Under a low-pulse cartridge, it was a materialized expression of the spirit of sharp rivalry in the military field between the Warsaw Treaty Organization and the NATO bloc in the era cold war. The appearance of a new "ammunition-weapon" complex in the main enemy required an urgent and effective response from our side. Possessing impeccable reliability, the AKM 7.62-mm Kalashnikov assault rifles, however, did not fully meet the increasing requirements of the Armed Forces for the probability of hitting the target due to increased dispersion when firing bursts, as well as the high steepness of bullet trajectories. This was due to the fact that the large recoil momentum of the 7.62 mm automatic cartridge model 1943 (0.78 kgf / s) did not allow even the modernized Kalashnikov assault rifle to achieve high accuracy of combat with automatic fire, especially when firing from unstable positions. For a long time, domestic experts have been working on an intensive search for ways to increase the combat effectiveness of a regular Kalashnikov assault rifle. Studies have shown that the accuracy of firing from a machine gun is determined not only by the ballistic momentum of the cartridge and the recoil energy of the weapon, but also by the design characteristics of the sample itself (mass, moment of inertia, location of the centers of mass of the weapon and moving parts of automation), as well as dynamic characteristics (rate of fire and impacts moving parts).

In the Soviet Union, the expediency of switching manual automatic weapons to a caliber smaller than the existing 7.62 mm was scientifically substantiated by V. G. Fedorov already in 1939, when he wrote that the range of a direct shot of an “intermediate” cartridge should be no less than with a standard rifle cartridge. To reduce the weight and size characteristics of cartridges, he proposed to reduce their caliber to 6–6.25 mm. Back in 1945, V. G. Fedorov in his work “Investigation of further ways to increase the efficiency of firing from small arms” proved that the development of automatic small arms would become the most promising only if it developed in the direction of reducing the caliber of cartridges. However, the official line pursued at that time by the leadership of the USSR People's Commissariat of Armaments and the Main Artillery Directorate of the USSR People's Commissariat of Defense, aimed at testing a small arms complex designed to use a 7.62-mm "intermediate" cartridge, did not take into account Fedorov's conclusions. Along with subjective factors, this was also due to objective reasons - in the Soviet Union in the mid-1940s, the arms industry enterprises lacked the technical and technological base for the manufacture of both small-caliber live ammunition and the weapon itself.


And yet the very idea of ​​creating more effective complex"ammunition - weapons" was not shelved. By the beginning of the 1960s, domestic gunsmiths had gained some experience in creating advanced automatic infantry weapons systems, which consisted of an automatic rifle and a single machine gun. They were developed under an experienced powerful 7.62-mm single machine-gun cartridge designed by S. I. Vetoshkin. In this direction, Soviet designers moved parallel to our opponents, whose bitter negative experience was taken into account when carrying out subsequent work on promising small arms systems in the USSR.

The US military, which had only recently rearmed itself with 7.62 mm M-14 automatic rifles, designed for the powerful 7.62 x51 NATO rifle and machine gun cartridge, was already reaping the sad fruits of such a hasty decision by this time. And this, in turn, forced the American military command already in 1957 to make a fundamental decision to start developing automatic weapons for a low-pulse cartridge, which thus became a turning point in all subsequent modern small arms. Soviet designers came to a similar conclusion about the low effectiveness of new normal rifle caliber ammunition after extensive R&D. High level technical solution of new domestic cartridges and the certain decrease in the recoil momentum achieved at the same time, nevertheless, did not allow solving the main task assigned to the new “ammunition-weapon” complex: to achieve an increase in the effective firing range by one and a half times in relation to the standard small arms complex, designed for 7, 62 mm automatic cartridge mod. 1943.

Along with this, research was also carried out in the Soviet Union in the field of the patterns of bullet dispersion depending on the recoil impulses, the design of muzzle compensators, etc. New ammunition of 4.5 mm and 6.5 mm caliber was being developed, various design options for non-classical bullets and weapons under them.

So, in 1960-1962, engineers and designers of NII-61 V. P. Gryazev, A. G. Shipunov, D. I. Shiryaev, I. Kasyanov, O. P. Kravchenko and V. A. Petrov created low-pulse cartridges with sub-caliber feathered (arrow-shaped) bullets with leading elements separating in flight (plastic pallets). D. I. Shiryaev developed a prototype of the AO-27 assault rifle for this cartridge, which is relatively light and stable when fired with automatic fire. The large flatness of the trajectory of the arrow-shaped bullet to a certain extent compensated for the low accuracy of the battle. However, the accuracy results shown when firing from the AO-27 turned out to be much lower than planned, so all work on similar weapons was stopped. But this did not mean a complete rejection of the idea, since it was able to increase the effectiveness of the fire of individual automatic weapons, and after a few years a new modified rifle cartridge with an arrow-shaped bullet appeared, designed by the engineer of the same NII-61 V. N. Dvoryaninov under the converted machine gun Goryunova SGM and sniper rifle Dragunov SVD. Similar studies were also widely carried out in the United States, however, the negative results shown by these munitions during tests forced the Americans to curtail all work in this direction.

Simultaneously with the failure that ended work on the creation of a new domestic "ammunition-weapon" complex, the leadership of the USSR Ministry of Defense received information about the new high-performance rifles AR 15 (XM 16), developed for the low-pulse cartridge 5.56 x45 M 193, adopted for experimental operation in american army. Soon, the spoils of war from South Vietnam - the weapons themselves and ammunition - also ended up in the hands of Soviet military specialists. And these facts forced the military to think seriously about the fact that the enemy is ahead of us in this area of ​​​​military-technical research, since the Americans in 1961 were already conducting the final stage of military tests of a new weapon designed for a cartridge with a reduced recoil momentum. While in the Soviet Union, the 7.62-mm AKM assault rifle was only recently adopted, which was already inferior to the promising AR 15 rifle in some respects.

The evolution of small arms has led to the conclusion that while maintaining the classical scheme, which uses a powder charge as an energy source for throwing bullets, a decrease in caliber will increase the initial speed of the bullets. Thus, it will be possible to achieve a flat trajectory of the bullets, reduce the mass of the weapon itself and increase the ammunition carried by the shooter (without increasing the total weight load). The use of new designs of bullets and cartridges, new materials of bullet cores made it possible to provide the required damaging properties of bullets of reduced calibers. At the same time, theoretical calculations have shown that the characteristics of the 5.6 mm cartridge are not the same for various combat conditions. In close combat, usually offensive, when firing from unstable positions at short ranges, bullets of this caliber have a maximum penetrating effect, therefore, to increase the effectiveness of hitting targets, a decrease in dispersion became of primary importance, which could be achieved both by reducing the power of the cartridge and by reducing the momentum recoil, but at the same time it also affected the decrease in the initial velocity of the bullet. IN defensive battle shooting was carried out at much longer ranges and mainly from stable positions, so the dispersion here is much less, and the flatness of the trajectory and penetrating action became the decisive factor, which could only be achieved by increasing the power of the cartridge. The contradiction between an increase in the initial velocity of a bullet and its mass and a decrease in these characteristics for different combat conditions forced Soviet gunsmiths to look for the best option.

Therefore, in 1961, in the Soviet Union, NII-61 specialists began comprehensive research to reduce the recoil momentum of weapons and develop a new 5.6 mm cartridge with a high initial velocity based on a recompressed cartridge case of a 7.62 mm automatic cartridge mod. 1943.

The first stage of research work, which began in the Soviet Union in 1963, to create a new “ammunition-weapon” complex, was carried out on converted 5.6 mm AKM assault rifles. As a result of the research, it turned out that the new 5.6 mm cartridge had a 35 percent lower recoil momentum than the 7.62 mm cartridge mod. 1943, and this made it possible to reduce the recoil energy of weapons by 1.8 times. Research artillery test site of the USSR Ministry of Defense in the Vsevolozhsk district of the Leningrad region, analyzing the possibilities of using new, most optimal constructive schemes small arms, in his conclusion he pointed out that "the most effective way to improve the accuracy of the battle of the machine gun when firing from unstable positions is to reduce the recoil momentum when fired."

