August 22nd 2021
Photo courtesy Elardus De Lang, Truvelo Manufacturers Armoury (South Africa). This cartridge makes a.338 Lapua Magum look like a toy. The cartridge measures 14.5x114mm and was intended to be used as an anti-materiel round. The round is a mammoth.57 caliber, which measures 4.49 inches from the case mouth to 6.13 inches overall. This jumbo-sized box holds 655 grains of powder. Commonly loaded projectiles weigh between 920-1030 grams. The armor-piercing projectile, 993gr, has a muzzle velocity approximately 1006 meters per sec (3300 fps), and can penetrate 30-32 mm of RHA steel at a range between 500 and 500 meters.
The top photo is by Elardus De Lang (a Forum member who works at South Africa’s Truvelo Manufacturers Armoury). Elardus also provided a video showing Elardus shooting the massive 14.5x114mm from prone using a Truvelo bolt-action rifle. Elardus says: “Here’s a video with a slow-motion end of our 14.5x114mm antimateriel rifle being fired at our indoor testing facility. This caliber is truly a beast! It propels a 993gr Armor-Piercing Incendiary Bullet to 3300 fps and burns 480 grains of powder. This shows that rifles with this power can be shot. The concussion indoors is something to experience……every shot feels like you are being punched in the face, and the heat from the muzzle flash actually hits you like a wave!”
Cartridge Design and Dimensions 14.5x114mm
The 14.5x114mm cartridge case has a capacity of 42.53 ml (655 grain H2O). The case’s exterior shape was designed to facilitate reliable case feeding and extraction even in extreme conditions. Most cartridges are made from lacquered steel, but some countries use brass cases for the 14.5x115mm.
All dimensions are measured in millimeters (mm). The shoulder angle would be defined by Americans at alpha/2 or 22.5 degrees. This cartridge’s common rifling twist rate is 455mm (1:17.91). There are eight grooves/lands. Official guidelines state that the 14.5x114mm can withstand up to 360 MPa (52.213 psi piezo pressure).
14.5x114mm Cartridge History
The 14.5x114mm (.57 Cal), is a heavy machine gun cartridge and anti-materiel rifle cartridge that was used by the Soviet Union and the former Warsaw Pact. It was originally designed for the PTRS, PTRD anti-tank rifles. However, it was later used to make the KPV heavy-machine gun. This is the main armament for the ZPU series of anti-aircraft guns. The cartridge was first issued in 1941 after its design.
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Tags: 14.5x114mm, 50 BMG. Anti-Tank Round. Heavy Machine Gun. Russian anti-tank. ZPU anti-aircraft.
