Wilson Combat Introduces 7.62x40 WT Cartridge and Rifle

[flakbait]

Not to doubt Bill Wilson because he is certainly successful at building and selling quality pistols and rifles. But why did he need to invent a new cartridge for the AR? Aren't there enough AR varients to pick. Most will probably fade into obscurity in the next decade.

The new 7.62x40 has less MV than the most common AR varient the 6.8 mm SPC.

So you are trading bullet diameter .308 vs .277 (.031) for 100 FPS MV in the common 110 grain loadings. MV is the primary determinant for effective range with the limitations of an AR sized magazine/chamber. If you want a heavy hitting short range cartridge, .458 Socom or Bushmaster .450 do more damage.

I guess people think the American buyer is somehow emotionally attached to 30 caliber bullets (i.e. Remington 30AR). The 30AR utilizes a 22 inch barrel to achieve its published velocity numbers. 6.8 mm SPC was designed for carbine length ala M4 type 14.5 barrels and works fine in 16-20 inch barrels.


http://www.shootingwire.com/story/234585

Available now from Wilson Combat - The 7.62x40 WT (Wilson Tactical) is an all new powerful .30 caliber cartridge solution for the standard AR-15 rifle platform that is inherently accurate, low recoil and only requires one unique part - a new barrel. The 7.62x40 WT works with all other standard pattern 5.56 AR components and is completely reliable with the new Lancer® L5 AWM magazines as modified by Wilson Combat.

The 7.62x40 WT cartridge is based on a standard Lake City 5.56x45 NATO/.223 cartridge case that goes through a simple shortening and reforming operation to achieve appropriate cartridge dimensions. Wilson Combat has reloading dies, case gages, cartridge cases, handload data and a variety of loaded ammunition to fully support this caliber.

Ballistic Performance Comparison

7.62x40 WT (16" Barrel)
110 gr: 2450 FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1466 Foot Pounds of Energy
125 gr: 2400 FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1599 Foot Pounds of Energy
150 gr: 2200 FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1612 Foot Pounds of Energy

5.56 Nato (16" Barrel)
55 gr: 3150 FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1212 Foot Pounds of Energy
62 gr: 3000 FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1239 Foot Pounds of Energy
77 gr: 2750 FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1293 Foot Pounds of Energy

7.62x39 (16" Barrel)
123 gr: 2320 FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1470 Foot Pounds of Energy

6.8 SPC (16" Barrel)
110 gr: 2550 FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1594 Foot Pounds of Energy

300 BLACKOUT (16" Barrel)
125 gr: 2275 FPS Muzzle Velocity and 1436 Foot Pounds of Energy

NOTE for Handloaders: Once a 7.62x40 WT case has been fired once it will be fire- formed and provide approximately 1 gr. additional powder capacity and the potential for approximately 25-50 FPS more velocity at comparable pressure levels.

Trajectory and Remaining Velocity

125 gr. Nosler Ballistic Hunter, 2375 FPS MV, Zero range 175 yards
100 yds +1.7" 2156 FPS
150 yds +1.1" 2052 FPS
200 yds -1.6" 1951 FPS
250 yds -6.6" 1854 FPS

 

[451 Detonics]

It is just the 300 Whisper once again (just as the Blackout is). Gotta love it, JD Jones has the single most copied and renamed wildcat ever developed...lol. Wilson did license the name Whisper from JD for their line of suppressors however.

 

[SsevenN]

Looks like a great performer but I have a hard time believing it will be markedly more effective than .223 and 7.62x39.

 

[dirtyjim]

Gotta love it, JD Jones has the single most copied and renamed wildcat ever developed

if the 300 whisper wasn't a proprietary cartridge there wouldn't been a need for the 300 aac blackout or the 7.62x40 WT. if jd wasn't so stingy with his reamers there would be a lot more rifle chambered in 300 whisper, same thing with alexander arms 6.5 grendel & 50 beowulf.
you must buy the right to use the reamer from them if you want to chamber your own rifle in any of those calibers.

i'll have to see if wilson has released their reamers to the general public before i lump them into the same group of pond scum as alexander arms and jd jones.

 

[Jim Watson]

What has JD Jones and .300 Whisper got to do with the 7.62x40 Wilson?

The Whisper is a .221 Fireball necked up to .30, right?
The .221 case is 1.40" = 35.5mm.

I presume that Wilson made their variant longer because they do not anticpate using great long boattail bullets in subsonic loads like the Whisper and copies. Which gives them more case volume for more powder for more velocity.

I agree that most of these proprietary rounds will fade into obscurity.
People will be reluctant to shoot their centerfire plinkers with commercial ammunition or carefully prepared handloads when they can make just as much noise with bulk surplus or imitation surplus.

 

[NCsmitty]

you must buy the right to use the reamer from them if you want to chamber your own rifle

That would be a deal breaker if I was foolish enough to want one. Greedy Idiots!

I would much rather have a 30AR chambering, (actually a 6.5-30AR would be ideal) if I was actually considering an AR style weapon.



NCsmitty