5.45×39mm
The 5.45×39 mm cartridge is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge. It was introduced into service in 1974 by the Soviet Union for use with the new AK-74. The 5.45×39 mm gradually supplemented and then largely replaced the 7.62×39mm cartridge in Soviet and Warsaw Pact service as the primary military service rifle cartridge.
Key facts
- Firearm cartridge.name
- 5.45×39 mm
- Firearm cartridge.image
- Comparison of cold war ammunition (5.45×39mm).jpg
- Firearm cartridge.image_size
- 80px
- Firearm cartridge.caption
- 5.45×39 mm cartridge
- Firearm cartridge.origin
- Soviet Union
- Firearm cartridge.type
- Rifle
- Firearm cartridge.design_date
- early 1970s
- Firearm cartridge.service
- 1974–present
- Firearm cartridge.used_by
- Soviet Union/Russian Federation, former Soviet republics, former Warsaw Pact
- Firearm cartridge.wars
- Afghan War, Georgian Civil War, First Chechen War, Second Chechen War, Yugoslav Wars, War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), Syrian Civil War, 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Russian invasion of Ukraine
- Firearm cartridge.variants
- 5.45×39mm PSP
Article
19 sectionsContents
- History
- Use in the Soviet-Afghan War
- Use in Russo-Ukrainian War
- Cartridge dimensions
- Wounding effects
- Terminal ballistics against body armor
- 5.45×39mm cartridge variants
- Enhanced penetration cartridges
- Tracer cartridges
- Training and instruction cartridges
- Special purpose cartridges
- Basic specifications
- Civil use
- Commercial 5.45×39 mm ammunition
- Gallery
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
The 5.45×39 mm cartridge is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge. It was introduced into service in 1974 by the Soviet Union for use with the new AK-74. The 5.45×39 mm gradually supplemented and then largely replaced the 7.62×39mm cartridge in Soviet and Warsaw Pact service as the primary military service rifle cartridge.
==History== thumb|left|Service rifle cartridge cases: (Left to right) 7.62×54mmR, [[7.62×51mm NATO, 7.62×39mm, 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.45×39 mm.]] thumb|left|Service rifle cartridges loaded with projectiles: (Left to right) 7.62×54mmR, 7.62×51mm NATO, 7.62×39mm, 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.45×39mm.