Munitions

7.62x39mm cartridge

Also known as
  • 7.62×39mm
  • 7.62x39 M1943

The 7.62x39mm cartridge is a Soviet intermediate rifle round designed in 1943 and in service from 1944. Its heavily tapered M43 case made it the standard chambering for AK-47 pattern rifles, AKM-derived light machine guns, and later variants such as the AK-103-2.

7.62x39mm cartridge, Intermediate rifle cartridge, Munitions
Image source: Cartridge 7.62x39mm M43 Steel CC BY-SA 4.0 by Grasyl.jpg
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Built by
Soviet
Type
Intermediate rifle cartridge
Service note
Adopted in 1944 and still in global service
Designer
OKB-44 design bureau
Designed
1943
Produced
1943-present

Specifications

Cartridge type
Rimless, bottlenecked intermediate rifle cartridge
Case length
38.70 mm
Overall length
56.00 mm
Bullet diameter
7.92 mm
Case capacity
2.31 ml
Rifling twist
240 mm (1 in 9.45 in)
Maximum pressure
355 MPa (51,488 psi)
Variants
  • M43
  • M67
  • 57-N-231
  • 57-N-231P
  • 57-T-231PM1
Compatible Rifles

The cartridge page links back to a cataloged rifle family that IWI documents as using 7.62x39mm ammunition.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Galil assault rifle, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry WeaponsGalil assault rifleAssault rifle

IWI says the Galil ACE line, described as the next generation of the Galil assault rifle, uses standard 7.62x39mm ammunition.

Sources: GALIL ACE

Firearms Using It

The cartridge entered service with the RPD machine gun, then spread into the SKS and AK-47 pattern rifle families and later modern derivatives.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry WeaponsAK-47/AKM rifle familyAK-47 pattern rifle family

AmmunitionStore describes 7.62x39mm ammunition as available in SKS and AK-47 clones and variants, which places the AK-47 family in the direct firing relationship for this cartridge.

Sources: 7.62x39mm cartridge - AmmunitionStore PDF

AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry WeaponsAK-103-2 assault rifle7.62x39mm assault rifle variant

ARES identifies the AK-103-2 as chambered for 7.62 x 39 mm ammunition, and Kalashnikov's AK-103 technical data also lists 7.62 x 39 mm as the used cartridge.

Sources: A Tale of Two Rifles, AK103 capabilities - Kalashnikov Group

Compatible Firearms

The cartridge's compatibility extends to AK-pattern rifles documented as chambered for 7.62x39mm.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsAKMSFolding-stock assault rifle

Weaponsystems.net identifies the AKM as firing the 7.62x39mm Soviet round, and ATF lists AKM caliber as 7.62x39mm; the AKMS is an AKM-family folding-stock variant.

Sources: Kalashnikov AKM | Weaponsystems.net, Rifles - ATF

AKKS rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsAKKS rifle7.62x39mm assault rifle

The AKKS entry and its source material identify the rifle as a Bulgarian AK-pattern weapon chambered in 7.62x39mm, which makes the cartridge and rifle relationship reciprocal.

Sources: BGR - AKK / AKK-M1 / AKKS / AKKM

Timeline

7.62x39mm cartridge Key Events

  1. Soviet development work begins

    Small Arms Review says the Soviet Technical Council met on 15 July 1943, reviewed the M1 Carbine and German MKb 42(H), and ordered a new reduced-power round.

    Sources: The First Assult Rifle Cartridge?

  2. Pilot production starts

    The same article says pilot series production began in March 1944 and the round was combat-tested before the war ended in RPD and SKS prototypes.

    Sources: The First Assult Rifle Cartridge?

  3. M1943 selected for the AK-47 program

    Small Arms Review says the 7.62x39 M1943 cartridge was selected in 1948 while AK-47 pre-production troop trials were already underway.

    Sources: The First Assult Rifle Cartridge?

Service Loads

The cartridge family is usually discussed through the original M43 ball load and later national redesigns such as Yugoslavia's M67.

LoadKey featuresReader takeaway
M43123-grain boat-tail bullet, copper-plated steel jacket, steel core, and a highly tapered caseThe original Soviet service load that gave the cartridge its distinctive feeding and extraction behavior.
M67Shorter, flatter-based projectile without the mild-steel insertA Yugoslav redesign that destabilized earlier in tissue than M43.

Source labels used here: 7.62x39mm cartridge - AmmunitionStore PDF.

