6.5 x 50 mm
Encyclopedia
The 6.5×50mm Semi-Rimmed (6.5×50SR) Japan
ese cartridge
was adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army
in 1897, along with the Type 30
Arisaka
infantry rifle and carbine
. The new rifle
and cartridge replaced the 8×52mm Murata round used in the Type 22 Murata Rifle
. In 1902 the Imperial Japanese Navy
chambered its Type 35 rifle for the cartridge as well. In 1905, the round also came to be offered in the Type 38
Arisaka infantry rifle and carbine, both of which obsoleted the Type 30 in Imperial Army service. Type 44 cavalry carbines, first adopted in 1911, were also chambered in 6.5×50mm.
round nosed bullet weighing 10.4 gram (9.36009360093601E-07 gr) fired with approximately 2 gram (1.80001800018E-07 gr) of smokeless powder. This was later changed with the adoption of the Type 38 when Japan, in line with the other great powers around the same time, changed to the pointed or spitzer
bullet in the first decade of the twentieth century. The Type 38 spitzer-bullet round fired a 9 gram (8.10008100081001E-07 gr) bullet with a powder charge of 2.5 gram (2.250022500225E-07 gr) for a muzzle velocity of around 770 metres per second (2,526.2 ft/s).
The round was criticized for being underpowered compared to other, more powerful American and European cartridges such as
the .30-06, .303 British, 7.92×57mm Mauser, and 7.62×54mmR. Due to this reason, it was later replaced by the more powerful 7.7×58mm cartridge.
The Type 38 spitzer version of the 6.5×50mm cartridge remained unchanged until after the adoption of the Type 11 light machine gun
in 1922. The Type 11 was initially meant to fire standard Type 38 rifle ball ammunition by means of ordinary five-shot Type 38 stripper clips. Subsequent use indicated that the higher pressures generated by the standard rifle ammunition caused parts wear and breakage in machine guns. It was thus decided to reduce the powder charge of the Type 11's 6.5 mm ammunition to overcome the problem. This reduced charge 6.5 mm ammunition can be identified by a letter "G" in a circle stamped on the outside of the ammunition packaging which stands for the first letter of genso - the Japanese word for "reduced." This special ammunition was also issued to soldiers carrying the Type 96 light machine gun
introduced in 1936 and to snipers issued the Type 97 sniper rifle
, introduced in 1937. The advantage of the reduced charge ammunition to the sniper was it aided in his concealment as the reduced charge rounds produced less muzzle flash than standard rounds and thus did not give away the sniper's position.
Also produced was 6.5mm gallery ammunition, incorporating a paper or wood bullet; and dummy rounds, which were issued to Japanese forces. These were either all brass rounds or were more commonly red varnished wood with a metal base and rim. Ammunition used in the spigot-type Japanese grenade launchers often has paper bullets and can be identified by the staked primers.
rifles produced at Hoten (Mukden) Arsenal in Manchuria
, China
. These rifles were built on Danish Nielsen & Winther machinery originally for the Manchurian warlord Chang Tso Lin beginning in 1924. When Japan took over the arsenal after the Manchurian Incident of 1931 the Type 13 rifle continued to be produced in 7.92×57mm Mauser caliber, however an unknown number were also produced in 6.5×50mm. The Type I rifles built by Italy for Japan under the terms of the Anti-Comintern pact
from 1939 to 1943 are in standard 6.5×50 mm Japanese. Their Italian
origin should not be taken to mean that these will safely fire the longer, but outwardly similar, 6.5×52mm Carcano round. An unknown number of Dutch
M1895 Mannlicher
rifles and carbines captured by Japanese forces during the seizure of the Dutch East Indies
in 1942 were converted to 6.5×50mm from the 6.5×53mm Dutch rimmed chambering.
