12.7 × 108 mm

The 12.7×108mm cartridge is a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and anti-materiel rifle cartridge used by the former Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries, as well as China, Iran, and North Korea. It was invented in 1934 to create a cartridge like the German 13.2mm TuF anti-tank rifle round and the American .50 Browning Machine Gun round (12.7×99mm NATO).

It is used in the same roles as the NATO .50 BMG (12.7×99mm NATO) cartridge. The two differ in bullet shape and weight, and the casing of the 12.7 × 108 mm is slightly longer, and its larger case capacity allows it to hold slightly more of a different type of powder. The 12.7 × 108 mm can be used to engage a wide variety of targets on the battlefield, and will destroy unarmored vehicles, penetrate lightly armored vehicles and damage external ancillary equipment (i.e.: searchlights, radar, transmitters, vision blocks, engine compartment covers) on heavily armored vehicles such as tanks. It will also ignite gasoline and—since 2019—diesel fuel (experimental "Avers" AP/I round).

Cartridge dimensions

The 12.7 × 108 mm has 22.72 ml (350 grains) H<sub>2</sub>O cartridge case capacity.

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12.7 × 108 mm maximum cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).

Americans define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 18.16 degrees.

According to guidelines the 12.7 × 108 mm 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 CIP pressure to certify for sale to consumers.

Cartridge types

Soviet and Russian 12.7 × 108 mm types

; Б-30 (B-30)

: First version of 1930. Armor-piercing () bullet weighing and long with hardened steel core. Replaced by B-32.

; БЗТ (BZT)

: Pre-WW2 armor-piercing incendiary () tracer.

: API bullet with cemented carbide (VK8 WC-Co, commonly called a "cermet" in Russian) core, developed in 1972. Ballistics also similar to B-32.

; / MDZ (GRAU# 7-3-2)

: Immediate-action incendiary. Used in belt with B-32 and BZT-44(M).

; 12,7 1СЛ (12.7 1SL) (GRAU# 9-A-4012)

; 12,7 1СЛТ (12.7 1SLT) (GRAU# 9-A-4427)

: Tandem / duplex cartridge with two bullets inside, in normal and tracer versions. Developed 1985 for use by helicopter against soft targets.

; 12,7СН (12.7SN) (GRAU# 7N34)

: Sniper cartridge (FMJ; AP). Bullet weighs and travels at ~. Bullet consists of hardened tool steel tip and lead body. Able to defeat lightly-armored vehicles at and RHA at . Entered production in the 2000s.

; 12.7 Blank (GRAU# 7H1)

; 12.7 UCH Dummy (GRAU# 7H2)

Note that some WW2 bullets share designations with ones for 14.5×114mm.

Use

Anti-tank and anti-materiel rifles

AMR-2 anti-materiel sniper rifle
ČZW-127 anti-materiel sniper rifle
Falcon OP96 anti-material rifle
Gepard anti-materiel rifles
Golan S-01 anti-materiel sniper rifle
KSVK anti-materiel sniper rifle
OSV-96 anti-materiel sniper rifle
PDSHP anti-materiel sniper rifle
QBU-10 anti-materiel sniper rifle
QBU-201
Snipex M
SVN-98 experimental anti-materiel rifle
V-94 anti-tank/anti-materiel rifle
Vidhwansak anti-materiel rifle
Zastava M93 Black Arrow anti-materiel sniper rifle
Zastava M12 Black Spear anti-materiel sniper rifle
Zijiang M99 anti-materiel sniper rifle
Zijiang & Poly M99-I/M99B-I/M06 anti-materiel sniper rifle
Zijiang LR-2/LR-2A anti-materiel sniper rifle

Heavy machine guns

6P62 handheld machine gun
Afanasev A-12.7 heavy machine gun
DShK heavy machine gun
Berezin UB aircraft machine gun
CS/LM5 Gatling machine gun
M17G 12.7mm hatch machine gun
NSV heavy machine gun
Kord heavy machine gun
Type 77 heavy machine gun
QJC-88 heavy machine gun
QJZ-89 heavy machine gun
QJZ-171 heavy machine gun
Zastava M02 Coyote heavy machine gun
Yak-B 12.7mm Gatling gun
Zastava M87 heavy machine gun
Yu-12.7 aircraft gun

References

Maxim Popenker, modernfirearms.net
Cartridge Plant official site
Tulammo official site
ASVK Kord 12.7×108 and OSV-96 Youtube

External links

12.7×108 large-caliber cartridges
12.7 mm cartridges for more types
Russian Ammunition Page