The 9.3×64mm Brenneke is a large caliber hunting rifle cartridge developed for hunting medium to large game animals in Africa, Europe, and North America.
History[]
Developed in 1927 by famous German gun and ammunition designer Wilhelm Brenneke and commercially introduced the same year, the 9.3×64mm Brenneke proved to be a successful cartridge. It was the most powerful cartridge that he had designed.
The .375 H&H Magnum cartridge and its necked-down counterpart, the .300 H&H Magnum, were both too long for standard-sized Mauser 98 rifles due to their 72.4mm case length. Combined with the widespread availability of standard-sized Mauser 98 rifles in Central Europe, it made the shorter 9.3×64mm Brenneke an interesting choice for European game hunters, especially those who are from Germany.
Due to being a pure civil cartridge, the 9.3×64mm Brenneke is legally usable in countries where civil usage of former or current military cartridges is banned.
In 2009, the Russians developed the 9SN (7N33), a military semi-armor-piercing load of the 9.3×64mm Brenneke for the SVDK model of the Dragunov sniper rifle.
Design Details[]
The 9.3×64mm Brenneke was designed from the ground up to have the largest possible case capacity without any shape or dimensional drawbacks that would have hindered its chambering and perfect functioning in Mauser 98 rifles.
The casing features a slightly rebated rim, which is rarely seen among most other game hunting cartridges of the time. With gently sloped shoulders typical of its era, the exterior shape is meant to promote reliable case feeding and extraction in bolt-action rifles under extreme conditions.
The cartridge has a case capacity of 5.71 ml (88.1 grains) H2O, 8% less than the .375 H&H Magnum, making it a more modern and efficient design.
According to the official C.I.P. rulings, the case can handle up to 440 MPa (63,817 psi) piezo pressure. Because every rifle/cartridge combination has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure in C.I.P.-regulated countries to certify for sale to consumers, it meant that 9.3×64mm Brenneke-chambered arms in said countries are currently (as of 2018) proof tested at 550.00 MPa (79,771 psi) PE piezo pressure.
The cartridge was first introduced with the 19.65 gram (303 grains) Torpedo Ideal Geschoss (TIG, meaning Torpedo Ideal projectile) for large game animals, and a 17 gram (262 grains) FMJ bullet with a lead, bronze, or copper tip for smaller game. Later on, a special bronze-tipped version of the TIG and an FMJ load were added for dangerous game animals with thicker skin. Afterwards, Brenneke introduced the 19 gram (293 grains) Torpedo Universal Geschoss (TUG, meaning Torpedo Universal projectile) with a lead tip that is still in production to this day.
The Russian 9SN cartridge uses a 16.6 gram (256 grains) pointed boattailed FMJ bullet with a steel core and achieves a muzzle velocity of 770 meters per second (2,520 feet per second). It was designed to defeat body armor at ranges up to 600 meters (660 yards).
Having gained a good field reputation for flexibility, the cartridge is often used by reloaders for making powerful handloads. While staying within the 440 MPa pressure limit set by the C.I.P., the 9.3×64mm Brenneke can be handloaded to propel bullets ranging from 10 to 21 grams (154 to 324 grains) for all kinds of hunting. It has a good accuracy potential of 1 moa (0.3 mil) or better.
It also became the parent case for the 6.5×63mm Messner Magnum cartridge, as well as the .376 Steyr and various wildcats. The case became popular among wildcatters, due to its pressure resistance and ease of reloading with primers, propellants, and bullets, meaning that it can be reused several times over.
For standard military Mauser 98s asides from common rechambering modifications, the internal magazine boxes would have to be adapted by a competent gunsmith to properly function with the cartridge. This is because the cases are longer and larger in diameter than the military 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridges.