The dispute about what caliber of automatic weapons is better - 7.62 or 5.45 mm from 1974, when 5.45 mm AK-74 automatic machine was adopted for armament of the Soviet Army. Obviously, the universal automaton and any other weapons do not exist. Each model has its advantages and disadvantages. Preference is also given to the weapon, which has a large set of positive qualities together. When the author of these rows was studied in a military school (1989-1993), then the university's re-equipment was re -med by new AK-74. The first thing that rushed into the eyes is: after the shooting of automata, many cadets increased the accuracy of shooting, the bullets were rude. But shooting at the landfill is one thing, and the real battle is completely different. In this article, we will try to figure out which of the two calibers is still a greater set of positive qualities.

Trend...
It is no secret that the development of individual small arms over the past two centuries was accompanied by a constant decrease in the caliber. This is associated with the development of technologies in the production of both weapons and ammunition. So, by the middle of the XIX century, 0.4 - 0.5 inches (10.0 - 12.7 mm) was considered to be an ordinary caliber of long-life weapons. In the last twenty-year XIX century, the transition began to the arms of reduced caliber, as a rule, about 0.3 inches (7.62 mm or so, in the range of 7-8 mm). Already in the first half of the 20th century, repeated attempts were carried out to further reduce weapons caliber to 7 and less millimeters, as well as reduced power of standard rifle ammunition, especially after the appearance of automatic weapons.
During World War II, ammunitions of reduced power are beginning to appear in the world's armies while having a standard rifle caliber 7.62 - 8.0 mm.
But seriously the problem of reducing the caliber of their rifles was first engaged in the United States, adopting an assault rifle M16A1 in the mid-1960s. As soon as the practical experience of Americans confirmed the possibility and usefulness of further decline in calibers, full-scale work in this direction began in other countries, including the USSR.
Our answer
From the second half of the 1960s, 5.6 mm caliber cartridges were developed on the basis of a regular cartridge, and by the beginning of the 1970s a new caliber cartridge was developed 5.45 mm, which had an extended bullet with a combined steel and lead core and cavity In the spout. The initial velocity of the bullet was about 900 m / s, the total weight of the cartridge is 10.2 grams, 6 grams are less than the weight of the cartridge of 7.62 mm (16.2 g), which when wearing ammunition 8 stores (240 rounds) gives savings Mass in 1.4 kg.
The new cartridge also had a substantially larger bullet trajectory, which increased the large, almost 100 meters, a direct shot of a direct shot. Due to the features of the design of the bullet, when it got into the body, it began to tumble, apply heavier than usual wounds.
As an initial weapon, a new chamber of Kalashnikov with minimally necessary changes was decided to use under the new cartridge with the minimum necessary changes, and in the future to develop and adopt a more perfect set of weapons for a new cartridge. In 1974, a set of 5.45 mm caliber was adopted, consisting of an AK-74 machine (baseline), an AKS-74 automaton (option with folding butt for the Airborne Forces) and a manual machine gun RPK-74. In the late 1970s, a short-circuit AKS-74U is also taken into service.
Later the so-called "night" options AK-74n, who had a side bar for fastening infrared night sights appeared. Currently, the main option was the AK-74M machine, which enters the Russian army since the early 1990s. This machine differs mainly by replaced by AK-74, AKS-74 and AK-74N, due to the fact that it has an arrangement of black plastic on the left side (externally similar grocery of the AK-74 Late Series), as well as universal The bar for attaching sights (both night and daytime) on the left side of the trunks.
When applying for the Soviet army of a new caliber cartridge, 5.45 mm meant that the modernized automatic and manual machine gun of the Kalashnikov system AK-74 and the RPK-74 would be replaced with the more advanced and effective samples of small arms over time. Research, and then a competitive topic under the code name "Abakan" just was launched to create a fundamentally new sample of individual small arms of a 5.45 mm caliber on the replacement of AK-74. The victory in the competition got a sample developed by designer Gennady Nikonov on Izhmash. In 1994, Nikonov's automatic was officially adopted by the Russian Army under the designation of An-94.
However, for a number of reasons for widespread in the troops, this machine did not receive.
"Pros and cons"
What is the best caliber? The question is quite complicated. 5.45 mm bullet has a smaller cross-sectional area. This means that it is experiencing less air resistance, the trajectory of its flight is more flat, the distance of the direct shot is greater, the accuracy above and the bullet retains a slaughter force at a fairly long distance. The presence of a dung brake-compensator also increases the carname (a compensator is installed on the ACM). These are the pros. And the cons also associated with the bullet mass. As it is less than that of a caliber of 7.62 mm, a greater influence of various kinds of obstacles and weather conditions have a greater influence of various kinds of obstacles and weather conditions, which should be taken into account when using weapons in the mountains, in "Zelenka".
7.62 mm caliber bullets are perhaps harder and have a large cross-sectional area. This (primarily mass) gives an advantage in combat actions in forest and mountainous terrain, with adverse weather conditions. The branches of the bullet 7.62 mm are simply cut, and the trees with a diameter of 10-15 centimeters break through.
Cons: 7.62 mm bullets have a more attached flight path, due to the resistance of the air faster losing the resulting energy. The distance is a direct shooting and accuracy at the pulp of 7.62 mm less than 5.45 mm, since the powder charge is more and the return is stronger. The 7.62 mm machine guns have a larger angle of inclination relative to the trunk channel than the 5.45 mm automaton, and, as a result, pulls them stronger when shots.
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Agrowing
7.62 mm. The ammunition to the Kalashnikov machine gun AK-47 or AKM is equipped with a spindle-shaped bullet with a solid shell made of copper coating steel. Inside there is a large steel core. The space between the core and the shell is filled with lead. Usually in the human body, this bullet passes the distance of 23-26 cm by the head part forward, and then changes the position sharply. The wound is characterized by a minimum tissue break. As a rule, if the bullet bends bones, there are small point inlet and output wounds with a slight muscle break. At the same time, when entering large internal organs, the severity of injury is significant, often incompatible with life.
5.45 mm. The bullet is used in the ammunition to the AK-74 machine. It has a solid metal sheath of steel with copper coating. Inside there is a large steel core, and in front of it - lead liner. A characteristic feature is free space about 5 mm long in the head. His appointment is to shift the center of gravity towards the bottom part, which makes the bullet change the position in the initial stage of the path in the human tissues. In addition, at the moment of impact, the lead in the bullet is moving forward in the free space. The movement of lead occurs not symmetrically, and this serves as one of the reasons for the sharp curvature of the bullet trajectory when passing through the tissue. However, this behavior of the bullet does not increase its affecting effect. Although the bullet changes the position after 7 cm after penetration into the body, a significant gap occurs only on the final site. All small-caliber pools that are not exposed to strain, finish their way through the fabric bottom part, as the center of gravity is located there. When entering fabrics, factors such as a bullet form and the location of the center of gravity are stronger than the effect of stabilization from rotation.
Opinion expert
Shiryaev Dmitry Ivanovich, for 49 years he was the leading designer of FSUE "TsNII", worked on a Klimovsky specialized patron factory:
- As soon as AK-47 was adopted, the troops were convinced that the shooting of this automaton queues from an unstable position (standing, from the knee) is not very effective. Two bullets still badly fall into the target, the third goes away.
The military believed that during factory refinement it would be possible to eliminate. Large work was carried out in the profile NII-61. But I could not solve the problem. The machine has improved, but still not as much as necessary.
In the meantime, Americans have rush to the caliber of 5.60 mm, and for the same reason that I said above. Then the director of the NII-61 Viktor Maksimovich Sabelnikov began the development of a cartridge 5.45 mm at the Institute. Tests were actively conducted in one of the military districts. The famous engineer-gunsmith Lidia Ivanovna Bulavskaya led this topic. Moreover, Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov, I will say that, I did not contribute to these works. As a result, the cartridge was worked out, quite good results were obtained.
In the meantime, there were feedback from troops, some critical enough. Like, these bullets, if you hit, almost in the edge losing stability. Skeptics were invited to the NII-61 polygon, where different obstacles were made, and the negative, prescribed by the cartridge 5.45 mm, was not confirmed. Then, by the way, Lidia Ivanovna proposed the next time the test for money critics.
In 2000 I was in Chechnya and met with Chechen - the commander of the squad, who fought on our side. He said that when traveling to surgery, he knows that the opponent will have an automatic weapon of 5.45 mm caliber. He defended his UAZ with discs from the cultivator and was calm. But the fact is that only the first cartridges of 5.45 mm - 7m6 in probe were weak. Later, a 7M10 cartridge was developed, which pierces a 16-mm iron sheet (Steel-3) on a 100-meter distance, which was repeatedly demonstrated at an arms exhibition in Abu Dhabi.
In my opinion, the conversations about the advantage of the cartridge of the caliber of 7.62 mm are quite subjective. Part of the specialists give them to each other as a legend. The overwhelming majority of domestic weapons scientists, designers and engineers believe that alternatives to the transition to a caliber of 5.45 mm. Moreover, when it comes to the 7M10 cartridge, which, by the way, is extremely little ones in Chechnya during the first and second campaigns. Do not forget that large-scale scientific research has been conducted, numerous tests confirming these conclusions.
Still - 5.45 mm
Thus, the advantage of the cartridge is 5.45 mm is obvious. Here is the opinion of Russian gunsmith-scientists: Currently, 5.45 mm patron remains the best choice for individual automatic small arms. Further modernization of this ammunition will allow him to continue to compete with foreign counterparts.

