THE .

338 LAPUA MAGNUM CARTRIDGE:

Origin, Developmen !n" #$ $re: P!r I
by John D. Taylor
rifle, ;arrett 58. To m ,nowledge, this cali#er has not #een adapted for $%M$ use. 0(en though highl speciali<ed rifles ha(e #een cham#ered for the .338 Lapua Magnum, the cartridge has not e'perienced wide adoption in neither police tactical nor militar tactical arenas. &ince the cartridge was designed for long!range tactical shooting, one would e'pect limited utili<ation as a police tactical cartridge due to fact that the ma=orit of targets encountered are less than 122 meters. &e(eral e'ceptions e'ist) 1) situations where a pro=ectile with high ,inetic energ is re>uired in order to remo(e or to penetrate a #arrier+ i.e., cinder #loc, wall etc., #efore reaching the target+ and 9) speciali<ed long! range tactical shootings+ i.e., targets on airport tarmacs?runwa s, shopping malls etc.. Thus with these e'ceptions in mind, it seems reasona#le to assume that the .338 Lapua Magnum is most suited as a militar cartridge for targets e'tending #e ond 1222 meters. " re(iew of e'isting militar cartridges re(eals that in the hands of a >ualified shooter, the @.@/mm A"TB (.993 1emington) is capa#le of a precision range up to @22 meters+ the ../9mm A"TB (.328 8inchester) is capa#le of precision range up to .22 meters while the .338 Lapua Magnum e'tends the ma'imum precision range out to 1,322 meters and perhaps #e ond [3]. ;ut

In 1983 (sic), Research Armament Co., in the U.S. began develo ment o! a ne", long# range sni er cartridge ca able o! !iring a $%&#grain, .338#inch diameter b'llet at 3&&& ! s. A!ter reliminar( e) eriments, a . *1+ Rigb( case nec,ed do"n to a .338#inch "as selected. -rass .)tr'sion /abs /td. o! -ensenville, Illinois, made the cases, 0ornad( rod'ced b'llets, Research Armament b'ilt the g'n 'nder contract !or the U.S. 1av(. S'bse2'entl(, /a 'a o! 3inland has 't this caliber into rod'ction (Cartridges o! the 4orld, 8th edition [1] ). The precursor of the .338 Lapua Magnum was designed primaril for long! range militar tactical shooting. " secondar design consideration was a cartridge that could #e used in a $eneral %urpose Machine $un ($%M$). &i'teen ears after its origin, the cartridge has #een cham#ered in twel(e tactical and game hunting turn!#olt rifles) "ccurac *nternational &M+ "rnold "rms Mar, **+ -a,ota T!./ Long#ow+ 01M" &1!122+ 3arris Long 1ange+ 3e m Magnum+ 4eppler 4& **+ Mauser &153+ McMillan M61T+ 1"* 322+ &a,o T1$!71 and T1$!&. 8ith a re#ated rim, the cartridge also has #een cham#ered in the e'perimental 1emington &18 rifle ,nown as the .338 111 (1emington 1e#ated 1im !! for re(iew, see [9]). :inall , the cali#er has #een cham#ered in a new semi!automatic

the .338 Lapua Magnum is not a common militar cartridge+ instead, on an ad hoc #asis, the .322 8inchester Magnum and to a lesser e'tent the .mm 1emington Magnum are used to e'tend the range #e ond what is found with the ../9mm A"TB. :inall , the . @2 ;rowning is located at the end of the spectrum with a ma'imum range of 9,822 meters. *t seems reasona#le to assume that the .338 Lapua Magnum would #e a #etter intermediate #etween the ../9mm A"TB and the .@2 ;rowning than either the .mm 1emington Magnum or the .322 8inchester Magnum. &ome signs are emerging that this might #e the case. 1ecentl , o(er 322 "ccurac *nternationalCs Model "8M rifles in the .338 Lapua Magnum cali#er went into ser(ice with the -utch "rm (Malcolm 6ooper, "ccurac *nternational [%ortsmouth, 0ngland+ Ba, 1idge, Tennessee], personal communication). 8ith the procurement # the -utch "rm , the cali#er #ecame A"TB codified. The Dnited 4ingdom as well as *tal ha(e #oth appro(ed the .338 Lapua Magnum cali#er for their ser(ices and 6ooper e'pects that #oth nations will #e purchasing rifles in the near future. 8h has it ta,en so long for the .338 Lapua Magnum to gain militar acceptanceE There are at least two reasons !! perhaps more. Aic, &teadman (Small Arms 5ata b( 4ire, 0ast &usse', D4 [7]) suggests that the militar is e'tremel reluctant to a#andon e'isting A"TB!specified ammunition. Bne of the #est e'amples of this logic is when $eneral -ouglas Mc"rthur selected the .32! 2/ &pringfield as the cartridge for the M1 $arand rifle #ecause at the time, the militar possessed a (er large surplus of .32!2/ ammunition. 3owe(er, &teadman #elie(es that signs are emerging that the .338 Lapua Magnum is catching on with the militar as a means to e'tend the range of the .322 8inchester Magnum !! a (iew shared # 6ooper.

* proposed that a second reason e'ists) " lac, of ade>uate research to produce one or more highl accurate commercial cartridges, similar to what is found with se(eral of the .328 8inchester cartridges carr ing the FMatchF designation utili<ed # police tactical, as well as the new ../9mm A"TB M118)L1 cartridge utili<ed # militar tactical. *n addition to accurac , ade>uate ,inetic energ must #e addressed, for the .338 Lapua Magnum is #eing promoted as FtheF intermediate cartridge #etween the ../9mm A"TB and the .@2 ;rowning. Thus, for this cartridge to #e a true intermediate, it should not onl #e accurate #ut it should deli(er the ,inetic energ of a true intermediate to the target. NOTE: Malcolm 6ooper argues that a great deal of research has #een performed on this cartridge # "ccurac *nternational and %atria Lapua B during the pre(ious ten ears, and that these two companies together ha(e accumulated more e'perience than an one else (Malcolm 6ooper, personal communication). 3is argument ma #e soundG 3owe(er, three pro#lems e'ist. 1) Much of the research, to m ,nowledge has not #een pu#lished. 9) 8hat we do ,now focuses on the .338 Lapua Magnum with the Loc, ;ase pro=ectile when mated with "ccurac *nternationalCs rifle #ecause #oth cartridge and rifle were de(eloped as a pac,age. 3) :inall , the argument does not ta,e into consideration the >uestion of the lac, of appropriate ,inetic energ if the cartridge is to ser(e as a true intermediate #etween the ../9mm A"TB and .@2 ;rowning !! a point on which * shall focus within this article. Dntil recentl , %atria Lapua B (:inland) was the onl manufacturer of .338 Lapua cartridge cases+ howe(er, Aorma (&weden) now has entered the mar,et. %atria Lapua B continues to #e the onl manufacturer of .338 Lapua cartridges, howe(er !! offering three pro=ectile formats) 9@2gr Loc, ;ase 3igh %erformance &niper (3%&), 9@2gr Mira and 9/2gr :ore'

