Types of calibers for rifled weapons and their features

Time to read the material: ~ 23 minutes

The caliber is the internal diameter of the bore (for a smoothbore gun). For a rifled barrel, this concept refers to the diameter of the barrel drilled along the fields. When selecting suitable hunting equipment, it is important to follow a simple rule: the larger the game, the larger the caliber should be. This rule will ensure, among other things, the safety of the shooter himself, because an angry predator that has not been killed by small bullets poses a danger to the hunter. It is undesirable to shoot fur-bearing animals with large bullets due to the formation of too wide a wound channel and, as a consequence, damage to the skins and economic inexpediency.

Review of popular calibers

There are many sizes of weapon ammunition. When it comes to rifled guns, the most commonly used types are:

• — 5.6 mm (22-LR) – used for shooting sports and hunting rodents, minks, sables, squirrels, etc.;
• - 5.6x39 (Russian development) - produced either with a bullet made of a full metal jacket (with it you can go after squirrels, muskrats, minks, sables, otters and other fur-bearing animals), or with a semi-jacketed bullet (optimal for catching medium-sized animals);
• — 223 Remington – suitable for catching medium-sized animals:

Carbine Rifled CZ 527 Lux 223 REM

• - 243 Win - showed the best results while hunting live targets weighing up to 150 kg:

Sako 85 s Varmint Laminated Stainless .243Win + Apel EAW

• - 7.62×39 - it was for this standard size that the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifle was developed, it is produced in versions with semi-jacketed and shell bullets, and has great penetrating ability and energy;
• - 308 Win - carbines with this barrel diameter across the fields are suitable for shooting rodents and small game, ungulates from a long distance - valued for their versatility:

Carbine Rifled ELK 7-1

• - 7.62x54R - go with it for large and medium-sized game. This is one of the popular calibers, on the basis of which a new version was invented for civilian rifles, which will be discussed in detail in the further part of the text;
• - 9.3×62 - is chosen by many experienced fishermen for shooting large and medium-sized game.

As for smoothbore guns, the most popular are three calibers: 12, 16 and 20. Moreover, the first option is the most common. 12'' shotguns are not limited in the type of shells used, the size of shot and buckshot. This allows you to shoot at all kinds of game using cartridges with different fillings. In addition, twelve gauge is suitable for beginners.

Smoothbore shotgun IZH-26 caliber 12

Shotgun Sauer caliber 16

New calibers have recently been added to the options listed above - 366TKM and 9.6*53 Lancaster. Let's look at them in more detail:

366-TKM

366-TKM-Lancaster

.223 Remington cartridge

Among cartridges of all calibers, the .223 Rem ammunition especially stands out. or 5.56 x 45 mm, which has been actively used in NATO countries since 1980. When creating a new ammunition, the designers decided to use the .222 Remington cartridge as a basis.

Rifle caliber .222 Rem. was needed for small rifles, but later it turned out that its power was not enough to defeat enemy personnel. Then a new type of ammunition appeared - .222 Remington Special. To avoid confusion, it was later renamed the .223 Rem. This rifle caliber was used to fire the famous AR-15 rifles. It is better known to the Russian-speaking public as M-16.

The advantage of this cartridge is the high destructive power of the projectile, and the main disadvantage is the low initial speed of the projectile being thrown.

366-TKM and 9.6/53-Lancaster – calibers of the 21st century

These standards were developed based on 7.62x39 mm and 7.62x54 mm. Similar to those from machine guns and rifles, bullets of the calibers in question are stabilized during flight by the rotation obtained due to the special configuration of the barrel.

The creation of new products was carried out by an Udmurt company - Closed Joint Stock Company "Tekhkrim". It specializes in the manufacture of cartridges for all types of shotguns and the production of weapons for personal defense, special equipment for special services, and has over 14 patents for inventions. In addition, Tekhkrim CJSC is a developer of standards in the field of weapons. It was this enterprise that developed national GOSTs:

• — 28653‑2018,
• — 50741-95,
• — 50742-95,
• — 50743-95,
• — 50743‑2019,
• — 51886-2002.

Cartridges for smoothbore weapons 366 TKM copper expansion bullet

Cartridges for shotguns 9.6/53 Lancaster shot in a plastic container

Old Russian system

Experienced weapons experts, reading the article, understanding the lines and dots, will definitely remember the most Russian rifle - the three-ruler. They will ask themselves whether the lines in the article and in the title are connected with each other? And they will be absolutely right.

