1. America and Britain – two nations separated by a common cartridge
America and Britain – two nations separated by a common cartridge* or how 7.62x51mm became the NATO standard
* With apologies to Oscar Wilde, Bernard Shaw and others?
Dave Sutton, Phoenixville, PA

2. The Western Allies at the End of WWII
Basic infantry weapons US
M1 Garand firing cartridge
Heavy
Semi-automatic UK
Lee Enfield firing .303 British
Bolt action

3. US – Beyond the Garand Greater firepower, light weight
Convinced that this had to include a cartridge with comparable ballistics to the i.e. able to inflict a fatal wound at 2000 yards
Desire for a new and improved cartridge
Use of improved propellants from du Pont allowed a shorter cartridge case with similar ballistics to
Shorter case
Shorter breach = lighter rifle
Less materials for manufacture
More cartridges per unit weight i.e. soldiers can carry more

4. UK – Beyond the Lee Enfield
Need for a selective fire rifle
Recognition that the .303 cartridge was overkill at normal combat ranges
Willing to accept a less powerful cartridge using a bullet smaller than 0.303
Small Arms Ideal Caliber panel established in 1945
Aim for lightest rifle and cartridge acceptable for combat out to 600 yards

5. US Response March 1944 Mid 1944 to early 1945 January 1945
Initial request for shortened .30 cal cartridge based on 300 Savage
Mid 1944 to early 1945
Testing of .300 Savage cartridges loaded with M2 bullets
January 1945
Request for development of T65 cartridge
case length, 2.49”
.300 Savage - case length, 1.87”

6. US T65 Series .300 Savage 1944 T65 1945-1947 FAT1 1947-1948 FAT1E1
Increased body taper, decrease shoulder diameter and angle, 1.951” case
.300 Savage
1944
T65
FAT1
FAT1E1
FAT1E2
???
FAT1E3
30-06 head, decreased body taper, 1.871” case
Increased neck length and extractor grove width, 1.951” case
Increased rim thickness, decreased extractor groove width, 1.951” case
Increased body taper, case length, base to shoulder, shoulder diameter, shoulder angle and neck length, 2.015” case
No known examples
Commercial
30-06
Case type

7. UK Response Small Arms Ideal Caliber Panel Formed 1945
Extensive theoretical and experimental work
Final Report March 1947
The Choice of a Standard Round for Small Arms
Caliber of about 0.27” if tungsten core unacceptable
Caliber down to 0.25” if tungsten core acceptable
Two cartridge designs approved
mid-1947
October 1947
.303 British - case length, 2.21”
case length, 1.81”
case length, 1.70”

8. UK 7mm Series
280
Development of the .270 cartridge ceased in 1948 and future work focused on the .280 and .280/30
280/30
Extractor groove, rim and case head diameter modified to US .30 cal dimensions
270
280
Photo from Tony Edwards

9. The Political Scenario
Change in British Government from Conservative to Labour in 1945
US fears of Communist influence
Talks initiated on 1946/1947 between US, Britain and Canada regarding standardization of war materials including SAA
Apparent exclusion of the Soviet Union seen as the start of an alliance against Russia by certain factions in the Labour party who became openly critical of standardization
Creation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949 to counter the military threat of the USSR

10. US-British Interactions
1947 First face to face meeting
US Ordnance flatly refused to consider the UK .280 cartridge on the grounds that certain bullet types could not be developed
The British learned about the .30 cal T65 cartridge for the first time
Convinced that the best light rifle could not be designed around the T65 cartridge
Miniature arms race between US and UK
Britain suggests that tests of the two nations cartridges should be scheduled – set for early 1950
1949 Early test results of the US T25 rifle are encouraging
Britain, fearful that large-scale procurement of the T25 could kill off consideration of any British designs, requests that that the comparative trials now cover both rifle and cartridge

11. 1950 Trials Aberdeen Proving Ground/Fort Benning
Head to head trials of US and British rifles that included evaluation of ammunition
Rifles
Ammunition
US cal (FATE1/FAT1 cases)
UK/Belgium
Trials took place over 6 months
Conducted with great fairness ensuring rifles and ammunition were compared under as near identical conditions as possible
US Springfield T27
UK EM-2
Belgium FN FAL

12. 1950 Trials - Ammunition US .30 cal British .280 Ball, T104
Orange
Black
Silver
Yellow
Pink
White
Pale blue
Red
Tracer, T102
AP, T93
AP-I, T101
Observation, T103
Grenade, T116
Ball
Tracer AP
AP-I
Observation
Grenade