Tactical. %atria Lapua B ad(ertises its Loc, ;ase design as pro(iding, ... s' erior acc'rac( at e)tra long distances, d'e to the e)tremel( narro" base bleed. The Mira design is a spire point #oat!tail intended for game hunting while the :ore' design is new 6A6!machined pro=ectile with dri(ing #ands and a rear hollow cham#er resulting in forward center of gra(it , #oth characteristics necessar for game hunting in hea( #rush. *n the .338 Lapua Magnum configuration, the :ore' is also intended for tactical shooting in situations where high ,inetic energ is re>uired. :inall , %atria Lapua B had ad(ertised that an "rmor %iercing *ncendiar ("%*) pro=ectile was undergoing de(elopment. 1ecentl , de(elopment of this pro=ectile was dropped due to pro#lems dealing the timing of the ignition (3anne 4orteso, %atria Lapua B , personal communication)+ howe(er, "%* can #e o#tained # special order (Malcolm 6ooper, personnel communication). The Lapua .338 Lapua Magnum 9@2gr Loc, ;ase 3%& cartridge is the #ig #rother of the highl precise Lapua .328 8inchester 1.2gr Loc, ;ase 3%& cartridge. 1ecentl , %atria Lapua B retired the 9@2gr Loc, ;ase pro=ectile+ at the same time, it introduced a second 9@2gr pro=ectile in the &cenar configuration (:igure 1). The original &cenar pro=ectile is ad(ertised as a hollow point #oat!tail, ... tailored es eciall( !or com etition and sni er shooting. "s a hollow point pro=ectile, militar use is permitted for those countries not #ound # the :irst 3ague 6on(ention (for re(iew, see [@]). The new 9@2gr &cenar pro=ectile was designed without a hollow point for those countries that must satisf the :irst 3ague 6on(ention (Hille 1uus,anen, %atria Lapua B , personal communication). Thus, the 9@2gr Loc, ;ase pro=ectile, a(aila#le in the onl .338 Lapua Magnum 3%& cartridge, will #e replaced # the 9@2gr &cenar without a hollow point. *Cm assuming that the 9@2gr Loc, ;ase did not li(e up to the e'pectations of "ccurac

*nternational and %atria Lapua B . The aft portion of the &cenar has a #etter design than the Loc, ;ase for this particular cali#er (Malcolm 6ooper, personnel communication). Bne wonders whether the . 338 Lapua Magnum cali#er would #ecome more popular as a police and militar tactical cartridge, if manufacturers, in addition to %atria Lapua B , would offer FMatchF cartridges with different #ullet weights?configurations in this cali#erE AN OVERVIEW OF THE .338 LAPUA MAGNUM ONFIGURATION: *n order to understand the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge of toda , a re(iew of its origin and earl de(elopment would #e useful. "t the same time, we should e'amine the origin and earl de(elopment of the platform that launched the pro=ectile #ecause it influenced the status of the cartridge toda . :rom there, we shall e'amine the cartridge up to the present. * shall argue a theme) The cartridge has et to #e de(eloped to its full potential. :inall , in an attempt to open a dialog with readers who might #e interested in wor,ing to esta#lish this cartridgeCs full potential, * shall present data from a rifle * designed and which was constructed # 8illi 8ordman (&eahorse of Michigan, $rosse %ointe 8oods, M*). The rifle was constructed around an Fup! gradedF .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge. -efinition of this up!grade is &ierraCs (&edalia, MB) 322gr Match4ing (I5322) propelled # HihtaHuori B (:inland) propellants. ;ecause the rifleCs cham#er was designed to hold tight tolerances for the 322gr M4, we ha(e not e'amined the 9@2gr Loc, ;ase nor the 9@2gr &cenar from %atria Lapua B . These pro=ectiles as well as the re!designed 9@2gr &cenar, when a(aila#le, are pro=ects for the future. *t is m hope that others will participate in researching .338 Lapua MagnumCs full potential as a long!range tactical cartridge.

ORIGIN AND EARL! GENE"I" OF THE .338 LAPUA MAGNUM ARTRIDGE: The origin of the .338 Lapua Magnum was 1ogers, "r,ansas with the creation of a new manufacturing firm called 1esearch "rmament %rotot pes *ndustries, #ut toda usuall referred as 1esearch "rmament *ndustries (1"*). Jerr 3as,ins (deceased) was the dri(ing force of the new firm and was instrumental in product design. *n addition to 3as,ins, 0dward ;. -illon (&team#oat &toc, 8or,s, 6olorado &prings, 6B.) assisted in the formation of the compan + was largel responsi#le for writing proposals and administering contracts for the -epartment of -efense+ and assumed the role of director of militar sales. *n response to a 1e>uest for %roposal (1:%) from the D. &. Aa( , 1"* constructed 19@ .@2 ;rowning tactical turn! #olt, single!shot rifles (Model @22) and 19@ ../9mm A"TB?8.@8'.1mm tactical turn! #olt, maga<ine rifles (Model 322). This article will not e'amine the Model @22+ #ut instead will focus on the Model 322 for this represented the original platform for the cartridge that toda is ,nown as the .338 Lapua Magnum. "n e(aluation of the Model @22 can #e found # Jim &hults [/]. The initial two protot pe rifles made # 1"* were a .322 8inchester Magnum and a .@2 ;rowning. The 1:% re>uired a 32!cali#er pro=ectile to penetrate fi(e la ers of 4e(lar at 1,@22 ards+ #ut it was soon disco(ered that the .322 8inchester Magnum was una#le to achie(e this tas, !! a tas, that e(en # toda Cs standards would #e difficult to achie(e. 1"* turned to the .3.8 8eather# cartridge case for launching a . 338 pro=ectile. This cartridge case was soon a#andoned #ecause of feeding pro#lems due to the cartridge caseCs #elt. Ae't, a #lown out 8eather# cartridge case minus a #elt was considered. ;oots B#erme erCs

(B#erme er 1ifled ;arrels, ;ristol, 8*) research notes re(eal that this cartridge case had (er little #od taper which would not #e ideal for e'tract relia#ilit and recommended that it should #e a#andoned as well. " large capacit cartridge case without a #elt was re>uired. "t the time, James J. ;ell Jr. (a.,.a. Jim) of ;rass 0'trusion La#oratories Ltd. (;ensen(ille, *L) was producing high >ualit .71/ ;asic and .71/ 1ig# cartridge cases and was approached # 3as,ins in the spring of 1589 to run a series of tests on a .338?.71/ cartridge. *nitial cartridge cases from ;ell were the .71/ ;asic with .71/ 1ig# headstamps. *t is generall accepted that the .71/ 1ig# cartridge case ser(ed as the parental case that Jim ;ell and ;oots B#erme er used to create the .338 Lapua Magnum as a wildcat. 3owe(er, ;ell (currentl , M"&T Technolog , Las Hegas, AH) informed me that the cartridge case that we ,now toda as the .338 Lapua Magnum is of no(el design !! a point which %atria Lapua B emphasi<es in its current ad(ertising literature. 0(en though the .71/ ;asic was used as a starting point, according to ;ell, he designed the interior of the new cartridge case de novo. *n addition, B#erme erCs design and research notes clearl show the design steps on the e'terior of this new cartridge (:igure 9). %art of his design included the possi#ilit that the cartridge might #e adapted as a $%M$ cartridge. The .338 pro=ectile was no(el as well. *nitiall , 3as,ins wanted &ierra to design the pro=ectile, #ut the showed no interest. ;ell recommended 3ornad Manufacturing ($rand *sland, A0) instead. 0d -illon was responsi#le for wor,ing with &te(e 3ornad and his staff+ and from this interaction, a no(el 9@2gr #oat!tail pro=ectile was designed.

;ased upon these findings, it seems reasona#le that one can argue that the original cartridge case and pro=ectile were no(el. 3owe(er, some might argue that the origin of the cartridge case is the .71/ 1ig# . *f an parental cartridge case does e'ist in this scenario, it would ha(e to #e the .71/ ;asic and not the .71/ 1ig# . 6learl the pro=ectile is no(el. Toda , the three men intimatel in(ol(ed in the pro=ect+ i.e., ;ell, -illon and B#erme er #elie(e the cartridge the created in 1589 was no(el. 8hat name was gi(en to the new cartridgeE Dnfortunatel , the cartridge has #een ,nown # se(eral names until %atria Lapua B started manufacturing and christening it the .338 Lapua Magnum. B#erme erCs research notes re(eal .338 &niper and .338?.71/ &niper as well as 8.@8'.1. ;ell determined the metric name after #eing instructed # B#erme er of the 0uropean practice. 3owe(er, around the shop ;ell tended to call the cartridge, 6'r sni er ro'nd. 3as,ins and -illon referred to the cartridge as the .338?.71/ while Jim &hults, in an article pu#lished in 7'ng#0o maga<ine, referred to the cartridge as the . 71/?.338 e(en though a #o' of ammo pictured in the article is la#eled .338?.71/ [/]. "t one time, 3as,ins considered naming the cartridge, the .338 40*T3 !! in honor of 0lmer 4eith. 4eith, the famous gunwriter with a passion for large!#ores, had recentl died+ howe(er, the idea was not pursued. Toda , -illon possesses cartridge cases without headstamps in #o'es la#eled . 338?.71/. The metric designation of 8.@8'.1mm was insisted upon # 6rane Aa(al 8eapons 6enter, (6rane, *A) and was pic,ed up # :ran, ;arnes in Cartridge o! the 4orld, /th edition. *n addition to contri#uting to the design of the cartridge case, B#erme er was responsi#le for ma,ing a pressure #arrel and testing loads. 3is earl studies focused on *M1 .898, #ut with hindsight, he now feels that *M1 .81/ was the #est propellant tested. :rom 5@gr to 5.gr, cham#er

