7.92×57mm Mauser

Parent cartridge Patrone 88 The parent cartridge, upon which the 7.92×57mm Mauser is based, was adopted by Germany in 1888 as the Patrone 88 (cartridge 88) or M/88 (along with the Gewehr 1888 service rifle). It was a first-generation smokeless propellant cartridge designed by the German (, abbreviated to G.P.K.), as the new smokeless propellant introduced as Poudre B in the 1886 pattern 8mm Lebel had started a military rifle ammunition revolution. The M/88 cartridge was loaded with of single-base (based on nitrocellulose) smokeless powder and a relatively heavy, , round-nosed ball bullet with a diameter of . The M/88 bore originally had lands diameter and grooves diameter. The M/88 barrel bore specification was changed by 1894–1895 to lands diameter and grooves diameter to improve accuracy and reduce barrel wear in M/88 chambered arms. 8mm S Patrone German government driven efforts to further improve on the performance of the military M/88 ammunition and the service arms in which the M/88 was used after several development steps eventually resulted in the official adoption on 3 April 1903 by the G.P.K. of the dimensionally redesigned 7.92×57mm Mauser chambering. Besides the chambering, the bore (designated as "S-bore") was also dimensionally redesigned because the new bullet with a shorter cylindrical part had reduced bearing surface, which necessitated increasing its diameter and deepening barrel grooves (as a result the new cartridge was not fully interchangeable with the old one). The 1903 pattern S Patrone (S ball cartridge) was loaded with a lighter , pointed of diameter and more powerful double-base (based on nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin) smokeless powder resulting in nearly 38% higher muzzle velocity and 27% more muzzle energy. In the German military service the Patrone 88 was replaced in 1904 and 1905 by the S Patrone. Many arms originally chambered for the Patrone 88 could be and were adapted for chambering the S Patrone by reaming out metal from the chamber as it required a wider chamber throat to take the differently shaped and thicker brass of the new S Patrone. Other military arms chambered for different 8 mm cartridges were also converted to the S-Patrone. The rimless cartridge case has been used as the parent case for several other necked-down and necked-up cartridges, and as the 8x57IS, has produced a rimmed variant, the 8x57IRS, which has also been used as a parent case for other cartridges with varying necked up or down diameters. ==Military use==

stripper clip with brass-cased 7.92×57mm ammunition with inserted 7.92×57mm Gurt 34 ammunition belt Due to restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, the Germans were not able to develop or sell any military equipment after World War I. In the post-war years, 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered Gewehr 98 pattern rifles were produced in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Mexico, Austria and China. This, and the cartridge's high performance and versatility, led to the 7.92×57mm Mauser being adopted by the armed forces of various governments. These included: Spain, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Iran, Turkey, China, Egypt, Yugoslavia, former German African colonies. This made the round the most widely used military rifle cartridge in the world during the inter-war years. During World War II it was one of the few cartridges used by both the Axis and Allied powers, a distinction that it shared with the 9×19mm Parabellum pistol round. Apart from being the standard rifle cartridge of the German and Polish armed forces, it was also used by the armed forces of the United Kingdom in the Besa machine gun, which was mounted in some of their tanks and other armoured vehicles, as well as being extensively used by the Chinese, especially early in the war. After World War II, it was used by the early Bundeswehr of West Germany. It saw limited uses by the various (police and paramilitary) units in East Germany before being completely phased out of service in the 1960s. Later, when Egypt decided to manufacture the Hakim rifle, a licensed copy of the Swedish Ag m/42, they redesigned the breech to accept the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge rather than use the original 6.5×55mm Ag m/42 cartridge. Its military use continues today (2012) in some former Yugoslavia republics. The Zastava M76 sniper rifle, M48 bolt-action rifle and the license-built copy of the MG 42, the M53 Šarac machine gun use this cartridge. Rifles formerly manufactured for the Wehrmacht, captured by the Allies and acquired by Israel were important in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Israel did not have a domestic arms industry and could not manufacture rifles but it could produce replacement parts and refurbish weapons. Israel only used its Mauser rifles in their original configuration for a short period; when NATO countries adopted a standard rifle cartridge, the 7.62×51mm NATO, Israel replaced all of the 7.92×57mm Mauser barrels on its Mauser rifles with barrels chambered for the new 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. ==Civilian use==