The fact is that Russia switched to the metric system for measuring calibers after the 1917 revolution. And before that, the same system of lines was used as in England.

As is clear from the common name, cartridges for the Mosin rifle have a 3-line caliber. That is, they correspond to the American marking .30. How much will it be if converted to Soviet caliber? We multiply 0.3 by 25.4 and get a very expected result - 7.62 millimeters. It was this cartridge that the Mosinka used, and today it is used by the SVD and many other types of weapons.

366.TKM

The TekhkrimMolot caliber (366 TKM) was developed and first presented to the public in 2014. Initially, it was intended for the so-called exception weapon (paradox), in which the rifled part (and its length does not exceed 14 cm) is only at the end of the barrel. Federal Law No. 150 classifies such weapons as smooth-bore. Subsequently, .366TKM appeared for Lancasters.

In fact, these weapons were specially created taking into account the shortcomings and controversial issues in Russian legislation. The target audience of the products in question are novice hunters and athletes who want to get a gun with ballistics almost the same as in a rifled carbine, but at the same time do not want to wait the 5 years required by law. Development was carried out for smooth-bore variations of the SKS carbines (the new model was called VPO-208) and AKM (the newly created design was called VPO-209) by order of the Vyatka-Polyansky arms production plant "Molot-Weapon".

The first carbine produced for the 366TKM caliber was the VPO-208 Paradox. It proved itself very well, had (and still has) very good demand in the market. After that, many weapon models were developed under 366TKM by various weapons companies.

A new, more powerful 9.6x53 Lancaster was proposed by Tekhkrim specialists in 2022. Its muzzle energy and initial velocity turned out to be too high for the Paradox muzzle attachment, which led to the bullet breaking off the rifling. To solve the problem, the developers used Lancaster drilling - a special case of oval drilling of a smooth barrel channel, in which there are two wide grooves in the barrel, gradually turning into fields. Such a weapon design, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, is classified as smooth-bore. Almost immediately, along with the 9.6/53 caliber, Tekhkrim specialists begin experiments with .366TKM. Thus, by the end of 2022 and for 2022, we have 366 TKM for the Paradox drill type (with a cutting pitch of 500 mm) and .366 TKM for oval screw drilling.

366-TKM

Remarkable facts about "366-TKM"

Despite the number 366 in the name, the actual barrel diameter for this cartridge is 374. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the caliber underwent minor modifications after the patent was received. By slightly widening the bore, the developers managed to achieve better stability of the bullet in the rifling.

In terms of technical parameters, the 366 TKM is close to its rifled counterpart: 7.62 x 39, and the length of the cartridge case is identical to the length of a traditional Kalash cartridge - 37.5 mm.

Introductory information

Beginning hunters, as a rule, first of all think about choosing specific indicators from a wide variety. There are some. Although someone may become the owner of a certain weapon by inheritance. There is no question of choosing a caliber here. Although you can sell weapons and buy something else. This is not to say that literally everything depends on the caliber. But a lot of things are more true. But in addition to the caliber, it is also necessary to understand the length of the cartridge cases. It would seem - why? But, believe me, this is very important, so much so that ignoring this point can result, at a minimum, in the failure of the weapon or even significant harm to health, even death.

Which version of weapon to buy under “366TKM”

A very large selection of weapons that use .366TKM cartridges as ammunition is offered by . As mentioned earlier, it was this enterprise that first began to develop weapons for the 366-TKM. And it all started with the VPO 208 model, which has a paradoxical cut. Later, another version of the smoothbore AK from Molot appeared - the VPO 209. Its reliable automatic operation and low price made the model the most popular among all carbines in 366 caliber. The design of the VPO-209 completely replicates the design of the army version, with the exception of the reworking of the trigger (to make it impossible to conduct automatic fire) and the replacement of the rifled barrel with a smooth one, with a paradox. The carbine weighs 3.6 kg with a magazine and 3.2 kg without it, and has a total length of 883 mm. The barrel length is 415 mm. All components are identical to the original ones, there is even a pencil case with care accessories. Available with Lancaster drill or for use with a paradox nozzle. But in VPO 212 (Paradox), the outlines of the AK are guessed with great difficulty. The rifle has a long barrel (520–650 mm) and allows for accuracy of up to 40 mm at 100 m (these are excellent indicators for the caliber in question). The VPO 215 bolt gun with a paradox attachment is an ideal option for marksmanship, hunting in the mountains and hunting ungulates.

