.408 Chey-tac / 10.4x77
.408 Chey-tac is a relatively new cartridge, purpose-designed for
long-range sniper and anti-material work. It provides effective range
close to 2 000 meters, and can be used against human and material
targets alike. The only weapons to fire this ammunition are specially
built precision rifles, usually bolt-action repeaters (although one or
two semi-automatics also exist in this caliber). This cartridge is in
limited use with elite counter-terrorism and VIP protection units in
several countries across the world.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| 19.76 | 1 067 | 11 260 | ||
| 27.15 | 915 | 11 365 |
.416 Barrett / 10.5x83
.416 Barret is a proprietary cartridge, designed by Ronnie Barrett (of
the Barrett rifles fame) to circumvent California state laws that
prohibit citizens from owning long range target rifles chambered to .50
BMG ammunition. The .416 Barrett is based on the .50BMG case shortened
and necked down, loaded with low-drag precision made bullets. So far it
asw no noticeable military or special operations use, although it has
significant potential for very long range (up to 2 000 meters or even
further) sniper work.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| 25.9 | 990 | 12 730 |
.460 Steyr
This cartridge is also based on the .50 BMG case shortened and necked
down. It was developed in Austria to provide extra-long range
capabilitues for target and tactical shooters. So far no reports emerged
on its service use, although the cartridge shows significant potential
in its niche, with possible effective range extending up to 2 200 - 2
400 meters.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| 34 | 945 | 15 200 |
.5 Vickers / 12.7x81 / .5V/565 / 12.7x81SR Breda
The .50 Vickers cartridge emerged in 1921, as a new type of ammunition for heavy machine guns, intended for AA
and ant-armor work. It was adopted by British army for use in AA
(ground- and naval use) role and in light tanks. In tank use it became
obsolete by the middle of WW2, and in Naval AA use it served a bit
longer. Version of this cartridge, but with semi-rimmed case, was known
as .5 Vicker export or .5V/565, and it was also used by several other
European countries for aircraft and ground-based heavy machine guns
(hence the alternative designation 12.7mm Breda, as the Italy was a
major user of 12.7x81SR ammunition). It was used in a number of a heavy
machie guns, mostly of British and Italian origin, and became obsolete
soon after WW2.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| Mk.IIz | 37.6 | 775 | 11 280 | Early British AP |
| .5V/565 | 36.5 | 760 | 10 540 |
.5 Vickers class D / .5 Vickers HV / 12.7x120SR
The .5 Vickers class D ammunition (also known as .5 Vickers High
Velocity) was developed in mid-1920s as a more powerful round for AA and
anti-armor use. It was used in a limited production Vickers Class D
heavy machine guns only, and is obsolete since the end of WW2.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| 45 | 927 | 19 330 |
.50 BMG / 12.7x99 Browning Machine Gun
The .50 BMG (Browning
Machine Gun) cartridge is one of the most sucessfull rounds in its
class. Orginnally developed in 1918-1920 as a cartridge for a large
caliber AA / anti-armor machine gun, it was standartised by US Army in
1921 along with Browning M1921 heavy machine gun, and is still in active
service. It is also widely used in aircrafts during WW2 and Korea, and
is still in wide use by various land and naval forces around the world.