pressures ranged from @@,722 to @.,922 psi with mu<<le (elocities ranging from 9593 to 95.5 fps. 3owe(er according to -illon, the Aa( wanted to use *M1 73@2 as the propellant which at 52gr, the cham#er pressure registered @1,722 psi while at 5@gr, the cham#er pressure rose to /3,222 psi with an estimated mu<<le (elocit of appro'imatel 9822 fps (B#erme er mo(ed to other pro=ects #efore measuring MHs for *M1 73@2). To B#erme er, the #est propellant appeared to #e *M1 .81/ as it pro(ided a #it more (elocit and reduced the air space that acts as a cushion to the primer. *n conclusion, the participants designing and constructing the cartridge felt the *M1 .81/ was a #etter propellant, #ut it was not used #ecause of the wishes of the Aa( . B#erme erCs research notes re(eal planned protocols to test the cartridge on the range, #ut the tests ne(er occurred. The reason is that he loaned 1"* four nec, si<ing dies and other items re>uired for loading. 1"* had #een using a three!die set and up to that time, were losing most of their cartridge cases !! the were desperate for cartridges for rifle testing. Dnfortunatel , the dies were ne(er returned to B#erme er and he discontinued testing, particularl testing with different propellants. Bne of the ma=or pro#lems with the earl cartridge design was that ;ell and B#erme er were not #eing paid for their efforts, and were forced to wal, awa from the pro=ect. The desire to continue the pro=ect was missing. Toda , ;oots B#erme er pro(ides an interesting o(er(iew of that period. 8( "or, "as the case design and getting the needed test barrels. I had to ma,e the !orm dies to do this. 9he case 'sed "as straight .*1+ cases. :im -ell loo,ed at the interior design s'ch as the head to be s're it had the

strength needed. Also, he had to ma,e red'ction dies !or rod'ction i! "e got be(ond the test art o! the ro;ect. 0ad "e ,e t on and got into range testing "e might have made some changes. 9he roblem "as no a(, no "or, !or both o! 's. 9here are a lot o! eo le in this that ma,e their mone( b( s reading the -S li,e :ell( and o!ten a lot o! good ideas get dro ed. *n hindsight, B#erme er feels that he might had e'perimented more with his #arrels and the cartridge that later would #e ,nown as the .338 Lapua Magnum. 3is hindsight is #ased upon a somewhat recent e'perience. -uring the $ulf 8ar, 1emington "rms 6o. was interested in a long!range tactical #ased on the 8mm 1emington Magnum with an impro(ed .338 pro=ectile design # 3ornad . B#erme erCs pre(ious research with 32 cali#ers had shown that greater land height ga(e impro(ed #arrel life and, at the re>uest of 1emington, he #egan a research pro=ect with the 8mm 1emington Magnum cartridge to determine whether he would o#ser(e similar results or not. 0arl results were e'tremel good, #ut the war ended #efore the pro=ect could #e completed. 3ad ;ell and B#erme er continued with the 8.@8'.1mm cartridge pro=ect, B#erme er is con(inced that he would ha(e e'plored a deeper rifling @1 design for this new cali#er. 8ith regard to the 8mm 1emington Magnum pro=ect, he plans to finish it, #ut at this time, he has no plants to e'amine a deeper rifling @1 design for the .338 Lapua Magnum. 8ith the e'ception of using different #arrel lengths, m findings !! using 0d -illonCs notes and memor !! does not re(eal additional research on impro(ing the #allistics of the cartridge # 1"* up to the time that %atria Lapua B #egan manufacturing the cartridge. *t seems

reasona#le to assume that the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge did not get off to an ideal start as a precision long!range tactical cartridge. 3ad ;ell and B#erme er continued their testing, toda the .338 Lapua might #e a #etter cartridge. DEVELOPMENT OF THE .338 LAPUA MAGNUM #! A URA ! INTERNATIONAL AND PATRIA LAPUA O!: "fter the "merican origin, the current .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge was de(eloped as a =oint (enture #etween "ccurac *nternational and %atria Lapua B (Malcolm 6ooper, personal communication). The cartridge manufacturer strengthened the cartridgeCs we# and designed a pro=ectile modeled after its 32 cali#er Loc, ;ase configuration. The result was the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge which is now registered with 6.*.%. (6ommission *nternationale %ermanente %out LC0preu(e -es "rmes " :eu %ortati(e). *n concert with %atria Lapua B acti(ities, "ccurac *nternational de(eloped a tactical rifle #ased upon its well!,nown "8 s stem during the late 1582Cs. The com#ination came into full production in the earl 1552Cs. The .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge caseCs manufacturing process has not #een automated completel (Hille 1uus,anen, %atria Lapua B , personal communication). The last draw step is performed manuall which increases the cost of manufacturing. *t seems reasona#le to assume that %atria Lapua B #elie(es that when the cartridge achie(es widespread militar adoption, the last draw step pro#a#l #e automated. "s a point of interest, all of the draw steps in the new Aorma cartridge are full automated (1oger Johnston, A06B+ personal communication). :inall , m e'perience with .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges cases manufactured # %atria Lapua B is that the

flash hole is off!center in appro'imatel 92K of the cases e'amined [. ! :igure 1]. *nitial e'amination of Aorma .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge cases does not re(eal off!centered flash holes. THE HA"$IN" RIFLE DE"IGN % APPROPRIATE FOR THE NEW ARTRIDGE& The 1"* Model 322Cs origin #egin in 1ifle, 6olorado. Bn June 3, 15.7, Jerr 3as,ins filed a patent entitled, -olt Action !or Re eating Ri!le (%atent Ao. 35.5875). The patent was issued slightl more than two ears later on &eptem#er 17, 15./. The patent stated 19 claims including, ... a l'ralit( o! circ'm!erentiall( s aced, radiall( in"ardl( e)tending arc'ate loc,ing l'ngs sec'red inside said rear receiver ring and se arated !rom each other b( a)iall( e)tending s aces< a air o! s aced, elongated receiver rails e)tending bet"een, and interconnecting, said !or"ard and rear receiver ring, the s ace bet"een said rails being aligned "ith said inclined ram , and each o! said rails having being relieved over a ortion o! the length thereo! and ad;acent the s ace therebet"een<... *n non!legalese 0nglish, the loc,ing lugs were located on the rear of the #olt and engaged with the rear recei(er ring+ while the #olt possessed two rails which assisted in guiding the #olt forward. *t appears that the location of the loc,ing lugs at the rear of the #olt and engaging with the rear recei(er was detrimental to the promotion of .338 Lapua Magnum as a long!range tactical cartridge. The 1"* Model 322 construction #egan during the earl 1582Cs. The rifleCs appearance was no(el for the time (:igure 3). *t possessed a modular design and was intended to shoot either ../9mm A"TB or 8.@8'.1mm. This con(erti#ilit of cali#ers was accomplished # changing #arrels and # changing #olt heads from the same #olt. Thus, two #arrels and two #olt heads were a part of the Model 322Cs pac,age.

