12.7×108mm

12.7×108mm

12.7×108mm

Rifle cartridge

The 12.7×108mm cartridge is a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and anti-materiel rifle cartridge used by the former Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries, including Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and many others. It was invented in 1934 to create a cartridge like the German 13.2mm TuF anti-tank rifle round and the American .50 Browning Machine Gun round (12.7×99mm NATO).

Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...

It is used in the same roles as the NATO .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) cartridge. The two differ in bullet shape and weight, and the casing of the 12.7×108mm is slightly longer, and its larger case capacity allows it to hold slightly more of a different type of powder. The 12.7×108mm can be used to engage a wide variety of targets on the battlefield, and will destroy unarmored vehicles, penetrate lightly armored vehicles and damage external ancillary equipment (i.e.: searchlights, radar, transmitters, vision blocks, engine compartment covers) on heavily armored vehicles such as tanks.[1] It will also ignite gasoline and—since 2019—diesel fuel (experimental "Avers" AP/I round).[2][3]

Cartridge dimensions

The 12.7×108mm has 22.72 ml (350 grains) H2O cartridge case capacity.

12.7×108 maximum cartridge dimensions.[citation needed] All sizes in millimeters (mm).

Americans define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 18.16 degrees.

According to guidelines the 12.7×108mm case can handle up to 360 MPa (52,213 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum CIP pressure to certify for sale to consumers.

Cartridge types

Soviet and Russian 12.7×108 types

Б-30 / B-30
First version of 1930. Armor-piercing (бронебойная) bullet weighing 49 g (1.7 oz) and 64 mm (2.5 in) long with hardened steel core.[4] Replaced by B-32.
БЗТ / BZT
Pre-WW2 armor-piercing incendiary (бронебойно-зажигательная) tracer.[4] Replaced by BZT-44.
Б-32 / B-32 (GRAU# 57-BZ-542, 7-BZ-2)
Steel-cored API bullet. Main type in use.[4] Penetrates 20 mm (0.79 in) NATO medium-hard RHA from 500 m (1,600 ft) at 0° when fired out of DShKM. Penetrates 20 mm (0.79 in) 2P steel from 100 m (330 ft) at 0° when fired out of NSV-12.7. First produced 1936; named after the B-32 7.62×54mmR ammunition of 1932.
БС-41 / BS-41
API bullet weighing 55.4 g (1.95 oz) and 51 mm (2.0 in) long with a cemented carbide (Re8 WC-Co) core. Produced in small quantities at the beginning of WWII for the 12.7 mm Sholokhov anti-tank rifles (PTRSh-41).
БЗТ-44 / BZT-44 (GRAU# 57-BZT-542)
APIT with brighter tracer, usually used with B-32. Complemented by BZT-44M (GRAU# 57-BZT-542M) of 2002 with subdued tracer.
БЗФ-46 / BZF-46
API bullet with (white) phosphorus (фосфорная). Aircraft MG round.
БС / BS (GRAU# 7-BZ-1)[5]
API bullet with cemented carbide (VK8 WC-Co, commonly called a "cermet" in Russian) core, developed in 1972. Ballistics also similar to B-32.
МДЗ / MDZ (GRAU# 7-3-2)
Immediate-action incendiary. Used in belt with B-32 and BZT-44(M).[6]
12,7 1СЛ / 12.71SL (GRAU# 9-A-4012)
12,7 1СЛТ / 12.7 1SLT (GRAU# 9-A-4427)
Tandem / duplex cartridge with two bullets inside, in normal and tracer versions. Developed 1985 for use by helicopter against soft targets.[7]
12,7СН / 12.7SN (GRAU# 7N34)
Sniper cartridge (FMJ; AP). Bullet weighs 59.2 g (2.09 oz) and travels at ~800 m/s (2,600 ft/s). Bullet consists of hardened tool steel tip and lead body. Able to defeat lightly-armored vehicles at 1,500 m (4,900 ft) and 10 mm (0.39 in) RHA at 800 m (2,600 ft).[8] Entered production in the 2000s.[9]
12.7 Blank (GRAU# 7H1)
12.7 UCH Dummy (GRAU# 7H2)

Note that some WW2 bullets share designations with ones for 14.5×114mm.

Use

Anti-tank and anti-materiel rifles

Heavy machine guns

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Technical Intelligence Bulletins May - June 2003 Archived August 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  2. [2]
    "ЦАМТО / Новости / В России создали новые зажигательные патроны калибра 12,7 мм" [Russia has created new incendiary cartridges of 12.7 mm caliber]. armstrade.org (in Russian). Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  3. [3]
    RU patent 2655338C1, TsNIITochMash, "CARTRIDGE WITH ARMOR-PIERCING INCENDIARY BULLET", issued 2018-05-25
  4. [4]
    Гнатовский Н. И., Шорин П. А. История развития отечественного стрелкового оружия. — М.: Военное изд-во Министерства обороны СССР, 1959, с. 235
  5. [5]
    сайт ЗАО НПЗ
  6. [6]
    "12,7x107 крупнокалиберные патроны". 22 February 2018.
  7. [7]
    "12.7x107 large-caliber cartridges". gunrf.ru. 22 February 2018.
  8. [8]
    "12.7 mm 7N34 sniper cartridge 7N34". Catalog Rosoboronexport.
  9. [9]
    АСВК КОРД 12.7х108 и ОСВ-96 - YouTube

Further reading

  • Борцов А.Ю. "Пятилинейный", Мастер-ружье issue 110, May 2006, pp. 56–62
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