TIG hunting bullets|alt=Two bullets side by side for comparison with a tape measure for scale. After World War I the Treaty of Versailles imposed comprehensive and complex restrictions upon the post-war German armed forces (the Reichswehr). According to the treaty the Reichswehr could, on a limited scale, continue using the 7.92×57mm Mauser as their service cartridge. The Treaty of Versailles however effectively ended the civilian use of 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered rifles by German hunters and sport shooters. During the mid-1930s Germany stopped obeying the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles and gradually the civilian use of 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered rifles by German hunters and sport shooters was resumed. In 1939 the Normalisierungsverordnung (Normalization regulation) effectively prohibited the production of non S-bore/7.92×57mm Mauser chambered arms in Nazi Germany. In post-World War 2 Germany, the production of the various preceding chamberings is allowed again, but these chamberings have become rare in post-1939 produced arms. The 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge's performance makes it suitable for hunting all medium-sized game such as the deer family, chamois, mouflon, bighorn sheep, wild boar and bear. The 7.92×57mm Mauser can offer very good penetrating ability due to a fast twist rate that enables it to fire long, heavy bullets with a high sectional density. The 7.92×57mm Mauser cannot be used in countries that ban civil use of former or current military rifle cartridges, though since 2013 is no longer restricted in France. The rimmed variant of the 7.92×57mm Mauser, the 8×57mm IRS, was developed later for break-barrel rifles and combination guns. The 8×57mm IRS is commercially offered as a chambering option in European break-action rifles. ==Cartridge naming==

The naming of this cartridge is cultural and epoch dependent and hence not uniform around the world. The 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge is also known by the following designations: • 7.9, 7.9mm • 7.9 Mauser, 7.9mm Mauser • 7.92, 7.92mm • 7.92 Mauser, 7.92mm Mauser • Cartridge SA, 7.92 • 7.92×57, 7.92×57mm • 7.92×57 Mauser, 7.92×57mm Mauser • 8mm Mauser • 8×57, 8×57mm • 8×57 Mauser, 8×57mm Mauser • 8 × 57 IS, 8 × 57 JS This list is not conclusive and other nomenclature or designation variations might be encountered. The 7.92 naming convention is often used by English speaking sources for the military issued 7.92×57mm Mauser and 7.92×33mm Kurz cartridges. Remarkably, both the 7.92 and 7,9 used in these and alike designations do not exactly comply to the actual C.I.P. or SAAMI cartridge, chamber and bore dimensions. All other non-military issued rimless and rimmed rifle cartridges originating from Germany having approximately 8 mm bullet diameter are connected to 8 mm namings. The Polish military used 7,9mm or 7,92mm designations (mostly 7,9mm). Ammunition produced by Raufoss after the war was designated 7,92×57. The British military's Besa machine gun was chambered for the 7.92×57mm Mauser, and was used in armoured vehicles during World War II. The British referred to this ammunition as Cartridge SA, 7.92. == Cartridge drawings and dimensions ==

The 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge has a cartridge case capacity of 4.09 ml (63 grains) H2O. The exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable case feeding and extraction in bolt-action rifles and machine guns alike, under extreme conditions. 7.92×57mm Mauser maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters. Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 19.1 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 240 mm (1 in 9.45 in), 4 grooves, Ø of the lands = , Ø grooves = , land width = and the primer type is large rifle. According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) rulings the 7.92×57mm Mauser can handle up to Pmax piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers. This means that 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered arms in C.I.P. regulated countries are currently (2013) proof tested at PE piezo pressure. This is considerably lower than the C.I.P. pressure limit and is done for liability reasons, in case a 7.92×57mm Mauser "S-bore" cartridge is fired in an "I-bore" rifle that has a narrower throat and barrel diameter. Most European ammunition manufacturers load to a lower C.I.P. pressure limit - Pmax piezo pressure for the 8×57mm I civilian Patrone 88 offspring - for I-bore cartridges and use diameter projectiles; while the US based manufacturer Hornady followed their lead in their (now discontinued) EuroSpec brand 8×57 JS load. ==German military ammunition==

