HK 4.6×30mm

4.6×30mm
From left to right: 4.6×30mm (Hollow Point), 5.7×28mm, .30 Carbine.
Type	Personal defense weapon
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	2001–present
Used by	See Heckler & Koch MP7 Users
Wars	Afghanistan War
Production history
Manufacturer	Heckler & Koch
Variants	See Variations
Specifications
Case type	Rimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter	4.65 mm (0.183 in)
Neck diameter	5.31 mm (0.209 in)
Shoulder diameter	7.75 mm (0.305 in)
Base diameter	8.02 mm (0.316 in)
Rim diameter	8.00 mm (0.315 in)
Rim thickness	1.10 mm (0.043 in)
Case length	30.50 mm (1.201 in)
Overall length	38.50 mm (1.516 in)
Rifling twist	160 mm (1 in 6.3 in)
Primer type	Boxer Small Rifle
Maximum pressure	400.00 MPa (58,015 psi)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 1.7 g (26 gr) Copper plated steel bullet AP (Combat Steel) 725 m/s (2,380 ft/s) 447 J (330 ft·lbf) 2.0 g (31 gr) Copper plated steel bullet AP (DM11, Ultimate Combat) 720.0 m/s (2,362 ft/s) 506 J (373 ft·lbf) 2.0 g (31 gr) Copper plated steel bullet AP (DM31) 680 m/s (2,200 ft/s) 505 J (372 ft·lbf) 2.7 g (42 gr) FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) 600 m/s (2,000 ft/s) 544 J (401 ft·lbf) 2.0 g (31 gr) Copper plated steel bullet AP (CPS Black Tip) 735 m/s (2,410 ft/s) 525 J (387 ft·lbf)
Test barrel length: 180 mm Source(s): HK USA HK USA Modern Firearms, Pistol / SMG ammunation Heckler & Koch Products

The HK 4.6×30mm cartridge is a type of ammunition primarily used in the Heckler & Koch MP7 Personal Defense Weapon (PDW). It is designed to minimize weight and recoil while increasing penetration of body armor. It features a bottlenecked case and a pointed, steel-core, brass-jacketed bullet.

The 4.6×30mm cartridge was introduced in 1999. It was designed as a competitor to FN Herstal's 5.7×28mm cartridge.

Compared to standard intermediate cartridges one can carry more 4.6×30mm ammunition due to the lighter weight and relative small dimensions of the cartridge. Also, due to the lighter weight of the bullet, aiming in rapid fire is much easier as recoil depends much on the weight of the bullet. CRISAT testing shows that because of the smaller diameter and high projectile velocity of the round, body armor penetration is higher than that of traditional handgun projectiles.

The 4.6×30mm cartridge has been claimed to have low terminal effectiveness, especially by those who disagree with the "energy dump" theory of wound ballistics, such as Dr. Martin Fackler. Kinetic energy manifests itself in human tissue in temporary stretching of tissue, which most tissue except for liver and neural tissue is able to withstand with little ill effect. Slow motion videos show that the 4.6 mm bullet yaws at impact on soft tissue. This is because the center of mass of the bullet is behind the geometric center, causing the back to come forward at impact, and therefore tumbling through soft tissue, creating much greater damage, according to the "energy dump" theory.

A series of tests performed by NATO in the United Kingdom and France indicated that 5.7×28mm was the superior cartridge. The results of the NATO tests were analyzed by a group formed of experts from France, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom and the group's conclusion was that the 5.7×28mm was "undoubtedly" the more efficient cartridge.