In addition to the products of the Vyatka-Polyansky plant, the following weapons are suitable for 366 TKM:

1. 1. AK-366 from . Notable for its minimal modifications to the original design of the famous Kalashnikov assault rifle. In essence, these are army machine guns that have been re-barreled and deprived of the automatic fire function and have been removed from the balance sheet. On some models you can even find inscriptions engraved by conscripts using improvised means. Available with Lancaster drill bit.
2. 2. TG-2 - the Kalashnikov concern presents a smooth-bore version of the Saiga-MK rifled carbine. Has a “Paradox” type drill.

English system

As mentioned earlier, the American gauge system is entirely derived from the English one. But there’s nothing you can do about it - at one time Great Britain, which conquered half the world, set fashion in a variety of areas, including the arms industry.

And in general, the calibers used in England are still very similar to the American ones. There is only one difference - having crossed out the first zero coming before the dot as unnecessary, the English experts did not cross out the last one. Apparently, British stiffness and dislike for excessive simplification, for which the Americans are famous, took their toll.

That is, a heavy machine gun here has a caliber of .500, and a small machine gun, which in the USA is labeled as .22, will here be designated as .220. The difference, as you can see, is minimal. Once you understand one system, switching to another will be quite easy.

Review of ammunition for 366-TKM

The following types of cartridges are compatible with the .366-TKM caliber:

• — semi-shell “Kion 13” or “Kion 15”, “Konus”;
• — in a brass shell – FMJ and FMJ-2;
• - all-metal - “Etna” or “Eco”;
• — lead - “Dary”;
• - shotguns;
• - with rubber bullets.

Cartridges for smoothbore weapons 366-TKM semi-jacketed bullet Kion 15

Cartridges for smoothbore weapons 366-TKM hunting with an all-metal ECO bullet

Traumatic cartridges 366-TKM with rubber bullet

Characteristics of cartridges for 366-TKM:

All-metal Eco bullets are used (with a 500 mm Paradox attachment) for amateur shooting and hunting small animals.

The Kion semi-jacketed bullets have a radius shape with an expansive recess. Their durable shell is covered with a thick layer of copper, which ensures uniform opening and preservation of mass, and helps reduce barrel wear. “Cone” cartridges are one of the most beloved by hunters, but they are currently out of production due to outdated manufacturing technology. They can be replaced with the Kion, Dary or Eco models.

FMJ-2 is a specially designed bullet. To make it, you need several types of metals and metal alloys: lead core, brass and bimetal for the shell.

Dary ammunition received an anti-friction polymer coating. They, like FMJ, are recommended to be used with a Paradox choke tube (rifling pitch 500 mm).

Etna bullets are made of soft copper, which ensures their reliable expansion in a ballistic environment. Due to the fairing and manufacturing precision, their accuracy is 1.5–2 times higher compared to other types of bullets.

In addition to the original bullets from Tekhkrim, any 375 caliber cartridges can be used with the carbine.

Data

It should be noted that the standard value does not always correspond to the calculated value. This is due to deviations created by manufacturing enterprises, with which they try to “unique” products for certain cartridges or means of production. Because of this, the calibers of smoothbore hunting weapons differ. The table of calculated values ​​contains ideals to which everyone should strive. It looks like this.

As you can see, the twentieth gauge is an order of magnitude smaller than the tenth, and the sixteenth is inferior to the twelfth.

9.6x53 Lancaster

A new caliber for smoothbore weapons appeared in October 2017, and instantly gained popularity among Russian hunters. Several factors contributed to this. First of all, the popularity of the “younger brother” is 366 TKM. In addition, the new product comes out with several types of weapons for it (remember that initially only one gun was suitable for .366TKM - the VPO-208 carbine). By the time the 9.6x53.Lancaster was released, several types of weapons for it were presented on the market:

• — semi-automatic devices in the “Vepr” form factor with different barrel lengths;
• - KO-44 - a screw carbine converted from a Mosin rifle with a barrel length reduced to 520 mm.

Subsequently, the range of weapons in the considered caliber was replenished with a carbine from the “Jager” line and a TK598 Mauser. Buyers immediately appreciated the possibility of such a huge selection.

Currently you can buy for this caliber:

1. 1. VPO 221-01 Vepr and VPO 221-02 with barrel lengths of 520 and 590 mm;
2. 2. KO-044 from Molot-Arms (has a barrel length of 510 mm);
3. 3. VPO Vepr-223 (600 mm);
4. 4. hunting rifles VPO-222, VPO-220;
5. 5. vertical double-barreled shotgun TK 527 M from Tekhkrim and many other models. The choice is huge.

