.310 Cadet
Encyclopedia
The .310 Cadet, also known as the .310 Greener, or the .310 Martini, is a centerfire rifle
cartridge
, introduced in 1900 by W.W. Greener as a target round for the Martini Cadet
rifle. Firing a 120 grain heeled
lead projectile at 1200 ft/s
the round is similar in performance to the .32-20 Winchester
and many rifles may chamber both rounds with some accuracy. This is NOT meant to imply that such a practice is generally advisable, or that both bullets are safely interchangeable, although for reloading purposes the 110-grain .32-20 bullet may be used in a .310 cartridge (being only marginally narrower).
The round gained popularity in Australia, New Zealand
and the United States
when thousands of Martini Cadet rifles were sold by the Australian government after World War II
.
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
, introduced in 1900 by W.W. Greener as a target round for the Martini Cadet
Martini Cadet
The Martini Cadet is a centrefire single shot rifle produced in the United Kingdom by BSA and W.W. Greener for the use of Australian military Cadets. Based on a miniature version of the Martini-Henry it was internally different...
rifle. Firing a 120 grain heeled
Heeled bullet
A heeled bullet is an archaic design of bullet where the internal diameter of the barrel is the same diameter as the cartridge case, and the bullet has a step at the rear to allow it to fit inside the case...
lead projectile at 1200 ft/s
Feet per second
The foot per second is a unit of both speed and velocity . It expresses the distance in feet traveled or displaced, divided by the time in seconds...
the round is similar in performance to the .32-20 Winchester
.32-20 Winchester
The .32-20 Winchester, also known as the .32 WCF , was the first small-game lever-action cartridge thatWinchester produced. It was initially introduced as a blackpowder cartridge in 1882 for small-game, varmint hunting, and deer. Colt produced a single-action pistol chambered for this cartridge a...
and many rifles may chamber both rounds with some accuracy. This is NOT meant to imply that such a practice is generally advisable, or that both bullets are safely interchangeable, although for reloading purposes the 110-grain .32-20 bullet may be used in a .310 cartridge (being only marginally narrower).
The round gained popularity in Australia, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when thousands of Martini Cadet rifles were sold by the Australian government after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.