13. 1950 Trials – Results
.30 T65
.280
Accuracy 
Trajectory
Penetration
API ignition
Tracer/observation function
Ballistic coefficient
Neither the rifles nor the ammunition was suitable for adoption without further modification
Recommendation that ammunition be perfected prior to designing the weapon
Need for agreement on a common cartridge before any further weapon comparison trials take place

14. US Army Issues with the .280 Cartridge
Trajectory
Unacceptable “safety zone”
Safety zone
Performance in arctic conditions
Unacceptable muzzle velocity under temperate conditions would lead to serious problems at sub-zero temperatures
Difficulty in developing satisfactory special purpose rounds (tracer, AP, API etc)

15. Beyond the 1950 Trials
Although the US trials effectively eliminated the .280 cartridge from further serious consideration, efforts were made to keep it alive
April UK army adopts the EM-2 loaded with an improved .280/30 cartridge (7mm Mk1z)
US Ordnance
Protracted campaign to ensure demise of a 7mm cartridge with goal of ensuring that NATO adopt the T65 cartridge
Reality begins to sink in
UK and Belgium redesign EM-2 and FAL respectively for the US .30 cal cartridge
Feasible for the FAL, but not EM-2

16. The Path to NATO Standardization
Mid 1951
Joint meeting between US, UK, Canada and France to discuss SAA standardization
UK tries without success to sell the 7mm series
US continue to hold to their decision to adopt the T65 cartridge
France favor the T65 cartridges since the new 7.5mm semi-automatic rifle could more readily converted to the US cartridge
Canada look for standardization of one caliber whatever it is
This meeting effectively sounded the death knell for the .280/30 cartridge
Sept 1951
NATO standing group agrees on set of military characteristics of required performance for any new SAA
Tests showed UK’s 7mm Mk1z fell well short

17. The Path to NATO Standardization II
Late 1951
The US Army officially rejects the .280 cartridge
“The Army is firmly opposed to the adoption of any less effective smaller caliber cartridge for use in either its present rifle or in new weapons”
New UK government reverse earlier decision to adopt EM-2 and the 7mm Mk1z cartridge
Reflected the reality of post-WWII Europe
UK SA industry not strong or big enough to go it alone
Need for cooperation and standardization in light of cold war
Need for US help in rebuilding Europe
The UK’s action effectively guaranteed the adoption of the .30 cal light rifle cartridge as the NATO standard
280
EM-2

18. The Path to NATO Standardization III
1952 onwards
1952 UK, Belgium and Canada form the Small Arms Development Committee (later referred to as the BBC)
Aim is to develop a 7mm cartridge acceptable to NATO
7mm
Optimum
7mm
High Velocity
7mm
Compromise
7mm 2nd
Optimum

19. The Path to NATO Standardization IV
1952 onwards
BBC holds a series of trials comparing the various 7mm cartridges with .30 cal cartridges
Final trials held in mid-1953 compare various .30 cal loads against the 7mm 2nd optimum cartridge
The US continues on with the T65 series regardless
T25 rifle dropped and replaced by the T44 (Adopted in 1957 as the M14)
Sept 1953 BBC recommends selection of a .30 cal bullet in the FAT1E3 case
Springfield T44E4

20. NATO Standardization Dec 1953 Feb 1954 Aug 1954
NATO announces the T65E3 cartridge as the common NATO cartridge
Feb 1954
Specifications agreed (finally ratified in 1957)
Aug 1954
Formal adoption of the T65E3 cartridge as
Case, NATO Cal. 7.62mm
Cartridge, Cal. 7.62mm, NATO, [type]
Belgium is the first country to use the new NATO design mark -
USA UK
Belgium
Canada
France

21. 7.62mm NATO cartridges (US)
Regular
OHF
Ball,
M59, M80
Tracer,
M62
AP,
M61
Dummy,
M63
HPT,
M60
Blank,
M82
Grenade,M64

22. 7.62x51mm Retrospective Since its adoption in 1954
Manufactured and/or used by 60+ countries
Replaced by 5.56x45mm as the main infantry rifle cartridge, but remains in use for
GPMG
Intermediate range sniper cartridge
Introduced to the civilian community by Winchester in 1952 as the 308 Winchester
Still in production over 50 years later
Excellent hunting cartridge
Excellent accuracy
Law enforcement role