.30-06 Springfield

Infobox Firearm Cartridge
name=.30-06 Springfield


caption=From left to right 9.3x62mm, .30-06 Springfield, 8 x 57 IS, 6.5 x 55 and .308 Winchester cartridges.
origin=flagcountry|United States
type=Rifle
service=1906
used_by=USA and others
wars=WWI, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War
designer=United States Military
design_date=1906
manufacturer=
production_date=1906-present
number=
variants=
is_SI_specs=yes
parent=.30-03
case_type=Rimless, bottleneck
bullet=7.62
neck=8.63
shoulder=11.20
base=11.96
rim_dia=12.01
rim_thick=1.24
case_length=63.35
length=84.84
case_capacity=4.43
rifling=254 mm (1 in 10 in)
primer=Large rifle
max_pressure=405
is_SI_ballistics=no
velocity=
energy=
bw1=150
btype1=Nosler Ballistic Tip
vel1=2900
en1=2820
bw2=165
btype2=BTSP
vel2=2800
en2=2872
bw3=180
btype3=Nosler partition
vel3=2900
en3=3315
bw4=200
btype4=Partition
vel4=2570
en4=2932
bw5=220
btype5=RN
vel5=2500
en5=2981
test_barrel_length=24 inch
balsrc= Federal Cartridgecite web |url=http://www.federalcartridge.com/ballistics/ |title=Federal Cartridge Co. ballistics page |accessdate=2007-09-21 ] / Accurate Powdercite web |url=http://www.accuratepowder.com/data/PerCaliber2Guide/Rifle/Standarddata(Rifle)/308Cal(7.62mm)/30%2006%20Springfield%20pages%20263%20to%20267.pdf |title=.30-06 Springfield reload data |accessdate=2007-09-21 ]

The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced “thirty-ought-six” or "thirty-oh-six") or 7.62 x 63 mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 (hence “06”) and standardized, used until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy and .30 US Army (also called .30-40 Krag). The .30-06 remained the US Army's main cartridge for nearly 50 years before it was finally replaced by the 7.62 x 51 mm (7.62mm NATO, commercial .308 Winchester).

History

Much of the rest of the world at the turn of the century had adopted the spitzer bullet. When it was introduced, the .30-03 was already obsolete for this among other reasons. A new case was developed with a slightly shorter case neck to fire a higher velocity, 150-grain spitzer bullet at 2,700 fps.

The M1903 Springfield rifle, introduced alongside the earlier cartridge, was quickly modified to accept the .30-06 cartridge, known as the M1906. Modifications to the rifle included shortening the barrel at its breech and recutting the chamber. This was so that the shorter ogive of the new bullet would not have to jump too far to reach the rifling. Other changes included elimination of the troublesome 'rod bayonet' of the earlier Springfield rifles.

Experience gained in World War I indicated that other nations' machineguns far outclassed American ones in terms of maximum effective range. Additionally, before the widespread employment of light mortars and artillery, long-range machinegun 'barrage' or indirect fires were considered important in U.S. infantry tactics. [George, John (Lt. Col.), "Shots Fired In Anger", NRA Press (1981), pp. 402-403] For these reasons, in 1926, the Ordnance Corps developed the .30 M1 Ball cartridge using a 174 grain bullet with a 9 degree boat tail, traveling at a reduced muzzle velocity of 2,640 fps. This bullet offered significantly greater range from machineguns and rifles alike due to its increased ballistic coefficient. Additionally, a gilding metal jacket was developed that all but eliminated the metal fouling that plagued the earlier cartridge.

Wartime surplus totaled over 2 billion rounds of ammunition. Army regulations called for training use of the oldest ammunition first. As a result, the older .30-06 ammunition was expended for training; stocks of M1 ammunition were allowed to slowly grow until all of the older ammo had been shot up. By 1936 it was discovered that the maximum range of the new M1 ammunition and its 174 grain, boat-tailed bullets was beyond the safety limitations of many ranges. An emergency order was made to manufacture quantities of ammunition that matched the ballistics of the older cartridge as soon as possible. A new cartridge was developed in 1938 that was essentially a duplicate of the old M1906 round, but with a gilding metal jacket and a different lead alloy, resulting in a bullet that weighed 152 grains instead of 150. This cartridge, the Cartridge .30 M2 Ball, used a flat-based bullet fired at a higher muzzle velocity (2,805 fps) than either of its predecessors.

Firearms

It was used in the bolt-action M1903 Springfield rifle, the semi-automatic M1 Garand, the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), and numerous machine guns, including the M1919 series. It served the United States in both World Wars and in the Korean War, its last major use being in Vietnam. Large volumes of surplus brass made it the basis for dozens of commercial and wildcat cartridges, as well as being extensively used for reloading. The .30-06's power, combined with the ready availability of surplus firearms chambered for it, and so demand for commercial ammunition, has made it a popular hunting round. It is suitable for large mammals such as deer, elk, and moose.

