12.7 x 107 mm
Encyclopedia
The 12.7×108 mm cartridge is a heavy machine gun
and anti-materiel rifle
cartridge used by the Soviet Union
, the former Warsaw Pact
, modern Russia
, and other countries.
It is used in the same roles as the NATO .50 BMG
(12.7x99mm NATO) cartridge. The two differ in bullet shape and weight, and the casing of the 12.7x108mm is slightly longer and thicker, allowing it to hold slightly more of a different type of powder. The 12.7x108mm can be used to engage a wide variety of targets on the battlefield, and will destroy unarmored vehicles, penetrate lightly armored vehicles and damage external ancillary equipment (ie: searchlights, RADAR, transmiters, vision blocks, engine campartment covers) on heavily armored vehicles such as tanks. Armor-piercing .50 cal ammunition will penetrate around 25 mm of armor. Normal full metal jacket .50 cal ammunition will only dimple tank armor, causing no damage.
In the Finnish Defence Forces
, the NSV chambered in 12.7 x 108 is used primarily in an anti-aircraft role by all branches.
(350 grains
) H2O cartridge case capacity.
12.7×108 maximum cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimetres (mm).
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 18.16 degrees.
According to guidelines the 12.7×108mm case can handle up to 360 MPa (52,213 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum CIP pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
(12.7×99mm NATO) cartridge can be fired in Soviet/Russian 12.7×108mm machine guns. The 12.7×108mm was even called a “.51-caliber.” This often claimed interchangeability is an assumption made from the 12.7×108mm being listed as “.511-caliber” in US intelligence publications during the Vietnam War. The bullets used for both cartridges are ~.51 inches in diameter, but upon firing the bullet is shaped and forced by the barrel and propellant to actually "squeeze" down to the .50 diameter, and engage the rifling of the barrel. Despite the similar bullet diameters, the dimensional differences between the two cartridges would prevent either being correctly chambered in a firearm designed for the other.
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
and anti-materiel rifle
Anti-materiel rifle
An anti-materiel rifle is a rifle that is designed for use against military equipment rather than against other combatants ....
cartridge used by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the former Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
, modern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and other countries.
It is used in the same roles as the NATO .50 BMG
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
(12.7x99mm NATO) cartridge. The two differ in bullet shape and weight, and the casing of the 12.7x108mm is slightly longer and thicker, allowing it to hold slightly more of a different type of powder. The 12.7x108mm can be used to engage a wide variety of targets on the battlefield, and will destroy unarmored vehicles, penetrate lightly armored vehicles and damage external ancillary equipment (ie: searchlights, RADAR, transmiters, vision blocks, engine campartment covers) on heavily armored vehicles such as tanks. Armor-piercing .50 cal ammunition will penetrate around 25 mm of armor. Normal full metal jacket .50 cal ammunition will only dimple tank armor, causing no damage.
In the Finnish Defence Forces
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces are responsible for the defence of Finland. It is a cadre army of 15,000, of which 8,900 are professional soldiers , extended with conscripts and reservists such that the standard readiness strength is 34,700 people in uniform...
, the NSV chambered in 12.7 x 108 is used primarily in an anti-aircraft role by all branches.
Cartridge dimensions
The 12.7×108mm has 22.72 mlLitre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
(350 grains
Grain (measure)
A grain is a unit of measurement of mass that is nominally based upon the mass of a single seed of a cereal. From the Bronze Age into the Renaissance the average masses of wheat and barley grains were part of the legal definition of units of mass. However, there is no evidence of any country ever...
) H2O cartridge case capacity.
12.7×108 maximum cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimetres (mm).
Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 18.16 degrees.
According to guidelines the 12.7×108mm case can handle up to 360 MPa (52,213 psi) piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum CIP pressure to certify for sale to consumers.
Incorrect interchangability claims
It is often claimed that the US .50 BMG.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
(12.7×99mm NATO) cartridge can be fired in Soviet/Russian 12.7×108mm machine guns. The 12.7×108mm was even called a “.51-caliber.” This often claimed interchangeability is an assumption made from the 12.7×108mm being listed as “.511-caliber” in US intelligence publications during the Vietnam War. The bullets used for both cartridges are ~.51 inches in diameter, but upon firing the bullet is shaped and forced by the barrel and propellant to actually "squeeze" down to the .50 diameter, and engage the rifling of the barrel. Despite the similar bullet diameters, the dimensional differences between the two cartridges would prevent either being correctly chambered in a firearm designed for the other.
