7.62x39mm

**7.62x39mm** is the cartridge of the AK-47, the SKS, and most of the combloc-pattern rifles that shaped the second half of the 20th century. It is also, by volume produced since 1947, almost certainly the most widely distributed centerfire rifle round ever made. Ballistically it is a modest mid-range cartridge — less velocity than 5.56, heavier bullet, flatter than most people expect inside 200 yards. It excels as a general-purpose rifle round: reliable, available, cheap to shoot when imported ammunition is flowing, and a solid choice for woods and brush hunting at sensible distances. Import restrictions have made the ammunition market volatile for American shooters over the last decade. Domestically produced 7.62x39 has closed the gap, but expect to pay more than the historical imported-steel-case price.