Bullets with a displaced center of gravity are known to any more or less knowledgeable man. Various legends are associated with them, the essence of which is coming down to the following: when entering the body of a bullet with a displaced center of gravity begins to move along a chaotic trajectory; Once, for example, in the leg, such a miracle bullet can get out of the head. All this is often taller than serious.

What is a bullet with a shifted center of gravity?

The answer to the question of the existence of bullets with a displaced center of gravity is no doubt. Such bullets really exist, and quite a long time. Their history began in 1903-1905, when instead of the previous stupid rifle bullets, the pointed two types were adopted: heavy - for the maintenance of fire on distant distances and lungs - for fire to the close distance.

These bullets were characterized by improved aerodynamics compared to stupid. They entered the armies of the leading powers of the world almost at the same time, and in Germany, the USA, Turkey and Russia, light bullets were first taken, and in England, France and Japan are heavy.

Types of bullets Types of bullets: A - Tumbon, b - pointed heavy, in - pointed lungs. Knowledges indicate the center of gravity, circles - air resistance center

Light bullets, in addition to improved aerodynamics, have a number of other advantages. The smaller mass of the bullet, taking into account the colossal volumes of the ammunition produced, gave significant savings of the metal. Also increased the wearable ammunition arrow. The light bullet had a greater initial rate (compared to the stupid - 100-200 m / s), which in the aggregate with its improved ballistic increased the range of the straight shot. The experience of conducting hostilities of the late XIX - early XX centuries. It showed that the range up to 300-400 m is the limit for the conduct of aiming firing by the average prepared fighter. The introduction of light bullets allowed to increase the effectiveness of the aiming fire on the specified ranges, with the same training of shooters. The advantages of heavy bullets in the near distances were redundant. They were needed only to maintain long-range machine gun and rifle fire.

The experience of the practical application of light pointed bullets revealed one not very pleasant to their feature. The fire was carried out from the rifles designed to shoot with stupid bullets. The trunks of such rifles had a gentle cut, which were enough to stabilize the stupid bullets, but light bullets released from them turned out to be unstable in flight due to insufficient rotation speed. As a result, the accuracy and the prebatic ability of light bullets were reduced, their demolition was raised under the action of side wind. To stabilize the bullet in flight, the center of her gravity began to artificially transfer back, closer to the bottom part. To do this, the nose of the bullet was specially facilitated by placing there any lightweight material: aluminum, fiber or extruded cotton mass. But the most rationally entered the Japanese. They made bullets with a shell thickened in front. Thus, two tasks were solved at once: the center of gravity bullets was shifted back, since the share of the shell material is less than that of lead; At the same time, due to the thickening of the shell, the punching ability of bullets increased. These were the first bullets with a shifted center of gravity.

As you can see, the displacement of the center of gravity of the bullet was not at all for the chaotic movement when he got into the body, but, on the contrary, for better stabilization. According to eyewitness testimonies, such bullets left enough wounds in the tissue.

The nature of the wounds from bullets with a displaced center of gravity

So what caused rumors about terrible wounds applied by bullets with a displaced center of gravity? And how do they correspond to reality?