Media

7.62x39mm cartridge Images

7.62x39mm cartridge, Intermediate rifle cartridge, Munitions - view 1
Source: 7.62x39mm round.svg
7.62x39mm cartridge, Intermediate rifle cartridge, Munitions - view 2
Source: 7.62x39 Russian.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
AK-103-2 assault rifle, 7.62x39mm assault rifle variant, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAK-103-2 assault rifle7.62x39mm assault rifle variantThe AK-103-2 is the three-round-burst export variant of the Russian AK-103, a 7.62x39mm AK-100-series rifle derived from the AK-74M layout but chambered for the older AKM cartridge. In the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency context, available open-source evidence is limited: the specific AK-103-2 identification comes from visual reporting of Boko Haram militants around Lake Chad, while separate Nigerian court reporting documents alleged AK-103 rifle trafficking from Diffa toward a Boko Haram recipient.
AKM, 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAKM7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKM is the stamped-receiver modernization of the Soviet Kalashnikov assault rifle, chambered for 7.62x39mm and built around a long-stroke gas piston and rotating bolt. Adopted in 1959, it reduced production burden compared with earlier milled-receiver AK rifles and became a widely licensed baseline for later 7.62mm Kalashnikov-pattern weapons. CAR and ARES field documentation continues to place AKM and AKM-pattern rifles in modern conflict stocks, from Islamic State recoveries in Iraq and Syria to Taliban captures in Afghanistan.
AKMS, Folding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAKMSFolding-stock 7.62x39mm assault rifleThe AKMS is the under-folding-stock member of the Soviet AKM assault-rifle family, retaining the stamped receiver, long-stroke gas system, select-fire controls, and 7.62x39mm chambering while shortening the rifle for airborne troops, vehicle crews, and compact carry. Conflict Armament Research and ARES documentation places AKMS-family rifles in Islamic State stocks around Kobane and in a 2022 Ukrainian police seizure from an alleged Russian saboteur, showing how older Kalashnikov-pattern rifles remain visible in modern war.
AK-47/AKM rifle family, Selective-fire assault rifle family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsAK-47/AKM rifle familySelective-fire assault rifle familyAK-47/AKM-family rifles are Kalashnikov-pattern small arms derived from the Soviet AK-47 and 1959 AKM modernization, usually chambered in 7.62 x 39 mm. In the post-2015 catalog they appear with FARC dissidents in Colombia, gangs in Haiti, PKK fighters, GNA scouts in Libya, insurgents in Mali, Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, militants in Sinai, RSF units in Sudan, Hamas fighters in Gaza, Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, Boko Haram-linked militants in the Lake Chad basin, and Houthi-linked supply chains in Yemen.

Sources

GALIL ACEPublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Supports the Galil ACE line's 7.62x39mm chambering for reciprocal cartridge compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-06-287.62x39mm cartridge - AmmunitionStore PDFPublisher: AmmunitionStore | Note: Supports the cartridge's World War II design date, service history, production history, used-by context, M43 and M67 load notes, and current cartridge specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-27The First Assult Rifle Cartridge?Publisher: Small Arms Review | Note: Supports the 15 July 1943 development meeting, March 1944 pilot production, 1948 selection, and early RPD, SKS, and AK-47 program context. | Accessed: 2026-06-27A Tale of Two RiflesPublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports the AK-103-2 chambering in 7.62 x 39 mm and the cartridge's relationship to the rifle family. | Accessed: 2026-06-23AK103 capabilities - Kalashnikov GroupPublisher: Kalashnikov Group | Note: Supports the AK-103 family's 7.62 x 39 mm chambering and cartridge specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-23C.I.P. 7,62 x 39 cartridge tablePublisher: C.I.P. | Note: Supports standard cartridge dimensions for the 7.62x39mm round. | Accessed: 2026-06-23Cartridge 7.62x39mm M43 Steel CC BY-SA 4.0 by Grasyl.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the primary 7.62x39mm cartridge photograph. | Accessed: 2026-06-237.62x39mm round.svgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the cartridge dimension diagram. | Accessed: 2026-06-237.62x39 Russian.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the cartridge comparison photograph. | Accessed: 2026-06-23BGR - AKK / AKK-M1 / AKKS / AKKMPublisher: Armedconflicts.com | Note: Supports the AKKS family's Bulgarian AK-pattern background and 7.62x39mm chambering for the reciprocal rifle compatibility note. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Kalashnikov AKM | Weaponsystems.netPublisher: Weaponsystems.net | Note: Supports the AKM's 7.62x39mm chambering and firing relationship used for the AKMS compatibility note. | Accessed: 2026-06-28Rifles - ATFPublisher: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives | Note: Supports the AKM caliber listing as 7.62x39mm used for the AKMS compatibility note. | Accessed: 2026-06-28