5.56×45mm NATO
Service rifle cartridge / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"NATO round" redirects here. For the larger cartridge, see 7.62×51mm NATO. For the even larger 12.7×99mm NATO cartridge, see .50 BMG.
The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, commonly pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked centerfire intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal.[5] It consists of the SS109, L110, and SS111 cartridges. On 28 October 1980, under STANAG 4172, it was standardized as the second standard service rifle cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries.[5][6][7] Though they are not identical, the 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge family was derived from and is dimensionally similar to the .223 Remington cartridge designed by Remington Arms in the early 1960s.
Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...
5.56×45mm NATO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Type | Rifle, carbine, DMR, and LMG | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of origin | Belgium | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Service history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
In service | 1980–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Used by | NATO, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, other major non-NATO allies | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Production history | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Designer | FN Herstal | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Designed | late 1970s–1980 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Specifications | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parent case | .223 Remington (M193) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Case type | Rimless tapered, bottleneck | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Bullet diameter | 5.70 mm (0.224 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Land diameter | 5.56 mm (0.219 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Neck diameter | 6.43 mm (0.253 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Shoulder diameter | 9.00 mm (0.354 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Base diameter | 9.58 mm (0.377 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Rim diameter | 9.60 mm (0.378 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Rim thickness | 1.14 mm (0.045 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Case length | 44.70 mm (1.760 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Overall length | 57.40 mm (2.260 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Case capacity | 1.85 cm3 (28.5 gr H2O) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Rifling twist | 1 in 7 in (178 mm) or 1 in 9 in (229 mm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Primer type | Small rifle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Maximum pressure (EPVAT) | 430.00 MPa (62,366 psi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Maximum pressure (SCATP 5.56) | 380.00 MPa (55,114 psi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Ballistic performance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Test barrel length: 508 mm (20.0 in) Source(s): NATO EPVAT testing, QuickLOAD, SAAMI, C.I.P.[1][2][3][4] |
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