of 1904–1905, leading Russia
n arms designers chambered early Russian semi-automatic rifle
designs for the Japanese round. Since the standard Russian military rifle cartridge of the time, the 7.62×54R rimmed round, was too powerful and generated excessive recoil in an automatic weapon a 6.5 mm round was seen as more appropriate. Early designs by Vladimir Fedorov
utilized 6.5×50 mm, including the Fedorov Avtomat
rifle which was actually issued to troops, though in small numbers. Later, Russian troops on the Armenian front
were issued with Type 38 carbines by the Tsar
's government. Russians also tended to modify the Type 38's magazine latch, as it was found that gloved hands would sometimes inadvertently nudge the magazine release and dump the ammunition.
and Type 38 rifles and carbines were sold to British
forces (mainly to the Royal Navy
), where they were used for training. The 6.5×50mm round was subsequently produced in Britain by the Kynoch
company and was officially adopted for British service as the 0.256 inches (6.5 mm) caliber Mk II in 1917. The Arab
armies organized by British Captain T. E. Lawrence
to fight against the Ottoman Empire
during World War I
are purported to have been issued with Type 30 rifles by the British in 6.5 mm though some have opined that the Bedouin
forces mainly used captured Ottoman Mausers instead.
In all, the 6.5×50 mm Japanese semi-rimmed round has been used in either Japanese or domestically designed weapons by Japan
, Russia
, the United Kingdom
, China
, North Korea
, South Korea
, Thailand
, Finland
and Indonesia
. Many of the British Naval Arisakas were given to the White Russians
.
of Sweden
and Hornady
, brass cases can be had from Graf & Sons for quality hand-loads. Reloadable Boxer-primed cases can also be produced by reforming .220 Swift
brass. Bullets are .264 caliber.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
was adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
in 1897, along with the Type 30
Type 30 Rifle
The Type 30 Rifle Arisaka was a bolt-action rifle that was the standard infantry rifle of the Japanese infantry from 1897 to 1905. It was the first rifle in the Arisaka family as well as the first to chamber the 6.5x50mm Arisaka round...
Arisaka
Arisaka
Arisaka is a family of Japanese military bolt action rifles, in production from approximately 1898, when it replaced the Murata rifle, until the end of World War II in 1945...
infantry rifle and carbine
Carbine
A carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
. The new rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
and cartridge replaced the 8×52mm Murata round used in the Type 22 Murata Rifle
Murata rifle
The Murata Rifle was the first indigenously produced Japanese service rifle adopted in 1880 as the Murata Type 13. The 13 referred to the adoption date, the year 13 in the Meiji period according to the Japanese calendar....
. In 1902 the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
chambered its Type 35 rifle for the cartridge as well. In 1905, the round also came to be offered in the Type 38
Type 38 rifle
The is a bolt-action rifle. For a time it was the standard rifle of the Japanese infantry. It was known also as the Type 38 Year Meiji Carbine in Japan. An earlier, similar weapon was the Type 30 Year Meiji Rifle, which was also used alongside it. Both of these weapons were also known as the...
Arisaka infantry rifle and carbine, both of which obsoleted the Type 30 in Imperial Army service. Type 44 cavalry carbines, first adopted in 1911, were also chambered in 6.5×50mm.
History
Early 6.5×50mm cartridges had a cupronickelCupronickel
Cupronickel or copper-nickel or "cupernickel" is an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. Cupronickel is highly resistant to corrosion in seawater, because its electrode potential is adjusted to be neutral with regard to seawater...
round nosed bullet weighing 10.4 gram (9.36009360093601E-07 gr) fired with approximately 2 gram (1.80001800018E-07 gr) of smokeless powder. This was later changed with the adoption of the Type 38 when Japan, in line with the other great powers around the same time, changed to the pointed or spitzer
Spitzer (bullet)
A spitzer, also commonly referred to as a spire point bullet, is an aerodynamic bullet design used in most intermediate and high-powered rifle cartridges...
bullet in the first decade of the twentieth century. The Type 38 spitzer-bullet round fired a 9 gram (8.10008100081001E-07 gr) bullet with a powder charge of 2.5 gram (2.250022500225E-07 gr) for a muzzle velocity of around 770 metres per second (2,526.2 ft/s).
The round was criticized for being underpowered compared to other, more powerful American and European cartridges such as
the .30-06, .303 British, 7.92×57mm Mauser, and 7.62×54mmR. Due to this reason, it was later replaced by the more powerful 7.7×58mm cartridge.