For the first time, unknown extensive (relatively small bullet caliber) were injured in relation to the cartridge.280 ROSS caliber of 7 mm. However, the cause of them, as it turned out, was a large initial velocity of the bullet - about 980 m / s. If such a bullet gets into the body at high speed of the fabric, located near the wound channel, turned out to be in the hydraulic impact zone. This led to the destruction of nearby internal organs and even bones.

Even more severe damage was applied by bullets M-193, which were equipped with 5.56x45 cartridges to M-16 rifles. These bullets, with an initial speed of about 1000 m / s, also have the property of a hydrodynamic impact, but the severity of injuries is explained not only by this. If you get into the body, such a bullet runs in soft tissues 10-12 cm, then unfolds, flatten up and cleaned in the area of \u200b\u200bthe ring groove, intended for planting bullets in the sleeve. The bullet itself continues to move the bottom for ahead, while the multiple bullets formed when the bullets are smasted are affected by the fabrics at a depth of 7 cm from the wound channel. Thus, the tissues are affected by the combined effect of fragments and hydraulic impact. As a result of the opening in the internal organs from the bullets, it would seem so small caliber, can reach 5-7 cm in diameter.

At first it was believed that the cause of this behavior of bullets M-193 was instability in flight due to too gentle cuts of the rifle of the M-16 rifle (step - 305 mm). However, when a heavy bullet M855 was developed to the cartridge 5,56x45, designed for cooler cuts (178 mm), the situation has not changed. The raised rotational speed allowed to stabilize the bullet, but the nature of the wound remained the same.

Based on the said, it suggests that the displacement of the center of gravity of the bullet itself in this case does not affect the nature of the injuries. The severity of damage is due to the speed of the bullet and some other factors.

Wounded Canal from bullets M-193

Ammunition 5,45x39 - NATO Soviet response

It turns out everything that tells about the properties of bullets with a displaced center of gravity - fiction? Not really.

Following the adoption of the army of NATO countries in 5.56x45, the Soviet Union has developed its intermediate cartridge of reduced caliber - 5,45x39. His bullet had deliberately displaced back center of gravity due to cavity in the nose. This ammunition, which received the 7H6 index was "combat baptism" in Afghanistan. And it turned out that the nature of the wounds applied to them is seriously different from the same M-193 and M855.

If you get into the tissue, the Soviet bullet did not turn over the tail part of the forward, like a small-caliber American bullets - she began to randomly tumble, repeatedly turning over during the movement in the wound channel. Unlike the American bullets, 7H6 did not destroy, since its durable steel shell withstood hydraulic loads when moving inside the body.

Experts consider one of the reasons for the behavior of the ammunition of the ammunition 7N6 in soft tissues just a displaced center of gravity. If you get into the body, the rotation of the bullet slows down sharply, and the stabilizing factor ceases to play its role. Further tumbling, occurs, apparently, due to the processes occurring inside the bullet itself. A part of the lead shirt, located closer to the bow, due to sharp braking, shifts forward, which leads to an additional displacement of the center of gravity, and, accordingly, the points of the application of the forces already during the motion of the bullet in the tissues. In addition, the sputs beside the sputter.

Given the inhomogeneity of the structure of the tissue, we will get a very complex nature of the wounds applied by such bullets. The most severe damage to the tissues of the ammunition of the ammunition 7N6 occurs on the final section of the movement at a depth of more than 30 cm.

Now about cases "joined the leg - headed." If you look at the wound channel schema, it is really noticeable some of his curvature. Obviously, the inlet and outlet from the bullet in this case will not strictly match each other. But the deviation of the trajectory of the ammunition of ammunition 7H6 from straight starts only at a depth of 7 cm entering the fabric. The trajectory curve is noticeable only with a long wound channel, at the same time, at the edges, the damage is minimal.

Theoretically, given the increased inclination of the ammunition of the ammunition 7N6 to the ricochetam, it is also possible to a sharp change in its trajectory when entering the bone on tangential. But, of course, after going to the leg, such a bullet will not work out anyway, for example, from the head. For this she simply does not have enough energy. When shooting in ballistic gelatin, the depth of penetration depth does not exceed the half-meter.

Ammunition 5,45x39

About ricochet

There is an opinion, and characteristic of military personnel, many shooting in practice, about increased inclination to the ricochetam bullets with a displaced center of gravity. Examples of ricochetation from branches are given, from water and window glass when driving under sharp corners or multiple recycling of bullets when firing in closed rooms with stone walls. However, the displaced center of gravity does not play any role.

First of all, there is a general pattern - heavy stupid bullets are susceptible to the smallest ricochet. It is clear that the ammunition bullets 5,45x39 do not belong to those. At the same time, with sharp corners of the meeting, the impulse, transmitted by the barrier can be very small, insufficient for its destruction. There are no cases of ricochetting from water even lead fraraty, which can not have any shifted center of gravity for obvious reasons.

As for the overweight from the walls of the room, then the bullets from the cartridge M193 are subject to it to a lesser extent than the ammunition bullets is 7H6. But this should be attributed only to the lower mechanical strength of American bullets. When meeting with the obstacle, they are simply more deformed and lose energy.

Wound canal from ammunition bullet 5,45x39

Based on the above, you can make several conclusions.

First, bullets with a displaced center of gravity really exist, and not some secret or prohibited type of ammunition. These are standard Pullets of the Soviet ammunition 5,45x39. Stories about some specially placed "riding balls" and the like, are no more than fiction.

Secondly, the bias of the center of gravity back was undertaken to increase the flight stability, and not vice versa, as many think. It would be right to say that the displaced center of gravity is the overall property of all small-caliber pointed high-speed bullets, resulting from their design.

Thirdly, in relation to the bullets of the 9H6 cartridge, the shift of the center of gravity really affects the behavior of the bullet in the tissues. At the same time, the bullet begins randomly tumbling, and its trajectory as the tissue is deepened in the tissue deviates from a straight line. Such behavior of the bullet significantly increases the traumatic effect when defeated by unarmented living goals.

However, no wonders like "hit the shoulder, went out through the heel" No and can not. This is a side effect of the use of small-caliber high-speed bullets with a solid shell, and not a specially laid characteristic. The role of a displaced center of gravity in applying such bullets of complex atypical injuries and increased ricochetics is strongly overestimated by public opinion.