The very need to develop the 9.6x53 Lancaster is dictated by the need to obtain more powerful muzzle energy. Indeed, for a number of technical reasons, such as the mass and dimensions of the bullet, the volume of the case and the pitch of the rifling, it is impossible to increase the cartridge power above 2.4–2.5 kJ in the 366 TKM. Essentially, the 366.TKM inherited the energy of its prototype - 7.62x39. It was necessary to create something more powerful. This is how the 9.6x53-Lancaster appeared. Its prototype was 7.62x54. At the same time, the 9.6x53 Lancaster and 7.62x54 cartridges differ slightly in the design of the cartridge case, which was done due to state requirements (so that it would be impossible to install 7.62x54 ammunition into smooth-bore weapons).

The number “nine point six” in the name indicates the size of the bullet after it is released from the barrel. Moreover, initially it has a diameter of 10.3 mm.

366-TKM-Lancaster

Meaning of indicators

It is quite common to designate weapon ammunition in millimeters or fractions of inches. But the same cannot be said about hunting calibers. A completely different classification system is used to designate them. So, in this case, the caliber number means how many spherical bullets can be cast from one English pound of lead, the weight of which is a little more than 453 grams. In this case, the resulting projectiles must be spherical, identical in diameter and mass, and equal to the length of the inner part of the barrel in its middle part. The smaller the size, the more bullets can be produced from one pound of lead. To evaluate everything, you need a table. It will be quite difficult to perceive the calibers of smoothbore hunting weapons in text form for the first time.

Review of bullets for 9.6x53 Lancaster

Several types of cartridges have been developed for the 9.6 x 53 Lancaster:

• — shell: FMJ-15 and FMJ-18;
• — semi-shell: SP-18 (PK) and “Kion-18”;
• - expansive - “Swift”;
• — buckshot;
• - fraction.

All of them are strictly designed for smoothbore 9.6 x 53 Lancaster.

Cartridges for 9.6/53 Lancaster smoothbore weapons with a jacketed bullet

Cartridges for 9.6/53 Lancaster smoothbore weapons with semi-jacketed bullets

Cartridges for shotguns 9.6/53 Lancaster buckshot in a plastic container

Cartridges for shotguns 9.6/53 Lancaster shot in a plastic container

The table below shows their main characteristics.

The cartridges are intended for hunting large and medium-sized animals from a distance of up to 150 m. But there are exceptions. For example, version FMJ 15 US (reduced speed). They were developed by specialists specifically for hunting small animals (weighing up to 100 kg). By reducing V0, the volume of the temporary pulsating cavity is reduced, which in turn leads to a decrease in the volume of the wound channel and the diameter of the inlet. Using bullets with reduced velocity will allow you to:

• — reduce recoil force;
• — avoid causing unnecessary damage to targets;
• — increase the safety of the weapon’s resource;
• — maintain accuracy identical to standard bullets.

PC ammunition (increased accuracy) deserves a separate discussion. They can be easily distinguished from other 9.6x53 Lancaster cartridges by their markings - the inscription PC on the cartridge case and the “high-strength product” sticker on the packaging. In addition to improved accuracy characteristics (which is confirmed by tests carried out by Techkrim specialists on ballistic systems), they have reduced tolerances for the weight of gunpowder and bullets. The cartridge is equipped with Tubal 3000 powder and SP18 bullet in a brass jacket.

Ammunition 6.8*53 Lancaster with the Swift bullet is notable for its increased braking effect, which is achieved by a special design: 6 concentrators on the shell and an expansive cutout on the bullet.

Buckshot and shotgun cartridges expand the capabilities of the 9.6/53 Lancaster. They can be used for hunting birds and small animals. At a distance of 35 m, the spread of buckshot is 0.4 m. From a distance, buckshot pierces through a pine board 50 mm thick.

Specific points

In general, you can talk about many things. For example, mention 32 and 36 calibers of smoothbore hunting weapons. They are mentioned in the table, right? But they are quite rare, and the second one is almost entirely represented by one type of weapon in our country. But that's not all there is to know. The caliber of smoothbore shotguns is determined using calculations, but in individual countries and even among manufacturers it may differ within certain limits. We should not forget that the barrels of smooth-bore hunting weapons often have various types of constriction - chokes. It should be noted that not every bullet of the appropriate caliber can pass through them without damage. After all, very often they are made based on the diameter of the choke. In this case, the barrel is equipped with easily cut sealing bands, which are cut off when the projectile passes.