Firearms using this cartridge
- AMR-2AMR-2The AMR-2 is a 12.7mm Sniper Rifle developed in China as an anti-materiel sniper rifle, introduced in early 2000s. Designed and developed by China South Industries Group, the rifle uses bolt-action and a conventional design. The AMR-2 fires 12.7x108mm sniper rifle cartridge from a 5-round box...
anti-materiel sniper rifleAnti-materiel rifleAn anti-materiel rifle is a rifle that is designed for use against military equipment rather than against other combatants .... - DShKDShKThe DShK 1938 is a Soviet heavy machine gun firing the 12.7x108mm cartridge. The weapon was also used as a heavy infantry machine gun, in which case it was frequently deployed with a two-wheeled mounting and a single-sheet armour-plate shield...
heavy machine gun - Berezin UBBerezin UBBerezin UB was a 12.7 mm caliber Soviet aircraft machine gun widely used during World War II.-Development:...
aircraft machine gun - NSV heavy machine gun
- KordKord machine gunThe Kord-12.7 mm heavy machine gun is a Russian design that entered service in 1998 replacing the older NSV machine gun. Externally the weapon resembles the NSV, however the internal mechanism has been extensively reworked, changing from a horizontally pivoting breech block to a rotating bolt...
heavy machine gun - Type 77 Heavy Machine GunType 77 Heavy Machine GunThe Type 77 heavy machine gun is described as China’s first generation designed 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun. The Type 85 is a “product improved” version. The weapon is both gas and recoil operated. The ammunition belt is the standard DShK metal non-disintegrating link.-See also:* W85 Heavy...
- W85 Heavy Machine GunW85 Heavy Machine GunThe W-85 heavy machine gun is a heavy machine gun designed in the People's Republic of China.-Overview:The W85 chambers and fires the 12.7x108 mm round. It is a gas-operated, belt-fed, fully automatic weapon.-See also:* Type 77* DShK* NSV...
- ČZW-127ČZW-127The ČZW-127 is an anti-materiel sniper rifle of Czech origin. Due to the patented lever-delayed blowback action, CZW claims it to possess recoil smooth enough to be usable even without a muzzle brake....
anti-materiel sniper rifle - V-94 anti-tank/anti-materiel rifle
- KSVKKSVK 12.7The KSVK 12.7 is a large caliber anti-materiel sniper rifle developed in Russia for the purpose of counter sniping and penetrating thick walls, as well as light armored vehicles.-Development:...
anti-materiel sniper rifle - Gepard anti-materiel rifles
- M93Zastava M93 Black ArrowThe M93 Black Arrow is a 12.7mm or .50 caliber anti-materiel rifle developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms.The M93 Black Arrow is designed on the basis of the Mauser system, which was, during its one hundred years long combat history, proven to be one of the most accurate and reliable...
sniper rifle - VidhwansakVidhwansakVidhwansak is an Indian multi-caliber anti-material rifle or large-caliber sniper rifle manufactured by Ordnance Factory, Tiruchirapalli. It can be used in the anti-materiel role for destroying enemy bunkers, lightly armoured vehicles, radar systems, communication equipment, parked aircraft, fuel...
Anti-Material Rifle - 6P626P626P62 is the GRAU designation of a Russian hand-held fully automatic anti-materiel rifle chambered for the 12.7 x 108 mm round. At 100 meters it can penetrate up to 20 mm of steel....
anti-material assault rifle - OSV-96OSV-96OSV-96 is a Russian large calibre semi-automatic sniper rifle chambered for the 12.7 x 108 mm round.* Barrel length: 1000 mm.* Magazine: 5 rounds.* Effective Range: 2,000 m....
anti-material sniper rifle - M02 Coyote heavy machine gun
- Yak-B 12.7mmYak-B 12.7mm machine gunThe Yakushev-Borzov YakB-12.7 mm is a remotely controlled 12.7x108mm caliber four-barrel Gatling gun developed by the Soviet Union for the Mil Mi-24 attack gunship and low-capacity troop transporter with 1470 rounds, which can also be mounted in GUV-8700 machine-gun pods with 750 rounds.It has a...
Gatling gun - SVN-98 experimental anti-material rifle
- Zastava M87Zastava M87The Zastava M87 is a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun produced by the Zastava Arms works of Serbia. The M87 is a licenced copy of the Soviet NSV 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. It is intended for anti-aircraft duties, but it also used for action against ground and water targets at long...
heavy machine gun