5,6 mm Swiss

Gw Pat.90 (cartridge of rifle 1990 of 5,6 mm), more known under the name of 5,6 mm Swiss , is the lawful ammunition of SIG-550 used by the Swiss Armée.

History

This cartridge first of all succeeded the 7,5 mm GP11 drawn by rifle 11 and snap hook Mq 11 (from where its name from Gewehr Patronen 11, or GP 11), then by the snap hook Mq 31 (up to now only of the weapons with bolt) and finally by the Stgw 57/Fass 57 which Fass 90 replaced about 1987. The preceding experiments of change of lawful rifles had proven that the adoption of a new ammunition cost less than the adaptation of the military installations of shootings. Its creators chose to design a cartouche of the same gauge as the 5,56 mm NATO but capable of a high degree of accuracy with 300 Mr.

Characteristics

real Diameter of the projectile: 5,56 mm
Length case: 44,70 mm
Length Cartridge: 57,40 mm
Mass of the projectile: 4,1 G
Mass of the cartridge: 12,7 G

Production and use

The cartridge is designed to limit its pollution by lead. It is produced by RUAG Munition, a company of RUAG technology group. Its lined steel projectile contains approximately 95% Pb, 2% Sb, 3% Cu. More than 1 billion these cartridges had been produced at the date 2005. It is also used as cartridge of sport in Switzerland. Each Swiss citizen still in service must carry out every year of the obligatory shootings with his rifle of attack and this type of cartridge.

This cartridge is declined in three alternatives:

ball lined out of steel
tracing ball
cartridge with white

The exercises of handling with the rifle of attack were done before with full cartridges similar to the cartridge with lined projectile. Because of the risk of confusion between the cartridge of war and that of handling, the latter was replaced by red/orange plastic cartridges.

References and notes

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