7,62 X 51 mm NATO

In 1954, under the influence of the United States, NATO adopts, for the rifles of attack and average machine-guns, a new gauge: the 7,62 X 51 mm NATO . Consequently, FN Herstal hastens to adapt the FAL which it has just conceived for the new ammunition which is also adopted for the HK G3 and US M14. The ammunition is also called 7,62 NR , 7,62 mm NATO or even .308 Winchester in the Anglo-Saxon countries. The new ammunition however is criticized for its excessive power for a light weapon. The automatic shooting is not easily controllable and the size of the ammunition limits at the same time the capacity of the chargers to 20 blows but also the number of ammunition which a soldier can take along in operation. Thus, the armies Japanese woman and Spanish used undercharged versions of the 7,62 NATO.

In the Years 1960, after having tested prototypes of F, the Army French mainly adopted it for its general-purpose machine-guns Automatic weapon 7,62 NR Models F1 and its rifles of precision FR-F2.

In the Years 1970, NATO adopts for rifles a new gauge developed by the American army: the 5,56x45mm. 7,62 remainder however used for the average machine-guns (examples: MG3 and FN MAG), and some weapons of Marksman.

The ammunition is currently manufactured (2005) in more than 50 countries and exists in a multitude of alternatives intended to the soldiers, for the hunters and the sporting gunners.

Data sheet 7,62 NATO (military cartouche)

real Diameter of the projectile: 7,82 mm
Length of the case: 51 mm
ordinary Mass projectile: 9 grams
Mass cartridge: 24 grams
initial Speed: 780-840 m/s
Energy intiale: 2890-3352 J

Military alternatives of the US Army

The 7,62 NATO of the American army is called M80 Ball when it is equipped with the ordinary projectile with yellow point. The perforating balls and traçantes are the M61AP (black point) and M62T (orange point).

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