1ifle #arrels were made # 3!& %106*&*BA, then located in %rescott, "L, and were fluted and tapered. The stoc, was influenced # the -ragano( design and pro(ided an ad=usta#le com# as well as a length of pull controlled # the lower stoc, e'tender. Trigger, similar to the 8inchesterCs Model .2, was ad=usta#le. The rifleCs forearm possessed a tuning rod fitted into a lead plug, #oth held # #ron<e screw, which in turn was attached to the recei(er. 8hen the rifle was fired, the harmonics of the #arrel were transferred to the recei(er and then into the tuning rod, which in turn dampened the (i#rations #efore the pro=ectile left the mu<<le. Briginall , the #ipod was attached to the front of the recei(er, #ut Aa( insisted that it #e mo(ed to the forearm e(en though it would interfere with the operations of the tuning rod. The hole left in the recei(er was used for the maga<ine latch. The original scope #ase was a ranging scope #ase that could ele(ate the rear of the scope in preset increments. The ranging scope #ases were difficult to machine+ and the Aa( showed no interest in them, so the were soon discontinued. -uring the earl testing, the reticles of 8ea(er scopes #eing used # 1"* =arred loose (Aote) " 8ea(er scope is pictured in :igure 3). 3as,ins as,ed Leupold to construct a more sta#le scope. LeupoldCs first offering was a fi'ed 12M scope, which was followed # a 17M and then # a 1/M configuration. The scopes possessed a 32mm tu#e, e'ternal ad=ustment ,no#s, and a mil!dot reticle. The &chultsC 7'ng#0o article [/] discussed and shows an image of one of these scopes. &chults noted that e(en though the scope possessed no identification mar,ings, it was clearl made # Leupold. ;ased upon this information, itCs reasona#le to speculate that the scopes pro(ided to 1"* represented precursors to LeupoldCs Mar, series (Aote) " Leupold scope is pictured on

a Model @22 in :igure 3 of the side#ar article). *n hindsight, the location of the loc,ing lugs were detrimental, especiall to the larger of the two cartridges that the rifle accommodated. The 8.@8'.1mm cartridge was longer than the ../9mm A"TB+ and as a result, re>uired a long magnum action. Toda , -illon #elie(es that #ecause the loc,ing lugs were located on the rear of the #olt, the #olt would compress during firing, while at the same time, the recei(er would elongate !! #oth e(ents leading to a change in the headspace. *tCs safe to conclude that this situation would not #e conduci(e for accurac . 3as,insC patented recei(er, which later #ecame the #asis for the recei(er of the 1"* Model 322 was designed for low pressure cartridges such as the ../9mm A"TB, #ut clearl was not designed for a high pressure cartridge such as the 8.@8'.1mm. Later, when %atria Lapua B manufactured .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges, the would produce a cartridge cases with #rass softer than what was #eing produced # most manufacturers. 3igh cham#er pressures also #ecame a pro#lem which were su#se>uentl addressed # %atria Lapua B and are emphasi<ed in their ad(ertising literature of toda . 0(en though the 1"* Model 322 has se(eral no(el design components !! some of which can #e seen on tactical rifles of toda !! the rifle was not an ideal platform for .388 Lapua Magnum to launch its career. "TATU" OF THE .338 LAPUA MAGNUM IN ONTEMPORAR! TA TI AL "HOOTING: *n the 1553 #oo, # John L. %laster (Minnesota Aational $uard 6ounter &niper &chool &t. %aul, MA) entitled, 9he Ultimate Sni er [8], %laster #riefl co(ers the .338 LapuaCs MagnumCs specifications, contrasts

its future against the .322 8inchester and the .@2 ;rowning, #ut he pro(ides no opinion of cartridge itself. 3owe(er in 155@, Aic, &teadman in an article entitled, 91st 6entur "mmo, pu#lished in 3ighting 3irearms [5], re(ealed that "ccurac *nternational (%ortsmouth, D4) was promoting a .338 Lapua Magnum s stem as a lighter alternati(e to the .@2 ;rowning. *n addition, he pointed out that despite attempts # %atria Lapua B to de(elop a .338 Lapua Magnum "%*, from the ,inetic energ aspect the cali#er will not #e a#le to compete with a .@2 ;rowning pro=ectile. "lso at that time, he claimed that the cartridge was attracting widespread tactical interest #e ond the Dnited 4ingdom. *n $erman for e'ample, it was #eing considered alongside the .322 8inchester Magnum for the ;undeswehrCs new $99 sniper rifle re>uirement. :or the final decision, the ;undeswehr chose "ccurac *nternational rifle in the .322 8inchester Magnum cali#er rather than in the .338 Lapua Magnum and e(entuall o(er 1322 of these rifles will #e integrated with $erman militar . The $99 alread has #een deplo ed in ;osnia (Malcolm 6ooper, personal communication). Dp to this time, the militar clearl were e(aluating the cartridge, #ut what a#out police tacticalE *n a 155/ #oo, # -a(id M. Lauch (- N L &ports, $illette, 8O) entitled, 9he 9actical 8ar,sman [12], * can not find an references to the .338 Lapua Magnum. "ssuming * didnCt miss an thing, *Cm sure -a(e was aware of the cartridge at the time, #ut it pro#a#l was not included #ecause he felt that it did not ha(e a (ia#le application in a police tactical #oo,. ; 1558, Mi,e Lau (Te'as ;rigade "rmor , -uncan(ille, TM) pu#lished a #oo, de(oted to #oth police and militar tactical entitled, 9he 8ilitar( and =olice Sni er [11] which re(iews some of the histor of the . 338 Lapua Magnum cartridge and points out some of its ad(antages o(er the .@2 ;rowning+ i.e., lower ammunition and rifle weight and reduced #last signature. *n his

#oo,, Lau ma,es a comment that supports a position * too, earlier this ear [3]) 9he .338 co'ld do more than !ill the ga bet"een the >.+$)%1mm and Cal. %&, it co'ld re lace the .%&. 0o"ever, there is one dra"bac,, a more destr'ctive .338 ro'nd needs to be develo ed to re lace the .%&?s role in engaging light armor and other heav( e2'i ment. 8ill a pro=ectile weight greater than 9@2gr enhance the ,inetic energ potential on the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge !! particularl for anti!material tactical shootingE :irst, &teadman [5], then m self [3], and finall Lau [11] ha(e raised the issue of inade>uate ,inetic energ at the target site with the .338 Lapua MagnumCs 9@2gr pro=ectile. *n order to address this issue, we shall e'amine &ierraCs 322gr M4, as well as some preliminar studies on a no(el 3@2gr, &"0 //2 #ron<e, 5 ogi(e, #oat!tail pro=ectile in the .3.@ cali#er using the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge case as a parental case. &tudies did not lead to actual testing #ecause we felt that it was not worthwhile to continue.. NOTE: -uring the preparation of this article, Jim -unn, 1esearch and -e(elopment 0ngineer at *TT & stems and &ciences (6olorado &prings, 6B) #rought to m attention that %atria Lapua B lists in their ad(ertising literature that the following .338 pro=ectiles) 9@2gr Loc, ;ase (; 728), 9@2gr &cenar ($; 788) and 9@2gr :ore' (0M 789) possesses diameters of 2.335F (8./1mm). Bn the other hand, &ierra lists in their ad(ertising literature that the following .338 pro=ectiles) 91@gr $ame4ing (9/12), 9@2gr $ame4ing (9/22) and 322gr Match4ing (597@) possesses diameters of 2.338F (8.@5mm). These diameters were (erified # measuring the diameters of &ierraCs 322gr Match4ing (2.338F [8.@5mm]) and %atria Lapua B Cs Loc, ;ase (2.335F [8./1mm]). JimCs concern, one that * share, is that ou, the shooter, should ,now the groo(e diameters of our .338 Lapua Magnum #arrels when using either %atria

