Soviet Explosive Ordnance - 12.7mm Projectiles

12.7mm Ammunition

 

12.7mm Cartridge with High-Explosive Incendiary Bullet

This cartridge is used in Soviet 12.7mm Beresin (BS) aircraft machine guns and can be used in the 12.7mm DShK M1938 AA machine gun.  The bullet consists of a copper-clad steel envelope, a lead liner, and a steel inner container which carries a charge of explosive with an incendiary mixture in the rear,  This bullet has a brass, strikerless nose fuze.

The weight of the high-explosive filler (17.6 grains) and the incendiary filler (19.8 grains) indicates that this would probably be considered an incendiary or spotting bullet.

No color markings have been reported for this cartridge.

Characteristics

Caliber: 12.7mm (Cal. .50)

Weight of cartridge: 124.4g (1,920 gr) 

Weight of case: 65g (1,003 gr)

Weight of bullet: 42.7g (660 gr)

Weight of propellant: 16.61g (257 gr)

Length of cartridge: 146.3mm (5.76 in)

Length of case: 107.9mm (4.25 in)
Length of bullet: 59.9mm (2.24 in)



Packaging

  
No illustration available

There is no available information on the packaging of this cartridge.

12.7mm Cartridge with Explosive Bullet

This cartridge is used in Soviet 12.7mm Beresin (BS) aircraft machine guns and can be used in the 12.7mm DShK M1938 AA machine gun.


Information on the construction of this bullet is incomplete.  One source of information states that this bullet has a blunt nose which contains a metal disk held in place by a crimping, in a manner similar to that of a shotgun shell.

It is believed that the round is employed in the role of an incendiary ranging or spotting cartridge.

Characteristics

Caliber: 12.7mm (Cal. .50)

Weight of cartridge: N/A

Weight of case: 65g (1,003 gr)

Weight of bullet: N/A

Weight of propellant: N/A

Length of cartridge: 144.8mm (5.70 in)

Length of case: 107.9mm (4.25 in)
Length of bullet: N/A



Packaging

No illustration available

There is no available information on the packaging of this cartridge.  It is believed, however, that the packaging is similar to that for other Soviet 12.7mm cartridges.

12.7mm Cartridge with Armor-Piercing Bullet M1930, Type B-30

This 12.7mm cartridge very closely resembles the United States Cartridge, Ball, Cal. .50, M2, but has a slightly larger case.  It is fired in the Soviet 12.7mm DShK AA machine gun M1938 and in the 12.7mm Beresin (BS) aircraft machine gun.

The bullet consists of a tempered steel core, a lead enveloped, and a steel jacket clad with gilding metal.  This cartridge is employed for combatting lightly armored vehicles, machine gun positions, and aircraft; it is effective at ranges up to 2,400 meters (2,640 yards).

The black bullet tip is the identifying color marking, and it is identical with that used on the 7.62mm armor-piercing cartridge, Type B-30.

Characteristics

Caliber: 12.7mm (Cal. .50)

Weight of cartridge: 140g (2,160 gr)

Weight of case: 65g (1,003 gr)

Weight of bullet: 51.1g (788 gr)

Weight of propellant: 17.5g (271 gr)

Length of cartridge: 147mm (5.76 in)

Length of case: 107.9mm (4.25 in)
Length of bullet: 62.3mm (2.45 in)



Packaging

The hermetically sealed galvanized-metal container for this cartridge contains 85 cartridges packed loosely in rows, with the heads of the cartridges alternately in opposite directions, and with paper placed between each row.  Two such metal containers are packed in a wooden box, as illustrated, making a total of 170 cartridges.  Both metal and wooden box are marked with black stenciled letters giving information necessary to identify the cartridge.

This packaging can be identified by the Russian symbol Е-30* (B-30) immediately following the caliber size and by the black stripe.  These markings appear on both metal and wooden box.

*This translation appears to be incorrect, it should be Б-30

12.7mm Cartridge with Armor-Piercing Incendiary Bullet (with Special Core), Type BS-41

This 12.7mm cartridge is used in the Soviet 12.7mm DShK AA machine gun M1938 and in Soviet aircraft weapons of the same caliber.

The bullet of this cartridge is believed to be identical in construction with the bullet of the 7.62mm armor-piercing incendiary cartridge, Type BS-40.  It has a gilding-metal-clad steel jacket, a tungsten carbide core, and an incendiary composition.  The incendiary composition is located in the nose of the bullet, forward of the tungsten carbide core.

This cartridge was designed for use against armored targets and to ignite inflammable material.  Compared with the 12.7mm armor-piercing bullet, Type B-30 and the 12.7mm armor-piercing incendiary bullet, Type B-32, this bullet has slightly better penetration capabilities.

The cartridge is identified by the red bullet with black tip and black primer.

Characteristics

Caliber: 12.7mm (Cal. .50)

Weight of cartridge: N/A

Weight of case: 65g (1,003 gr)

Weight of bullet: N/A

Weight of propellant: N/A

Length of cartridge: 146.9mm (5.78 in)

Length of case: 107.7mm (4.25 in)
Length of bullet: N/A



Packaging

 Packaging for this cartridge is identical with that for other Soviet 12.7mm cartridges.  The galvanized-metal container has 85 cartridges packed loose in rows, with strips of paper between each row, and with the cartridge heads alternately in opposite directions.  As shown in the above illustration two such hermetically sealed metal containers are packed in a wooden box, making a total of 170 cartridges.

