.308/7.62x51

[VOX 1]

Sorry for the dumb question. I am a new FAL shooter. Is the .308 Winchester and 7.62x51 interchangable? I see the FAL referred to as a .308 and ammo advertised as .308. Is 7.62x51 the NATO equivalent? I understand the pressures are different and .308 is not recommended in the FAL. I quess I'm confused as why 7.62x51 is advertised as .308 British or .308 Portugese, etc.

[ProGun1]

I believe the difference lies in headspace. Look through the M-14 FAQ site on www.fultonarmory.com (http://www.fultonarmory.com) for the differences explained in more depth. I've never had a problem using either style cartridge in a bolt but the .308 isn't recommended in a semi because of wall thickness. As to labeling I suppose a standard has to be set and the .308 is a generic referrence. Anyone?

[This message has been edited by ProGun1 (edited September 26, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by ProGun1 (edited September 26, 2000).]

[BUFFLER]

Wadman, VOX1:

At the risk of being redundant;

While the labels '7.62 NATO', '7.62x51' and .308 Win are bandied about as being the same, they are not, although they are dimensionally close. Milsurp ammo is usually 7.62x51 but can also be 7.62 NATO if loaded to NATO's specifications of pressure, sizes and such. Genuine 7.62 NATO will be marked on the headstamp with the NATO ammo symbol, a " + " inside a circle. Most milsurp ammo that is marked '7.62x51' without the NATO designation will be loaded to roughly NATO specs, because it is usually designed and loaded to be fired in the same weapons systems as used by NATO nations.

Generally speaking, commercial .308 ammo is loaded with slower powders to a higher pressure than is 7.62 NATO. The cartridge cases will be about the same, dimensionally.

An exception to this is some 7.62x51 ammo loaded in Spain for weapons produced in and fairly unique to that country. The ammo is loaded to the same dimensions, but to much lower pressures, as 7.62 NATO.

".308 British" (as seen in SGN and GUNLIST ads and by listers in this and other forums) generally means 7.62 NATO loaded in Great Britain's Radway Green national armory, sort of the equivalent of Lake City Arsenal here. The headstamp will be "RG" plus the two digit year of manufacture plus the NATO 'cross-within-a-circle' symbol. ".308 Portuguese" generally refers to 7.62 NATO loaded by the national arsenals of Portugal, and the headstamp is usually "FMN" plus the year of manufacture in two digits, plus the 'cross-in-a-circle symbol of NATO. Both are usually excellent ammo for FAL's, of high quality if stored properly over the years.

The FAL's are designed for the 7.62 NATO spec ammo. They may or may not shoot the other stuff reliablay depending on the other stuff's specs and the gas system adjustment of your FAL.

Read the FAQ sections suggested above for more and probably better information.

Your milage may very, family members of employees are not eligible to win, all taxes and titles are extra.

BUFFLER
(BUFF when at home, not at work screwing around when I should be working.)

[VOX 1]

Thanks for the education, gentlemen. I should have been more specific earlier by saying .308 NATO British or .308 NATO Portugese. I had seen some discussion on the AK Forum about using 7.62x51 in an FAL, but not .308, or American .308 and I hesitated to say anything without understanding the difference. The only reasonbly priced ammo in this caliber is going to be NATO stuff anyway. I just purchased some .308 NATO Portugese. I understand it is good, and the price seems reasonable. Not the cheapest, nor the most expensive. Well, thanks again. I learn something every time I read the Forum.

[BUFF]

Wadman and VOX1:

Actually, the commercial .308 is loaded to HIGHER pressure than the 7.62 NATO.

Winchester saw what the U.S. military was developing in the T-44/T-48 trials that led to the adoption of the M-14 and the 7.62NATO, and beat the military to the punch. The .308 Winchester was introduced commercially by Winchester in 1952, and the specs SAAMI uses were laid down then, while the military version, the 7.62 NATO, wasn't standardized and adopted until 1954.

You can shoot 7.62 NATO ammo okay in your sporter bolt gun. You can PROBABLY shoot some higher pressure .308 Winchester commercial ammo in your military gas gun. It is likely small amounts of either won't hurt either. But, try to keep the bullet weight of the commercial .308 ammo you shoot in your FAL or M-14-type to 165-168 grains, to try to stay within the pressure limits and curves of the military rounds.

BUFF

[Mark_308]

I was just asking the same question on another board, and was referred to an excellent mini-FAQ on .308 Win vs 7.62x51 NATO. Check it out, it was informative to me.

By the way, I don't know if anybody mentioned that although the British RG is good stuff, it's not reloadable.

The link:
http://www.fo.com/cr-files/cr-308.htm