The Type 38 spitzer version of the 6.5×50mm cartridge remained unchanged until after the adoption of the Type 11 light machine gun
Type 11 Light Machine Gun
The was a light machine gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the interwar period and during World War II.-History:Combat experience in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 had convinced the Japanese army of the utility of machine guns to provide covering fire for advancing infantry...
in 1922. The Type 11 was initially meant to fire standard Type 38 rifle ball ammunition by means of ordinary five-shot Type 38 stripper clips. Subsequent use indicated that the higher pressures generated by the standard rifle ammunition caused parts wear and breakage in machine guns. It was thus decided to reduce the powder charge of the Type 11's 6.5 mm ammunition to overcome the problem. This reduced charge 6.5 mm ammunition can be identified by a letter "G" in a circle stamped on the outside of the ammunition packaging which stands for the first letter of genso - the Japanese word for "reduced." This special ammunition was also issued to soldiers carrying the Type 96 light machine gun
Type 96 Light Machine Gun
The was a light machine gun used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the interwar period and in World War II. - History and development :Combat experience in the Manchurian Incident of 1931 and subsequent actions in Manchuria and northern China reaffirmed the Japanese army of the utility of machine...
introduced in 1936 and to snipers issued the Type 97 sniper rifle
Type 97 Sniper Rifle
is a Japanese bolt-action rifle, based on the Type 38 Rifle. Following the standard practice of the time, it was adapted from an existing infantry rifle. The only difference between this rifle and the original Type 38 is that it had a lightened stock, a single-action hammer, a 2.5 power telescopic...
, introduced in 1937. The advantage of the reduced charge ammunition to the sniper was it aided in his concealment as the reduced charge rounds produced less muzzle flash than standard rounds and thus did not give away the sniper's position.
Also produced was 6.5mm gallery ammunition, incorporating a paper or wood bullet; and dummy rounds, which were issued to Japanese forces. These were either all brass rounds or were more commonly red varnished wood with a metal base and rim. Ammunition used in the spigot-type Japanese grenade launchers often has paper bullets and can be identified by the staked primers.
Other 6.5 mm firearms
Other 6.5×50mm long-arms used by Japan included a few Type 13 MauserMauser
Mauser was a German arms manufacturer of a line of bolt-action rifles and pistols from the 1870s to 1995. Mauser designs were built for the German armed forces...
rifles produced at Hoten (Mukden) Arsenal in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. These rifles were built on Danish Nielsen & Winther machinery originally for the Manchurian warlord Chang Tso Lin beginning in 1924. When Japan took over the arsenal after the Manchurian Incident of 1931 the Type 13 rifle continued to be produced in 7.92×57mm Mauser caliber, however an unknown number were also produced in 6.5×50mm. The Type I rifles built by Italy for Japan under the terms of the Anti-Comintern pact
Anti-Comintern Pact
The Anti-Comintern Pact was an Anti-Communist pact concluded between Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan on November 25, 1936 and was directed against the Communist International ....
from 1939 to 1943 are in standard 6.5×50 mm Japanese. Their Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
origin should not be taken to mean that these will safely fire the longer, but outwardly similar, 6.5×52mm Carcano round. An unknown number of Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
M1895 Mannlicher
Dutch Mannlicher
The Dutch Mannlicher, also known as the M.95 , was the service rifle of the Armed forces of the Netherlands between 1895 and 1945. At first it was produced by Steyr for the Dutch, but after 1904 production took place under license at Hembrug Zaandam in the Netherlands...
rifles and carbines captured by Japanese forces during the seizure of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
in 1942 were converted to 6.5×50mm from the 6.5×53mm Dutch rimmed chambering.