An important factor that contributed to such a conclusion of our military experts was the fact that the AR 15 rifle was superior to the AKM assault rifle not only in one of the main parameters - the accuracy of the battle, but also in the probability of hits. Thus, the most realistic way to increase the combat effectiveness of individual automatic weapons could be the adoption of a new intermediate cartridge with a reduced recoil momentum and the development of a next-generation machine gun for it.

As a result of long-term work by a group of specialists - ammunition workers of TSNIITOCHMASH (Klimovsk, Moscow Region) under the leadership of V. M. Sabelnikov, consisting of L. I. Bulavskaya, B. V. Semin, M. E. Fedorova, P. F. Sazonov, V . I. Volkova, V. A. Nikolaeva, E. E. Zimina, P. S. Koroleva and others created a completely new domestic 5.6-mm low-impulse cartridge with a bullet with a steel core and with a sleeve length of 39 mm, which received originally the name "13 MZhV". Subsequently, when the designation of the caliber was adopted, corresponding to the actual diameter of the bore along the rifling fields - 5.45 mm, the cartridge received the GRAU index - 7 H6.

With a lower bullet weight (3.42 g instead of 7.9 g for the AKM and 3.56 g for the AR 15), the designers managed to achieve a reduction in the maximum allowable level of the recoil momentum of automatic cartridges (0.49 kgf / s versus 0.78 and 0, 58 kgf / s, respectively) and at the same time increase the range of a direct shot, i.e. the range at which the height of the trajectory is equal to the height of the target (440 m instead of 350 and 426 m, respectively), which, by the way, exceeded a similar characteristic of 7.62- mm rifle cartridge arr. 1908. The peculiarity of his bullet was that the steel core of the 5.45-mm cartridge 7 H6 had a lead jacket, and the bullet shell was steel, clad with tompak. A similar arrangement of bullets ensured its better strength and greater penetrating effect than the 5.56 x45 M.193 cartridges. The excellent aerodynamic shape of the bullet of the new Soviet 5.45 mm cartridge contributed to its high ballistic performance ( starting speed 900 m/s). In addition, its design was similar to the 7.62 mm bullet taken as a sample from a single submachine gun cartridge. It also had a void in the head, which, along with the optimally selected rifling pitch for this ammunition, provided the small-caliber bullet with the same bullet as the 7.62-mm cartridge mod. 1943 lethal action at the entire range of a direct shot. Only by the end of the 1960s were the recommendations of V. G. Fedorov, who 30 years earlier defended his point of view on the development of intermediate cartridges of small calibers, finally implemented.

The improvement of the most massive type of small arms in the Soviet army - Kalashnikov assault rifles was largely determined by the successful development of new 5.45-mm automatic cartridges. For firing from the AK 74 assault rifle, 5.45 mm low-pulse cartridges mod. 1974 with steel sleeves:
- with an ordinary bullet with a steel core (PS),

With a tracer bullet (T)
- with a bullet of reduced speed (US).

To simulate shooting, blank cartridges were used (initially without a bullet, and later with a plastic bullet), which were automatically fired using a special sleeve screwed onto the muzzle of the barrel instead of a muzzle brake-compensator.

At an initial speed of 900 m / s of the AK 74 machine gun, the bullet received a rotation speed of 4500 revolutions per second, and RPK 74 at an initial speed of 960 m / s - 4530 revolutions per second). This ensured the high stability of the bullet in flight, almost equivalent to the stability of the bullet cartridge 5.56 NATO (adopted to supply the armies of the North Atlantic bloc only in 1980). To increase the damaging effect in terms of manpower, the layout of the bullet was chosen so that the bullet in flight was “on the verge of stability” and lost stability when it hit a denser medium.

The new 5.45 mm 7 H6 cartridge with a flat trajectory made it possible to increase the range of a direct shot at a full-length figure from 525 (for AKM) to 625 m (for AK 74). The effective firing range of 5.45 mm machine guns (machine guns) was 1,000 m. on airplanes, helicopters and paratroopers - from a machine gun and a machine gun - up to 500 m.

Concentrated fire on ground group targets can be conducted from machine guns and light machine guns at a distance of up to 1000 m. The range of a direct shot at the AK 74 assault rifle was: for the chest figure - 440 m, for the running figure - 625 m; at the light machine gun RPK 74-460 and 640 m (respectively).

However, in the AK 74 assault rifle, compared to the AKM, due to a decrease in caliber, the lethal range of the bullet was also reduced from 1500 to 1350 m, i.e. the ratio between the lethal action range and the effective firing range decreased from 3.75 to 2.7 times. Dispersion when firing from AK 74 in short bursts from stable positions (lying from a stop or standing from a trench) at a distance of up to 800 m began to be: the median deviation of the dispersion in height was total - 0.48 m, the lateral total - 0.64 m. Weight reduction cartridge allowed the soldier to increase the wearable ammunition load from 100 rounds of 7.62 mm caliber to 165 rounds of 5.45 mm caliber without increasing the mass of the weapon. An increase in the initial speed of the bullet, flatness of the trajectory, a decrease in the recoil momentum made it possible to raise combat effectiveness 5.45 mm AK 74 assault rifle 1.2–1.6 times compared to the 7.62 mm AKM assault rifle. A bullet with a steel core of the 7 H6 cartridge, when fired from an AK 74 assault rifle / RPK74 light machine gun, provided penetration of a 5-mm steel sheet (with 80-90 percent through penetration) at a distance of 350 m, steel helmets (helmets) - at a distance of 800 m, standard domestic army body armor Zh86–5 - at 550 m.

However, work to improve the "ammunition - weapons" complex in the Soviet Union did not end there. New trends in military affairs, as well as the combat operation of the 5.45 mm AK 74 Kalashnikov assault rifles by the Soviet army in Afghanistan, led to the need to seriously modernize both the weapon itself and the 5.45 mm cartridge. The widespread use in the 1980s in the armies of many countries of personal armor protection (in particular, bulletproof vests) showed that their defeat when firing from machine guns is not guaranteed. Further development of personal protective equipment, the use of bulletproof vests with plates made of durable titanium alloys drastically reduced the effectiveness of the 7 H6 bullet with a heat-strengthened core due to the imperfection of the core shape, which is not capable of penetrating a titanium alloy plate even at close range. Therefore, Soviet gunsmith designers had to look for new ways to increase the penetration action of bullets of low-pulse automatic cartridges. Already in 1986, the penetrating effect of 5.45-mm cartridges was significantly increased due to the use of a heat-strengthened core of increased hardness 7 N6 M in the bullet design: the penetration range of protected targets, in particular steel helmets (helmets), increased from 800 to 960 m, body armor with titanium plates from 20 to 200 m. Since the beginning of the 1990s, almost simultaneously with the adoption of the 5.45-mm modernized AK 74 M assault rifle (in 1991), cartridges with new increased penetration bullets have also been put into service, complementing together with a newly developed machine gun infantry weapon system. So, in 1992, the core was improved again, making it more pointed and heavy. At the same initial speed, a bullet with an increased penetration action (PP) with a heat-strengthened core (index 7 H10) now ensured penetration of the regular domestic army bulletproof vest Zh85-T (with 40 percent through penetration) at a distance of 200 m, and heavy bulletproof vest Zh95-K - at a range of 50 m, while a bullet with a steel core of a 5.45-mm cartridge 7 N6 M pierced the Zh85-T body armor only at a distance of 90 m, and the penetration of the Zh95-K body armor was not provided at all firing ranges. As a result, the 5.45-mm cartridge 7 H10 with a PP bullet came close to the 7.62-mm rifle cartridge mod. 1908, and their effectiveness in breaking through obstacles increased 1.84 times compared to the bullet of the 7 H6 cartridge. However, ensuring a given level of direct shot range and penetrating action required an increase in the power of the 5.45 mm cartridge, which in a certain way affected its increased recoil momentum and a fairly large dispersion of bullets when firing AK 74. In addition, the adoption of a new cartridge with an increased penetration bullet had a downside. The survivability resource of AK 74 M assault rifle barrels has sharply decreased when firing with a new cartridge. Therefore, the designers had to carry out a number of research works to increase the survivability of the bore. It should be noted that the reserves of the 5.45 mm bullet in terms of increasing the effectiveness of hitting obstacles are far from exhausted, work in this direction continues. In recent years, new modifications of 5.45-mm automatic cartridges have been created and accepted for supply to the Russian Armed Forces: with an armor-piercing bullet BP (index 7 H22); with armor-piercing bullet BS (index 7 H24); cartridge with an armor-piercing tracer bullet (index 7 BT4); - a modernized cartridge with a tracer bullet (index 7 T3 M); with a bullet of reduced ricochet ability (index 5.45 PRS).
Currently, the Russian Armed Forces use the following main variants of 5.45-mm low-impulse automatic cartridges.

