Considering buying a rifle, a few questions first.

[shotgunner]

Okay.
I like the 7.62x39 soviet cartridge, a definite manstopper and an excellent hunting round to boot.

But, I'm considering getting a rifle that's chambered for 7.62 NATO, which can also shoot .308 caliber. Some of the top 5 cartridges in the world.
Here are the questions.

Are 7.62 NATO and 7.62x39 soviet the same cartridge??
Can one be fired from one while the other cannot? How are they interchangeable?

Thanks!

 

[ocabj]

Are 7.62 NATO and 7.62x39 soviet the same cartridge??

No.

 

[kfranz]

No, they are not the same. The soviet round is 39 mm long, the NATO round is 51 mm long. They are in no way interchangeable.

 

[foghornl]

No, the Soviet Round for the SKS is 7.62x39. The 7.62 NATO round is 7.62x51, and the "other" Soviet Round is the 7.62x54, used in the Mosin-Nagant series and some Soviet Bloc machine guns.


Ammo Left-to-Right
7.62x39 for SKS and AK-47
.30-30 Winchester for lever-action rifles
7.62x51 NATO (.308 Winchester)
7.62x54 Societ Ammo Mosin-Nagant rifles/carbines
.30-06 Springfield for 1903/1917 bolt guns & M1 Garand

I don't have any .30 Carbine or 300 Holland & Remchesterby Magnum ammo
for this pic.

 

[iamkris]

To be specific, the case on the 7.62 NATO is 51mm and 7.62 for the SKS/AK is 39mm

Some basic cartridge specs (didn't take the time to look up the English units)

7.62x39 FMJ Bullet weight - 7.8g
Velocity - 729 m/s
Energy - 2112 J

7.62x51 NATO
Bullet weight - 9.45 g
Velocity - 830 m/s
Energy - 3444 J

Edit: Oops! foghornl posted good pix above that illustrates this point.

 

[kaferhaus]

I like the 7.62x39 soviet cartridge, a definite manstopper and an excellent hunting round to boot.

Good for small game hunting, and smallish deer sized game. Less powerfull than the old 30-30 with about the same ballistics.

The only thing it has really "proven" is it functions well in loosely machined rifles.

Not a very impressive cartridge on any level really..

But you can be an internet commando when you buy one!

 

[rbernie]

The only thing it has really "proven" is it functions well in loosely machined rifles.

Not a very impressive cartridge on any level really..

But you can be an internet commando when you buy one!

Kaferhaus - weren't you the one extolling the virtues of deer hunting with a .30 Carbine just last week? While I'll freely admit that characterizing the 7.62x39 round as an 'excellent hunting round' is a bit much, you also gotta admit that the 7.62x39 has got more ooooomph than that 30 Carbine round......