Russian usage
After observing the effectiveness of the Type 30 6.5×50mm round used against them during the Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904–1905, leading Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n arms designers chambered early Russian semi-automatic rifle
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
designs for the Japanese round. Since the standard Russian military rifle cartridge of the time, the 7.62×54R rimmed round, was too powerful and generated excessive recoil in an automatic weapon a 6.5 mm round was seen as more appropriate. Early designs by Vladimir Fedorov
Vladimir Grigoryevich Fyodorov
Vladimir Grigoryevich Fyodorov was a Russian and Soviet scientist, weapons designer, professor , lieutenant general of a corps of military engineers , founder of the Soviet school of automatic small arms, and a Hero of Socialist Labor .In 1900 Vladimir Fyodorov graduated from Mikhailovskaya...
utilized 6.5×50 mm, including the Fedorov Avtomat
Fedorov Avtomat
The Fedorov Avtomat was an early assault rifle designed by Vladimir Grigoryevich Fedorov and produced in Russia in 1916. It was the first practical assault rifle to be adopted, and this concept would later become the basis for the first assault rifle to incorporate a modern layout, the StG 44...
rifle which was actually issued to troops, though in small numbers. Later, Russian troops on the Armenian front
Caucasus Campaign
The Caucasus Campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, later including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Central Caspian Dictatorship and the UK as part of the Middle Eastern theatre or alternatively named as part of the Caucasus Campaign during World War I...
were issued with Type 38 carbines by the Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
's government. Russians also tended to modify the Type 38's magazine latch, as it was found that gloved hands would sometimes inadvertently nudge the magazine release and dump the ammunition.
British usage
In 1914 approximately 150,000 Arisaka Type 30Type 30 Rifle
The Type 30 Rifle Arisaka was a bolt-action rifle that was the standard infantry rifle of the Japanese infantry from 1897 to 1905. It was the first rifle in the Arisaka family as well as the first to chamber the 6.5x50mm Arisaka round...
and Type 38 rifles and carbines were sold to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces (mainly to the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
), where they were used for training. The 6.5×50mm round was subsequently produced in Britain by the Kynoch
Kynoch
Kynoch was a manufacturer of ammunition, later incorporated into ICI but remaining as a brand name for sporting cartridges.-History:Kynoch was established in Witton in Birmingham in 1862 by Scottish entrepreneur George Kynoch when he opened a percussion cap factory in Witton. In 1895 he built an...
company and was officially adopted for British service as the 0.256 inches (6.5 mm) caliber Mk II in 1917. The Arab
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
armies organized by British Captain T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
to fight against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
are purported to have been issued with Type 30 rifles by the British in 6.5 mm though some have opined that the Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
forces mainly used captured Ottoman Mausers instead.
In all, the 6.5×50 mm Japanese semi-rimmed round has been used in either Japanese or domestically designed weapons by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. Many of the British Naval Arisakas were given to the White Russians
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
.
Finnish usage
The Russians, having a surplus of Type 30 and Type 38 rifles from both direct purchase from Japan during WWI and also having captured examples during the Russo-Japanese War, warehoused some of these rifles in Finland. During the Russian Revolution, many Finns seized the chance for independence and took Arisakas from Russian arsenals. They were used mainly by Finn cavalry and after Finland's independence, experiments were taken to upgrade the Type 38s to 7.92 Mauser. With parts and ammunition drying up, Finland relegated the Arisaka to the reserves and the merchant marines before trading a large number of them off to Estonia. Finnish issued Arisakas will have district numbers and an 'S' branded on the stock.Today
The cartridge is now available in loaded form to shooters in the United States from NormaNorma (company)
Norma Precision is a Swedish manufacturer of ammunition located in Åmotfors, in the province of Värmland, just 20 km of the Norwegian border. It is commonly referred to as simply Norma.- History :...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Hornady
Hornady
Hornady Manufacturing Company is an American manufacturer of ammunition and handloading components, based in Grand Island, Nebraska.The company was founded by Joyce Hornady in 1949 and is currently run by his son Steve Hornady who took over after his father's death in a plane crash in 1981.Hornady...
, brass cases can be had from Graf & Sons for quality hand-loads. Reloadable Boxer-primed cases can also be produced by reforming .220 Swift
.220 Swift
The .220 Swift is a semi-rimmed rifle cartridge developed by Winchester and introduced in 1935. It was the first factory loaded rifle cartridge with a muzzle velocity of over...
brass. Bullets are .264 caliber.