308 Win cartridges by "BMTP" JSC.	Click for more photos 7.62 x 51 FMJ SP HP
The Letter "M" means that the cartridge is modernized according to construction of .308 Win cartridge and CIP requirements. Although a thorny path of "Russian American" has not been discovered yet. In 1995 "MOLOT" JSC, situated in the city of Vyatskie Polany, assimilated production of carbine "Vepr-51" by RPK machine-gun modernization. This was specifically made for Barnaul 7.62x51M.308 Win SP cartridge, which length is 68 mm. The magazine is projected for pointed length. In a short time "BMTP" JSC started production of 7.62x51M.308 Win FMJ with the length of 71.12 mm. The cartridge length fits CIP requirements, which establish maximum length of 71.12 mm, but does not suit the magazine of carbine "Vepr-51". So the process was eliminated. An overwhelming majority of hunting cartridges for rifled carbines produced in Russia have the meaning of dispersion R 100 = 8 – 10 cm when firing at a distance of 100 m. R 100 – an average radius of circumference at five serial firing 10 shots each . where all the hits are placed. Nevertheless not all the hunters are satisfied with such firing close grouping characteristics. Newly designed highly precise cartridges 7.62x51 (.308 Win) “Super” & 7.62x54 R “Super” makes the breakthrough in improvement of such an important firing characteristic as close grouping possible. The dispersion of R 100 when firing at a distance of 200 m is above 4.5 cm. Such a result is possible thanks to the bullet optimum construction. minimum bullet mass deflection. geometric dimensions. case quality. cartridge assimilating quality. It should be mentioned that 7.62x51M.308Win can be used in "Medved-3" and "Los-4" carbines, but 7.62x51A doesn't suit "Los-7" and "Vepr-51" magazines

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