Author: Pukka Bundook
Subject: One to try. Lapua D-46.
Posted: December 15 2019 at 9:30am
Shamu,
Subject: One to try. Lapua D-46.
Posted: December 15 2019 at 9:30am
Shamu,
The Finns were never in a position to waste barrels with poorly ammo, and the rebated boat-tail does not act like a regular boat-tail. In development they found that the rebate removed the tendency of the tail to cause inaccuracy. I can't print it all here, but they used this style of bullet from the late 20's up until they went onto the new rifle in the 90's, so it must have worked. They also won a good few Olympic matches with this round over the years.
Here is a bit of a read from another forum, for those interested;
"Before and during WWII the Finnish Defence Forces had several kinds of cartridges with S and D bullets in use. In 1925 VPT started to manufacture 7.62mm ammunition and their very first bullet type was called S-08/22 (known as S-1 since 1932). This was a 9.6 gram (148 grain) spitzer bullet with a cupronickel-clad steel jacket and conical base cavity. The bullet had no crimping groove and its length and diameter were 28mm and 7.81mm-7.83mm. Charge was 3.15 grams of nitrocellulose flake powder and muzzle velocity was approximately 845m/s. For the Finnish Army this was a standard rifle and machine-gun ball ammunition and the S-1 bullet remained in production until 1939.
In the late 1920s VPT also started to make boat-tailed bullets (sold either in bulk or complete cartridges) for match shooting. Their first D bullet was 11.6 gram (178 grain) D-27 that was followed by several D and S type bullets such as D-28, D-29, D-31, S-30 and S-69. The one with greatest importance was D-31, a stepped boat tail bullet of which VPT developed 18 variants (from D-31-1 to D-31-18). In 1932, when VPT changed their bullet designation, the D-31-17 and D-31-18 were renamed as D-46 and D-47. Both had gilding metal jacket, weighed 12 grams (185 grains) and were 33.5mm long. The only difference was that the D-47 had a crimping groove. Charge was 2.75 grams. Cartridges with the D-46 bullet were mainly produced for match shooters of the Finnish Army and Civil Guard before the Winter War but also in limited numbers during the war. For match shooting these bullets were available in diameters varying from 7.83mm to 7.88mm.
Because the Finnish Army considered the S-1 bullet too inaccurate for rifles and inappropriate for machine-gun use, a new boat-tailed service bullet with a crimping groove was developed in 1932-1934. The resulting design, known as D-166, was introduced in 1936. This bullet had gilding metal jacket just like the D-46 and D-47 but weighed 13 grams (200 grains), was 33.8mm long and, for a certain reason, had somewhat increased diameter (7.87mm). Because of the bullet weight the powder charge was dropped to 2.85-2.95 grams and burning rate was slightly decreased as well. Although the D-166 was more material consuming bullet to manufacture than the S-1 it became more economical cartridge to make as copper and lead were much less valuable than powder at that time. Therefore production of the S-1 bullets was halted in 1939 and the D-166 became the standard cartridge of the Finnish Army. The main manufacturer was VPT but also Sako and temporarily loading shops established in 1940 (Patruunalataamo 41, 42, 43 and 51) loaded D-166 cartridges. VPT started production in 1936 which halted in mid 1940 during the Interim Peace. A year later, just before the Continuation War, the D-166 went back production which lasted until early 1944. This was because a more economical 10.8 gram (167 grain) spitzer bullet with conical base cavity, the S-283, was introduced in late 1943. Externally this new bullet looked like a D-166 cut just in front of the boat tail for which reason it was fitted with a knurled ring to distinguish it from the heavier D-166. The S-283 was replaced by gilding-metal-clad steel jacketed version known as S-284 in June 1944. The charge VPT used for both bullets was 3.15 grams of tubular nitrocellulose powder. At some point in late 1944 or early 1945 the D-166 was reintroduced once again.
