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HK 4.6×30mm
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HK 4.6×30mm
The 4.6×30mm (designated as the 4,6 × 30 by the C.I.P.) cartridge is a small-caliber, high-velocity, smokeless powder, rebated, bottleneck, centerfire cartridge designed for personal defense weapons (PDW) developed by German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch (HK) in 1999. It was designed primarily for the MP7 PDW to minimize weight and recoil while increasing body armor penetration. It features a pointed, steel-core, brass-jacketed bullet.
The 4.6×30mm cartridge was introduced in 1999 as a competitor to FN Herstal's 5.7×28mm cartridge. Heckler & Koch started the development of a semi-automatic handgun for their 4.6×30mm PDW cartridge, the Universal Combat Pistol (UCP), but canceled it at the prototype stage.
Compared to standard intermediate cartridges, one can carry more 4.6×30mm ammunition due to the cartridge's lower weight and relatively small dimensions. Also, due to the lower weight of the bullet, aiming in rapid fire is much easier as recoil depends much on the weight of the bullet. CRISAT testing shows that because of the round's smaller diameter and high projectile velocity, body armor penetration is higher than that of traditional handgun projectiles.
A series of tests performed by NATO in the United Kingdom and France indicated that 5.7×28mm was a superior cartridge. The results of the NATO tests were analyzed by a group of experts from France, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom and the group's conclusion was that the 5.7×28mm was "undoubtedly" the more efficient cartridge.
Among other points, the NATO group cited superior effectiveness (27% greater) for the 5.7×28mm against unprotected targets and equal effectiveness against protected targets. It also cited less sensitivity to extreme temperatures for the 5.7×28mm and cited a greater potential risk of barrel erosion with the 4.6×30mm. In addition, the group pointed out that 5.7×28mm is close to the 5.56×45mm NATO by its design and manufacture process, allowing it to be manufactured on existing production lines. The group also pointed out that 5.7×28mm weapons are more mature than 4.6×30mm weapons, and the 5.7×28mm FN Five-seveN pistol was already in production at that time, while the 4.6×30mm Heckler & Koch UCP pistol was still only an early concept. However, the German delegation and others rejected the NATO recommendation that 5.7×28mm be standardized, and as a result, the standardization process was indefinitely halted, though both cartridges would ultimately be standardized by NATO with STANAG 4509 for 5.7×28mm and STANAG 4820 for 4.6×30mm respectively.
A 2004 HK presentation claims that 4.6×30mm Combat Steel retains more energy after CRISAT-penetration than 5.7×28mm SS190 (2 g).
The 4.6×30mm has 0.87 mL (13.4 grains) H2O cartridge case capacity.
4.6×30mm maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions; all sizes in millimeters (mm).
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HK 4.6×30mm
The 4.6×30mm (designated as the 4,6 × 30 by the C.I.P.) cartridge is a small-caliber, high-velocity, smokeless powder, rebated, bottleneck, centerfire cartridge designed for personal defense weapons (PDW) developed by German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch (HK) in 1999. It was designed primarily for the MP7 PDW to minimize weight and recoil while increasing body armor penetration. It features a pointed, steel-core, brass-jacketed bullet.
The 4.6×30mm cartridge was introduced in 1999 as a competitor to FN Herstal's 5.7×28mm cartridge. Heckler & Koch started the development of a semi-automatic handgun for their 4.6×30mm PDW cartridge, the Universal Combat Pistol (UCP), but canceled it at the prototype stage.
Compared to standard intermediate cartridges, one can carry more 4.6×30mm ammunition due to the cartridge's lower weight and relatively small dimensions. Also, due to the lower weight of the bullet, aiming in rapid fire is much easier as recoil depends much on the weight of the bullet. CRISAT testing shows that because of the round's smaller diameter and high projectile velocity, body armor penetration is higher than that of traditional handgun projectiles.
A series of tests performed by NATO in the United Kingdom and France indicated that 5.7×28mm was a superior cartridge. The results of the NATO tests were analyzed by a group of experts from France, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom and the group's conclusion was that the 5.7×28mm was "undoubtedly" the more efficient cartridge.
Among other points, the NATO group cited superior effectiveness (27% greater) for the 5.7×28mm against unprotected targets and equal effectiveness against protected targets. It also cited less sensitivity to extreme temperatures for the 5.7×28mm and cited a greater potential risk of barrel erosion with the 4.6×30mm. In addition, the group pointed out that 5.7×28mm is close to the 5.56×45mm NATO by its design and manufacture process, allowing it to be manufactured on existing production lines. The group also pointed out that 5.7×28mm weapons are more mature than 4.6×30mm weapons, and the 5.7×28mm FN Five-seveN pistol was already in production at that time, while the 4.6×30mm Heckler & Koch UCP pistol was still only an early concept. However, the German delegation and others rejected the NATO recommendation that 5.7×28mm be standardized, and as a result, the standardization process was indefinitely halted, though both cartridges would ultimately be standardized by NATO with STANAG 4509 for 5.7×28mm and STANAG 4820 for 4.6×30mm respectively.
A 2004 HK presentation claims that 4.6×30mm Combat Steel retains more energy after CRISAT-penetration than 5.7×28mm SS190 (2 g).
The 4.6×30mm has 0.87 mL (13.4 grains) H2O cartridge case capacity.
4.6×30mm maximum C.I.P. cartridge dimensions; all sizes in millimeters (mm).
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