Germany produced many military versions of the cartridge, and continued the development of different variations until the end of World War II. The bullet lengths substantially varied between the different cartridge types, but all were loaded to an overall length of . The Germans had started using steel cases in World War I, and by the end of 1943, most German ammunition had that type of case. The steel cartridge cases were produced in copper plated and lacquered executions. Some military cartridge cases were made with the aim to use less material and their ammunition boxes were marked Für Gewehr ("for rifle") use. Other military cartridge cases were made extra sturdy and their ammunition boxes were marked Für MG ("for machine gun") use. German military standard ball service rifle cartridge evolution German cartridge variants during World War II The German standard s.S. Patrone ("s.S. ball cartridge") was originally designed for long range machine gun use. It was loaded with a long, boat-tailed, s.S. - schweres Spitzgeschoß ("heavy pointed or spitzer bullet") full metal jacket bullet and very well made. It was lead filled, had a gilding-metal-plated jacket, and weighed . The s.S. Patrone had a muzzle velocity of fired from a long barrel and an operating pressure of . From a long barrel the muzzle velocity increased to . From its 1914 introduction the s.S. Patrone was mainly issued for aerial combat and as of 1918 in the later stages of World War I to infantry machine gunners. The desire for adopting new shorter barreled rifles and the introduction of the Karabiner 98k were reasons for changing the standard German service ball rifle cartridge. The 1903 pattern 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone produced excessive muzzle flash when fired from arms that did not have a long barrel like the Gewehr 98. It was found that the s.S. Patrone, originally designed for long range machine gun use, produced less muzzle flash out of rifles that had a shorter barrel and also provided better accuracy. Because of this the S Patrone was phased out in 1933 and the s.S. Patrone became the standard German service ball cartridge in the 1930s when the German rearmament program started. This indirect firing method exploits the s.S. Patrone useful maximum range, that is defined by the maximum range of a small-arms projectile while still maintaining the minimum kinetic energy required to put unprotected personnel out of action, which is generally believed to be 15 kilogram-meters (147 J / 108 ft⋅lbf). The s.S. Patrone had a maximum range of approximately . The 'effect-firing' s.S. round featured an extra carefully measured propellant charge and seated an sS full-metal-jacketed boat-tail projectile of match-grade build quality, lacking usual features such as a cannelure, to further improve the already high G1 ballistic coefficient to approximately 0.595 (G1) or 0.300 (G7). The 'effect-firing' s.S. projectile had a form factor (G7 i) of 0.869, which indicates good aerodynamic efficiency and external ballistic performance for the bullet diameter. In 1940 Germany introduced ("spitzer with iron core") — mild steel cored projectile ammunition. The S.m.E. ammunition was developed to replace the s.S. ammunition to save on lead and other metals that became scarce in Germany during World War II. The projectile core was covered by a relatively thin layer of lead. Muzzle velocity was and the operating pressure was . For recognition the primer annulus or whole primers were colored blue. S.m.E. bullets were long, boat-tailed, and weighed . The mild steel core weights varied between the four production sub-executions from . This ammunition was designated ("spitzer with iron core long") and lacked recognition marks. The S.m.E. lg external ballistic characteristics were practically identical to s.S. ammunition up to and the lengthened S.m.E. lg projectile was more accurate compared to the shorter S.m.E. projectile. ; ("spitzer with core") :hardened steel cored projectile for use against targets behind thick covers, tanks, or airplanes. Red circular cap groove, yellow bullet, bullet weight , muzzle velocity , operating pressure . This ammunition was also produced in a S.m.K.-v high-velocity or "v" ammunition variant that added muzzle velocity to the normal S.m.K. variant. This cartridge can be recognised by the black primer sealant, and a blackened bullet leaving the tip without colour. This ammunition was also produced in a B-v high-velocity or "v" ammunition variant that added muzzle velocity to the normal B variant. The verbesserte (v) high-velocity ammunition variants operating pressures remained below the civilian (Pmax) C.I.P. ruling. ; ("light spitzer bullet") :machine gun anti aircraft training ammunition loaded with bullets with aluminium cores that had a muzzle velocity of . Due to the lightweight bullet the maximum range was limited to approximately . This cartridge can be recognized by the green stripe painted over the case head. ; ("light spitzer bullet with tracer") :machine gun anti aircraft training ammunition. The L.S. L'spur bullet weighed and was basically the same as used in the L.S. ammunition but combined with a tracer that added extra weight. This cartridge can be recognized by the green stripe over the case head and a black bullet tip. ; ("blank cartridge") :two cannelures in the brass, red wood- or cardboard-bullet, cardboard plug (Fließpappe-Pfropfen) between bullet and propellant powder. Safe distance given at . ; ("drill cartridge" ) :: Exerzierpatrone S.K. ("drill cartridge S.K.") with vertical grooves in the brass for aiming exercises. :: Werkzeugpatrone s.S. ("toolcartridge s.S.") with the same weight as a s.S. ball cartridge for examining the functioning of a firearms action. A horizontal ring of small holes above the extractor grooves differentiated the Werkzeug round from the s.S. ball cartridge. ; ("proof cartridge s.S.") :proof test cartridge that produced proof pressure. This is lower than the civilian C.I.P. PE piezo pressure proof test required for new or old refurbished 7.92×57mm Mauser chambered arms. ; ("sighting-in cartridge s.S.") :s.S. cartridge purpose-manufactured with particularly low production tolerances. These were used for zeroing in new arms as part of the acceptance process before issue. Due to their precision they were also popular with snipers. There were no markings on the cartridge itself present to distinguish it from a normal s.S. cartridge. For recognition the cartridge boxes had a label with the word Anschuß on the outside. == British military ammunition ==