Studies conducted in the USSR in the early 1960s showed that the accuracy of the shooting from the machine is determined mainly by the pulse of the cartridge and the energy of the return of weapons. It was found that the most realistic way to improve the efficiency of firing from individual weapons can be adopted for armament of a new cartridge with a reduced impulse and the development of the next-generation machine under it.

Works on the creation of automatic 5,45-mm cartridges were performed at the Central Research Institute of Exact Mechanical Engineering in conjunction with the Design Bureau of Automatic Lines, Tula Patron Plant and Organizations of the Ministry of Defense.

The development of 5.45-mm cartridges was carried out taking into account the norms of international humanitarian law. At the same time, sufficient resistance of the bullet on the trajectory and high affecting effect were provided.

The increase in the initial velocity of the bullet from 725 m / s (ACM) to 900 m / s (AK74) led to a significant improvement in firing wedge (increasing the range of direct shot) from the new weapon. Lower flight time, when shooting on the same distance, contributed to a decrease in shooting errors on moving purposes and with lateral wind. A smaller impact impulse provided the best part of firing automatic fire. All this ensured an increase in the likelihood of entering the goal. The decrease in the patron mass allowed, with the same weighing of the wearable wip to increase it by 1.5 times.

In 1974, simultaneously with the AK-74 machine gun adopted 5.45-mm cartridges with an ordinary (with a steel core) and tracing bullets. In addition to combat, idle and training cartridges were developed. Improvement of 5.45-mm cartridge was carried out in the 1990s of the early 2000s in the direction of increasing the punching action (for bullets with a steel core), as well as an increase in the range of tracing and slowing the ignition of the tracer (for tracing cartridges).

All Russian automotive 5.45-mm cartridges are produced with a steel sleeve covered with a green varnish.

5,45x39 Cartridge with an ordinary bullet - 5.45 ps (7H6)

5.45-mm Cartridge with an ordinary bullet (5.45 ps) is intended for the defeat of living goals, located openly or beyond obstacles made by bullet, firing agents and unarmarried equipment. The mass of the bullet -3.4 g. The cartridges of 5.45 PS distinctive paint do not have.
According to the punching capacity, the cartridge 5.45 of the PS is almost equivalent to the 7.62 mm chassis cartridge. 1943 with PS bullets, significantly surpassing it by direct shot of a straight shot.

The first upgrade of the cartridge was undertaken in 1987 and led to the replacement of the bullet core material, which began to manufacture with durable steel grades, followed by heat treatment. The geometric dimensions and the design of the bullet remained unchanged. There are no distinctive painting bullets.

The main characteristics of the cartridge 5.45 ps

Mass of the cartridge, g: 10,5
Mass bullet, g: 3,4
Bullet initial speed, m / s: 890

5,45x39 Cartridge with an enhancestry bullet - 5.45 PP (7H10)

The second upgrade of the cartridge in the early 1990s was caused by further improvement of body armor. The use of brimposses from titanium alloys in them led to a sharp reduction in the penetration of all types of bullets of the cartridge of 5.45 ps, including a thermoproprotic core.

In 1992, the specialists of the Barnaul Patron Plant completed the modernization of 5.45-mm cartridges with a bullet of increased penetration (5.45 PP). The new bullet is different from the 5.45 ps cartridge bullet with the core design. The mass of the bullet has increased slightly and amounted to 3.6 g. Cartridges 5.45 PP distinguishing color do not have.

The bullet of the new cartridge provided a significant increase in the penetration of individual armor tools. According to ballistic characteristics, the bullets of 5.45 PP cartridges and the PS are almost identical and can be used from all weapons samples under 5.45-mm cartridge.

The main characteristics of the cartridge 5.45 PP

Mass of the cartridge, g: 10.7
Mass bullet, g: 3.6
Bullet initial speed, m / s: 880

5,45x39 Cartridge with armor-piercing bullets - 5.45 BP (7H22) and 5.45 BS (7N24)

Further development of individual armor tools demanded an increase in the punctures of the bullets of automatic cartridges. By the end of the 1990s, on the Barnaul Machine-planning plant, it was created and in 2002 adopted by the 5.45-mm cartridge with an armor-piercing bullet (5.45 BP).

The more advanced shape of the core, its large mass, hardness and strength, ensured the increase in the breakdown of bullets on solid obstacles. The mass of the bullet was 3.7 g. Head part of black bullets.

Shooting cartridges with armor-piercing bullets does not lead to increased wear of the trunk channel.

Another cartridge with an armor-piercing bullet, also adopted in 2002, was 5.45-mm patron with a bullet with an armor-piercing core (5.45 BS). This cartridge was developed in the FSUE "TSNII". Its production is mastered by a federal state enterprise "Amur Pennom Plant" Vympel ".

The high density of the core material increased the bullet mass to 4.2 g. Increased weight of the bullet, in turn, led to a certain decrease in its initial speed up to 840 m / s. Bullets of cartridge 5.45 bs do not have distinctive painting.

By 2007, the joint efforts of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "TsNII PERFORM" and FKP "Ponpel Appended" and the BS Pool was upgraded. Re-upgraded underwent core. As a result of the work carried out, the injuries of individual armor funds were significantly increased.

In cartridges with armor-piercing bullets, a requirement for pairing trajectories with the rest of 5.45-mm cartridges is provided.

The main characteristics of the 9.45 BP / 5,45 BC cartridge

Patron Mass, G: 10.8 / 11.2
Mass bullet, g.: 3.7 / 4.1
Bullet initial speed, m / s: 880/840

5,45x39 Cartridges with tracing bullets - 5.45 tons (7tz) and 5.45 TM (7TR)

Cartridge with tracing bullet 5.45 TM (7T3M)

Simultaneously with the cartridge of 5.45 PS in the FSUE "TsNII PERFORM" was developed and adopted on arms a cartridge with a tracing bullet (5.45 tons). The traceser of this bullet on the range up to 800m leaves a bright luminous trail of red, well visible day and night. If you get into the flammable bullet items are able to ignite them.

In the late 1990s. When the tracing cartridges were modernized, the cartridge 5.45 T. The finalization of the trace was carried out in the FSUE "TsNII". The new cartridge received the name -5.45-mm cartridge with an upgraded tracing bullet (5.45 TM). He was adopted in 2002.