5.45 mm automatic cartridge mod. 1974 with a bullet with a steel core PS (index 7 H6)

Live cartridges with bullets of all types are produced only with a steel, bottle-shaped sleeve coated with dark green varnish with a non-protruding flange and groove. The propellant charge is SFO33 spheroid powder, since 1989 it has been replaced by SSNf30 / 3.69 grade gunpowder.
A pointed bullet with a diameter of 5.65 mm, with an elongated head part with a rear cone without a belt, consists of a stamped steel core (St10 steel) weighing 1.43 g; lead jacket and bimetallic (steel, tompac-clad) shell. The lead jacket does not reach the end of the shell, and in the front of the bullet, between the inner surface of the shell head and the lead jacket, there is a cavity 5 mm long, which helps to shift the center of gravity of the bullet somewhat backward, which reduces the stability of the bullet when it meets the target. The edges of the shell in the tail of the bullet are rolled up with support on the bottom of the core. The bullet is not painted. In all 5.45 mm caliber live cartridges, except for cartridges with PP bullets, red varnish is used to seal the junction of the bullet with the edge of the muzzle of the case and the junction of the primer, which does not have a distinctive color. Currently out of production.

5.45 mm automatic cartridge mod. 1974 with a high penetration bullet PP (index 7 H10)

In 1992, a new modification of the 5.45 mm automatic cartridge mod. 1974 with a bullet of increased penetration PP, developed by the forces creative team designers and technologists of the Barnaul machine-tool plant. The increased penetration bullet PP received a stamped elongated heat-strengthened steel core of a larger mass. The core made of steel St70 (weighing 1.72 g) or St75 (weighing 1.8 g) has head part more streamlined ogival shape, a flat top with a diameter of 1.8 mm and a recess in the center of the bottom (unlike the PS bullet). The PP bullet with increased penetration ensured the penetration of alloy plates at a distance of 100 meters - 100 percent and steel plates with a thickness of 14 mm at a distance of 100 meters of at least 80 cents.

5.45 mm automatic cartridges mod. 1974 are sealed in regular cartridge wooden boxes of 2160 pieces each. Each box holds two metal roll-up boxes containing 1,080 rounds. There is also a closure option, in which packs of cartridges are placed not in steel boxes, but in paper moisture-proof bags (120 cartridges each), four packs of 30 cartridges each. At the same time, the inscription “moisture-proof bags” is made on the wooden box. The closure contains special abbreviated alphanumeric designations. On boxes and boxes containing cartridges with special bullets, an additional color strip is applied, corresponding to the distinctive color of the cartridge.

Automatic cartridge 5.45x39
The article presents an automatic 5.45-mm cartridge of caliber 5.45x39:
- Cartridge with a bullet with a steel core Ps.
- Cartridge with high penetration bullet PP.
- Cartridge with armor-piercing bullet BP.
- Cartridge with armor-piercing bullet BS.
- Cartridge with tracer bullet T.
- A cartridge with a bullet of reduced ricochet ability of the PRS.
- A blank cartridge with a plastic dummy bullet.
- The blank cartridge is modernized.
- Training cartridge.
- Cartridge with a lead core for sports and hunting weapons.

The history of the creation of a domestic automatic cartridge of 5.45 mm caliber began in the late 1950s, when information about the active development of a similar rifle complex in the United States in 1957 and later put into service reached the leadership of the Soviet Union assault rifle AR-15 under its own small-caliber cartridge 5.56x45 mm (M193). Immediately, on the instructions of the GAU, NII-61 began own work to create a similar rifle complex. Initially, according to research, the caliber of the cartridge was chosen in the range of 4.5 mm, 5.6 mm, 6.5 mm, but studies have shown that the cartridge with a 5.6 mm caliber bullet is the most optimal in many respects.
Conducted multilateral experiments have shown that for the ratio of recoil momentum, bullet weight, trajectory flatness and bullet ballistic coefficient, it is necessary to choose a caliber from 5.0 to 5.7 mm.
As a result, 5.45 mm was chosen as the smallest caliber of the bullet, which allows to place a steel core in its shell and at the same time ensure high penetrating qualities and flatness of the trajectory.

As a result, on the basis of TSNIITOCHMASH, Klimovsk, in the early 1970s, their own submachine gun cartridge was “born”. . The final version of the cartridge was adopted in 1974 under the index 7N6 and had a varnished steel sleeve in its design, the primer socket had two seed holes with an anvil and a Berdan-type primer of the KV-16 brand with a diameter of 5.06 mm. The bullet is 25.5mm long and weighs 3.42g. had a blunt-ended steel core made of ST10 steel, in the bow in front of the core there was a technological cavity. Until 1978, 5.45-mm bullets were made by bending the edges of the shell inward. In order to optimize and reduce labor intensity in the production of bullets with a steel core, it was proposed to produce bullets without subsequent bending of the shell. After the research, it was concluded that this method does not affect the characteristics of the bullet at the time of the shot, as a result of which, starting from 1978, factories began to produce bullets without shell bending.

5.45-mm bullets of the cartridge 5.45x39 7N6 with a steel core:


1. Bullet manufactured before 1978 with a bend in the edges of the shell.
2. Bullet manufactured after 1978 with straight jacket edges

In addition to the 7N6 cartridge with a steel core, a cartridge with a 7T3 tracer bullet with a length of 26.85 mm was worked out in parallel. But when firing cartridges with tracer bullets, unsatisfactory accuracy was revealed. After a series of studies of factors that could affect the accuracy of fire, we came to the conclusion that accuracy is affected by a design feature, namely the length of the leading part of the bullet. Further studies have shown that reducing the initial length by 1.5 mm significantly improves the accuracy performance associated with the 7N6 cartridge. Thus, in 1976, the release of cartridges was already made with bullets that were shortened by 1.5 mm and their length was 25.35 mm.

Cartridge with PS bullet.

Index GRAU 7N6, 7N6M.

- Cartridge weight - 10.2-10.4g.

- Brand of gunpowder - Sf033fl.

- Bullet weight - 3.40-3.42g.
- Bullet length - 25.50-25.65mm.
tombac clad.
- Bullet core material - tool steel ST10, ST65G, ST70, ST75.
- Weight of the bullet core - 1.42-1.45 g.




Cartridge with increased penetration bullet PP
.
In the 90s, the main direction in the development and modernization of the ammunition available in service was to increase the penetration ability of bullets by changing their design. In addition to the development of rifle cartridges with a bullet of increased penetration, 5.45-mm automatic cartridges with bullets of increased penetration were also developed. So, for a major experimental design work under the index "Castle", both rifle and machine gun cartridges with bullets of increased penetration were worked out in parallel. The development of 5.45-mm PP bullets was carried out at the Barnaul Machine-Tool Plant. The design is based on an increase in the length of the steel core, which narrowed towards the nose of the bullet, and the mass of the bullet itself increased due to the longer core, as well as filling the free space in the nose of the bullet with lead. This design feature of the bullet made it possible to increase penetration ability up to 1.5-2 times higher than that of a cartridge with a 7N6 bullet. The new cartridge with a high-penetration bullet received the 7N10 index and was adopted by the army in 1995.

Cartridge length - 56.6-57.0mm.
- Cartridge weight - 10.55-10.64g.
- Type of gunpowder - smokeless, pyroxylin
- Brand of gunpowder - Sf033fl.
-Weight of the powder charge - 1.49-1.51g.
- Bullet weight - 3.56-3.62g.
- Bullet length - 25.50-25.65g.
- Bullet shell material - steel,
tombac clad.
- Bullet core material -
tool steel, ST70, ST75.
- Bullet core weight - 1.72-1.80g.
- The initial speed of the bullet - 900-960m / s.

Packing for 30pcs. cartridges with a bullet of increased penetration



In addition to the development of bullets for the 5.45-mm automatic cartridge by the method of elongating the shape of the core and methods for its processing, it was also proposed to change the shape of the head of the steel core due to its sharpening by analogy with armor-piercing bullets of rifle cartridges, as well as its heat treatment, which made it possible to achieve its high strength. These methods of processing the core made it possible to further increase the penetration ability of bullets, as a result, in 1998
year, the cartridge is put into service under the index 7N22, and its production
started at the Barnaul Cartridge Plant No. 17 in 2002. Research into options for improving the penetration properties of 5.45x39 cartridge bullets continued, so in 1998, on the basis of TsNIITOCHMASH, with the participation of the Vympel Amur plant, a cartridge was developed with a bullet having a ceramic-metal core. Due to the change in the shape of the bullet and its weight with the presence of a special core in its design, the designers have achieved a significant increase in penetrating power in comparison with PP and BP bullets. In relation to the cartridge with a bullet with a steel core 7N6, it was possible to increase penetration by 7.5 times. The cartridge was put into service in 2002 under the name "5.45-mm cartridge with an armor-piercing core BS", index 7N24.

Cartridge with armor-piercing bullet

Index GRAU 7H22.
Marking - the tip of the bullet is painted black.
- Chuck length - 56.6-57.0mm.
- Cartridge weight - 10.60-10.72g.
- Type of gunpowder - smokeless, pyroxylin.
- Brand of gunpowder - Sf033fl.
-Weight of the powder charge - 1.43-1.45g.
- Bullet weight - 3.65-3.69g.
- Bullet length - 25.50-25.65mm.
- Bullet shell material - steel,
tombac clad.
- Bullet core material -
tool steel U12A.
- Bullet core weight - 1.75-1.80g.
- The initial speed of the bullet - 870-910m / s.

Cartridge with BS bullet

- Chuck length - 56.6-57.0mm.
- Cartridge weight - 11.3 g.
- Type of gunpowder - smokeless, pyroxylin.
- Brand of gunpowder - Sf033fl.
-Weight of the powder charge - 1.43-1.45g.
- Bullet weight - 4.1 g.
- Bullet length - 24.50-24.65mm.
- Bullet shell material - steel,
tombac clad.
- Bullet core material - VK8.
- Bullet core weight - 2.10 g.
- The initial speed of the bullet - 850 m / s.

Cartridge with tracer bullet T

Index GRAU 7T3, 7T3M.
Marking - the tip of the bullet is painted green.
- Chuck length - 56.6-57.0mm.
- Cartridge weight - 10.23-10.30g.
- Type of gunpowder - smokeless, pyroxylin.
- Brand of gunpowder - Sf033fl.
-Weight of the powder charge - 1.3-1.4g.
- Bullet weight - 3.20-3.23g.
- Bullet length - 25.0-25.2 mm.
- Bullet shell material - steel,
tombac clad.
- Bullet core material - lead
with an admixture of antimony 1-2%.
- Weight of the bullet core - 1.33-1.35g.
- The initial speed of the bullet - 870-910m / s.


The first serial tracer bullets (7T3) had an elongated rear end, and their
the total length was 26.45 mm and weight 3.36 g, and their production was carried out
until 1976. Starting from 1976, the bullets were modernized (7T3M) and had
shortened back, their total length was 25.32 mm and weight 3.2 g.
This decision was due to the rapid wear of the barrel when firing data
type of cartridge, as well as with unsatisfactory accuracy compared to
cartridges 7N6.



Packing for 30pcs. cartridges with a tracer bullet with a color marking in the form of a green stripe on
one side of the package.

Cartridge with reduced ricochet ability (PRS)

PRS cartridges began to be produced in the mid-90s by the Amur Cartridge Plant, the bullet in the PRS cartridge of the first releases differed significantly in its design and was a bullet with a steel core modeled on the 7n6 cartridge, where the bullet shell in the nose had a cut to the technological cavity in front of the core . On inside shells in the bow had longitudinal cuts. Starting from the 2000s, cartridges produced at the Barnaul Cartridge Plant had a varnish sealer at the junction of the bullet and the cartridge case, as well as on the purple primer. On
the bottom of the sleeve was marked in the form of a commercial stamp of the factory and the caliber of the cartridge.
Further, starting from 2008, the designation of the factory number, year of production and type of cartridge “PRS” was applied to the bottom of the cartridge. Early releases of cartridges were loaded with gunpowder 5.45 VUfl, and later grades Sf033fl.

Blank cartridge with plastic bullet simulator

Index GRAU 7X3.
-Chuck length - 56.0-56.3mm.
- Cartridge weight - 6.4-6.6g.
- Type of gunpowder - smokeless, pyroxylin.
- Brand of gunpowder - Sf033fl, P-45.
-Weight of the powder charge - 0.60-0.61g.
- Bullet weight - 0.24-0.25g.
- Bullet length - 21.2-21.6mm.
- Bullet material - polymer.


A pack of blank cartridges 5.45 * 39 with a plastic bullet

Blank cartridge upgraded

Index GRAU 7X3M.

training cartridge

The training cartridge is intended for training in loading and unloading weapons, as well as for checking the operation of mechanisms. The cartridge case is loaded with a standard steel-core bullet. A distinctive feature of these cartridges from combat ones is the presence of recesses on the case body, located symmetrically on four sides.

Commercial version of the 5.45x39 cartridge for sporting and hunting weapons

The commercial version of the cartridge for sports and hunting weapons is produced at the Barnaul Cartridge Plant and has a lead core in its bullet design, there is a technological cavity in the bullet nose. On the bottom of the sleeve is applied the commercial mark of the plant and the caliber of the cartridge.

Experimental tapes for 5.45mm machine gun PU (PU-21), project "POPLIN"

In the early 1970s At TsNIITOCHMASH, the development of a 5.45 mm machine gun with a unified supply of ammunition began, which consisted in the use of both tape feed and store feed. The work continued until 1977, but was not completed due to unsatisfactory field tests, as well as the complex design of the machine gun




Variants of one-piece belts with a capacity of 200 rounds of caliber 5.45x39





The final version of the tape for the experienced unified 5.45-mm machine gun PU-21

In recent years, the Russian arms market is increasingly experiencing events that just a few years ago were considered impossible. Numerous carbines were put on sale in pistol calibers, the limit on the number of carried cartridges was increased, shooting clubs appeared where you can train with short-barreled weapons, new calibers for hunting weapons were certified. One of the most unexpected and discussed changes was the certification of the 5.45x39 caliber, previously unavailable to civilian shooters.

The first certified weapon chambered for 5.45x39 ammunition was the Saiga 5.45 in several versions. Of course, "Saiga" in this caliber did not appear yesterday - for many years this sample was produced and exported, mainly to the USA. There, our caliber was and remains in high demand due to the low cost of ammunition, comfortable recoil and good ballistic characteristics.

At the very beginning of 2014, new Saigis, version 08, were put into the production plan of the Kalashnikov concern, the first samples of which were produced and sent to the warehouse in June of the same year. All Saigas that appeared in stores were produced specifically for Russian market, A high quality new carbine is standard for the new products of the Kalashnikov concern, which in 2014 began a large-scale modernization of production.

"Saiga" for the Russian market was produced in three main versions: version 01 with a hunting stock, without a muzzle device, version 08 without DTK and version 08 with DTK, which is now presented in stores throughout the country.