The wooden box is identified by the black paitned ends, the black edges of the ends of the cover, and two broken, black concentric circles on the side.  The Russian symbol БС-41 (BS-41) immediately follows the caliber size.  The metal box is similarly identified by two broken, black concentric circles and the symbol БС-41 (BS-41), located on the top.

12.7mm Cartridge with Armor-Piercing Incendiary Bullet

This Soviet cartridge is used in the 12.7mm DShK AA machine gun M1938 and in the Beresin (BS), aircraft machine gun.  The gilding-metal-plated steel-jacketed bullet has a tip of very thin brass.  At a point approximately 0.25 inch from its forward end, the thin brass tip is secured under the lead-lined bullet jacket.

The lead also extends forward of the steel armor-piercing core, filling the nose of the bullet.  To the rear of the core is a metal container with a charge of incendiary filling (yellow phosphorous).

The black tip and yellow band on the bullet nose are the identifying color markings for this cartridge.

Characteristics

Caliber: 12.7mm (Cal. .50)

Weight of cartridge: 134.2g (2,070 gr)

Weight of case: 65g (1,003 gr)

Weight of bullet: 46.98g (725 gr)

Weight of propellant: 17.4g (269 gr)
Weight of A.P. core: 17.49g (270 gr)

Length of cartridge: 146.9mm (5.78 in)

Length of case: 107.95mm (4.25 in)
Length of bullet: 63.5mm (2.50 in)


 

Packaging

No illustration available

There is no available information on packaging for this cartridge; however, the packaging is believed to be similar to, if not identical with the for other Soviet 12.7mm cartridges.

It is also believed that the box markings for this cartridge will be similar to those for the 12.7mm armor-piercing cartridge M1930, except for a different (at present unknown) Russian symbol after the caliber designation, and a different color stripe (probably black and yellow).

12.7mm Cartridge with Armor-Piercing Incendiary Bullet M1932, Type B-32

This cartridge is used in Soviet 12.7mm DShK AA machine gun M1938 and in 12.7mm aircraft machine guns.  The bullet has a gilding-metal-clad steel jacket and a hardened core surrounded by a lead liner.  The construction is identical with that of the 7.62mm armor-piercing incendiary bullet, Type B-32, from which the subject cartridge differs only in size and weight.

This cartridge was designed to penetrate lightly armored ground and aerial targets, and to ignite inflammable material behind the armor.  The armor-piercing characteristics of this bullet are comparable to those of the 12.7mm bullet, Type B-30.

The black tip and red band on the bullet nose are identifying color markings.

Characteristics

Caliber: 12.7mm (Cal. .50)

Weight of cartridge: 132.2g (2,040 gr)

Weight of case: 65g (1,003 gr)

Weight of bullet: 48.3g (745 gr)

Weight of propellant: 16.21g (250 gr)
Weight of steel core: 29.8g (460 gr)

Length of cartridge: 146.3mm (5.76 in)

Length of case: 107.7mm (4.25 in)
Length of bullet: 62.3mm (2.45 in)



Packaging

This cartridge is packed in boxes identical to those used for other Soviet 12.7mm cartridges.  Eighty-five cartridges, arranged with their heads alternately in opposite directions, are packed loosely in rows in a metal container, the strips of paper between each of the rows.  Two metal containers are packed in a wooden box, making a total of 170 cartridges.

The Russian symbol Б-32 (B-32), immediately following the caliber size, and a black and red stripe identify both the metal and the wooden box.

12.7mm Cartridge with Armor-Piercing Incendiary Tracer Bullet, Type BZT

This cartridge is used in the 12.7mm DShK AA machine gun M1938 and in Soviet aircraft weapons of the same caliber.

The bullet for this cartridge has a gilding-metal-clad steel jacket, a steel armor-piercing core, an incendiary composition forward of the core, and a tracer element to the rear of the core.  It is identical in construction with the bullet of the 7.62mm cartridge, Type BZT, except for a special steel container for the tracer element.

This cartridge is designed for use with other types of cartridges, such as the "B-30" and "B-32", to help ranging and fire correction.  It has considerably less armor-penetrating power, and less incendiary effect, than the "B-32" bullet of this caliber.


This cartridge is identified by the purple tip and red band on the bullet nose.

Characteristics

Caliber: 12.7mm (Cal. .50)

Weight of cartridge: 129.6g (2,000 gr)

Weight of case: 67.97g (1,049 gr)

Weight of bullet: 44.14g (681 gr)

Weight of propellant: 16.48g (254 gr)

Length of cartridge: 146.7mm (5.77 in)

Length of case: 107.85mm (4.25 in)
Length of bullet: 63.7mm (2.49 in)



Packaging

The packaging of this cartridge is identical to that of other Soviet 12.7mm ammunition.  The identifying marks for this packaging are the purple and red stripes and the Russian symbol БЗТ (BZT) immediately following the caliber size.

These markings are found on both metal and wooden boxes.



Next time: 14.5mm cartridges and Mortar rounds