7.65×53mm Mauser

The 7.65×53mm Mauser (designated as the 7,65 × 53 Arg. by the C.I.P.)[2] is a first-generation smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge developed for use in the Mauser Model 1889 rifle by Paul Mauser of the Mauser company. It is also known as 7.65×53mm Argentine, 7.65×53mm Argentine rimless, 7.65mm Argentine, 7.65×53mm Belgian Mauser or 7.65mm Belgian (in the United States) and 7.65×53mm Mauser (in Belgium).

7.65×53mm Argentine
7.65×53mm Argentine
Type	Rifle
Place of origin	German Empire
Service history
In service	1889-1970s
Used by	See Usage
Wars	World War I Chaco War Ecuadorian–Peruvian War World War II
Production history
Designer	Paul Mauser
Variants	7.65×53mmR (rimmed)
Specifications
Case type	rimless, bottlenecked
Bullet diameter	7.94 mm (0.313 in)
Neck diameter	8.78 mm (0.346 in)
Shoulder diameter	10.90 mm (0.429 in)
Base diameter	12.01 mm (0.473 in)
Rim diameter	12.05 mm (0.474 in)
Rim thickness	1.00 mm (0.039 in)
Case length	53.60 mm (2.110 in)
Overall length	76.00 mm (2.992 in)
Case capacity	3.70 cm^3 (57.1 gr H2O)
Rifling twist	280 mm (1 in 11.02 in)
Primer type	Large rifle
Maximum pressure (C.I.P.)	390.00 MPa (56,565 psi)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 155 gr (10 g) FMJ-BT 2,710 ft/s (830 m/s) 2,530 ft⋅lbf (3,430 J) 174 gr (11 g) FMJ-BT 2,460 ft/s (750 m/s) 2,340 ft⋅lbf (3,170 J) 180 gr (12 g) SP 2,542 ft/s (775 m/s) 2,588 ft⋅lbf (3,509 J) 211 gr (14 g) FMJ 2,130 ft/s (650 m/s) 2,150 ft⋅lbf (2,920 J)
Source(s): Cartridges of the World, 11th ed [1]

The 7.65×53mmR is a rimmed variant of the 7.65×53mm Mauser cartridge. Ballistically it is comparable to the also-rimmed .303 British cartridge.

History

The 7.65×53mm Mauser was the result of considerable experimentation by Paul Mauser to optimize the bullet diameter for use with the new smokeless propellant introduced as Poudre B in the 1886 pattern 8mm Lebel that started a military rifle ammunition revolution.[3] At the time of its development it was a high-performance smokeless-powder cartridge.

This cartridge was loaded commercially by many manufacturers in the United States until about 1936.[1] Hornady is the only major U.S. ammunition manufacturer to still produce this cartridge. Sporting ammunition in this caliber is still loaded in Europe.[1] Norma, Prvi Partizan, and Fabricaciones Militares (FM) currently produce 7.65×53mm ammunition.[4] Boxer-primed cases are easily formed from .30-06 brass; resize and trim. For reloading the cartridge, use .303" British load data.

Cartridge dimensions

The 7.65×53mm Mauser has 3.70 ml (57.1 grains H₂O) cartridge case capacity. The exterior shape of the case was designed to promote reliable case feeding and extraction in bolt action rifles and machine guns alike, under extreme conditions.

7.65×53mm Mauser maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).

Americans would define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 22.2 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 280 mm (1 in 11.02 in), 4 grooves, Ø lands = 7.65 mm, Ø grooves = 7.92 mm, land width = 4.20 mm and the primer type is large rifle.[2]

According to the official Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives (CIP) rulings the 7.65×53mm Mauser can handle up to 390.00 MPa (56,565 psi) P_max piezo pressure. In CIP member countries every rifle cartridge combination has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum pressure to certify fit for sale to consumers. This means that 7.65×53mm Mauser chambered arms in CIP regulated countries are currently (2013) proof tested at 487.50 MPa (70,706 psi) PE piezo pressure.[2]

The American .308 Winchester cartridge is a close ballistic twin of the 7.65×53mm Mauser. The .308 Winchester being a post World War II cartridge developed by Winchester to provide similar performance in a short bolt action format.

