Left to right, 7.62x39, 7.62x51 NATO, 7.62x54 Russian

Military 7.62mm NATO Versus Soviet 7.62x39mm


7.62x39 (left) and 7.62 NATO (right)
7.62×39 (left) and 7.62 NATO (right)

Q: What is the velocity of military 7.62mm ball ammunition? How does it compare with the 7.62x39mm Russian round and military 5.56×45 NATO ammo?

Steve Lawrence

A: When fired from a standard M14 rifle, the 7.62 NATO ball 149gn FMJ boattail bullet has a muzzle

Left to right, 7.62x39, 7.62x51 NATO, 7.62x54 Russian
Left to right, 7.62×39, 7.62×51 NATO, 7.62×54 Russian

velocity of 2800fps and muzzle energy of 2594 ft/lbs. When fired from a standard AKM rifle, the 122gn Soviet round has a muzzle velocity of 2340fps and energy of 1483 ft/lbs. When fired from a standard M16A1E1 rifle, the SS109 62gn FMJ boattail with steel penetrator (.223 Ball) has a muzzle velocity of 3050fps and energy of 1281 ft/lbs.
At 300 yards, the numbers are 2159fps and 1542 ft/lbs for the 7.62NATO, 1606 fps and 699 ft/lbs for the 7.62×39 Soviet and 2220 fps and 679 ft/lbs for the 5.56 NATO round. The Soviet 5.45×39 cartridge, introduced in 1974 for use in the new AK-74 Assault rifle fired a 54gn spitzer bullet at 2950fps for 1045 ft/lb of muzzle energy.
Warning. My data on current military rifles for these cartridge is probably somewhat dated.

 

 

 


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Nick Harvey

The late Nick Harvey (1931-2024) was one of the world's most experienced and knowledgeable gun writers, a true legend of the business. He wrote about firearms and hunting for about 70 years, published many books and uncounted articles, and travelled the world to hunt and shoot. His reloading manuals are highly sought after, and his knowledge of the subject was unmatched. He was Sporting Shooter's Technical Editor for almost 50 years. His work lives on here as part of his legacy to us all.

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