14.5×114mm
A 14.5×114mm cartridge
TypeAnti-tank rifle, anti-materiel rifle, heavy machine gun
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
In service1941–present
Used bySoviet Union and successor states
WarsWWII, Soviet–Afghan War, War on Terror, 2011 Libyan civil war, Syrian Civil War and many other conflicts
Production history
Designed1939
Specifications
Case typeRimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter14.88 mm (0.586 in)
Land diameter14.50 mm (0.571 in)
Neck diameter16.5 mm (0.65 in)
Shoulder diameter25.50 mm (1.004 in)
Base diameter26.95 mm (1.061 in)
Rim diameter26.95 mm (1.061 in)
Rim thickness2.5 mm (0.098 in)
Case length114 mm (4.5 in)
Overall length155.80 mm (6.134 in)
Case capacity42.53 cm3 (656.3 gr H2O)
Rifling twist455 mm (1 in 17.91 in)
Maximum pressure360 MPa (52,000 psi)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
59.7 g (921 gr) MDZ HEI 1,000 m/s (3,300 ft/s) 29,850 J (22,020 ft⋅lbf)
60 g (926 gr) ZP Inc.-T 1,000 m/s (3,300 ft/s) 30,000 J (22,000 ft⋅lbf)
64 g (988 gr) B-32 API 1,000 m/s (3,300 ft/s) 32,000 J (24,000 ft⋅lbf)
64.4 g (994 gr) BS AP 1,000 m/s (3,300 ft/s) 32,200 J (23,700 ft⋅lbf)
66.5 g (1,026 gr) KKV 1,000 m/s (3,300 ft/s) 33,250 J (24,520 ft⋅lbf)
Test barrel length: 1350 mm (53 inches)
Source(s): Post WWII Ammunition Russian Ammunition Page

The 14.5×114mm (.57 calibre) 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 was originally developed for the PTRS and PTRD anti-tank rifles, and was later used as the basis for the KPV heavy machine gun that formed the basis of the ZPU series anti-aircraft guns that is also the main armament of the BTR series of armoured personnel carriers from the BTR-60 to the BTR-80 and for heavy anti-materiel sniper rifles.

Cartridge dimensions

The 14.5×114mm has 42.53 ml (655 grains H2O) cartridge case capacity. The exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable case feeding and extraction in bolt-action rifles, semi-automatic rifles, and heavy machine guns alike, under extreme conditions.

14.5×114mm maximum cartridge dimensions. All dimensions in millimetres (mm).

Americans define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 = 22.5 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 455 mm (1 in 17.91 in), 8 grooves, ⌀ lands = 14.50 mm, ⌀ grooves = 14.95 mm.

According to the official guidelines the 14.5×114 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 C.I.P. pressure to be certified for sale to consumers.

Ammunition types

B-32 API projectile on the left, hardened steel core aside. Tip is black with a thin red band below. On the right, BZT API-T projectile with dark red tip and a wide red band below; hardened steel core and tracer cup on its right. Both jackets and the tracer cup are made from copper-washed steel. Between the cores and the jackets there is a layer of lead.
Dummy round
14.5 x 114 round with a 1$ dollar bill for reference
Seven rounds of 14.5 x 114 made in 1981, with a 1$ dollar bill for reference
14.5 x 114 Russian Ammunition base. Made in 1981
  • BS: Armour-piercing incendiary original anti-tank round. The projectile weighs 64.4 g (2.27 oz) and is 51 mm (2.0 in) long with a 38.7 g (1.37 oz) core of tungsten carbide[1] with 1.8 g (0.063 oz) of incendiary material in the tip. The overall round weighs approximately 200 g (7.1 oz) and is 155 mm (6.1 in) long. The projectile has a muzzle velocity of approximately 1,006 m/s (3,300 ft/s) and can penetrate 30–32 mm (1.2–1.3 in) of RHA steel at an incidence of 0 degrees at a range of 500 m (1,600 ft), or 40 mm (1.6 in) at a range of 100 m (330 ft).[2][3][4]
  • B-32: Armour-piercing incendiary full metal jacket round with a hardened steel core. Projectile weight is 64 g (2.3 oz) and muzzle velocity is 1,006 m/s (3,300 ft/s). Armour penetration at 500 m (1,600 ft) is 32 mm (1.3 in) of RHA at 90 degrees.
  • BZT: Armour-piercing incendiary tracer full metal jacket round with a steel core. Projectile weight is 59.56 g (2.101 oz) and muzzle velocity is 1,006 m/s (3,300 ft/s). Tracer burns to at least 2,000 m (6,600 ft).
  • MDZ: High-explosive incendiary bullet of instant action. Projectile weight is 59.6 g (2.10 oz).
  • ZP: Incendiary tracer round