Modernization made it possible to increase the range of tracing up to 850 m and provided a delay in the ignition of the tracer composition by 50-120 m from the muzzle cut. Such a delay in the combustion of the traceser allows you to better mask the firing position of the arrow.
The head part of the bullets of all tracing cartridges is painted in green.

Further modernization of the cartridges was carried out in order to increase their penetration. In the FSUE "TSNII" developed ammunition of BT-03 and BT-05 bullets. At the same time in Kbal them. Koshkin was created cartridge 7BT4.

The main characteristics of the cartridge 5.45 t / 5.45 TM

Mass of the patron, g: 10.3 / 10.3
Mass bullet, g: 3,2 / 3.2
Bullet initial speed, m / s: 890/890
Tracing distance, M: 800/850

5,45x39 Cartridge with an armor-tracing bullet - 5.45 BT (7BT4)

For partial replacement of traceing cartridges, lead cores of which do not provide breakfast breakfasts, in the design bureau of automatic lines by the end of the first decade of 2000s, 5.45-mm cartridge with a circuit-tracing bullet (5.45 BT) was developed. In the new cartridge, instead of lead, a steel thermoproprotic core was used. It ensured an increase in personal protectiveness of individual protection. Green bullet head.

The main characteristics of the cartridge 5.45 BT

Mass of the cartridge, g: 10,2
Mass bullet, g: 3.1
Bullet initial speed, m / s: 900

5,45x39 Cartridge with a bullet with a reduced speed - 5.45 USS (7U1)

For hidden damage to unprotected by the means of individual armor of living goals in the FSUE "TSNII" by the end of the 1970s, the rifle-grenaderate complex "Canary" was created as part of 5.45 mm AKSB74U automaton with a device for silent and free firing of PBS-4, as well as Patron with a subsonic initial speed. It received the name - 5,45-mm cartridge with a reduced bullet speed (5.45 USD).

The 5,45 mall of the cartridge bullet differs in appearance from all other combat 5.45-mm automatic cartridges. The leading part of the bullet has a stepped transition to liveliffer, its initial speed is about 300 m / s. To ensure the necessary affecting actions, the bullet has a lot of 5.1 g.

Head of the bullet black with a green belt.

The main characteristics of the cartridge 5.45

Mass of the cartridge, g: 10.9
Mass bullet, g: 5,1
Bullet initial speed, m / s: 300

5,45x39 Cartridge with low rico-ability bullet - 5.45 PrS

The automatic and machine-gun set of 5.45 mm caliber was created, first of all, for the combination of general combat. Such a fight is conducted on relatively large ranges. However, when combating the combat in the settlements of the shooting for small distances, high-speed bullets with a steel core leads to a significant increase in the possibility of dangerous ricochets from concrete and brick walls of buildings and asphalt.

That is why in the early 2000s, by order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, specialists of the NGO NPO "Special Equipment and Communication" and CJSC Barnaul Patron Plant was created 5.45-mm cartridge with a reduced ricastating ability (5.45 PR). This cartridge can be considered an upgraded version of 5.45 PS cartridges. The core bullets is fully made of lead. Such a design provided an increase in the adhesion of firing and uniform deformation of the bullet when a solid obstacle is met, which reduced the likelihood of a ricochet.
There is no distinctive painting bullet, but on the diacon of the sleeve, along with the number of the plant and the year of manufacture, there is a brand "PRS".

The main characteristics of the 9.45 PR Cartridge

Mass of the cartridge, g: 10.9
Mass bullet, g: 3,85
Bullet initial speed, m / s: 860

5,45x39 idle cartridge - 5.45 idle 7x3 (7khsm)

To simulate firecases from AK74 machine guns, manual machine guns of RPK74 and their modifications during training, as well as for the production of salutes in 1974-75 in the FSUE "TSNII" was developed idling. In conjunction with sleeve for idle shooting, screwed onto the muzzle part of the machine or manual machine gun, idling the cartridge ensures the operation of moving parts of the automation of weapons.
Instead of the bullet in idle cartridge uses a simulator from the polymer material of white color. Inside, the imitator of the bullet has a cavity, due to which he under the influence of powder gases when departing from the barrel channel, collapsed. The shot is accompanied by a characteristic sound and flame. Cartridge weight 7

By the mid-2000s, a new idle cartridge was developed on a classic scheme with an elongated liner of a sleeve, a compressed asterlet and a coated layer of sealing varnish. The shot is also accompanied by sound and flame outbreak.

5,45x39 Study Cartridge - 5,45 uch (7x4)

For teaching machine charging and hand-held machine guns of 5.45 mm caliber and store equipment, training cartridges are used. The educational cartridge does not contain a powder charge and has a silent capsule-igniter. To identify the cartridge on its sleeve, four longitudinal grooves are made.


Any arms amateur, and may also be an interesting topic of military subjects that the ballistic data of the bullets are given in it, including the speed of bullets, energy in Joules and the like. Using the data given in the tables, it is worth remembering that the specified bullet speed at different distances can be varied depending on the battery of the cartridges, weather conditions and temperature vehicle. We recommend reading

Bullet speed and ballistic data cartridge 5.45x39

The cartridge of the caliber 5.45x39 is used mainly by the military in the machines of the cell of the cell and the AK-74 marking machines. In some countries, this cartridge can be used under the hunting purposes, but in Russia this cartridge for hunting is not used. Now a little about the given data. Those data on the velocity of the bullet, its energy, flight time, decrease and deviation from the wind are given in the averaged indicators. For example, the initial velocity of the bullet will differ from other cartridges of the same caliber, depending on the weapon model, the batches of the cartridges and the characteristics of the bullet (armor-piercing, incendiary, etc.), but such changes will not vary greatly, so the speed data is not much Puli and its ballistic characteristics can be used as averaged indicators. I recommend familiarize yourself

Table technical data: The first table uses meters for distance, meters per second to indicate the flight speed of the bullet, the bullet energy in Joules, the flight time of the bullet to a certain distance in seconds and the absolute decline in the bullet in centimeters. In the second tobilence, the distance is indicated in meters, the deviation in centimeters under the condition of the direction of 90 degrees, by attitude towards the target and the arrow. To determine the following caliber cartridge data was taken 5.45x39, the weight of 3.42 grams, the initial velocity of the bullet 870 meters per second and the ballistic coefficient of the bullet 0.282.