The new Saiga has very few external differences from the machine gun: the fuse has two positions, marked with Latin letters"S" (Safety - fuse) and "F" (Fire - fire), there is no middle support for the ramrod, and there is a non-automatic shutter delay. The shutter release button is located on the right side above the trigger guard. Shutter lag allows you to fix the bolt carrier in the rear position, which simplifies the control of the status of the weapon and allows the chamber and barrel to cool down faster after intense shooting.

Otherwise, the new "Saiga" in appearance completely repeats the AK74M assault rifle. The barrel length and rifling pitch also do not differ from the combat prototype. On the left side of the receiver, as on all samples of the “hundredth” series, there is a side bracket for mounting optical sights, collimators and other sighting systems. The butt of the carbine is regular plastic, folding, with the folded butt of the carbine it is impossible to fire a shot.

The experience of using Saiga 5.45 carbines shows that regular army magazines for the AK74 assault rifle are suitable for this carbine without alterations, they snap in, feed, but the lack of a “rusk” leads to the fact that in some cases the last cartridge is not sent to the chamber. This problem is easily solved by bending the magazine feeder by 2–3 mm.

In the last few months, the carbine has been actively refined in accordance with the wishes of our customers. The following changes were introduced into the design documentation: the muzzle brake-compensator is no longer pinned, all carbines will be equipped with a "rusk" - a guide and equipped with ten-round magazines in an elongated case.

The operation of the carbine showed that in terms of reliability it is in no way inferior to the Kalashnikov assault rifle, and in terms of accuracy of fire, on average, it surpasses carbines in caliber 7.62x39. "Saiga 5.45" is perfect for practical shooting - a reliable weapon will not let you down in a match, the good flatness of the ammunition trajectory makes it easier to hit targets at long distances, and the affordable price of cartridges allows you to train effectively. The new carbine will great weapon for those who would like to have in their personal use a civilian version of the machine gun, which is in service with the Armed Forces.

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Characteristics of the rifle Saiga 5.45 version 08

  • Caliber: 5.45x39
  • Overall length: 925 mm
  • Barrel length: 415 mm
  • Weight: 3.27 kg.
  • Magazine capacity: 10 rounds

Video review of the carbine Saiga 5.45 version 08

civilian weapons

Original taken from berserk711 in Hats Off...

The best thing on the net on the topic. A lot of what I heard, but did not even see. Guys are great.

5.45x39: small, but bold


The domestic cartridge 5.45x39 is a typical example of how the "arms race" stimulates the implementation of design solutions that are usually shelved. The idea of ​​adopting a small-caliber cartridge with optimal ballistic characteristics as the main ammunition for small arms automatic weapons was proposed and justified at the beginning of the 20th century, but gained practical implementation only at the end of the last century.

This, of course, is about the work of the outstanding domestic designer V.G. Fedorov, who back in 1913 offered his automatic rifle chambered for a reduced caliber of 6.5 mm, and in the 1930s and 40s. comprehensively substantiated the advantages of small-caliber small-sized ammunition at effective firing ranges. For more than a decade, Fedorov consistently and persistently defended the ideas of small-caliber, and then low-pulse ammunition, combining in his works not only a weighty theoretical base, but also rich practical material. However, for a number of reasons, including purely technological ones, his work for a long time had no practical implementation until the very notorious factor of the “arms race” was connected to the matter.

Intelligence reports accurately...

The intensification of work to justify the use of small-caliber cartridges for armament of the army began in the late 1950s. after receiving information from abroad about the Americans' experiences with the 5.56-mm AR-15 automatic rifle and the new Remington automatic cartridge. The history of the development of the 5.56x45 ammunition and its adoption in 1962 for limited supply by the US Air Force has already been described in our magazine (No. 2 for 2011). It is only worth adding to it that already in 1959, two experienced American cartridges (the future M193) were at the disposal of Soviet designers. With them, the history of the creation of 5.45x39 began, which lasted almost 10 years. Such a long period of development and refinement of such a "small" ammunition is due to the fact that the designers had to find golden mean among many conflicting requirements and parameters of a promising cartridge. So, in order to reduce dispersion and increase the probability of hitting a target, it was necessary to reduce the recoil momentum and power, but at the same time, to increase the penetration and lethality of the bullet, on the contrary, it was necessary to increase the power of the cartridge and the mass of the bullet. On top of that, the developments had to take into account a number of new calculated values, such as effective range and hit probability. To conduct comprehensive tests of the new American cartridge, a kind of “hybrid” was created from the domestic cartridge case of the “mod. 43 years old ”, re-compressed for experimental 5.6-mm bullets made according to the American model. For shooting were made trunks cal. 5.6 mm with rifling of the same steepness as in American weapons. Comparative tests of experimental 5.6 mm cartridges with domestic 7.62 mm mod. 43, carried out at NII-61, revealed a high instability of cal. 5.6 mm. This was due not only to the length and shape of the 3.56-gram M193 bullet, but also to the steepness of the rifling. The calculated data on the ballistic characteristics of the experimental bullet, its design, lethality and penetrating power also did not allow us to draw any unambiguous conclusions. Work on the study of a small-caliber cartridge continued, but with bullets of its own design. Initially, research focused on choosing the most effective form and design of the bullet, after which the characteristics of the recoil impulse of the cartridge and the DPV of the bullet were developed. In turn, this led to the development of a new type of gunpowder and the choice of its optimal weight, as well as to a radical change in the dimensions of the sleeve. To improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the bullet, its length was increased compared to the American one, and in order to maintain optimal mass, a steel core was introduced into its design (the presence of a steel core made it possible to further increase the penetration ability of the bullet). For the new bullet, a steel, tombac-clad (bimetallic) jacket was developed, which increased its strength characteristics compared to American bullets with a soft tombac jacket, which, after hitting an obstacle, fragmented into many fragments. As a result of the experiments, a bullet with a length of 25.55 mm and a mass of 3.4 g was worked out, which received the symbol 5.45 PS.

New sleeve

At first, in a 5.45-mm low-pulse cartridge, pyroxylin tubular powder of the VUfl 545 brand was used, but it was almost immediately replaced by lacquer, the latest development of the Sf033fl brand (spheroid, burning arch thickness - 0.33 mm, phlegmatized) of spherical graining with more high energy performance and greater gravimetric density. The sample weight was chosen as 1.44 g. Gunpowder brand VUfl 545 is currently used only for equipping 5.45-mm cartridges with bullets with reduced ricochet ability - PRS. Initially, new bullets were loaded into recompressed bimetallic automatic cartridge cases “mod. 43 years”, which by that time had already been mastered in the production of domestic sports and hunting cartridges 5.6x39 and were used in the Bars hunting carbine.
An experimental batch of about 2 million units was sent for testing to the Odessa Military District. However, when working in automatic weapons a number of shortcomings appeared in the design of the sleeve with a large slope and too “thick” body. The use of the new gunpowder Sf033fl in the cartridge made it possible to reduce the diameter of the case body without losing the required characteristics of the ammunition. The project of the reduced sleeve was carried out by the engineer of the development group Lidia Ivanovna Bulavskaya. At the final development stage, the new compact ammunition received a conditional developer index (TsNIITOCHMASH, Klimovsk) - 13MZhV. After the final refinement of the bullet, carried out by cartridge production technologist Mikhail Egorovich Fedorov, it was assigned a caliber of 5.45 mm, measured according to the domestic standard - in the fields. For some time, the new cartridge was produced with bimetal sleeves, but at the stage of final refinement of the cartridge by 1967, more economical steel lacquered sleeves were worked out. The actual length of the sleeve was 39.82 mm, but in the now accepted international designation of this ammunition, it is customary to round the length of the sleeve to 39 mm. To equip the 5.45-mm cartridge cases, a brass igniter cap of the KV-16 brand with a diameter of 5.06 mm was used, which later received the army index 7KV1. A large team of ammunition specialists led by V.M. took part in the creation of a new ammunition. Sabelnikov.
In parallel with the experiments on the ordinary, work was carried out to create cartridges with special bullets - tracer and reduced speed. After working out the entire complex of the new small-caliber small arms Soviet army- assault rifles and light machine guns - the 5.45x39 cartridge received the GRAU 7N6 index and was officially adopted in 1974, although its mass production began in the late 1960s. Simultaneously with 7N6, ammunition with tracer bullets (index 7T3), cartridges with reduced bullet speed (index 7U1), blanks (index 7X3) and training (index 7X4) were accepted. The production of automatic cartridges was deployed at six Soviet cartridge factories - Ulyanovsk (No. 3), Amur (No. 7), Barnaul (No. 17), Frunzensky (No. 60), Lugansk (No. 270) and Tula (No. 539).