Performance

The .30-06 is a powerful cartridge designed when 1.0 km (1100 yards) shots were expected. In 1906, the original M1906 .30-06 cartridge consisted of a 9.7 g (150 grain), flat-base cupronickel-jacketed-bullet. After WWI, the U.S. military needed better long-range performance machine guns. Based on weapons performance reports from Europe, a streamlined, 11.2 g (173 grain), boat tail, gilding-metal bullet was used. The .30-06 cartridge, with the 11.2 g bullet was called "Cartridge, .30, M1 Ball". The new M1 ammunition proved to be significantly more accurate than the M1906 round. [Dunlap, Roy, "Ordnance Went Up Front", Samworth Press (1948), p. 303]

In 1938, the unstained, 9.8 g (152 grain), flat-base bullet combined with the .30-06 case became the M2 ball cartridge. According to U.S. Army Technical Manual 43-0001-27, M2 Ball specifications required 835 m/s (2,740 feet per second) velocity, measured 24 m (78 ft) from the muzzle. M2 Ball was the standard-issue ammunition for military rifles and machine guns until it was replaced by the 7.62 x 51 mm NATO round for the M14 and M60. For rifle use, M2 Ball ammunition proved to be less accurate than the earlier M1 cartridge; even with match rifles, a target group of 5" (125 mm) diameter at 200 yards (183 m) using the 150-grain M2 bullet was considered optimal, and many rifles performed less well. [Dunlap, Roy, "Ordnance Went Up Front", Samworth Press (1948), p. 303] The U.S. Marine Corps retained stocks of M1 ammunition for use by snipers and trained marksmen throughout the Solomon Islands campaign in the early years of the war. [George, John (Lt. Col.), Shots Fired In Anger, NRA Press (1981), p. 409] In an effort to increase accuracy, some snipers resorted to use of the heavier .30-06 M2 armor-piercing round, a practice that would re-emerge during the Korean War. [Rocketto, Hap, Biography: "William S. Brophy", Civilian Marksmanship Program http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/distinguishedStory.cgi?distID=6674] Others sought out lots of M2 ammunition produced by Denver Ordnance, which had proved to be more accurate than those produced by other wartime ammunition plants when used for sniping at long range. [George, John (Lt. Col.), "Shots Fired In Anger", NRA Press (1981), pp. 81, 428, 434-435]

Commercially manufactured rifles chambered in .30-06 are popular for hunting. Current .30-06 factory ammunition varies in bullet weight from 7.1 g to 14.3 g (110 to 220 grains) in solid bullets, and as low as 3.6 g (55 grains) with the use of a sub-caliber bullet in a sabot. Loads are available with reduced velocity and pressure as well as increased velocity and pressure for stronger firearms. The .30-06 remains one of the most popular sporting cartridges in the world.

Cartridge dimensions

The .30-06 Springfield has 4.43 ml (68.2 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.

.30-06 Springfield maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters (mm).

Americans defined the shoulder angle at alpha/2 = 17.5 degrees. The common rifling twist rate for this cartridge is 254 mm (1 in 10 in), 4 grooves, Ø lands = 7.62 mm, Ø grooves = 7.82 mm, land width = 4.49 mm and the primer type is large rifle.

According to the official C.I.P. (Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives) guidelines, the .30-06 Springfield case can handle up to 405 MPa (58,740 psi) piezo pressure. In CIP-regulated countries, every rifle cartridge combination has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum C.I.P. pressure to certify for sale to consumers.

The 8x64mm S is probably the closest European ballistic twin of the .30-06 Springfield. The 8x64mm S was intended as a ballistic upgrade option for the Mauser Gewehr 98 rifles that were then standard issue in the German military. The German military chose to keep their 8x57mm IS rifle cartridge, avoiding rechambering their service rifles for a larger and heavier cartridge.

.30-06 Springfield cartridge dimensions. All sizes in inches (in).

U.S. military cartridge types

"NOTE:" .30-06 cartridges are also produced commercially with many different bullets and to a number of different specifications.

