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.30-06 Springfield

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.30-06 Springfield
.30-06 Springfield cartridge specifications
TypeRifle
Place of originUSA
Production history
DesignerUnited States Military
Designed1906
Specifications
Parent case.30-03
Case typeRimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter.308 in (7.8 mm)
Neck diameter.340 in (8.6 mm)
Shoulder diameter.441 in (11.2 mm)
Base diameter.473 in (12.0 mm)
Rim diameter.473 in (12.0 mm)
Rim thickness.049 in (1.2 mm)
Case length2.49 in (63 mm)
Overall length3.34 in (85 mm)
Rifling twist10
Primer typeLarge rifle
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
150 gr (10 g) Nosler Ballistic Tip 2,910 ft/s (890 m/s) 2,820 ft⋅lbf (3,820 J)
165 gr (11 g) BTSP 2,800 ft/s (850 m/s) 2,872 ft⋅lbf (3,894 J)
180 gr (12 g) Nosler partition 2,880 ft/s (880 m/s) 3,315 ft⋅lbf (4,495 J)
Test barrel length: 24 in
Source(s): Federal Cartridge Co. ballistics page
Eight .30-06 cartridges loaded into an en bloc clip for the M1 Garand.
Naval ordnance men loading a belt of .30-06 into an SBD Dauntless

The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced “thirty aught six”) is a .308 inch (7.82 mm) (.300 inch is 7.62 mm) caliber rifle round, also known as the 7.62 × 63 mm, introduced to the United States Army in 1906 (hence “-06”) and standardized, with use continuing into the 1960s, tapering off in the 1960s and early 1970s.

It was developed from and superseded the nearly identical .30-03, having a slightly shorter casing and a higher velocity spitzer bullet. There were three main production runs of the round, that roughly correspond to large stocks built up during wars: the initial .30-06, the M1 Ball, and the M2 Ball.

The M1903 Springfield rifle, introduced alongside the earlier cartridge, was quickly modified to accept the .30-06. It replaced the 6 mm Lee Navy as well as remaining older calibers such as the .30 US Army (also called .30-40 Krag) used in the Model 1892 Krag. The .30-06 remained the US Army's main cartridge for nearly 50 years before it was finally replaced by the 7.62 x 51 mm (7.62mm NATO, commercial .308 Winchester) with the adoption of the M14 in 1954. However, the first M14s were not fielded until 1957, and the .30-06 remained in service into the 1970s, mainly as a machine gun cartridge.

It was used in the bolt-action M1903 Springfield and M1917 Enfield, the semi-automatic M1 Garand, the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), and numerous machine guns, including the M1919 series. It served the United States in both World Wars and in the Korean War, its last major use being in Vietnam. Large volumes of surplus brass made it the basis for dozens of commercial and wildcat cartridges, as well as being extensively used for reloading. The .30-06's power, combined with the ready availability of surplus firearms chambered for it, and so demand for commercial ammunition, has made it a popular hunting round. It is suitable for large mammals such as deer, elk, and moose.

Performance

The .30-06 is a powerful round designed in an age when 1,000 yard (914 m) shots were expected. In 1906, the original .30-06 cartridge consisted of a 150 grain (9.7 g) flat base cupronickel jacketed bullet. After World War I, the United States military realized the need for better long range performance out of machine guns. Based on reports from Europe, a streamlined, 173 grain (11.2 g), boat tail, gilding-metal bullet was used. The .30-06 cartridge with the 173 grain (11.2 g) bullet was called the "M1 Ball".

Army practice was to use the oldest ammunition for training, so older stocks of M1906 continued in use until exhausted in 1936. Once the new M1 began seeing widespread use, the US military realized it was exceeding the safety limits of ranges constructed for the 1906 cartridge over the past 30 years. Rather than engage in massive construction projects, it was decided to switch back to the original profile bullet but utilize a newer jacket material. Initially, this was stained to match the color of the cupro-nickel jacket.

This 152 grain (9.8 g) flat base bullet without the stain was standardized in 1940 as the "Ball, M2" cartridge. According to U.S. Army Technical Manual 43-0001-27, M2 Ball specifications call for 2,740 feet per second (835 m/s) velocity, measured 78 feet (24 m) from the muzzle. M2 Ball was the standard issue ammunition for use in U.S. military rifles and machineguns until replaced by the 7.62×51mm for the M14 and M60.

Commercially manufactured rifles chambered in .30-06 are popular for hunting. Current .30-06 factory ammunition varies in bullet weight from 110 to 220 grains (7.1 to 14.3 g) in solid bullets, and as low as 55 grains (3.6 g) with the use of a sub-caliber bullet in a sabot. Loads are available with reduced velocity and pressure as well as increased velocity and pressure for stronger firearms. The .30-06 ranks as one of the most popular sporting cartridges in the world.