Cartridges use lacquered steel cases and percussion primers. Some countries also use brass cartridge cases. The propellant consists of 28.8 g (1.02 oz) smokeless powder with seven tubes, designated as "5/7NA powder". Two different versions of bullet series are known, the earlier has a conventional bullet jacket with a boat-tail. These have a long engraving portion that causes considerable barrel wear. The newer bullet types have a smaller engraving portion with a rounder boat-tail and were used from about 1957 onward.

The cartridge has been manufactured in Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, and the former Czechoslovakia. There are new Chinese armour-piercing types:[5]

  • DGJ02: APIDS-T cartridges use 45 g (1.6 oz) tungsten penetrators, wrapped in discarding sabots (similar to the US military SLAP cartridges) with dual colour tracers to aid ranging. The sabot splits and leaves the penetrator between 150 m (490 ft) and 200 m (660 ft) from the muzzle. It has a muzzle velocity of 1,250 m/s (4,100 ft/s) and is quoted as being able to penetrate 20 mm (0.79 in) of armour plate set at an angle of 60° at 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
  • DGE02: APHEI cartridges weigh between 175 g (6.2 oz) and 188 g (6.6 oz). At 1,000 m (3,300 ft) it is quoted as having a 90 percent chance of being able to penetrate 15 mm (0.59 in) of armour plate set at 30°. At 300 m (980 ft) after penetrating a 2 mm (0.079 in) soft steel plate (representing an aircraft skin) it can further penetrate a 1.2 mm (0.047 in) thick steel plate producing 20 fragments. Upon explosion between 75 and 95 incendiary pieces are formed which have an 80% chance of igniting aviation fuel.

Chambered weapons

Anti-materiel rifles

Machine guns

  • Slostin machine gun (heavy variant)
  • KPV heavy machine gun
    • Chinese Type 56 (KPV) and Type 58 (KPVT) heavy machine guns
  • Type 02/QJG-02 heavy machine gun[8]

Other

In addition, the Ukrainian "Horizon's Lord" sniper rifle fires a 12.7×114HL round made by necking down a 14.5×114mm cartridge case to accept a 12.7mm/.50 BMG bullet.[10]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pobedit-style alloy Re8 (РЭ8) containing 8% cobalt. Commonly described as a "cermet" in Russian sources.
  2. ↑ Chant, Christopher (1989). Air Defense Systems and Weapons: World AAA and Sam Systems in the 1990s. Brassey's Defence Publishers. p. 345. ISBN 978-0-08-036246-5.
  3. ↑ Opposing Forces: Europe. Department of Defense, Department of the Army, Headquarters. 1977. pp. 1–5.
  4. ↑ "Armor", Volume 81 Issue 6. United States Armor Association. 1972. p. 43.
  5. ↑ Andrew, Martin (April 2012). "PLA Mechanised Infantry Division Air Defence Systems". Air Power Australia: 1.
  6. ↑ "Iran unveils new tactical vehicle, sniper rifle". Tehran Times. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  7. ↑ Kurdish 12.7mm Zagros and 14.5mm Şer Anti-Materiel Rifles, retrieved 14 March 2022
  8. ↑ "QJG 02 Heavy Machine Gun". Archived from the original on 2 September 2010. Retrieved 29 October 2010.
  9. ↑ 2Kh35 Inserted unified self-loading gun
  10. ↑ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukrainian-sniper-sets-new-world-record/ar-AA1kcbpw

Further reading

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