Lapua B or &ierra .338 pro=ectiles. 8ith a difference in pro=ectile diameters, cham#er pressures clearl would pro#a#l (ar from one #rand of pro=ectile to the ne't. But of curiosit , * e'amine one of the original 3ornad .338 pro=ectiles left o(er from the 1"* Model 322 pro=ect. *t measured 2.338F or 8.@5mm. "IERRA'" 3((GR M$ MATED WITH THE .338 LAPUA MAGNUM ARTRIDGE A"E: * designed and 8illi 8ordman constructed the tactical rifle for testing the &ierra 322gr M4 (:igure 7). 8ordman utili<ed a &a,o T1$!& action ("ccuflite, 0'port, %") which consists of a cold! hammer forged recei(er, a short /2P #olt tilt with three loc,ing lugs and a T1$ tactical #olt handle. ;arrel (4rieger ;arrels, *nc., $ermantown, 8*) was chrome mol , standard %alma Match with a 1?12!twist right hand with / gro(es. *n addition, the #arrel had a #reech diameter of 1.922F, a mu<<le diameter of 2.532F, and 12 flutes with a flute diameter of 2.18.F. The #arrelCs length was 9.F and with addition of a mu<<le #ra,e, the final length came to 32F. The %$1& mu<<le #ra,e was designed # ;ruce Mc"rthur (:lint N :ri<<en, 6lar,ston, M*) for the .@2 ;rowning, and has #een rated as the mu<<le #ra,e with the lowest recoil when compared to other mu<<le #ra,es (19). 8ordman lapped the loc,ing lugs and trued the #arrel to the recei(er. The #arrel and recei(er were cr ogenic treated (6r o!Tech, *nc. 3a<el %ar,, M*) and then stoc,ed with an M!85 Tactical &toc, (3arris $un 8or,s, %hoeni', "L) with a three!wa ad=usta#le #utt assem#l and an ad=usta#le chee, piece. The scope utili<ed was a Leupold @2mm Long 1ange Target with 2.9@ MB" -ot con(erted # %remier 1eticles, *nc. (8inchester, H") to a 17.@'3@ configuration.

8ordman and -a(e Manson (then at 6l mer Manufacturing, 1ochester 3ills, M*) designed a cham#er reamer with tight tolerances #uilt around the &ierra 322gr M4. Manson (now at Loon La,e %recision, *nc., $rand ;lanc, M*) named the new design the .338 Lapua Magnum &pecial (:igure @). 4rieger rough reamed the #arrel with a 338 8inchester Magnum reamer while 8ordman finished # hand the reaming with the .338 Lapua Magnum &pecial reamer. NOTE: A)*+al loa,-n. ,a*a /-ll no* b0 1ro2-,0, -n *h-3 ar*-)l0. Th0 r0a3on -3 *ha* o+r loa,3 /0r0 03*abl-3h0, 4or a r-4l0 )ha5b0r0, 4or *h0 .338 La1+a Ma.n+5 "10)-al. To 5y 6no/l0,.07 no on0 ha3 )ha5b0r0, a r-4l0 4or *h-3 )al-b0r o*h0r *han +3. I4 yo+ ,0)-,0 *o b+-l, a r-4l0 -n *h-3 )al-b0r7 I 3hall b0 ha11y *o 3har0 o+r loa,-n. ,a*a /-*h yo+. Load de(elopment, using %atria Lapua B Cs cartridge cases, HihtaHuori B A1/@ and A1.2 propellants, :ederal 912 Match primers and mol !coated (mol ! coating via the A06B method) &ierra 322gr M4 pro=ectiles, were performed # %at Murph with -r. &te(en :a#er monitoring the cham#er pressures using his designed :a#ri>ue &cientific %ea, &train Meter (:a#ri>ue &cientific, ;ata(ia, *L). :or additional information on the :a#ri>ue strain meter, see [13]. *nitial loads utili<ed A1/@ and generated mu<<le (elocities in the 9@22 fps range with cham#er pressures in the low @2,222s psi. 8ith low cham#er pressures such as these, Mc"uthurCs %$1& mu<<le #ra,e is not operational and percei(ed recoil will #e fierce. Loads with A1/@ were wor,ed up to a ma'imum mu<<le (elocit of 9.28 fps with a ma'imum cham#er pressure of /2,92/ psi (:igure /). Ae't, loads with A1.2 were wor,ed to a ma'imum mu<<le (elocit of 982/ fps with a ma'imum cham#er pressure of /9,8@9 psi (:igure .). ;e ond this point, cham#er pressures

increased dramaticall accompanied # mu<<le (elocities that had essentiall plateaued. 8ith these higher cham#er pressures, Mc"uthurCs %$1& mu<<le #ra,e #ecame full operational and the percei(ed recoil was similar to that of a .973 8inchester (consensus opinion of 12 shooters o(er a period of one ear). Dpon e=ection from the cham#er, cartridge cases were cool to the touch, primers showed minor flatness and case stretching in general were not detected. Bne e'ception of 2.227F was detected. B(erall, the cartridge case showed no signs of damage and su#se>uentl , some of these cartridge cases ha(e #een reloaded up to eight times. "t the fifth reloading, the cartridge cases re>uire trimming. A)*+al P0r4or5an)0 % This cartridge is not designed for short distances nor does it perform well at short distances. $enerall , fi(e!shot groups at 122 ards a(eraged at 1.9@F (1.9@ MB") while those at 922 ards a(eraged at 1.@2F (2..@ MB"). These (alues led us to #elie(e that the pro=ectile was #eginning to sta#ili<e # 922 ards and the MB"s would impro(e with additional ardage. 1ather than conducting tests at 322, then /22 ards, * decided to ta,e ad(antage of a two!hour window !! down time during a recent #lac, powder cannon shot !! to shoot at the 1222!meter (125/! ard) rifle range located at the militar reser(ation called 6amp $ra ling ($ra ling, M*). Thus, on a sunn da this past Jul , at appro'imatel 1)22 pm, with temperature of 8/P :, winds 12!1@ mph at /)22 oCcloc,, and a mirage that would entice an shooter to ta,e -ramamine, * had onl enough time to set up a target and prone!shoot one fi(e! shot group. The intensit of the mirage re>uired me to use the lowest power on the scope ! 17.@M. 8ith the first shot, * thought the J;M &mall "rms ;allistics (Las 6ruces, AM) had failed me as the first pro=ectile was three feet o(er the target !! hori<ontall , it was also off # three feet as well. 8ordman,

using a /2M spotting scope, reminded me of the thermals and the lift the were creating. The thermals and the stout!tail wind clearl would account for the o(ershoot. :inall , after corrections, a 7..5/F (2.73/ MB") fi(e!shot group at 1222 meters or 125/ ards was o#tained (:igure 8). 8as m fi(e!shot group luc, or was it representati(e of what the rifle and cartridge are capa#le of achie(ingE *Cm con(inced this rifle and cartridge can e'ceed m group in the hands of more e'perienced shooters under #etter conditions. *Cm onl on the rifle range twice a month ma'. and donCt shoot competition. &oon we shall return to 6amp $ra ling for some earl morning shooting with some aspiring %alma Team shooter such as Leo 6e#ulla. * predict the rifle and cartridge will consistentl shoot under three inches. O20r2-0/ o4 Th0or0*-)al P0r4or5an)0 % The Lapua 9@2gr Loc,!;ase pro=ectile (;728) has a reported sectional densit of 2.313 and a #allistic coefficient of 2.//1+ and when it is a component of the . 338 Lapua Magnum cartridge, it has a reported mu<<le (elocit of 3229 fps. [17]. The &ierra 322gr M4 pro=ectile (I597@) has a reported sectional densit of 2.3.@ and a #allistic coefficient of 2../8 [1@]. 8hen loaded in a .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge case, we ha(e #een a#le to o#tain a high degree of accurac at 1222 meters with measured mu<<le (elocities up to 982/ fps with measured ma'imum cham#er pressures up to /9,8@9 psi. Dtili<ing J;M &mall "rms ;allistics program, at 1222 meters the 9@2gr Loc, ;ase displa s a (elocit of 1/95 fps with a ,inetic energ of 17.3 ft?l#s. Bn the other hand, the 322gr &ierra M4 displa s a (elocit of 1/78 fps with a ,inetic energ of 1825 ft?l#s. &ame (elocit with a difference in ,inetic energ of 33/ ft?l#s. 8hat ha(e we gained # using this hea(ier pro=ectileE 8e ma ha(e gained in accurac . 3owe(er, onl a good num#er of shooters shooting this