Under the low-impaired cartridge was the materialized expression of the spirit of acute rivalry in the military field between the organization of the Warsaw Agreement and the NATO block in the era of the Cold War. The emergence of the new complex "Ammunition-weapon" at the main opponent demanded an urgent and effective response from our part. With impeccable reliability, 7.62 mm Kalashnikov AKM machines, at the same time, ensured the increasing demands of the armed forces to get into the target due to increased dispersion when shooting queues, as well as the large steering bullets. This was due to the fact that a large impulse of the recoil of 7.62-mm automatic cartridge of the OBR.1943 (0.78 kgf / s) did not allow even the modernized Kalashnikov machine to achieve high combality of the battle by automatic fire, especially when shooting from unstable provisions. For a long time, domestic specialists led to the intensive search for ways to increase the combat effectiveness of the regular Kalashnikov machine gun. Studies have shown that the accuracy of the shooting from the machine is determined not only by the ballistic pulse of the cartridge and the energy of the recoil of the weapon, but also the design characteristics of the sample itself (mass, the moment of inertia, the location of the mass centers of the weapons and the movable parts of the automation), as well as dynamic characteristics (shooting and blowing pace moving parts).

In the Soviet Union, the expediency of the transition of manual automatic weapons to the smaller than the existing 7.62 mm, the caliber was scientifically justified by V. G. Fedorov in 1939, when he wrote that the range of direct shot of the "intermediate" cartridge should be no less than The standard rifle cartridge. To reduce the mass-dimensional characteristics of the cartridges, it offered to reduce their caliber up to 6-6.25 mm. Back in 1945, V. G. Fedorov, in his work, "Study of further ways to improve the effectiveness of shooting from small arms" argued that the most promising development of automatic small arms would become only if it would develop towards reducing the caliber of the cartridges. However, the official line conducted at the time by the leadership of the People's Commissariat of Armament of the USSR and the main artillery administration of the People's Commissariat of the USSR Defense, aimed at developing a set of small arms, designed to use 7.62 mm "intermediate" cartridge, did not take into account the conclusions of Fedorov. Along with the subjective factors, this was due and objective reasons - in the Soviet Union in the mid-1940s at the enterprises of the weapons industry, there was no technical and technological base for the manufacture of both combat cartridges of small caliber and the weapons itself.


And yet, the very idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a more efficient "ammunition - weapon" complex was not removed under the cloth. By the beginning of the 1960s, domestic gunsmiths have accumulated a certain experience in creating promising systems of automatic infantry weapons consisting of an automatic rifle and a single machine gun. They were developed under an experimental powerful 7.62-mm single automatic machine-gun cartridge design S. I. Vetoshkin. In this direction, Soviet designers moved in parallel to our opponents, whose bitter negative experience was taken into account when conducting follow-up work on promising systems of small arms in the USSR.

The US Armed Forces only re-re-equipped with 7.62-mm automatic M-14 rifles, developed under a powerful rifle-gun cartridge 7.62 x51 NATO, by this time have already reached the sad fruits of such a hasty solution. And this, in turn, forced the American military command in 1957 to make a fundamental decision on the start of the development of automatic weapons under the low-depth cartridge, which was thus the turning point in the entire subsequent modern handlers. A similar conclusion about the small efficiency of new ammunition of a normal rifle caliber came after holding large R & D. Soviet designers. The high level of technical solution of new domestic cartridges and the achieved definite reduction in the recoil pulse was still not allowed to solve the main task set to the new complex "Ammunition - weapons": to increase the range of effective shooting one and a half times with respect to the standard set of small arms, Calculated under 7.62 mm automatic cartridge ORP. 1943.

Along with this, studies of bullery dispersion patterns were conducted in the Soviet Union, depending on the impulses of the return, the design of the dangular compensators, etc., passed the development of new ammunition of the caliber of 4.5 mm and 6.5 mm, studied a variety of designs of non-classical bullets and weapons under them.

Thus, in 1960-1962, engineers and designers of the NII-61 V. P. Gryazev, A. G. Shipunov, D. I. Shiryaev, I. Kasyanov, O. P. Kravchenko and V. A. Petrov created low-implete cartridges with Podkalibernal lean (sweat) bullets with leading elements separated in flight (plastic pallets). D. I. Shiryaev developed under this cartridge the prototype of the automaton of AO-27, relatively light and resistant when shooting automatic fire. The large cohesion of the trajectory of the sweep bullet to a certain extent compensated for low battleship. However, the results of the cuminess shown in shooting from AO-27 were much lower than planned, so all work on similar weapons was discontinued. But this did not mean a complete abandonment 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 appears with a sweeter bullet, designed by the engineer of the same NII-61 V.N. Noblenic under the oversized machine gun Goryunov SGM and Sniper Rifle Dragunov SVD. Such studies were also widely conducted in the United States, but the negative results shown by these ammunition during the tests were forced to Americans to minimize all the work in this direction.

Simultaneously with the failure, which the work on the creation of a new domestic complex "Ammunition-weapons" ended, before the leadership of the USSR Ministry of Defense, information about the new high-performance rifles AR 15 (XM 16) developed under the low-incredible cartridge 5.56 x45 m 193 adopted on the experimental Operation in the American army. Soon the combat trophies from South Vietnam were in the hands of Soviet military specialists - the weapon and ammunition itself. And these facts made the military seriously think about the fact that the enemy is ahead of us in this field of military-technical research, since the Americans in 1961 have already performed the final stage of the military testing of the new weapon designed to the cartridge with a reduced impact rate. While in the Soviet Union, only recently was adopted by 7.62-mm ACM automatic machine, already led by a promising AR 15 rifle for some parameters.

The evolution of small arms led to the conclusion that while maintaining a classic scheme that uses a powder charge as a power source for throwing the bullery, a decrease in the caliber will increase the initial speed of the bullets. Thus, it will be possible to achieve the ranks of the flight path of the bullets, reduce the mass of the weapon itself and increase the gun-wearable ammunition (without increasing the total weight load). The use of new designs of bullets and cartridges, new core materials bullets allowed to provide the required affecting properties of the bullets of reduced calibers. At the same time, theoretical calculations have shown that the characteristics of the 5.6 mm of the cartridge are not the same for various combat conditions. In the near combat, as a rule, offensive, when shooting from small-resistant positions on small ranges of this caliber, have a maximum punch effect, therefore, to improve the efficiency of defeat of the goals, the main importance was acquired by a decrease in dispersion, which could be achieved both by decreasing the power of the cartridge and a decrease in the pulse. Release, but at the same time it influenced the decrease in the initial velocity of the bullet. In the defensive battle, the shooting was carried out at significantly large ranges and mainly from sustainable positions, so the dispersion here is much smaller, and the destruction of the trajectory and a breakfast effect was becoming a decisive factor, which could be achieved only by increasing the patron capacity. The contradiction between the increase in the initial velocity of the bullet and its mass and the decrease in these characteristics for different conditions of the fight forced the Soviet gunsmiths to seek the best option.

