Gun Wiki
Advertisement
7

7.92×57mm Mauser

The 7.92×57mm Mauser was the first smokeless powder cartridge with a rimless case adopted by a military power. It was developed by the German Empire in 1888 for the Gewehr 88 rifle. The 7.92×57mm goes by many names: 7.92×57mm I, 8.08mm (.318 in) diameter bullet; 7.92×57mm IS, 8.20mm (.323 in) diameter bullet; 8×57mm; 8×57mm Mauser and 8mm Mauser. Although this cartridge has a given name as “Mauser” this cartridge was never developed by or for a Mauser.

The designation 7.92mm was unknown to the German forces. They referred to it as Gewehrpatrone 8×57mm IS (IS standing for Infanterie Spitzgeschoss - infantry pointed bullet - to distinguish it from the earlier round-nose cartridge with which it was not safely interchangeable). The British Empire used the round for their BESA machinegun (itself adopted from Czech sources) and it was they that coined the designation Cartridge, Small Arms, 7.92mm.

7.92×33mm Kurz[]

During the early 1940s; during World War 2, Nazi Germany introduced the 7.92×33mm Kurz ammunition and was first used by the StG 44.

Advertisement