Oy SAKO Ab started to manufacture boat-tailed match bullets for the Civil Guard and private reloading shops in 1929. Their very first model was called D 101 A which was a 11.6 gram (178 grain) cupronickel-clad steel jacketed bullet of which length was 32.8mm. In March 1931 SAKO started to load cartridges by using VPT cases and newly introduced, improved version of the D 101 A known as D 105 A. This bullet was just like the D 101 A but featured a crimping groove. In 1936 yet another boat-tailed bullet D 108 A was introduced. It weighed 12 grams (185 grains) (length 33.0mm, diameter 7.84mm-7.86mm) and featured gilding-metal jacket with crimping groove and rounded boat tail profile. This bullet proved to be very accurate and millions were produced for the Civil Guard before and during the Winter War, either as cartridges or reloading components. The charge used for loading was 2.75-2.80 grams of VRT flake powder. SAKO always used cases made by VPT, both brand new and fired cases that were returned by the CG for reloading."
In the late 1920s VPT also started to make boat-tailed bullets (sold either in bulk or complete cartridges) for match shooting. Their first D bullet was 11.6 gram (178 grain) D-27 that was followed by several D and S type bullets such as D-28, D-29, D-31, S-30 and S-69. The one with greatest importance was D-31, a stepped boat tail bullet of which VPT developed 18 variants (from D-31-1 to D-31-18). In 1932, when VPT changed their bullet designation, the D-31-17 and D-31-18 were renamed as D-46 and D-47. Both had gilding metal jacket, weighed 12 grams (185 grains) and were 33.5mm long. The only difference was that the D-47 had a crimping groove. Charge was 2.75 grams. Cartridges with the D-46 bullet were mainly produced for match shooters of the Finnish Army and Civil Guard before the Winter War but also in limited numbers during the war. For match shooting these bullets were available in diameters varying from 7.83mm to 7.88mm.
Because the Finnish Army considered the S-1 bullet too inaccurate for rifles and inappropriate for machine-gun use, a new boat-tailed service bullet with a crimping groove was developed in 1932-1934. The resulting design, known as D-166, was introduced in 1936. This bullet had gilding metal jacket just like the D-46 and D-47 but weighed 13 grams (200 grains), was 33.8mm long and, for a certain reason, had somewhat increased diameter (7.87mm). Because of the bullet weight the powder charge was dropped to 2.85-2.95 grams and burning rate was slightly decreased as well. Although the D-166 was more material consuming bullet to manufacture than the S-1 it became more economical cartridge to make as copper and lead were much less valuable than powder at that time. Therefore production of the S-1 bullets was halted in 1939 and the D-166 became the standard cartridge of the Finnish Army. The main manufacturer was VPT but also Sako and temporarily loading shops established in 1940 (Patruunalataamo 41, 42, 43 and 51) loaded D-166 cartridges. VPT started production in 1936 which halted in mid 1940 during the Interim Peace. A year later, just before the Continuation War, the D-166 went back production which lasted until early 1944. This was because a more economical 10.8 gram (167 grain) spitzer bullet with conical base cavity, the S-283, was introduced in late 1943. Externally this new bullet looked like a D-166 cut just in front of the boat tail for which reason it was fitted with a knurled ring to distinguish it from the heavier D-166. The S-283 was replaced by gilding-metal-clad steel jacketed version known as S-284 in June 1944. The charge VPT used for both bullets was 3.15 grams of tubular nitrocellulose powder. At some point in late 1944 or early 1945 the D-166 was reintroduced once again.
Oy SAKO Ab started to manufacture boat-tailed match bullets for the Civil Guard and private reloading shops in 1929. Their very first model was called D 101 A which was a 11.6 gram (178 grain) cupronickel-clad steel jacketed bullet of which length was 32.8mm. In March 1931 SAKO started to load cartridges by using VPT cases and newly introduced, improved version of the D 101 A known as D 105 A. This bullet was just like the D 101 A but featured a crimping groove. In 1936 yet another boat-tailed bullet D 108 A was introduced. It weighed 12 grams (185 grains) (length 33.0mm, diameter 7.84mm-7.86mm) and featured gilding-metal jacket with crimping groove and rounded boat tail profile. This bullet proved to be very accurate and millions were produced for the Civil Guard before and during the Winter War, either as cartridges or reloading components. The charge used for loading was 2.75-2.80 grams of VRT flake powder. SAKO always used cases made by VPT, both brand new and fired cases that were returned by the CG for reloading."
If your heads not spinning, read it again. :-) LOL.