British cartridges included "ball", "armour-piercing", "tracer", and "incendiary". Blanks and a drill round were also available for instruction purposes. The drill round was an aluminium bullet fixed in a chromium-plated case which had three deep lengthwise recesses painted red to identify it. Ammunition was supplied in belted form with 225 rounds per belt. The ball case was filled with a charge of around 45 grains (3 g) of nitro-cellulose. The British cartridge was used in the Besa machine gun. This was a Czechoslovak ZB-53 design adopted shortly before the war as a move towards rimless ammunition across the armed service. However the move was disrupted by the lead up to war. The BESA was installed in most tanks and armoured cars of British design of that period. The original Czech design was also produced for German use following the occupation of Czechoslovakia and captured German ammunition could be used and vice versa. == Polish military ammunition ==

The cartridges manufactured in Poland during the interwar period were mainly copies or modifications of the corresponding original German cartridge designs. The standard rifle cartridge was loaded with the S bullet (Spiczasty, "Pointed [Ball]"), a copy of the 1905 pattern German S Patrone. For machine guns a cartridge variant loaded with the heavier SC bullet (Spiczasty Ciężki, "Pointed, Heavy [Ball]") — a copy of the German 1934 pattern s.S. cartridge — was used. The variant loaded with the armor-piercing P bullet (przeciwpancerny) was a copy of the German SmK cartridge. The armor-piercing-with-tracer PS (przeciwpancerny smugowy) and incendiary Z (zapalający) cartridges were Polish modifications of the original German counterpart designs. The Polish designed a machine gun cartridge loaded with the long-range D bullet (dalekosiężny), which offered a maximum plunging fire range of to . == Romanian military ammunition ==

The Romanian military used the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge as standard issue from its independence. It gradually converted over in the 1950s and 1960s to using Warsaw Pact standard calibers. The 7.92 LPS gs MD71 (7.92×56mm) cartridge was manufactured in Romania by their Factory 22 (UM Sadu) from 1972 to 1978. It had a Semi-Armor-Piercing bullet with a copper jacket and mild steel core, corrosive VT stick propellant, and a Berdan-primed steel case with a green lacquer coating. The case mouth and primer pocket were sealed with a red sealant. It is unusual in that it has a uniform 56mm-long case, perhaps for cleaner extraction when used in belt-fed 8mm machine guns. Since it is from the portion after the neck, it chambers and feeds safely and extracts positively. It has sometimes been confused with the rather different Hungarian 8×56mmR Mannlicher cartridge. Some experts mistakenly believed it to be an experimental rimless pointed-bullet Hungarian "sniper rifle cartridge" developed by Hungary's Factory 22 (Andezit Muvek) until it became available as surplus. It is not clear why the cartridge was manufactured, as the Romanian military used the standard Communist-Bloc 7.62mm M91 Mosin-Nagant rifle round. Some believe it may have been for an experimental self-loading rifle or for a Communist Bloc client. It was most likely for use in the obsolete 8mm vz 24 rifles and MG 42 machine guns used by the Romanian Garzile Patriotice ("Patriotic Guards") from 1968 to the early 1980s. ==Yugoslav military ammunition==

After World War II the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia used the 7.92×57mm Mauser as a military service round. The Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) designated their 7.92×57mm Mauser ammunition as 7.9 mm. At the end of the 1940s the Yugoslav People's Army adopted a 7.9 mm cartridge, ball M49 variant, designated M49, as infantry ammunition for use in Mauser-type bolt-action rifles and MG 42 general-purpose machinegun clones like the M53. Yugoslavian state arms manufacturers like Prvi Partizan started making 7.92×57mm Mauser ammunition for export to the Middle East in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s the JNA started to develop a new more accurate 7.9 mm ammunition, sniper universal ball M75, variant, designated M75. This was done to support the new Zastava M76 sniper/designated marksman rifle for the JNA. Other adoption of the ammunition where tracer round 7.9 mm cartridge, ball with tracer, designated M70. The M70 tracer round burns out to . For training and ceremonial use a 7.9 mm cartridge, blank was adopted. By the mid-1980s the JNA started to push toward adopting Soviet / Warsaw Pact 7.62×54mm R ammunition. This process was interrupted by the fall of Yugoslavia and brought the 7.9 mm back into military service with the onset of the Yugoslav wars. ==The 7.92×57mm Mauser as parent case==

This was the parent case for many other later cartridges, such as: • 5.6×57mm • 6×57mm Triebel (wildcat) • 7.92×33mm Kurz • 7.92×107mm DS • 8×60mm S • 9×57mm Mauser • 9.3×57mm ==Chambered service weapons==