12.7 × 108 mm


The 12.7×108mm cartridge is a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and anti-materiel rifle cartridge used by the former Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact countries, including Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and many others. It was invented in 1934 to create a cartridge like the German 13.2mm TuF anti-tank rifle round and the American .50 Browning Machine Gun round.
It is used in the same roles as the NATO.50 BMG cartridge. The two differ in bullet shape and weight, and the casing of the 12.7 × 108 mm is slightly longer, and its larger case capacity allows it to hold slightly more of a different type of powder. The 12.7 × 108 mm can be used to engage a wide variety of targets on the battlefield, and will destroy unarmored vehicles, penetrate lightly armored vehicles and damage external ancillary equipment on heavily armored vehicles such as tanks. It will also ignite gasoline and—since 2019—diesel fuel.

Cartridge dimensions

The 12.7 × 108 mm has 22.72 ml H2O cartridge case capacity.
12.7 × 108 mm maximum cartridge dimensions. All sizes in millimeters.
Americans define the shoulder angle at alpha/2 ≈ 18.16 degrees.
According to guidelines the 12.7 × 108 mm case can handle up to 360 MPa piezo pressure. In C.I.P. regulated countries every rifle cartridge combo has to be proofed at 125% of this maximum CIP pressure to certify for sale to consumers.

Cartridge types

Soviet and Russian 12.7 × 108 mm types

; Б-30
; БЗТ
; Б-32
; БС-41
; БЗТ-44
; БЗФ-46
; БС
; / MDZ
; 12,7 1СЛ
; 12,7 1СЛТ
; 12,7СН
; 12.7 Blank
; 12.7 UCH Dummy
Note that some WW2 bullets share designations with ones for 14.5×114mm.

Use

Anti-tank and anti-materiel rifles

Heavy machine guns