6.5 × 55 mm

6.5 × 55 mm (6.5 × 55 Swedish) is a rifle cartridge developed jointly by Sweden and Norway . It is a variant of the Mauser cartridge 7.92 × 57 mm .

6.5 × 55 mm
6.5 × 55 mm
Cartridge type	rifle
The country of manufacture	Norway Sweden
Service History
Used	Norway / Sweden
Production history
Time of creation	1891
Years of production	since 1894
Characteristics
Cartridge Length, mm	80.00
Real bullet caliber , mm	6.71
Bullet weight, g	5.0-10.4
The mass of the powder charge, g	2.11g bis 3.32
Muzzle velocity , m / s	670-1035
Liner parameters
Sleeve length mm	55.00
The diameter of the sleeve sleeve, mm	11.04
The diameter of the barrel muzzle, mm	7.56
Diameter of sleeve flange , mm	12,20
The mass of the sleeve, g	~ 24.40

In the 1890s, during the transfer of small arms to cartridges with smokeless powder , there was a sharp decrease in its caliber. While most states took 7.62-8 mm rounds as standard, a number of countries introduced a smaller round, 6.5 mm. Among them were Sweden and Norway.

The cartridge, called 6.5 × 55 mm, was developed by a joint Swedish-Norwegian commission. Currently, it has no military use and, accordingly, does not have a military index, being known under the commercial name “6.5 × 55 mm Swedish” ( English 6.5 × 55 mm Swedish ), or “6.5 × 55 mm Swedish “Mauser” ”( eng. 6.5 × 55mm Swedish Mauser ). As experts emphasize, this name does not correspond to the high role that the Norwegian side played in its development. So, in Norway, this cartridge was adopted in 1894 , and in this country, the company “Krag” produced about 250 thousand military rifles for it ^[1] .

The cartridge was used in the fighting of the Second World War. The rifles under this cartridge were gradually withdrawn from service in the 1950s, although sniper weapons under it remained in service until the early 1980s. However, weapons of the caliber of 6.5 × 55 mm can even be found at present in the Swedish military, performing the ceremonial functions of the royal guard ^[2] (inaccessible link) .

Chuck dimensions 6.5 × 55 mm

Currently, 6.5 × 55 mm is for civilian use only. It is quite widespread in Western Europe , where hunters have successfully used to shoot small and medium-sized game. In the United States , according to one source, he is much less known, perhaps because his niche there is occupied by a cartridge of American origin .260 Remington ^[1] . Other authors, on the contrary, emphasize that 6.5 × 55 mm enjoys great attention of amateur shooters, however, in the United States this cartridge is not produced in sufficient quantity ^[3] .

The 6.5 × 55 mm cartridge is distinguished by good accuracy and a very flat bullet trajectory, which increases its value as an ammunition for sports shooting. It is argued that in its class in terms of these indicators the cartridge has no equal ^[1] . After the Second World War, when a large number of decommissioned Swedish military rifles for this munition entered the American market, they were extremely highly regarded by shooters and hunters ^[3]

With the right bullet, the 6.5x55 caliber is ideal for any type of hunting - from capercaillie to moose ^[4] . In the Scandinavian countries, every season tens of thousands of moose are hunted precisely by caliber 6.5x55. Provided that you select the right ammunition. Roe deer is the most common deer in Europe. It weighs only about 50 kilograms. For such hunting, a 140gr bullet with a moderate load is best suited, while the damage to the meat will be minimal. Of course, for hunting moose you need to choose a heavier bullet. For the same capercaillie, who is usually shot from a distance of 150 - 200 meters, it is better to choose a bullet of 100 - 120gr. - this will allow to achieve the most flat flight path of the charge.

In general, one can say for sure - the caliber is really universal and even allows a not very trained hunter to show excellent results in shooting. Separately, it should be noted that this munition is practically insensitive to the effects of crosswind due to the length of the bullet. And therefore, it can be much more effective than large caliber cartridges. And in combination with a 12-gauge lower barrel, the Marocchi Finn is simply as versatile as possible.