The 7.62x39mm Cartridge

The 7.62x39mm is a Soviet intermediate rifle cartridge best known in SKS carbines and Kalashnikov-pattern rifles. C.I.P. identifies it as 7,62 x 39 with country of origin listed as SU, and its published dimensions show a 7.92 mm projectile dimension. For hunters, the important distinction is load type: full metal jacket loads are commonly cataloged for range use, while some manufacturers have cataloged expanding 7.62x39 hunting loads.

Origin: the Soviet M43 cartridge

A ballistics proceedings paper traces Soviet intermediate-cartridge work to a July 15, 1943 meeting of the Technical Council of the People’s Commissariat for Armaments. The paper states that design work was assigned to a committee led by N. M. Elizarov.

That same paper says a first variant of the new cartridge was officially adopted after range trials in December 1943 and received the GRAU index 57-N-231. It also states that the 7.62x39mm cartridge with the PS bullet entered series production in mid-1947 as 57-N-231S.

That timeline matters because “M43” is often used as a shorthand for the Soviet 7.62x39mm family, but the proceedings paper makes clear that the early 1943 adoption and later production form were not the same milestone.

The proceedings paper describes the original Soviet M43 bullets as 123 grain boat-tail bullets with copper-plated steel jackets, a large steel core and some lead between the core and jacket. That is a historical description of the original Soviet military bullet, not a description of every modern commercial load.

Published cartridge specifications

C.I.P. publishes a technical data sheet for 7,62 x 39 dated January 4, 1989 and revised May 22, 2013. SAAMI states that its standards are published to provide safety, reliability and interchangeability standards for commercial manufacturers of firearms, ammunition and components. SAAMI also says its cartridge and chamber drawing page includes drawings published in SAAMI standards and newly accepted cartridge and chamber designs. The SAAMI Volume XI cartridge and chamber file was listed as last updated September 8, 2026, but the download requires login, so the dimensional figures below use the C.I.P. data in this guide.

Item	Published figure
C.I.P. cartridge name	7,62 x 39
Country of origin listed by C.I.P.	SU
Projectile dimension, G1	7.92 mm
Barrel bore dimension, F	7.62 mm
Barrel groove dimension, Z	7.92 mm
Grooves in C.I.P. proof barrel data	4
Rifling pitch dimension, u	240.00 mm
Maximum pressure	3550 bar, transducer method
Headspace note	Headspace on shoulder

These are standards figures, not a loading recipe. They are useful for understanding the cartridge’s size, naming and pressure standard, but they are not instructions for assembling ammunition.

Why 7.62x39 bullets are often .310 to .312 inch

The name 7.62x39mm can be confusing because C.I.P. lists the barrel bore dimension as 7.62 mm, while it lists both the groove dimension and projectile dimension as 7.92 mm. A 7.92 mm projectile is about .312 inch when converted to inches.

So the short answer is this: the “7.62” in the name lines up with the bore dimension in C.I.P. data, while the bullet and groove dimensions are larger. That is why the cartridge is discussed as using bullet diameters larger than the nominal 7.62 mm bore figure, including the .312 inch range when C.I.P.’s 7.92 mm projectile and groove figure is converted.

Rifles commonly associated with 7.62x39mm

The SKS is one of the classic rifles chambered for this cartridge. Small Arms Survey, with technical assistance from the Royal Armouries National Firearms Centre, lists the Simonov SKS caliber as 7.62 x 39 mm M1943. It describes the SKS as a gas-operated, self-loading rifle developed in the Soviet Union during the Second World War.

Small Arms Survey also lists the SKS with a 10-round internal box magazine and a 524 mm barrel.

Kalashnikov-pattern rifles are the other major family associated with 7.62x39mm.

Bullet types and factory ballistics examples

Published commercial loads show how broad the modern 7.62x39 market is. Some loads use full metal jacket bullets and are described for range use. Others use expanding bullets and are marketed for hunting or medium-size game.

Maker and load	Bullet	Published velocity and energy
Winchester 2024 range pack	123 grain full metal jacket	2355 fps and 1515 ft-lb

Hornady catalogs its BLACK 7.62x39 load as a 123 grain SST in a 20-round box.

Winchester’s 2024 7.62x39 range pack announcement lists a 123 grain full metal jacket bullet at 2355 fps and 1515 ft-lb. That is a useful example of a published FMJ range load, not a hunting-bullet example.

7.62x39mm for deer-sized game

For deer-sized game, focus on ammunition specifically described with hunting or expanding-bullet features, not on the cartridge name alone. Federal says its Fusion and Power-Shok rifle ammunition offerings have been used in deer camps in North America for years. Federal also says Power-Shok bullets expand aggressively and are ideal for medium-size, lightly built game such as deer and antelope inside a few hundred yards.

Hornady’s 123 grain SST load gives another example of a commercial expanding-bullet style in this cartridge.

This does not settle hunting legality. Game agencies set cartridge, caliber, energy, projectile and magazine rules by place and season. Before hunting, check the current regulation booklet and any emergency changes from the state, provincial or territorial wildlife agency for the exact area and species.

Steel cases and brass cases

Commercial 7.62x39mm ammunition has appeared in both steel-case and brass-case forms. Hornady’s 2017 announcement for its BLACK 7.62x39mm 123 grain SST load is a documented example: Hornady said it was offering reloadable brass cases and described the change as an upgrade from steel cases to brass.

Winchester’s 2024 7.62x39mm range pack announcement is another documented brass-case example. Winchester described that ammunition as having a reloadable, Boxer-primed brass shellcase.

Case material is separate from bullet type. A brass case can hold an FMJ range load, and an expanding hunting load can be discussed independently from the material of the case. The published examples above are most useful for identifying what the manufacturer actually claimed for a specific product.

What to check before using 7.62x39mm

For rifle owners, confirm the exact chambering marked by the firearm maker and use ammunition that matches that chambering. For technical dimensions, use current standards from organizations such as C.I.P. or SAAMI.

For hunters, check the current state, provincial or territorial wildlife regulations before the season. Confirm allowed cartridges, projectile rules, magazine rules and species-specific requirements directly with the wildlife agency.