7.62×51mm CETME

Type

Rifle

Place of origin

Spain

Service history

In service

1955–1988

Used by

Spain

Production history

Designer

CETME

Designed

1953

Specifications

Parent case

7.62×51mm NATO

Case type

Rimless, Bottleneck

Bullet diameter

7.82 mm (0.308 in)

Neck diameter

8.77 mm (0.345 in)

Shoulder diameter

11.53 mm (0.454 in)

Base diameter

11.94 mm (0.470 in)

Rim diameter

12.01 mm (0.473 in)

Rim thickness

1.27 mm (0.050 in)

Case length

51.18 mm (2.015 in)

Overall length

69.85 mm (2.750 in)

Primer type

Large Rifle

Ballistic performance

Bullet mass/type	Velocity	Energy
113 grain FMJ	2,600 ft/s (790 m/s)

The 7.62×51mm CETME round is a variant of the 7.62×51mm NATO rifle cartridge with a plastic-cored lead bullet and a reduced propellant charge. It was produced as a joint venture by the Spanish Government design and development establishment known as CETME (Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales, or "Center for Technical Studies of Special Materials") and the German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. The 7.62×51mm CETME and the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges are almost identical, with the only difference being the projectile and the amount of propellant loaded into the cartridge.

In 1954, in Ottawa (Canada), the NATO's Experts Commission approved the foreground of 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. Three years later, it finalized the specifications required for this ammunition. Subsequently, in 1962, this rule was changed.

Spain, isolated from the international community, continued to use the 7.92×57mm. From 1953 prototype cartridges begin to take place in 7.62×51mm. In 1955 this caliber is adopted and soon began to be mass-produced for the new CETME rifle. This cartridge did not meet NATO standards and was called 7.62×51mm Spanish. In the '60s, quality improved and became known as 7.62×51mm NATO-SPANISH. Only after 1988 were cartridges produced in Spain known as NATO–REGULAR and met NATO specifications.

During the development of the CETME rifle, it was decided by CETME that their new weapon would be chambered in a .30-caliber rifle cartridge with a short case and lesser powder charge in order to increase the manageability of the rifle during full auto fire. The 7.92×33mm Kurz was the original basis, but the 7.92×40mm CETME M53, a more powerful experimental cartridge developed by CETME, was also tried. This evolved into the 7.62×40mm CETME M53, which was identical aside from the smaller diameter bullet. Eventually they decided on a variant of the new 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge that they designated the 7.62×51mm CETME. The 7.62mm CETME had a lighter full-metal-jacketed, plastic-cored lead bullet with a reduced powder charge.

While designing the CETME Modelo B and under recommendation of H&K, the decision was made that the updated version of the original CETME Modelo A would chamber the more powerful 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. When the Modelo B was adopted by the Spanish military as the Modelo 58 in 1958, 7.62×51mm CETME was the standard rifle cartridge but a notable change occurred when Spanish Army officially made a move to the full-power 7.62×51mm NATO standard cartridge. This decision forced the CETME Model 58 to be internally reworked to accept the more powerful round. Marking this change, the revised rifle forms were designated CETME "Model C". .

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Wikipedia