standard bullet

The 7N6 cartridge was loaded with a PS bullet with a conical bottom part 25.55 mm long and weighing 3.4 g. The bullet consisted of a bimetallic shell, a lead jacket and a blunt core made of grade 10 steel. There is a technological cavity between the upper end of the core and the shell of the bullet. The charge of gunpowder Sf033fl (since 1987 - brand SSNf 30 / 3.69) gives the bullet an initial speed of about 870-890 m / s. Subsequently, in connection with the increase in the level of protection of targets with personal protective equipment (PIB), it became necessary to increase the penetration ability of a conventional bullet. 5.45 mm, which was achieved through the use of a hardened core made of steel grades 65G, 70 or 75. A new modification of the 7N6M cartridge was adopted in 1987. The 7N6 and 7N6M cartridges do not have a special distinctive color marking. The subsequent appearance of bulletproof vests with titanium armor plates served as an impetus for the search for new ways to further increase the penetrating effect of 5.45-mm bullets. By 1991, specialists from the Lugansk Machine-Tool Plant (No. 270) had worked out a cartridge with an increased penetration bullet (cartridge symbol 5.45 PP), which, after being put into service, received the GRAU 7N10 index. The bullet of the new cartridge received an elongated stamped hardened core made of steel grades 70 and 75 with a pointed top and a flat cut of the head part with a diameter of about 1.8 mm. There was also a technological cavity in the head of the bullet. In addition to increasing the mass of the bullet to 3.6 g by increasing the length of the core, the mass of the powder charge was also slightly increased - up to 1.46 g. The new cartridge was adopted, but with the collapse of the USSR, the technological line for the production of development remained in Lugansk. In this situation, Russian manufacturers urgently had to “re-develop” the 7N10 cartridge, which later resulted in a number of upgrades to the 5.45x39 cartridge, which will be discussed in our next issue.

tracer bullets

The second main cartridge of the 5.45-mm caliber ammunition was the cartridge with a tracer bullet, which was developed in parallel at the very early stage of experiments with small-caliber cartridges. The bullet structurally consisted of a bimetallic shell, a lead core in the head and a tracer composition with a calibration ring in the bottom. Due to the small size of the bullet, the tracer composition was placed directly into the shell without a tracer cup. To improve the incendiary effect, the composition itself was made two-component - from the main tracer composition and the incendiary initiating it. Until 1976, bullets with a length of 26.45 mm and a mass of 3.36 g were produced, which were soon replaced by shorter ones with a length of 25.32 mm and a mass of 3.2 g. Reducing the length of the bullet, without significant damage to its characteristics, allowed several to reduce the length of the cylindrical leading part, which, in turn, made it possible to reduce the wear of small arms barrels. The mass of the powder charge of the Sf0033fl brand was 1.41 g. The cartridge with a tracer bullet under the symbol 5.45 T and the GRAU 7T3 index was put into service in 1974. A distinctive marking of tracer ammunition was the color of the top of the bullet in green.

Reduced speed

Another regular 5.45-mm ammunition was a cartridge with a reduced bullet speed, which received the symbol 5.45US (cartridge index 7U1). It is designed for use with weapons equipped with a "silent and flameless firing device" - PBS. The experience of operating in the troops of the domestic 7.62-mm AKM assault rifle and the PBS-1 device served as the basis for the development of a similar complex for the AK74 cal. 5.45 mm. In the course of experimental work, various types of "silent" bullets were consistently tested along with different models of silent and flameless firing devices - first with PBS-2, then with PBS-3 and, finally, with the final version adopted for service - PBS-4. During development, designers faced a number of technological and physical property associated with both the ammunition itself and the weapon under it. Small caliber and dimensions of ammunition cal. 5.45 mm made it very difficult to create a special cartridge with optimal characteristics. On the one hand, for satisfactory operation of the PBS, it was necessary to reduce the charge (in order to obtain a subsonic bullet speed) and increase the mass of the bullet (to increase its lethality), and on the other hand, it was necessary to increase the mass of the powder charge to increase the effective firing range. At the same time, the difference in the length of the barrels of AK74 assault rifles, RPK74 machine guns and shortened AKS74U assault rifles made it almost impossible to create a “universal” cartridge that works equally in all samples. In addition, it was necessary to take into account the influence of the degree of wear of the small-caliber barrel on ballistic performance bullets. With increased wear, the muzzle velocity of the bullet increased, and the excess of subsonic speed nullified the "subsonic" principle of muffling sound. As a result, a compromise decision was made - to work out the US cartridge only for the shortened AKS74U assault rifles, with their subsequent refinement for the improved PBS-4 device. This measure, in turn, limited the use of the PBS-4 to only modified models of machine guns and, accordingly, narrowed the overall distribution of the complex to only some special forces of law enforcement agencies - the KGB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the USSR Ministry of Defense. The new machine with the designation AKS74UB was assigned the index GRAU 6P27. Additionally, the AKS74UB could be equipped with a BS-1M underbarrel silent grenade launcher with a 30-mm 7P25 cumulative incendiary grenade. This rifle-grenade launcher (SGK) under the name "Canary" was assigned the index GRAU 6S1. Throwing a 30-mm grenade was carried out using a special blank PHS cartridge supplied from an 8-round grenade launcher magazine. In parallel with the experiments on working out the PBS, there was a constant modernization of the US cartridge.

By the end of the 1970s, the first version of the cartridge was developed, consisting of an ordinary 7N6 bullet and a reduced powder charge. The cartridge had reinforced varnishing at the junction of the bullet with the sleeve and the top of the bullet was black. Then, a special bullet with a lead core and a reduced radius of the ogival part was developed for the US cartridge. A distinctive marking of the new US cartridge model was the color of the bullet tip with purple varnish. However, the mass of the new bullet was insufficient for the full-fledged operation of the PBS, and in addition to the lead core, an additional weighted core made of a tungsten-cobalt alloy (grade VK8) was introduced into the design. To improve the obturation of the bullet in the bore, its diameter was increased from 5.65 mm to 5.67 mm, due to which a characteristic ledge appeared on its ogival part. The total length of the bullet after completion was 24.3 mm. P-125 pistol powder weighing 0.31 g was used as a propellant charge. The production of several batches of the final version of the 7U1 cartridge was launched in the late 1980s. at the Lugansk machine-tool plant.

test cartridges

For testing weapons cal. 5.45 mm VD cartridges were developed ( high pressure) and US (enhanced charge). VD (GRAU index 7SCH3) is designed to test the strength of weapon barrels in the factory. This cartridge is equipped with a bullet with a steel core weighing 3.5 g and a charge of gunpowder increased to 1.52 g. The VD bullet has an enlarged leading part due to the absence of a rear cone, like a conventional PS. A distinctive marking of the VD cartridge is the color of the bullet in yellow. A cartridge with a UZ bullet is designed to test the strength of weapon locking units. As follows from its name, it has a charge of gunpowder grade SSNf 30 / 3.69 reinforced to 1.46 g. The cartridge, which received the GRAU 7Sh4 index, is equipped with a conventional PS bullet with a steel core. The distinctive marking of the UZ cartridge is a black bullet.
Exemplary cartridges are intended for certification of ballistic weapons, testing of new samples of cartridges and carrying out control measurements during firing. Exemplary cartridges are made from the components of shaft cartridges selected during mass production according to more stringent quality and geometric requirements. Exemplary cartridges have a distinctive marking in the form of a white bullet tip.