round, o(er a period of time will determine whether this is true or not. ;ecause the recoil is prominent, * suspect the cartridgeCs accurac potential will not #e determined in those competition shootings where mu<<le #ra,es are not allowed. 8ithout the e'pertise of competition shooters, finding the cartridgeCs potential ma ta,e a fair amount of time. :inall , we ha(e not gained much in ,inetic energ with the 322gr o(er the 9@2gr. *f the goal is to ma,e the .338 Lapua Magnum, using a 322gr pro=ectile, the intermediate #etween the ../9mm A"TB and the .@2 ;rowning, * canCt see it happening. *t didnCt occur for the 9@2gr pro=ectile, and m findings con(ince me that it will not occur for the 322gr pro=ectile. The re>uired ,inetic energ is lac,ing. 6an the weight of the pro=ectile #e increasedE Oes !! this can #e accomplished # one of four wa s) increasing the length of the pro=ectile, increasing the diameter of the pro=ectile, increasing the densit of the pro=ectile or some com#ination of the three. 8e e'amined the possi#ilit of using a 3@2gr pro=ectile (&"0 //2 #ron<e) in .3.@ while ,eeping the o(erall length of the cartridge the same as the 322gr pro=ectile in . 338. The reason for maintaining the e'isting o(erall length is #ecause to utili<e a cartridge longer than the .338 Lapua Magnum would re>uire a longer action. *f a longer action is re>uired, then wh not go to a new cartridge case with a greater capacit E Dnfortunatel , the aft portion of the pro=ectile ta,es too much space in the cartridge case (:igure 5). 0'amination of #ron<e pro=ectiles in the .3@2 cali#er were not attempted #ecause it seemed o#(ious to us that e(en though the .3@2 has a smaller diameter than the .3.@, it !! li,e the .3.@ !! would re>uire a cartridge case larger than the current .338 Lapua Magnum as well. "t this point, * donCt see an >uantum gains leading to an ideal pro=ectile with a

weight greater than 322gr using the .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge case. &mall gains are possi#le, #ut not >uantum gains. Maintaining the o(erall length, a pro=ectile of 39@gr seems li,e a realistic goal that can #e achie(e either # increasing the cali#er or increasing the densit of the pro=ectile. *n m opinion, the gains in ,inetic energ would #e minimal. The #enefit of a 322gr plus pro=ectile for anti!personnel purposes is its inherent a#ilit to resist wind deflection. "ccording to Jonathan M. 8ea(er, Jr. in an "#erdeen %ro(ing $round technical report, the onl uncontrolled (aria#le facing the sniper in the future with will #e wind [1/]. 6learl the . 338 in a 322gr plus pro=ectile !! e'periencing stiff wind deflection, would ield superior performance o(er the ../9mm A"TB or the .322 8inchester Magnum. ON LU"ION: The .338 Lapua Magnum has the potential to #e an ideal (er long!range anti! personal tactical cartridge, #ut ma #e facing a tough struggle and ma not succeed. *n m =udgment, it will ne(er #e an ideal (er long!range anti!material tactical cartridge. The re>uired ,inetic energ is lac,ing. Bn the other hand for long!range anti!personnel, what is re>uired is additional research focusing on different pro=ectiles with different configurations and weights. The onl commercial tactical loading+ i.e., %atria Lapua B Cs 9@2gr Loc, ;ase appeared not to #e successful and as a result, was replaced # a new 9@2gr &cenar. 8ill this new pro=ectile #e successful in the e es of %atria Lapua B E &igns are emerging that it ma well #e a good pro=ectile. -r. $eoffre 4ol#e (;order ;arrels Ltd., Aewcatleton, &cotland) related to me that Malcolm 6ooper had informed him that during a (er recent D4 Ministr of -efense trails, the new .338 Lapua Magnum out had performed the .@2 ;rowning in accurac ,

resistance to wind and flatness of tra=ector . 3owe(er, the .@2 outperformed the .338 Lapua Magnum in deli(ered ,inetic energ (4ol#e, personal communication). 6ompetition shooters ha(e not #ecome enamored with the .338 Lapua Magnum #ecause their interest in a pro=ectileCs terminal ,inetic energ is not high. 6ouple that to the fact that a mu<<le #ra,e is re>uired to shoot more than ten rounds, it will #e difficult to find man competition shooter e'amining &ierraCs 322gr M4 in a .338 Lapua cartridge case or in a wildcat of that case. :inall , the fact that .338 pro=ectiles ha(e different diameters, depending upon the manufacturer, will not #e helpful. Dnless someone ta,es an interest in the .338 Lapua Magnum, * predict that it ma continue to FfloatF as it has for the past 1/ ears. 8ordman and * for ha(e mo(ed on. 8e are interested in ,inetic energies greater that what the .338 Lapua Magnum can offer+ and thus, we now focusing our attention on a new .728 cali#er #ased on the .@2@ $i##s cartridge case called the .728 6he enne Tactical (for #ac,ground, see [.]). This cartridge at 772gr comes closer to #eing an intermediate #etween the ../9mm A"TB and .@2 ;rowning than an other tactical cartridge. *t would also #e ideal as a $%M$ and could #e adopted to the M972 (a.,.a. :M M"$ @8). John D. Taylor7 Ph.D. Wayn0 "*a*0 Un-20r3-*y D0*ro-*7 M-)h-.an 889(9 Ac,no"ledgments@ I "ant to than, :ames :. -ell :r. (8AS9 9echnolog(, *3%& S. Arville A3, /as Begas, 1B 891&3 C>&$#3+$#%&*3D)< 8a;or .d"ard -. 5illon (Steamboat Stoc, 4or,s, 1&3% 4ar .agle 5rive 1orth, Colorado S rings, C6 8&919 C>19#%98# *9$9D)< and -oots 6berme(er (6berme(er Ri!led -arrels, $31$$ +&th St., -ristol, 4I

%31&* C*1*#8*3#3%3>D) !or en;o(able conversations and a revie" o! their notes dealing "ith the origin o! 8.%8)>1mm cartridge. Also, I "ant to than, 8alcolm Coo er, 8-. (Acc'rac( International /td., =6 -o) 81, =ortsmo'th, 0ams hire, .ngland =63 %S: (**#1>&%#+>1$$%) and Acc'rac( International 1orth American, =6 -o) %$%> 6a, Ridge, 9ennessee (*$3#*$%# &$$3) !or roviding im ortant in!ormation on the develo ment o! the .338 /a 'a 8agn'm. In addition, I "ant to than, m( collaborator, 4illi 4ordman (Seahorse o! 8ichigan, 7rosse =ointe 4oods, 8I C313# 881#8893D) !or his artici ation in this and other ro;ects. 3or revio's and on#going assistance, I "ant to than, -r'ce 8cArth'r (3lint E 3riFFen, 8>3% 5i)ie 0"(., Clar,ston, 8I *83*8 C$*8#+$%#3333D), 5r. Steve 3aber (3abri2'e Scienti!ic, Inc., C=6 -o) %3+, -atavia, I/ +&%1&D)< and 5avid 8anson (/oon /a,e =recision, Inc. 8$& .mb'r( Rd., 7rand -lanc, 8I *8*39 C81&# 9%3#&>3$D). 3inall(, a s ecial than,s goes to m( doctoral st'dent, Carlos J. Maldonado !or hotogra hic and com 'ter assistance. REFEREN E": 1. ;arnes, :, Cartridges o! the 4orld, 8th ed. 9. 8ilson, M. 1558. The 1emington &18. 9actical Shooter, Hol. 1, Ao. 7, 5!17. 3. Ta lor, J. -. 1558. .728 6he enne TacticalQ !! " Ao(el 9,222!Meter Tactical 6artridge. 9actical Shooter, Hol. 1, Ao. 9, .2!.7. 7. &teadman, A. 1558. Aew 8eapons N 0>uipment !! .728 6he Tac & stem. Small Arms 5ata b( 4ire, *ssue Ao 13, June.