Therefore, in 1961, in the Soviet Union, specialists of the NII-61 began comprehensive studies to reduce the impulse of the impact of weapons and the development of a new 5.6-mm cartridge with a high initial speed on the basis of the susceptible sleeve of 7.62-mm automatic cartridge. 1943.

The first stage of research work, which in the Soviet Union began in 1963, to create a new complex "Ammunition - weapons" was carried out on the perhaps AKM caliber 5.6 mm. As a result of the research, it turned out that a new 5.6-mm cartridge had a smaller impaulment impetus than 7.62 mm Cartridge of the ORP. 1943, and this allowed 1.8 times to reduce the energy of the return of weapons. Research Artillery Test Polygon of the USSR Ministry of Defense In the Vsevolozhsky District of the Leningrad Region, analyzing the possibility of using new, most optimal structural schemes of small arms, in its conclusion, indicated that "the most effective means of improving the combustion of the automaton combat when shooting from low-resistant provisions is to reduce the impetus When shot. "

An important factor contributing to this conclusion of our military specialists was the fact that the AR 15 rifle exceeded the ACM automaton not only one of the main parameters - the bunchiness of the battle, but also by the probabilities of the hit. 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 impetus for the return and the development of the next generation automaton under it.

As a result of the long-term work by the Group of Specialists - Men's Self-Magniforms Group (Klimovsk Moscow Region), under the leadership of V. M. Sabelnikova, as part of L. I. Bulavskaya, B. V. Semin, M. E. Fedorova, P. F. Sazonova, in . I. Volkova, V. A. Nikolaev, E. E. Zimin, P. S. Koroleva, etc. The whole new domestic 5.6-mm low-impedance cartridge was created with a bullet with a steel core and with a length of a 39 mm sleeve, received Initially, the name "13 Mr.". Subsequently, when the caliber designation was made, corresponding to the real diameter of the barrel channel by cutters - 5.45 mm, the cartridge received the grains index - 7 H6.

Designers managed to achieve with a smaller mass of the bullet (3.42 g instead of 7.9 g of AKM and 3.56 g in AR 15) reduction of the maximum permissible level of the impulse of the automatic cartridges (0.49 kgf / s vs 0.78 and 0, 58 kgf / s, respectively) and at the same time increase the distance of the direct shot, i.e. the range on 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 5.45-mm cartridge 7 H6 had a lead shirt, and the bullet shell was steel, plated tomopac. A similar device of the bullets provided its best strength and largerly punching effect than the 9.56 x45 M193 cartridges. The excellent aerodynamic form of the bullet of the new Soviet 5.45-mm cartridge contributed to its high ballistic indicators (the initial speed is 900 m / s). In addition, its design was similar to the 7.62-mm poult with a single machine-gun cartridge taken for a sample. She also had an emptiness in the head part, which, along with an optimally selected step of cuts, for this ammunition provided a small-caliber bullet with a 1,62-mm bullet cartridge. 1943 Devil's action over the entire range of direct shot. Only by the end of the 1960s were finally implemented by the recommendations of V. G. Fedorov, who, 30 years before, defended his point of view on the development of intermediate cartridges of small calibers.

Improving the most massive type of small arms of the Soviet Army - Kalashnikov machine guns was largely determined by the successful development of new 5,45-mm automatic cartridges. For shooting from the AK 74 automaton, 5.45 mm low-empty arrows of the ORP were used. 1974 with steel sleeves:
- with an ordinary bullet with a steel core (PS),

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

To simulate shooting, idle cartridges were used (initially without bullets, and later with a plastic bullet), the automatic shooting of which was carried out using a special sleeve, screwed onto the bullshit, instead of the dung brake-compensator.

At an initial speed of 900 m / s AK 74 automaton, the bullet was obtained the speed of rotation of 4500 revolutions per second, and the RPK 74 at an initial speed of 960 m / s - 4530 revolutions per second). This ensured the high resistance of the bullet on flight, almost equivalent stability of the bullet with a cartridge 5.56 NATO (accepted on the supply of armies of the North Atlantic bloc only in 1980). To increase the affecting actions for the living force, the bullet layout was chosen so that the bullet in the flight was "on the verge of sustainability" and lost stability in the more dense medium.

The new 5,45-mm cartridge 7 H6 with a hoody trajectory allowed to increase the range of direct shot of a growth figure from 525 (at AKM) to 625 m (in AK 74). A targeted range of firing from 5.45 mm automata (machine guns) was 1000 m. The range of efficient firing for ground targets from the machine (compared to ACM) increased to 500 m, from the machine gun - up to 600 m; On aircraft, helicopters and parachuts - from the machine and machine gun - up to 500 m.

The concentrated fire for land group purposes can be carried out from automata and manual machine guns for a distance of up to 1000 m. The distance of the direct shot at the AK 74 machine was: 440 m on a thoracic figure - 625 m; The manual machine gun RPK 74-460 and 640 m (respectively).

However, in the AK 74 machine compared to ACM due to a decrease in the caliber, a distance of the slaughter of the bullet from 1500 to 1350 m was reduced, that is, the ratio between the range of slaughter and the range of efficient shooting decreased from 3.75 to 2.7 times. Scattering during shooting from AK 74 short queues from stable positions (lying from the stop or standing out of the trench) to the range of up to 800 m began to be: the median deviation of the dissipation in height of total - 0.48 m, the side total - 0.64 m. Mass reducing The cartridge allowed the soldier to increase the wearable ammunition with 100 cartridges of the caliber of 7.62 mm to 165 cartridges of 5.45 mm caliber without increasing the mass of the weapon. Increasing the initial velocity of the bullet, the lifting of the trajectory, the reduction in the recoil impulse was allowed to raise the combat efficiency of 5.45-mm AK 74 automaton in 1.2-1.6 times compared with the 7.62-mm ACM machine gun. Bullet with a steel core of a 9-H6 cartridge when shooting from an AK 74 / manual machine gun RPK74 provided a breakdown of a 5-mm steel sheet (at 80-90 percent of through breaks) for a range of 350 m, steel helmets (caske) - on the range of 800 m, standard The domestic army body armor of the FS86-5 is 550 m.