Most widespread weapon to fire this cartridge is a venerable Browning
M2HB machine gun of US origins; few other machine guns were later
developed to complement or replace M2HB but none succeeded so far. Since
1980s, the .50BMG also became increasingly popular as a long-range sniping / anti-material round, and several specialised loadings were recently developed for this purpose, such as Mk.211 Mod.0 Multi-purpose round by Raufoss. Another specialized round is SLAP (Saboted Light Armor Penetrator) with sub-caliber
.30 / 7.62mm tungsten projectile inside plastic discarded sabot. This
round can penetrate about 34mm of steel armor at 500 meters range (90
degree impact angle) and up to 23mm of same steel armor at 1200 meters.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| M2 AP | 45.8 | 857 | 16 820 | |
| M8 API | 40.4 | 888 | 15 900 | |
| M903 SL:AP | 23.3 | 1 220 | 17 360 | Saboted Light Armor Penetrator |
| Mk.211 Mod.0 | 43.5 | 888 | 17 125 | Raufoss Multi-purpose projectile (AP-I-Explosive) |
12.7x108
This round was developed in USSR by early 1930s especially for the new
heavy machine guns, to be used in ground support and AA roles, and
latter also in aircraft armaments. Originally chambered in Soviet
DShK-38 heavy machine gun, this cartridge found a wide acceptance in
eastern hemisphere, asia and Africa. Machine guns for this round are
still manufactured in Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan and a number of
other countries. Russia and China also developed several anti-material
(sniper) rifles in this caliber. Ammunition in 12.7x108 is also
manufactured in many countries around the world, but mostly in Eastern
hemisphere.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| B-32 | 48.3 | 820 | 16 240 | AP-I bullet with hardened steel core |
| BS | 55.4 | 820 | 18 625 | AP-I bullet with tungsten carbide core |
13.2x95 and 13.2x99 Hotchkiss
This round was developed in France during late 1920s especially for the
new heavy machine guns. It was adopted by French army in 1930 along
with the Hotchkliss heavy machine gun, and before WW2 it also gained
popularity throughout several European countries and in Japan, mostly
for AA or aircraft applications. After WW2 its popularity rapidly
declined in favour of the American 12.7x99 / .50 BMG round, to which
Hothckiss round has more than passing similarity. Today 13.2mm
ammunition in both varieties (with 'long' 99mm and 'short' 95mm cases)
is completely obsolete. No guns and ammunition in this caliber are made
for many years.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| - | 52 | 800 | 16 640 |
14.5x114
This formidable cartridge was developed in USSR shortly before WW2 for
use in antitant rifles. While those rifles became obsolete by the 1942,
it was decided to develop a machine gun firing this ammunition, to use
it against low-flying combat aircrafts and variuos lightly armored
ground targets. Such weapon was developed in USSR by 1944 but it sook
several more years to finalize its design, and it was adopted by Soviet
army shortly after WW2. It was (and still is) used as infantry support
weapon, AA weapon and also a primary armament of many armored vehicles
and personnel carriers (BTR-70, BTR-80). Standard loading for this
cartridge is an AP-I (Armor Piercing Incendiary) bullet, with steel or
tungsten carbide core. Penetration for such cartridge is usually quoted
as 20mm or rolled steel armor at 800 meters at 90 degrees. Other types
of bullets also exist, including API-T (tracer), MDZ (Instaneous
Incendiary / Explosive, to be used against unarmored aircrafts). For
many decates the Vladimirov KPVT was the only weapon in use to fire this
cartridge (it was manufactured in USSR and China, and widely used
throughout Warsaw pacdt countries and elsewhere). Today this old but
formidable weapon is also accompanied by few anti-materiel rifles in
this caliber, and a new indegenous Chinese AA machine gun.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| B-32 | 63.5 | 990 | 31 120 | AP-I bullet with hardened steel core |
| BS-41 | 66 | 990 | 32 340 | AP-I bullet with tungsten carbide core |
| BZT | 62 | 990 | 30 380 | AP-I-T bullet |
15x106 ZB / Besa
This formidable cartridge was developed in mid-1930s by Skoda factory
in Czechoslovakia, for the proposed new heavy machine gun manufactured
by ZB factory in Brno.
Before the start of Ww2 this heavy machine gun was adopted in UK for
tank armament as 15mm besa machine gun, and guns and ammunition in this
caliber were manufactured in UK under license throughout first half of
the WW2. Before WW2 Czech-made machine guns in this caliber were also
exported in limited numbers to Yugoslavia and Iran. Apparently, no guns
in this caliber were manufactured after WW2 and today this cartridge is
completely obsolete.
| Designation | Bullet weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Muzzle energy, J | Comments |
| 75 | 895 | 30 200 |
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