Due to the cartridge case's dimensions, production of 7.65mm brass can be accomplished by reforming .30-06 Springfield cases. Simply resize and trim.

Military ammunition

Round-nosed 7.65×53mm Mauser ball ammunition

Spitzer 7.65×53mm Mauser ball ammunition

The original 1889 pattern military ball ammunition was introduced in the Mauser Model 1889 and loaded with a 13.65 grams (210.7 gr) round-nosed bullet fired at a muzzle velocity of 650 m/s (2,133 ft/s) with 2,884 J (2,127 ft⋅lbf) muzzle energy.

Following the lead of French and German army commands in developing the spitzer - a pointed-tip - bullet shape, later military ball ammunition was loaded with a 10.00 g (154.3 gr) spitzer bullet fired at a muzzle velocity of 830 m/s (2,723 ft/s) with 3,445 J (2,541 ft⋅lbf) muzzle energy from a 589 mm (23.2 in) long barrel became available. It had a maximum range of 3,700 m (4,046 yd).[5] Reverse engineering the trajectory from the previous sentence indicates a ballistic coefficient (G1 BC) of approximately 0.34.

After that military ball ammunition loaded with an 11.25 g (173.6 gr) spitzer bullet fired at a muzzle velocity of 725 m/s (2,379 ft/s) with 2,957 J (2,181 ft⋅lbf) muzzle energy from a 589 mm (23.2 in) long barrel became available. Besides a pointed nose this projectile also had a boat tail to further reduce drag. It had a maximum range of 5,000 m (5,468 yd).[5] Reverse engineering the trajectory from the previous sentence indicates a ballistic coefficient (G1 BC) of approximately 0.55.

Military use

At one time, the 7.65×53mm Mauser cartridge saw widespread military use. It was used by:

•  Argentina[6]
•  Belgium[7]
•  Bolivia[8]
•  Colombia[9]
•  Ecuador[10]
•  Paraguay[11]
•  Peru[12]
•  Spain[13]
•  Turkey[14]

Chambered service weapons

Some of the Mauser rifles it was used in were the Model 1889, Model 1890, Model 1891, Model 1893, Model 1903, Model 1905, Model 1907, Model 1909, Model 1927, FN Model 1930, Vz. 32, Standardmodell 1933 and FN Model 1935. Other rifles included the Fittipaldi machine gun, Madsen machine gun, FN Mle1930 / D machine gun and the FN Model 1949. In Argentinian military service, the cartridge was used from 1891 to the early 1970s in Mauser bolt-action military rifles, as well as a semi-automatic rifle, the FN-49, manufactured by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium.

References

1. Barnes, Frank C. (2006) [1965]. Skinner, Stan (ed.). Cartridges of the World (11th ed.). Iola, WI, USA: Gun Digest Books. p. 357. ISBN 0-89689-297-2.
2. C.I.P. TDCC datasheet 7,65 × 53 Arg.
3. Mauser Rifles and Pistols by W. H. B. Smith
4. Prvi Partizan Official website
5. FN Mauser Model 98 Rifle and Carbine Operator's Manual (PDF), p. 28, archived from the original (pdf) on 2012-05-10
6. Ball 2011, p. 9.
7. Ball 2011, p. 41.
8. Ball 2011, pp. 58-61.
9. Ball 2011, p. 100.
10. Ball 2011, pp. 127-129.
11. Ball 2011, p. 273.
12. Ball 2011, pp. 287-288.
13. Ball 2011, p. 335.
14. Ball 2011, p. 377.

• Ball, Robert W. D. (2011). Mauser Military Rifles of the World. Iola: Gun Digest Books. ISBN 9781440228926.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links

• The 7.65x53 and 7.65x53R page, by Chuck Hawks (accessed 2015-03-14)