The 7.62x54mmR cartridge is a rimmed full-power rifle and machine-gun round introduced in the Russian Empire and standardized in modern C.I.P. cartridge tables. Direct ammunition evidence links the round to recovered or documented stocks in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria, Mali, Darfur, and South Kordofan, while the relationship modules connect it to cataloged SVD, PK/PKM, PKP Pecheneg, Type 80, and vehicle-mounted machine-gun systems.
Conflict Armament Research documented 7.62x54mmR ammunition recovered by Ukrainian defence and security forces from armed formations operating in Donetsk and Luhansk areas, with 7.62x54mmR making up 23 percent of the ammunition sample in its Ukraine investigation.
Role detailsConflict Armament Research documented 7.62x54R ammunition from Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, including Chinese and Russian cartridges recorded in Kobane, Tikrit, Al Hasakah, Al Qamishli, and Qaraqosh.
Role detailsConflict Armament Research and Small Arms Survey documented 7.62x54R ammunition in Gao during April-May 2012 and February 2013, including ammunition from an abandoned MUJAO base.
Small Arms Survey documented Chinese 7.62x54R machine-gun ammunition used by Sudanese Armed Forces in North Darfur in July 2010 and observed with Popular Defence Force militia in North Darfur in May 2011.
Small Arms Survey documented Chinese 7.62x54R machine-gun ammunition captured from Sudanese Armed Forces stocks in South Kordofan in 2011 and May 2012.
The record uses 7.62x54R/7.62x54mmR for the rimmed full-power cartridge family documented by C.I.P. and by Russian export listings for sniper and enhanced-penetration loads.
C.I.P. lists a 53.72 mm case length, 77.16 mm maximum cartridge length, 14.48 mm rim diameter, 240 mm rifling twist, and 3,900 bar Pmax for 7.62 x 54 R.
Source: C.I.P. 7,62 x 54 R cartridge table.
Rosoboronexport groups 7N1 and 7N13 under 7.62x54mm ammunition, with 7N1 presented as a sniper cartridge and 7N13 as an enhanced-penetration cartridge.
Sources: 7.62x54mm | ROSOBORONEXPORT, 7N1, and 7N13.
Conflict-tracing sources document the ammunition itself as recovered, captured, observed, or recorded in Ukraine, Iraq and Syria, Mali, Darfur, and South Kordofan.
Parent weapon use is not treated as cartridge conflict evidence unless the ammunition is directly documented.
Public Russian export listings treat 7N1 and 7N13 as 7.62x54mm load designations rather than separate weapon systems: 7N1 is a sniper-rifle cartridge, while 7N13 is an enhanced-penetration cartridge.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7N1 | Rifle sniper cartridge | Rosoboronexport lists 7N1 as a 7.62 mm rifle sniper cartridge for sniper rifles, with a 77.16 mm cartridge length and an 815-830 m/s average bullet velocity. Sources: 7N1 |
| 7N13 | Enhanced-penetration cartridge | Rosoboronexport describes 7N13 as a 7.62 mm enhanced-penetration cartridge and lists its PKT-fired penetration benchmark against 10 mm 2P armor plate at up to 200 m. Sources: 7N13 |
This cartridge page links to catalog weapons whose sources explicitly identify 7.62x54mmR or 7.62x54R ammunition.
| Firing weapon | Weapon type | Firing evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Tracked armored reconnaissance vehicle | BRM-1K mounts a 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun, and its armament is documented as using 7.62x54R ammunition. |
 | 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun | Modern Firearms identifies the Pecheneg as a 7.62x54R PKM-derived machine gun, supporting the cartridge-to-weapon relationship. Sources: Pecheneg |
 | 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun | Small Arms Survey identifies the PK family as chambered for 7.62x54R and fed from non-disintegrating 100-, 200-, or 250-round belts. |
 | 7.62x54mmR general-purpose machine gun | CAT-UXO identifies the Type 80 as a 7.62x54mmR gas-operated, belt-fed weapon; Small Arms Survey also documents Chinese 7.62x54R ammunition with Type 80 guns in South Sudan tracing evidence. Sources: Type 80 GPMG, Small Arms Survey Reaching for the Gun |
This cartridge page links to the rifle identified in the same reporting as chambered for 7.62x54mmR.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Sniper rifle | War Noir's reporting describes the Hoshdar-M sniper rifle as chambered in 7.62x54mmR. Sources: War Noir - Telegram, War Noir on X |
 | Semi-automatic designated marksman rifle | Kalashnikov's SVD specification page and the Small Arms Survey Dragunov identification sheet both identify the SVD family around 7.62x54R chambering. Sources: SVD capabilities, Dragunov SVD Weapons Identification Sheet |
WeaponSystems says the 7.62 mm SGMB flexible machine gun is commonly found on the BTR-152.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Armored personnel carrier with SGMB mount | WeaponSystems says the 7.62 mm SGMB flexible machine gun is commonly found on the BTR-152, and its 7.62x54mm Russian cartridge page identifies the SG-43 family as a user of that round. Sources: 7.62x54mm Russian - Weaponsystems.net, BTR-152 |
The cartridge originated as the Russian Empire's 1891 service rifle round and remained in use through Soviet and Russian rifle and machine-gun families.
Sources: 7.62x54mmR, BFBS 7.62x54mmR cartridge explainer
C.I.P.'s 7.62 x 54 R table records the cartridge's rimmed case geometry, proof-barrel dimensions, and 3,900 bar Pmax pressure basis.
Sources: C.I.P. 7,62 x 54 R cartridge table
