page_title: 7.62×39mm
section_title: M43
hierarchical_section_title: 7.62×39mm / Variants / M43
caption_attribution_description: English: Fig. 1-5 (a) The casualty sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen; this radiograph (b) shows multiple fragments and the retained core from an AK-47 round. The casualty’s injury to the upper urethra was treated with repair and insertion of a stent.
context_page_description: The 7.62×39mm round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin that was designed during World War II. Due to the worldwide proliferation of the Soviet SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as well as RPD and RPK light machine guns, the cartridge is used by both militaries and civilians alike.
  Shortly after World War II, the AK-47 was designed, later becoming the world's most widespread military-pattern rifle. The cartridge remained the Soviet standard until the 1970s. It was largely replaced in Soviet service by the 5.45×39mm cartridge, which was introduced with the new AK-74 rifle, and continues in service with the modernized current-issue Russian Armed Forces AK-74M service rifle, as well as the AK-12 rifle. In the 21st century the 7.62×39mm remains a common service rifle chambering, including for newly developed rifles like the AK-15.
context_section_description: The original Soviet M43 bullets are 123 grain boat-tail bullets with a copper-plated steel jacket, a large steel core, and some lead between the core and the jacket. The cartridge itself consisted of a Berdan-primed, highly tapered (usually steel) case which seats the bullet and contains the powder charge. The taper makes it very easy to feed and extract the round, since there is little contact with the chamber walls until the round is fully seated. This taper is what causes the AK-47 to have distinctively curved magazines (helping to distinguish AK-47s from AK-74s, which feed from a much straighter magazine). While the bullet design has gone through a few redesigns, the cartridge itself remains largely unchanged. The ballistic coefficient (G7 BC) of the M1943 pattern full metal jacket boat bullet is 0.138.
  The complete solidity of the M43 projectile causes its only drawback—it is very stable, even while traversing tissue. It begins to yaw only after traversing nearly 26 cm (10 in) of tissue. This greatly reduces the potential wounding effectiveness of the projectile against humans.
caption: 7.62×39mm bullet wound on an American soldier from the Vietnam War.
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