@. %ar,s, 8. 3. 1558. Militar Match4ing Dse. 9actical Shooter, Hol. 1, Ao. 7, /9. /. &hults, J. 158@. ;ig ;rass ;usters. 7'ng#0o S ecial, Ao. 3, 39!73. .. Ta lor, J. -. 155.. %arental 6artridge 6ases) The :uture.... Shooter?s 1e"s, June, 155.. Aorth Blmsted, B3. 8. %laster, J. L. 1553. 9he Ultimate Sni er. %aladin %ress, ;oulder, 6B. 5. &teadman, A. 155@. 91st 6entur "mmo. 8hat TomorrowCs Troops 8ill ;e &hooting. 3ighting 3irearms. :o'rnal o! Armed =ro!essionals. ;ounder, 6olorado. 12. Lauch, -. M. 155/. 9he 9actical 8ar,sman. %aladin %ress, ;oulder, 6B. 11. Lau, M. 4. 1558. 9he 8ilitar( and =olice Sni er. %recision &hooting, Manchester, 6T. 19. 1oss, J. 1559. " Mu<<le ;ra,e -iscussion and 6omparison Test. 8achine 7'n 1e"s, pp. 32!37, Jul . 13. :a#er, &. 155.. %owder Temperature &ensiti(it and the "11@. 0andloader Ao. 188 "ug.!&ept. 17. %atria Lapua B . 1558. &pecifications for .338 Lapua Magnum 6artridges and 6omponents. :e#ruar . 1@. &ierra 1ifle 1eloading Manual, 7th ed., 155@. &edalia, MB. 1/. 8ea(er, J. M. 1552. & stem 0rror ;udgets, Target -istri#utions and 3itting %erformance 0stimates for $eneral %urpose 1ifles and &niper 1ifles of ../9'@1mm and Larger 6ali#ers. U.S. Arm( 8aterial S(stems Anal(sis Activit(, Technical 1eport Ao. 7/1.

P!r i%ip!n & in 'e Developmen o( 'e .338 L!p$! M!gn$m C!r ri"ge

by John D. Taylor *tCs often cited that the originators of the .338 Lapua Magnum were James J. ;ell Jr. and ;oots B#erme er. M stud re(eals that this is indeed true, #ut 0dward ;. -illon and Jerr 3as,ins pla ed ma=or roles+ and in all fairness, should #e included in the recorded histor of the cartridge. 8ho are these peopleE Bf the four, * ,now ;ell, -illon and B#erme er the #est. ;ell and B#erme er are pro#a#l legendar to the shooting communit , while 3as,ins and -illon are less ,nown. ;ell is #est ,nown for ;ell ;rass 0'trusion La#oratories Ltd. which manufactured high >ualit specialt cartridge cases and e(entuall was sold to %M6. ;ell is also ,now for M"&T Technolog , an endea(or currentl assuming man of the rolls of ;ell ;rass 0'trusion La#oratories. B#erme er rifle #arrels are considered premium to demanding shooters+ #ut are difficult to o#tain. Jerr 3as,ins passed awa in the late 1582Cs, and his name is most closel associated with 1esearch "rmament *ndustries that was later sold to *(er Johnson, (Jac,son(ille, "1.). :inall , -illon is pro#a#l #est ,nown for Taconic :irearms Ltd. which recentl introduced a new premium grade hunting rifle #ased on the Mauser action with a titanium recei(er. The rifle is stoc,ed with premium wood and is a #eaut . #ELL

James J. ;ell Jr. (:igure 1) recei(ed a ;& in 0ngineering from &outhern *llinois Dni(ersit . "fter graduation, he =oined the %eace 6orps and was posted to *ndia for a period of appro'imatel 32 months. 8hile in *ndia, he #ecame friends with a num#er of mahara=ahs and returned home with o(er 922 of their dou#le #arrel rifles, man in out! dated cali#ers. Dpon his return, he stopped at 3olland and 3olland to o#tain cartridges for his new rifles, #ut onl to learn that the cartridges were o#solete. 1echam#ering the rifles was out of the >uestion so he was determined to find another wa to o#tain cartridges. ;ellCs parents owned ;ellCs $un N &port &hop *nc. (:ran,lin %ar,, *L), his place of emplo ment after returning to the &tates until he started ma,ing his own cartridges. 3e was fortunate in that -a(id %arson was (er helpful in getting him started. To manufacture cartridges, e'pensi(e machiner was necessar , #ut the costs were #e ond the reach of this oung entrepreneur so he sought a cheaper approach. :irst, ;ell studied the Machiner 3and#oo, for &mall "rms "mmunition issued # the :ran,ford "rsenal in 15@9 and 15@3 !! a tas, that too, him appro'imatel ten months. 8ith this newl gained ,nowledge, he was a#le to purchase used machiner placed on the mar,et # the go(ernment. The go(ernment listings failed to pro(ide written descriptions, onl their code num#ers which ;ell had pre(iousl memori<ed. Thus, ingenuit allowed him to purchase a num#er of machines o(er the ensuing ears for a small fraction of their actual worth.

;ellCs ne't tas, was to recondition or re#uild the machines so that the were full operational. 1econditioned machines were either used # ;ell, or were sold indi(iduall or with other machines as a pac,age. B(er the ears, he mar,eted cartridge manufacturing Fpac,agesF to a num#er of different companies including 8inchester, :ederal, La,e 6it etc. in this and other countries. Bn one of the walls at M"&T Technolog is a map of the world with color pins representing sites where ;ell installed machiner . *n 15.7, ;ellCs first contract was to 3olland and 3olland for .@22!.7/@ loaded cartridges. This was followed # a contract to manufacture .@2 &harps (3.9@F) for Aa( "rms and then the .7@ ;asic (3.9@F) for 16;&. Later, he made other cartridge cases including the unformed .71/ 1ig# . *n 1585, ;ell sold his #usiness to %M6 and mo(ed to ;oulder 6it to direct operations for them. Dnfortunatel the arrangement did not wor,+ and as a result, he left. ;ell felt that he was too oung to retire so he started a new #usiness in Las Hegas named M"&T Technolog . M"&T stands for the first letter of the first name of the wi(es of his three new partners and his wife. 8ith time, ;ell found himself running the #usiness alone until one of his two sons, James. J. ;ell, *** (a,a Ja !! lots of James in the ;ell famil ) indicated that he wanted to participate in the #usiness. Toda , Ja ;ell has e'panded the #usiness into a num#er of new areas+ and with caution, he continues to see, additional areas of promise. M"&T Technolog has alwa s #een ,nown for >ualit cartridge cases which ha(e #een adopted # >ualit rifle cartridge manufacturers such as -a,ota "rms, :ederal 6artridge 6o., 3ea( 0'press Magnum, La<<eroni "rms and 1emington "rms.. ;ut, M"&T Technolog is more than a cartridge case manufacturer. *t also engage in num#er of speciali<ed contracts

with the go(ernment as well as the firearm industr .

