4.6×36mm

The 4.6×36 mm is a cartridge developed by Heckler & Koch for its experimental HK36 assault rifle of the 1970s. When the rifle was not taken into service by any military force, its ammunition was not used for any other weapon design. The main feature that set the bullet apart from its contemporaries was the use of a so-called "spoon tip" (German: Löffelspitz): the tip had a concave area on one side^[1] which was intended to make the bullet "tumble" after hitting a target, in order to give it greater stopping power than such a small, high-velocity bullet would otherwise have.

4.6×36 mm
Type	Rifle
Place of origin	West Germany
Production history
Designer	Gunther Voss
Designed	early 1970s
Manufacturer	Heckler & Koch
Produced	1970s
Specifications
Case type	Rimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	4.65 mm (0.183 in)
Neck diameter	5.27 mm (0.207 in)
Shoulder diameter	8.48 mm (0.334 in)
Base diameter	8.94 mm (0.352 in)
Case length	35.61 mm (1.402 in)
Overall length	49.16 mm (1.935 in)
Maximum pressure	353 MPa (51,200 psi)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 2.70 g (42 gr) FMJ 857 m/s (2,810 ft/s) 976 J (720 ft⋅lbf) 3.5 g (54 gr) FMJ 780 m/s (2,600 ft/s) 1,065 J (786 ft⋅lbf)
Test barrel length: 381 millimetres (15.0 in) Source(s): Jane's Infantry Weapons 1975 [1]

Development

In the 1970s, ammunition for military rifles saw a reduction in calibre, largely inspired by the American 5.56×45mm round used in the M16 assault rifle. In an effort to create a weapon with low recoil, low weight, a flat trajectory and a high chance of incapacitating its target,^[1] Heckler & Koch designed the HK36 rifle together with the 4.6×36 mm ammunition.

Cartridge Types

Two variants of the round were developed, one with a soft core and another with a hard core, the former being intended for use against personnel, the latter against hard targets and to penetrate cover. Both were full-metal-jacketed rounds, the soft-cored bullet having a lead core while that of the hard-cored bullet was made from tungsten carbide.^[1]

Gallery

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  4.6x36mm cartridge next to a .223 Remington cartridge.

Notes

1. Hobart, Major F.W.A. (1975). Jane's Infantry Weapons 1975. London: Jane's Yearbooks. pp. 239–241.