However, the work on improving the "Ammunition - Weapon" complex in the Soviet Union did not end. New trends in military business, as well as combat operation of the Soviet army in Afghanistan, 5.45 mm Kalashnikov AK 74 automata led to the need to undergo a serious modernization of both the weapon itself and 5.45-mm cartridge. Wide use in the 1980s in the army of many countries of individual armor (in particular, body armor) showed that their defeat during shooting from automata is not guaranteed. Further development of individual protective equipment, the use of body armor with solid titanium alloy plates sharply reduced the effectiveness of 7 H6 bullets with a thermoproprotal core due to imperfection of a core form, which is not capable of breaking the plate from the titanium alloy even in the near distances. Therefore, Soviet constructors-gunsmiths had to look for new ways to increase the punching bullets of low-empty motor cartridges. Already in 1986, the breakfast effect of 5.45-mm cartridges was significantly increased due to the use of a heightened hardness bullet in the design of a heightened hardness of 7 H6 M: the distance of the breakdown of protected goals, in particular steel helmets (caske) increased from 800 to 960 m, body armor with Titanium plates from 20 to 200 m. Since the early 1990s, almost simultaneously with the adoption of the 5.45-mm modernized automaton of AK 74 m (in 1991), earnings and new bullets of high penetrations complementing together are applied With the newly developed automatic system of armament of the infantryman. So, in 1992, the core was once again improved by making it more pointed and heavy. With the same initial velocity of the bullet with a heightened punching (PP) with a thermoproprotic core (index 7 H10), it was now providing the breakdown of the staffing domestic army body armor of the P85-T (at 40 percent of through breakdowns) for a distance of 200 m, and the heavy body armor of the FI5-K - on The range is 50 m, while the bullet with a steel core of 5.45-mm cartridge 7 H6 M pierced the body armor of the P85-T only on the range of 90 m, and the body armor of the LS95-K was not provided on all the shooting range. As a result, 5.45-mm cartridge 7 H10 with PP bullets along the breakfast action close to the 7.62 mm rifle cartridge of the ORP. 1908, and their effectiveness on breaking the obstacles compared with the bullet cartridge 7 H6 rose 1.84 times. However, ensuring a given level of a distance of a direct shot and a punching action required an increase in power of 5.45-mm cartridges, which in a certain way affected the increased pulse of its return and at a sufficiently large dissipation of bullets when shooting AK 74. In addition, the adoption on the supply of a new cartridge with a bullet of an increased punching effect had the opposite direction. The resource of the survivability of the barrels of automata AK 74 m has sharply decreased when shooting with a new chuck. Therefore, designers had to hold a number of research and development work to increase the vitality of the trunk channel. It should be noted that the reserves of a 5.45 mm caliber bullets in terms of increasing the efficiency of the lesion barriers are far from being exhausted, the work in this direction continues. In recent years, new modifications of 5.45 mm automatic cartridges have been created and adopted for the supply of Russian armed forces: with an armor-piercing BP bullet (index 7 H22); with armor-piercing BS bullet (index 7 h24); Cartridge with an armor-power tracing bullet (index 7 BT4); - upgraded cartridge with tracing bullet (index 7 t3 m); With a reduced rico-ability bullet (5.45 PR index).
Currently, the following main options for 5.45 mm low-empty automata cartridges are used in the Russian Armed Forces.

5,45 mm Automatic Cartridge Obr. 1974 with bullets with steel core PS (index 7 h6)

Combat cartridges with bullets of all types are available only with a steel-covered bottle shape with a dark green lacquer with a non-protruding flange and a groove. Vetaging charge is a spheroid powder SFO33, since 1989 replaced by the porch of the SSNF30 / 3.69 brand.
The bullet of a pool shape with a diameter of 5.65 mm, with an extended head with a rear cone without a belt, consists of a steel stamped core (steel St10) weighing 1.43 g; Lead shirt and bimetallic (steel, plated tompac) shell. The lead shirt does not reach the end of the shell, and in the front of the bullet, between the inner surface of the head of the shell and the lead shirt there is a cavity of a length of 5 mm, which contributes to the displacement of the center of gravity bullets a few times, which lowers the resistance of the bullet when meeting with the goal. The edges of the shell in the tail part of the bullet are sund up with a support on the bottom of the core. The bullet is not painted. In all combat cartridges, the caliber is 5.45 mm, except for cartridges with PP bullets, to seal the butt bullet with the edge of the dool sleeve and the junction of the capsule uses a red varnish, which does not matter the distinctive color. Currently not issued.

5,45 mm Automatic Cartridge Obr. 1974 with a bullet of high penetration of PP (index 7 H10)

In 1992, a new modification of the 5.45-mm automatic cartridge of the ORP is adopted. 1974 with a bullet of increased PP penetrations, developed by the forces of the creative group of designers and technologists of the Barnaul Stankastelasting Plant. PP enhanced puil received a stamped elongated steel thermo-holding core of greater mass. The core made of steel ST70 (weighing 1.72 g) or ST75 (weighing 1.8 g) has a head side of a more streamlined revival form, a flat vertex with a diameter of 1.8 mm and a recess in the center of the bottom (as opposed to PS bullets) . The PP enabling bullet ensured the penetration of plates from alloys 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 floors.

5.45 mm Automatic Cartridges Obr. 1974 silenced in regular cartridge wooden boxes of 2160 pieces in each. In each box, two metal tanning boxes are placed in which 1080 ammunition are laid. There is also an option of capping, in which packs with cartridges are not placed in steel boxes, but in paper moistureproof packages (120 ammunition), four packs of 30 cartridges in each. At the same time, "moistureproof packets" is made on a wooden box. Carding contains special abbreviated alphanumeric designations. On boxes and drawers, containing cartridges with special bullets, is additionally applied to a color bar corresponding to the distinctive color of the cartridge.