Soviet Minimi
In the second half of the twentieth century. the idea of ​​​​creating a machine gun with combined power was put into practice: from a tape and a magazine. This concept was implemented in the Belgian machine gun FN Minimi / M249, the Israeli Negev and the Czech Vz.52 / 57. In the USSR, such developments began in the fall of 1971 at the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant. The objective of the project called PU (unified feed machine gun) was to develop a belt-fed machine gun based on the standard RPK-74 with the additional possibility of using magazine feed and increasing the efficiency of the base sample by one and a half times. Well-known design engineers took part in the work: Yu.K. Alexandrov, V.M. Kalashnikov, M.E. Dragunov, A.I. Nesterov. The drawings of the first prototype were ready in 1973, and in the spring of 1974, preliminary tests were carried out on the first model of an experimental PU machine gun at the Izhmash training ground. In the same year, the prototype was submitted for testing at TSNIITOCHMASH. The development was called "Poplin". In the course of subsequent work, several models of machine guns with belt-shop feed were developed, which were tested at TSNIITOCHMASH and at the training ground of the Ministry of Defense. For experimental machine guns, several variants of metal belts with a capacity of 200 rounds were developed. The tape was placed in a duralumin box, which was attached from below to the receiver. The machine gun was developed for standard magazines from RPK-74 and AK-74, but in the course of work on the Poplin theme, high-capacity magazines were developed - a disk magazine for 100 rounds (designer V.V. Kamzolov) and a drum MZO (designer V.N. Paranin). The last experimental model of the machine gun was assembled in 1978, but soon the topic was closed. According to the conclusion of the military, belt power, along with an increase in combat rate of fire, still increases the mass and dimensions of machine guns. Variants of machine guns with combined feed have a complex design of the feed unit and reduced reliability due to differences in the amounts of energy required for reloading with tape and magazine feed. Later, based on the results of the Poplin theme, a removable SPU tape feeder was developed, which made it possible to use tape feed for standard RPK machine guns and AK assault rifles. SPU consisted of a metal tape, a box and a tape feeder driven by a bolt carrier. However, this development was also not developed due to the complexity of the design and the large amount of adjustment of nodes.

Single and training

In the late 1970s to simulate the sound of a shot when firing from standard weapons cal. 5.45 mm by the designers of the Central Research Institute TOCH MASH V.I. Volkov and B.A. Johansen developed a blank cartridge. At the stage of experiments, a blank cartridge with an elongated muzzle crimped by a star was worked out. However, later preference was given to cartridges with a conventional sleeve and a plastic hollow bullet. white. This cartridge was put into service under the symbol GRAU 7X3. A blank cartridge is used together with a special muzzle sleeve, which provides the required level of powder gas pressure when fired and guaranteed destruction of the plastic "bullet". Until the 1980s a violet sealant varnish was applied to the junction of the barrel of the sleeve and the bullets of blank cartridges, later they began to use red varnish.
In the 1970s for training in the rules for handling weapons, a 5.45-mm training cartridge was developed (GRAU index 7X4). This ammunition, developed by the designer TSNIITOCHMASH V.I. Volkov, consists of a regular cartridge case with a chilled primer and a conventional PS bullet. The training ammunition has a reinforced fixation of the bullet in the muzzle of the case and four longitudinal grooves on the case body. Sealer varnish and distinctive color marking were not applied to the training cartridge.
IN Soviet period nomenclature of cartridges cal. 5.45 mm cartridge was much more modest compared to the 7.62 mm cartridge mod. 43 years. There were no cartridges with incendiary and armor-piercing incendiary bullets in this caliber. This was due to the small internal volume of the bullet, which did not allow the placement of "overall" elements of incendiary systems and any effective amount of initiating compositions.

5.6x45 "Biathlon"
A separate bright episode in the domestic history of small-caliber intermediate ammunition flashed a 5.6-mm sports cartridge "Biathlon". From the mid 1960s. in parallel with the development of a 5.45-mm automatic cartridge in the USSR, work began on the creation of sports small-caliber ammunition and a sports rifle. As in the case of the 5.45 mm automatic cartridge, the cartridge case of the 7.62 mm automatic cartridge "mod. 43 years". But, unlike military ammunition, the sleeve of a sports cartridge was immediately made of brass, which is the norm for sports cartridges. The result was a fairly powerful ammunition with a sleeve 45 mm long, which allows you to place a sufficiently large powder charge, and a bullet 25.0 mm long and weighing 4.93 g. The primer had a reinforced fixation using triple point punching. Under the new cartridge, Izhevsk designers Anisimov and Susloparov developed the world's first "biathlon" rifle BI-5 with fast reloading and low recoil momentum. The release of new cartridges was carried out in small experimental batches in the late 1960s - early 1970s. Small-scale production of BI-5 rifles was launched in 1973-1975. in the experimental workshop of Izhmash. At first, the cartridge and rifle were "run-in" at intra-union biathlon competitions, and in 1976, during the Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria, the world premiere took place. The result exceeded all expectations: all the gold went to the Soviet team. N. Kruglov became the Olympic champion in the 20 km race, and the USSR national team became the Olympic champion in the relay. The new Soviet cartridge made a splash, because. at that time, even a regular 5.45-mm submachine gun was a secret for Europe with seven seals, and what can we say about highly specialized sports ammunition. A year later, the world of biathlon said goodbye to powerful cartridges: in 1977 at the Congress International Federation pentathlon and biathlon, new rules were adopted, according to which, since 1978, the standard cartridge for biathlon has become 22 long rifle, and the distance to the target has been reduced to 50 m.
The farewell of Soviet biathletes with a promising rifle took place in 1977 in the Norwegian city of Vingrom. The main hero of the sprint race was the outstanding Soviet biathlete Alexander Ivanovich Tikhonov. Without making a single mistake, leaving all competitors far behind, at the final stage of the race, the athlete took off his rifle from his shoulder, raised it above his head and thus overcame the last 300-400 meters of the distance. At the finish line, he defiantly threw his weapon into the snow, never to pick it up again. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses, the king of Norway, who was present at these competitions, could hardly hold back his tears - the scene was so piercing. So Tikhonov won his last, 11th, gold medal, and so ended the career of the domestic sports cartridge 5.6x45 "Biathlon". IN next year in the Austrian Hochfilzen, the World Championship was held, but under new rules and with new cartridges. Our team returned from there without a single award.
To facilitate the equipping of magazines with cartridges, special fast-loading clips (index 6Yu20. 6) for 15 rounds were adopted. It was assumed that in conditions close to combat, a soldier would be able to have spare ammunition, pre-equipped in clips for quick reloading of magazines during the battle. Fixing the clip on the neck of the store is carried out using a special adapter-adapter Y-shape(Index 6Y20.7). During the development of the clip, other options were tested, both with and without an adapter.

Container and marking

Packing capacity of 5.45 mm cartridges was a multiple of the capacity of a standard 30-round automatic magazine. Ammunition was originally packaged in carton boxes for 30 rounds, but in the mid-70s it was decided to switch to a simplified paper wrapper fastened with two staples. 36 paper bags with total 1,080 rounds. Two metal boxes were placed in a standard wooden box for 2,160 ammunition. A stencil was applied to the lid of the box indicating the basic data of the ammunition. In parallel with the packaging of cartridges in paper wrappers in metal boxes, packaging was practiced 4 paper bundles 30 rounds in 120 rounds moisture-proof bags and packing these bags in a wooden box without metal boxes. With such packaging, 2,160 rounds of ammunition were also placed in a wooden box. Distinctive feature ammunition intended for sealing in moisture-proof bags was a protective oxidized coating of the primer in black, which was abolished as mandatory in 1988. wooden boxes. For cartridges with tracer bullets, a color marking in the form of a green stripe is adopted, and for cartridges with a reduced bullet speed, in the form of a black-and-green stripe. An unusual feature that has not yet found a documentary explanation is the system symbols on the capping of 5.45 mm live ammunition produced before 1982, which differed from the standard scheme adopted for small ammunition of the Soviet Army. According to the "traditional" system of symbols, the caliber of the cartridge, the type of its bullet (PS, T or US) and then the type of cartridge case used (GZh - bimetallic, GS - steel lacquered) should be sequentially applied to the closure with cartridges. For some reason, until 1982, on all types of containers of 5.45-mm cartridges, after the designation of the caliber, the designation of the type of sleeve was applied, and only after it - the designation of the type of bullet, for example - 5.45gsPS instead of 5.45PSgs.