*Armor Piercing, M2 :This cartridge is used against lightly armored vehicles, protective shelters, and personnel, and can be identified by its black bullet tip. Bullet is flat base, weight 163-168 grains.
*Armor Piercing Incendiary, T15/M14 and M14A1:This cartridge may be substituted for the M2 armor piercing round and is normally employed against flammable targets. The tip of the bullet is colored with aluminum paint. The M14A1 featured an improved core design and incendiary charge.
*Ball, M1906 :This cartridge is used against personnel and unarmored targets, and can be identified by its silver-colored bullet. The M1906 has a 9.7 g (150 grain) projectile and flat base. Its jacket is a cupro-nickel alloy which was found to quickly foul the bore.
*Ball, M1:The M1 has a 11.2 g (173 grain), nine-degree boat-tailed projectile designed for aerodynamic efficiency. Though it had a lower initial velocity, velocity and energy were greater at longer ranges due to its efficient shape. The jacket material was also changed to gilding metal to reduce fouling.
*Ball, M2:With a 9.8 g (152 grain) bullet based on the profile of the M1906, this cartridge incorporated the gilding-metal jacket of the M1 projectile combined with a slightly heavier, pure-lead core. It had a higher muzzle velocity than either of the earlier cartridges.
*Blank, M1909:This cartridge is used to simulate rifle fire. The cartridge is identified by having no bullet, and by a cannelure in the neck of the case which is sealed by red lacquer.
*Dummy, M40:This cartridge is used for training. The cartridge has six longitudinal corrugations and there is no primer.
*Explosive, T99: Development of a cartridge that contained a small explosive charge which more effectively marked its impact. Often referred to as an "observation explosive" cartridge, the T99 was never adopted.
*Incendiary, M1917:Early incendiary cartridge, bullet had a large cavity in the nose to allow the material to more easily shoot forward on impact. As a result the M1917 had a tendency to expand on impact. The M1917 had a blackened tip.
*Incendiary, M1918:Variant of the M1917 with a normal bullet profile to comply with international laws regarding open-tipped expanding bullets.
*Incendiary, M1 :This cartridge is used against unarmored, flammable targets. The tip of the bullet is painted blue.
*Match, M72:This cartridge is used in marksmanship competition firing, and can be identified by the word "MATCH" on the head stamp.
*Tracer, M1: Tracer for observing fire, signaling, target designation, and incendiary purposes. The M1 has a red tip.
*Tracer, M2: Tracer for observing fire, signaling, target designation, and incendiary purposes. Has a short burn time. The M2 originally had a white tip, but then switched to a red tip like the M1.
*Tracer, T10/M25: Improved tracer over M1/M2. Designed to be less intense in terms of brightness than either the M1 or M2 tracers. The M25 had an orange tip.
*Rifle Grenade Cartridges, M1, M2, and M3/E1: These cartridge are used in conjunction with the M1 (for the M1903 rifle), M2 (for the M1917 rifle), and the M7 series (for the M1 rifle) grenade launchers to propel rifle grenades. The cartridge has no bullet and the mouth is crimped. The differences between the three cartridges have to do with the powder charge and the subsequent range of the launched grenade. The M3E1 also featured an extended case neck. [cite web |url=http://www.inetres.com/gp/military/infantry/rifle/30_ammo.html |title=Gary's U.S. Infantry Weapons Reference Guide - .30 Caliber (.30-06 Springfield) Ammunition |accessdate=2007-09-21 ] [cite web |url=http://cartridgecollectors.org/30-06intro/ |title=An Introduction to Collecting .30-06 |accessdate=2007-09-21 ]

elected examples of United States Military firearms chambered for the .30-06 cartridge

*M1903 Springfield rifle and variants, loading from stripper clips.
*Gatling gun. The U.S. Gatling guns were re-chambered for 30-06, the last round they would be changed over to before being declared obsolete and withdrawn from service.
*Model 1909 Machine Rifle. The Benet-Mercie light machine gun was chambered for 30-06.
*M1917 Chauchat. The US used a mix of Chauchats in 30-06 and 8 mm Lebel.
*Lewis gun The US used a limited amount of Lewis guns chambered in 30-06 in both WWI and WWII.
*M1917 Machine Gun water-cooled and M1919 Machine Gun air-cooled machine guns, feeding from belts
*M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle, loading from detachable magazines.
*Marlin machine gun. Similar to the Colt-Browning machine gun ('Potato Digger'), but without 'digger' piston, and used mainly on aircraft.
*M1 Garand rifle, loading in an "en bloc" clip.
*M1941 Johnson Rifle, feeding from an internal rotary magazine.
*M1941 Johnson LMG, feeding from magazine.

porting cartridges derived from the .30-06

The United States has a large number of "wildcatters", or handloaders who experiment with cartridges and bullets as a hobby. Sometimes these wildcat cartridges become popular enough to be adopted by a large commercial rifle maker and/or ammunition manufacturer. The .30-06 has been the basis of several mainstream and wildcat cartridges which are widely used for hunting and other special applications:

*.25-06 Remington, necked down to accept 6.53 mm (.257") diameter bullets
*.6.5-06, necked down to use (.264") diameter bullets
*.270 Winchester, necked down to accept 7.04 mm (.277") bullets
*.280 Remington, necked down to accept 7.21 mm (.284") bullets with the shoulder moved up slightly
*8mm-06, necked up to accept a 8.20 mm (.323") bullet. This is a common modification performed to German Mauser rifles to facilitate use of a in the USA more commonly available cartridge case with improved performance compared to the standard German 8x57mm.
*.338-06, necked up to accept 8.59 mm (.338") diameter bullets
*.35 Whelen, necked up to accept 9.09 mm (.358") bullets

ee also

*Caliber conversion sleeve
*List of rifle cartridges
*Table of pistol and rifle cartridges
*7 mm caliber
* Delta L problem

References

* C.I.P. CD-ROM edition 2003
* C.I.P. decisions, texts and tables ( [http://www.cip-bp.org/index.php?id=tdcc-telechargement free current C.I.P. CD-ROM version download] ) (ZIP and RAR format)