DILLON 0dward ;. -illon (:igure 9) ma=ored in ph sics at the Dni(ersit of Toronto. "fter lea(ing the Dni(ersit , he =oined the Dnited &tates "ir :orce !! retiring with the ran, of Ma=or after 92 ears of ser(ice. 3e flew o(er122 com#at missions in Hiet Aam as a #om#ardier in (arious ;!@9 aircraft and ser(ed as a weapons operator in :;!111 " aircraft. *n addition he ser(ed as 0mergenc "ctions ad(isor to the national command authorit at AB1"-. "fter lea(ing the ser(ice, he =oined Jerr 3as,ins at 1esearch "rmament %rotot pes *ndustries (a,a 1"*) and assisted in the formation of the compan , primaril as director of militar sales. &u#se>uent responsi#ilities included negotiating contracts with the -epartment of -efense and pro(iding instruction for weapons used # &pecial :orces, Aa( &eals and 6*" personnel. "fter lea(ing 1"*, he ser(ed as director of de(elopment for 1edic, "rms, position which in(ol(ed successfull negotiating contracts with Aa( to produce tactical rifles for the &0"L&. ;efore going into partnership to start Taconic :irearms, -illon ser(ed as manager of -a,ota "rms, *nc (&turgis, &-). &ome of his responsi#ilities included super(ising the de(elopment of cartridge cases for the .322 and .332 -a,ota cartridges as well as recommending some design changes to the compan Cs line of turn!#olt rifles. 8ith Taconic :irearms, he helped to esta#lish a facilit within 6am#ridge Halle Machining (6am#ridge, AO). :rom this facilit emerged premium hunting rifles #ased upon a titanium Mauser action stoc,ed with premium wood. * handled one of these rifles at the 1558 &3BT &how and must admit that, not onl was it decepti(el light, it was

#eautiful. -emand has #een high for these rifles, #ut manufacturing has #een temporaril suspended. HA"$IN" Jerr 3as,ins (:igure 3) started a #usiness with -oug 6hamplin under the name of 6hamplin and 3as,ins located in 0nid, B,lahoma. The association did not last, and 3as,ins decided to mo(e to 1ifle, 6olorado !! the home of his father!in!law. 3is father!in!law was a machinist and ran his own machine shop. This period of 3as,ins life was significant for two reason) 3as,ins constructed two commemorati(e rifles for the ;i!6entennial as well as his su#mitting an application, and su#se>uentl recei(ing a patent for a turn #olt rifle with rear loc,ing lugs. -uring the earl 1582Cs, Jerr 3as,ins decided to settle in the #irthplace of his father, 1ogers, "r,ansas. 3e was successful in raising the necessar capital from the local #an, to start a manufacturing firm. %olitical correctness was responsi#le for changing the original name from 1esearch "rmament %rotot pes 0nterprises (1"%0) to 1esearch "rmament %rotot pes *ndustries. *n the literature toda , one finds another name for the firm) 1esearch "rmament *ndustries (1"*). 1"* has seemed to stic,. *n addition to the manufacturing of the Model 322, the Model @22 and the 8.@8'.1mm cartridge, 1"* manufactured one protot pe pistol in the 5mm, and was in(ol(ed in the con(ersion of 5mm machine pistols. 1"* also manufactured other interesting items that shot pro=ectiles and pro#a#l should not #e re(iewed here. O#ERME!ER ;oots B#erme er (:igure 7) grew up on a small farm outside of 1acine, 8*. 8hile

at 8al,er "=a', B#erme erCs father started a hardware?gunshop #usiness with a partner. 8ith time, his father #ecame the superintendent for the entire plant while a second #usiness channeled its focus on guns and fishing gear. B#erme er matriculated to the Dni(ersit of 8isconsin at 1acine and remained for two ears. *t was at this time that he reali<ed gunsmithing was his career goal+ and as a result, decided to enroll in the gunsmithing program at Trinidad Junior 6ollege in Trinidad, 6B. B#erme er gained a high affinit for rifle #arrel ma,ing via the influence of ;ill %rator. "t the time, %rator was department head and had a #arrel shop #ehind his home. B#erme er wor,ed in the shop and e(entuall was treated as a mem#er of the famil . 0(en though %ratorCs name is not well!,nown toda , B#erme er considers him a giant in the #arrel!ma,ing field. "fter graduation in 15@5, B#erme er decided to start his own #arrel ma,ing #usiness. -uring the earl stages of the #usiness, he enlisted in the Aational $uard to protect his in(estment. -ue to a mi' up in the paper wor,, B#erme er was drafted. 3e was, howe(er, gi(en se(eral months to mo(e his machines. Much to B#erme erCs surprise, the :;* in(estigated his #ac,ground while he was in #asic training. 3e found himself at the &andia ;ase in Aew Me'ico attending a school sponsored # the -epartment of "eronautics and &pace "dministration which offered crash courses in nuclear ph sics and electronics. :rom Aew Me'ico, he spent the ne't ten months in 4orea and su#se>uentl , he returned to the &tates to wor, on the 6hicago "ir -efense program. Turning down a commission that would ha(e returned him to school in nuclear engineering, B#erme er decided that not onl did he want to wor, with his #rain, #ut with his hands as well. *n 15/5, B#erme er met -a(e %arson and #ecame in(ol(ed with "mron

and the production of cartridges. 3is time was de(oted to the manufacturing of test #arrels and conducting research in "mronCs la#oratories. Later "mron sold to %M6 and B#erme er wor,ed for them as well. B#erme er continued to collect more e>uipment and manufacturing #arrels #ecame his ma=or #usiness. "s the num#er of machines increased, 1uth "nn and ;oots B#erme er wanted a larger place to raise a famil as well as to manufacture #arrels. The mo(ed to the current location of #usiness in 155. with the help of James J. ;ells Jr. !! ,nown to ;oots as Jimm . 8ith the help of a num#er of friends, including 0rnie &tallman, the current shop was constructed. 0arl in B#erme erCs career he decided that he would operate a one!man shop #ecause with emplo ees, the time lost in super(ision and paper wor, would ta,e him awa from his #elo(ed machines. 3owe(er, 0rnie &tallman did wor, for him as a su#!contractor. *n addition, his son, 0ric, also wor,ed for him #efore matriculating to Michigan Tech earning a research masters and now wor,ing for Mar>uip. The second child is 6arol n who currentl is at %urdue Dni(ersit wor,ing on a research masters in medical chemistr . &ince the #eginning, ma,ing rifle #arrels has #een central to his career. B#erme er has pro#a#l either trained or gi(en a helping hand to most of the cut rifling #arrel ma,ers at one time or another. 0rnie &tallman of ;adgers ;arrels (;ristol, 8*), Mar, 6hanl n of 1oc, Mountain 1ifle ;arrels (;oulder, 6B), Jac, 4rieger of 4rieger ;arrels *nc. ($ermantown, 8*), -r. $eoffre 4ol#e of ;order ;arrels Ltd. (Aewcastleton, &cotland) and Mi,e 1oc, of "ccurac *nternational Aorth "merica (Ba, 1idge, TA) are a few who ha(e #enefited from B#erme er. *n order to promote the science !! as well as the art !! of ma,ing rifle

#arrels, B#erme er was responsi#le for the formation of the *nternational ;arrel Ma,ers "ssociation which continues to #e an aid to other #arrel ma,ers and their apprentices. 8h are B#erme erCs #arrels specialE Bne reason is the @1 rifling. 8ith normal rifling, the transition angle #etween the top of the rifling land and the sidewall of the rifling groo(e is appro'imatel 52 degrees. *n the case of @1 rifle profile, it is appro'imatel @@ degrees per side. *f the side is e'tended as an imaginar line outward from the #ore, the meet at 52 degrees. "s a result, less deformation of the pro=ectile occurs as it is swaged # the rifling. *t has #een reported that as a result of the @1 rifling, a more e(en pressure cur(e is generated as the pro=ectile accelerates through the #ore. This smoother engra(ing # the lands on the pro=ectile also results in a lower stress concentration located at the corners of the rifling imprints which #ecomes an important factor when accelerating pro=ectiles at high (elocities through fast twist #arrels, and where disintegration of the pro=ectile downrange due to e'cessi(e centrifugal force might #ecome a pro#lem. Aot onl is B#erme er ,nown for his #arrel ma,ing, #ut he is a first!class high power rifle competitor. 3e has won a num#er of championships and is classified as high master in #oth match course and prone. ;oots, 1uth "nn. 8illi 8ordman and * were ha(ing dinner last spring when * as,ed the origin of the name ;oots. The man wouldnCt tell me. Aeither would 1uth "nn. 8hat * did learn was that his proper name is ;arrett J. The J. stands for John, his fatherCs first name while ;arrett is his motherCs maiden name. The ;arrett side of his famil participated in the "merican 1e(olution while his great, great, grandfather, 8illiam &amuel Johnson, signedthe6onstitution.