7.62x51mm NATO vs 7.62x54r
Table of Contents
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to compare the
7.62x51mm NATO and
7.62x54r cartridges. These two iconic metric calibers are notable for their use during the Cold War era and are popular among a variety of shooters. The two cartridges have histories of military usage and continue to be used by shooters today, specifically by milsurp shooters and battle rifle enthusiasts. Our goal with this blog post is to provide an overview of the two cartridges and cover their traits, use cases, features, and more. Without further ado, let’s talk
7.62x51mm NATO and
7.62x54r.
What is 7.62x51mm NATO?
The
7.62x51mm NATO, often just called the
7.62 NATO, was developed in 1954. The
7.62 NATO round was first fielded by the United States military for use with the M14 and M60 light machine gun. Like the name suggests, the round was adopted by NATO and used in a variety of iconic arms throughout history. Prolific battle rifles such as the FAL and G3 and various machine guns such as the M240 have utilized the
7.62 NATO. Since the cartridge’s inception in the mid-20
th century, the
7.62 NATO has been utilized by militaries, law enforcement agencies, and shooters of all types.
As a full-sized .30 caliber rifle cartridge, the
7.62 NATO can be utilized for a variety of purposes. The round can be effectively employed to dispatch medium sized game and some larger game. The cartridge’s effectiveness in hunting applications can be enhanced by using specifically designed hunting loads. The cartridge can also be utilized for precision-oriented shooting and will benefit from the use of match grade or target grade loadings. Of course, the
7.62 NATO is well-suited to plinking and general-purpose shooting.
Like its
.308 Winchester counterpart, the
7.62 NATO features a stout recoil impulse. While this impulse is stout, it is not nearly as authoritative as the
.30-06 Springfield cartridge it is often compared to. A firearm’s recoil impulse is generally tamed by things such as weight, autoloading operation, and muzzle devices to name a few. Many of the firearms on the market chambered specifically in
7.62 NATO will be of the semi-automatic variety, meaning that recoil assemblies will aid in taming recoil and lessen the felt impulse.
What is 7.62x54r?
The
7.62x54r is a Russian cartridge that was introduced in 1891. The cartridge was originally designed to be used with the Model 1891 Mosin Nagant rifle and eventually found its way into use with other firearms. Beyond the initial Mosin Nagant rifle, the
7.62x54r has also been utilized by other rifles such as the SVT-40 and SVD/Dragunov in addition to machine guns such as the DP-28 and PKM. The cartridge is notable for being one of the longest serving military calibers in the history of the world, as it still remains in service today.
Notably, the
7.62x54r round is a rimmed cartridge, meaning that the base of the case features a rim. The presence of this rim is to ensure that proper headspacing is achieved upon chambering. As a full-sized rifle cartridge with a .30 caliber projectile, the
7.62x54r can be utilized for a variety of purposes. Like similarly sized cartridges, the
7.62x54r is suitable for medium sized game and some larger sized game. The cartridge becomes more optimal for hunting use when purpose-built hunting
ammunition is utilized.
The
7.62x54r is known for having a stout recoil impulse. This is mainly due to the fact that a majority of the firearms one will encounter on the market are of the bolt action variety. This distinction is important as autoloading firearms generally feature some form of recoil system to ensure function. Recoil assemblies such as buffers and springs also tend to reduce some of the felt recoil impulse when firing.
Purchase 7.62x51mm NATO Ammo
How Available is 7.62x51mm NATO Ammunition?
7.62 NATO ammunition is quite available in today’s market. The cartridge is supported by a variety of companies and is loaded to a variety of specs.
Ammunition for
7.62 NATO is generally found in the form of newly loaded factory
ammo or in the form of surplus
ammo. New, factory produced
7.62 NATO ammo is available from companies such as
Aguila,
PMC,
Magtech,
Saltech, and
Vairog to name a few. Surplus
7.62 NATO loadings are often found in the form of German, Austrian, Belgian, and even Argentine loadings. One will encounter steel cased and brass cased
7.62 NATO loadings, with most of the loadings being of the brass cased variety. Additionally, most
7.62 NATO ammo will not be corrosive, meaning shooters generally will not need to worry about potential corrosion. The cartridge can typically be found with projectiles weighing 147, 149, or 150 grains, making most loadings suitable for multiple use cases. At the end of the day, one will have no issue finding
7.62 NATO ammo if they are after some.
How Available is 7.62x54r Ammunition?
Like the
7.62 NATO, the
7.62x54r cartridge tends to be quite available in today’s market. The cartridge is not as prevalent as the
7.62 NATO loading in the United States. Furthermore, importation of the round from some Eastern European countries has been hindered by sanctions and other restrictions. Thankfully, there are a fair number of companies producing
7.62 NATO ammo which are unhindered by sanctions and restrictions.
7.62x54r ammo can be in the form of newly manufactured
ammunition and in the form of surplus
ammo. Companies such as
PPU,
Sellier & Bellot,
Igman,
Red Army Standard, and
Wolf produce factory new
7.62x54r ammo. Surplus ammo can originate from Eastern Bloc countries such as Russia, former Czechoslovakia, Romania, and former Yugoslavia. Many of the surplus loadings and some modern loadings will feature corrosive primers, meaning that shooters will need to be prompt with their cleaning to avoid potential erosion and damage.
7.62x54r ammo is generally found in either steel cased or brass cased form, with steel cased
ammo being more prevalent than its brass counterparts. Loadings can generally be found with projectiles ranging from 148 to 182 grains as far as weight goes. All in all, one will be able to get ahold of some
7.62x54r ammunition if they are after some.
What is the Availability of Firearms Chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO?
Presently, one will not encounter a significant number of firearms chambered specifically in
7.62 NATO. A majority of the firearms specifically chambered in the round will be of the surplus variety. These firearms can be found in the form of readily available milsurps or in the form of parts kit builds. While the market does not host a variety of
7.62 NATO chambered firearms, one will find many firearms which accept the round. This is because firearms chambered in
.308 Winchester can accept
7.62 NATO ammo. All in all, one can easily find a firearm capable of accepting
7.62 NATO if they so desire.
What is the Availability of Firearms Chambered in 7.62x54r?
At this point in time, a majority of the firearms chambered in
7.62x54r are going to be those of the milsurp variety. These rifles come in the form of Mosin Nagant variants such as the M91/30, M38, and M44 along with semi-automatic SVT-40 rifles. Modern production offerings can be found in the form of things such as Molot Veprs and Romanian PSLs in the caliber. At the end of the day, while there are fewer options available for firearms in this caliber, one will be able to find something chambered in
7.62x54r if they truly want to.
Purchase 7.62x54r Ammo
Conclusion
All in all, both the
7.62 NATO and
7.62x54r cartridges continue to be popular rounds with shooters in the modern era. The two rounds are suitable for a wide variety of uses and still see support by the market when it comes to arms and
ammo. We here at True Shot Ammo carry
7.62 NATO and
7.62x54r ammo in addition to the wide variety of other
ammunition we carry. Whether you are after one of these rounds or something else we carry, we have got you covered. As always, happy shooting.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options.
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