U.S. military cartridge types

NOTE: .30-06 cartridges are also produced commercially with a plethora of different bullets and to a number of different specifications.

  • Armor Piercing, M2
This cartridge is used against lightly armored vehicles, protective shelters, and personnel, and can be identified by its black bullet tip.
  • Armor Piercing Incendiary, T15/M14 and M14A1
This cartridge is used, in place of the armor piercing round, against flammable targets. The tip of the bullet is colored with aluminum paint. The M14A1 featured an improved core design and incendiary charge.
  • Ball, M1906
This cartridge is used against personnel and unarmored targets, and can be identified by its silver-colored bullet. The M1906 has a 150 grain (9.7 g) projectile and flat base. Its jacket is a cupro-nickel alloy which was found to foul the bore quickly.
  • Ball, M1
The M1 has a 173 grain (11.2 g), nine-degree boat-tailed projectile designed for aerodynamic efficiency. Though it had a lower initial velocity, velocity and energy were greater at longer ranges due to its efficient shape. The jacket material was also switched to gilding metal to reduce fouling.
  • Ball, M2
With a 152 grain (9.8 g) bullet based on the profile of the M1906, this cartridge incorporated the gilding-metal jacket of the M1 projectile and had a higher muzzle velocity than either of the earlier cartridges.
  • Blank, M1909
This cartridge is used to simulate rifle fire. The cartridge is identified by having no bullet, and by a cannelure in the neck of the case which is sealed by red lacquer.
  • Dummy, M40
This cartridge is used for training. The cartridge has six longitudinal corrugations and there is no primer.
  • Explosive, T99
Development of a cartridge that contained a small explosive charge which more effectively marked its impact. Often referred to as an "observation explosive" cartridge, the T99 was never adopted.
  • Incendiary, M1917
Early incendiary cartridge, bullet had a large cavity in the nose to allow the material to more easily shoot forward on impact. Because of this the M1917 had a tendency to expand on impact. The M1917 had a blacked tip.
  • Incendiary, M1918
Variant of the M1917 with a normal bullet profile to comply with international laws regarding open-tipped expanding bullets.
  • Incendiary, M1
This cartridge is used against unarmored, flammable targets. The tip of the bullet is painted blue.
  • Match, M72
This cartridge is used in marksmanship competition firing, and can be identified by the word "MATCH" on the head stamp.
  • Tracer, M1
Tracer for observing fire, signaling, target designation, and incendiary purposes. The M1 has a red tip.
  • Tracer, M2
Tracer for observing fire, signaling, target designation, and incendiary purposes. Has a short burn time. The M2 originally had a white tip, but then switched to a red tip like the M1.
  • Tracer, T10/M25
Improved tracer over M1/M2. Designed to be less intense in terms of brightness than either the M1 or M2 tracers. The M25 had an orange tip.
  • Rifle Grenade Cartridges, M1, M2, and M3/E1
These cartridge are used in conjunction with the M1 (for the M1903 rifle), M2 (for the M1917 rifle), and the M7 series (for the M1 rifle) grenade launchers to propel rifle grenades. The cartridge has no bullet and the mouth is crimped. The differences between the three cartridges have to do with the powder charge and the subsequent range of the launched grenade. The M3E1 also featured an extended case neck.

Selected examples of United States Military firearms chambered for the .30-06 cartridge

An M67 "Zippo". On the right is a mounted M1919 Browning machine gun with an attached box of linked .30-06 ammunition.

Sporting cartridges derived from the .30-06

The United States has a large number of wildcatters, or handloaders who experiment with cartridges and bullets as a hobby. Sometimes these wildcat cartridges become popular enough to be adopted by a large commercial rifle maker and/or ammunition manufacturer. The .30-06 has been the basis of several mainstream and wildcat cartridges which are widely used for hunting and other special applications:

  • .25-06 Remington, necked down to accept .257" diameter bullets
  • .270 Winchester, necked down to accept .277" bullets
  • .280 Remington, necked down to accept 7mm (.284") bullets with the shoulder moved up slightly
  • 8mm-06, necked up to accept a .323" (8mm) bullet. This is a common modification performed to German Mauser rifles to facilitate use of a more commonly available cartridge case with improved performance compared to the standard German 8x57mm.
  • .338-06, necked up to accept .338" diameter bullets
  • .35 Whelen, necked up to accept .358" (9mm) bullets


The .30-06 was also shortened during development of the M14 rifle to make the 7.62×51 mm NATO, a round that has spawned a long list of its own wildcats.

See also

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