The legend of the "center of gravity"
It is worth noting that the unusually small cartridge was perceived ambiguously by weapons specialists and the military. "Grandfather of Soviet machine guns" M.T. Kalashnikov was categorically against the new ammunition, arguing that for a small and long bullet, or "punch", as Mikhail Timofeevich dubbed it at one of the ministerial meetings, it would not be possible to work out the survivability of the barrel. Indeed, initially the barrels of experimental assault rifles withstood about 2,000 shots, while the military demanded at least 10,000. 12,000 shots. characteristic feature 5.45 mm ammunition is sudden loss bullet stability when hitting an obstacle. A curious video has been posted on the YouTube Internet resource, in which the Americans are almost point blank trying to shoot a TV screen from an AK-74 at an angle, but the bullets ricochet off its surface and cannot break it. This property of a bullet - to sharply change the flight path when it encounters an obstacle - has given rise among the people (and even in the military environment) to a stable legend about a "bullet with a displaced center of gravity." In fact, the center of gravity of the bullet, of course, lies on its longitudinal axis of symmetry (closer to the bottom) and does not "shift" anywhere. It's just that the combination of such indicators as the length and mass of the bullet, the position of its center of gravity, the ratio of the moments of inertia and the pitch of the rifling of the barrel are selected so that the bullet during the flight is at the limit of gyroscopic stability. When hitting an obstacle, the action of two forces - gravity and the force of resistance to the environment - create an overturning moment, in which light small-caliber bullets lose their stability and turn around. This property of the bullet causes certain inconveniences when shooting "on TV", but leads to serious injuries when it hits live targets.

The shops

The AK-74 assault rifle was powered from a box-shaped sector magazine (index 6L23) with a capacity of 30 rounds, made of orange AG-4V fiberglass. For RPK-74 light machine guns, high-capacity box sector magazines for 45 rounds (6L18 index) were developed, which were also made from AG-4V fiberglass. Since the 1980s stores for 30 rounds and new improved magazines for 45 rounds (index 6L26) began to be made from glass-filled polyamide PA-6 in dark purple, which received the nickname "plum" in the army environment. Since the 1970s, experimental work has been carried out with varying degrees of intensity to further increase the capacity of cartridge magazines. Options for creating steel 60-round magazines with a 4-row arrangement of cartridges were worked out, followed by the restructuring of the cartridges at the neck into a standard 2-row feed. However, the practical implementation of these works took place only by 2000, when a high-capacity magazine (RF Patent No. 2158890) made of black plastic was adopted by the power structures of the Russian Federation.


5.45x39 discussions of the question do not subside - why is it needed? Let's try to figure it out.

To begin with, I will leave aside the value of this cartridge for Caeg owners who are nostalgic for footcloths and wear their hunting carbines into lacquered plywood and spray-painted nylon magazines plum. It was always incomprehensible to me, so to each his own.

Further, I note that the tales from the series “the ensign promised to fit the tracer zinc to me here” in practice remained in the dense 1990s. Now in the army, some kind of order has been put in place, taking into account weapons and consumables, and the probability of stealing or decommissioning a car of automatic cartridges is, of course, not entirely zero, but this is a rarity that you should not really bet on. If it were otherwise, then the hobbits would not have experienced the extreme years of a shortage of weapons and ammunition, gradually re-equipping with more and more ancient historical artifacts and stupid homemade products.

And, finally, let's not forget about the established law enforcement practice on the illegal circulation of military ammunition of the same caliber as civilian. If about ten or fifteen years ago they looked through their fingers at the presence of cartridges with cores in a hunter (let's be honest - there was a lot of mess), now two or more live cartridges perfectly excite and work out 222h1, and the presence of a permit for a Tiger or Saiga of a similar caliber - mitigating is not a circumstance. Yes, a cunning lawyer may try to come up with a line about a fantastic confusion of live ammunition with civilians that occurred in an unspecified place, at an unspecified time, etc., but this is only one of the lines of defense, and in no way a rehabilitating circumstance. So no need to mess with army cartridges - that's my advice. Not those times.

Well, actually let's talk about the material part.

external ballistics. The 5.45x39 cartridge is almost the same type as 5.56x45, and it should be compared with it. Let's take two Saiga-MK carbines with 415mm barrels. The score tables look like this:


Those. Roughly, 5.45x39 is very close to the powerful 4 gram Barnaul-223. However, as you can clearly see from the table, the .223 is slightly heavier and more powerful at the start, but has a slightly less flat trajectory, slightly more recoil and loses energy and speed faster. As a result, the difference in the recoil of a shot of 5J versus 6J makes it possible to shoot from a 3kg 5.45 weapon at the same speed as from a similar 4kg weapon 5.56. In addition, the point-blank range advantage of, for example, the Alpha of an IPSC metric target looks like this:

Why is this happening? With a similar mass and caliber, the relative length of the 5.45 bullet is greater than that of 5.56, and therefore the ballistic coefficient of the domestic cartridge is better. It did not happen by chance - our cartridge was made in response to the American one, and the creators tried to make it at least not worse, but better. As a result, rudely, if a p.223 carbine can be fired at 300 meters into the scoring zone without vertical adjustments, then with an AK-74 clone it can be fired at 350 meters. It seems to be an insignificant difference, but from these pennies a victory in sports comes.

Wound ballistics. It's even more interesting here. The 5.56 cartridge was created for weapons with a 510mm barrel, and any carbines in the AKM format are "sawn-off" by default. At the same time, the OD of this cartridge of the FMJ and HP types is based on the destruction of a short bullet in an obstacle due to the high flight speed. As soon as the speed drops below 700m/s, this destruction does not occur, and the jacketed 5.56 bullet begins to work like an ordinary small thing, and the expansion does not open. The effect is known, it can be treated only by using the SP half-shell, but such bullets are less reliable when chambered in semi-automatic weapons and have a number of other legal disadvantages. That is, for 5.56, a longer barrel is desirable, optimally 500mm, and not 350mm, like a weapon of the Saiga-MK03 class. In the case of 5.45, we have the well-known effect of a long “bullet with a displaced center of gravity”, which, due to its length, overturns after about 10 cm of passage through the target in almost all ranges of speeds and distances, causing a very stable traumatic effect. And the specified effect can be achieved on weapons with any barrel length - from "bitch" 214mm to RPKshnyh - 590mm. That is, OD does not depend on the length of the barrel, and in the case of a domestic caliber, it is possible to have a weapon that is effective not only on paper in compact dimensions.

Separately for imported ammunition. I often read the opinions of beginners and theorists of rifled weapons about the use of imported ammunition, which should increase accuracy to fantastic values. Unfortunately, in my experience shooting p.308 and p.223 at IPSC and just at the shooting range, the range of available imported cartridges in Russia is actually quite small. And the quality of these cartridges for a specific barrel is often much lower than expected for such money. I do not urge you to drop everything and switch to only the products of domestic cartridge factories. It’s just that you shouldn’t immediately discard it - with a high probability you will shoot the usual Barnaul or Centaur from Saiga, so the advantage of the existence of high-precision cartridges in your caliber somewhere in the world is very far-fetched.

Conclusions. It will be extremely interesting if domestic factories still issue a civilian AKMoyd at 5.45x39 to the mountain. This will be an extremely interesting complex, both for sports and as a NAZ weapon "just in case." The only question is the price, quality of performance and the timing of the appearance of such a complex. For me personally, the new caliber is interesting for the possibility of creating a weapon weighing 3 kg for it with a barrel length of 350 mm, which has a rate of fire and terminal efficiency comparable to more heavy weapons with a longer barrel under .223 caliber.

Upd. The excess table for AK105 is given below, for which thanks to the respected