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The 6.5x50mm Japanese
The 6.5×50 Japanese Arisaka, 6.5mm Japanese Arisaka, 6.5 Jap, or 6.5x50mmSR Arisaka is a semi-rimmed rifle cartridge with a 6.5 mm (.264) diameter bullet. Historically it has been referred to as the "6.5 Jap". The 6.5x50 Japanese Arisaka naming convention follows common European naming conventions. The first part of the cartridge's name refers to the diameter of the bullet (6.5 mm or .264 inches) followed by the case length in millimeters. It was adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1897, along with the Type 30 Arisaka infantry rifle and carbine.
The new rifle and cartridge replaced the 8×52mm Murata round used in the Type 22 Murata rifle. In 1902, the Imperial Japanese Navy chambered its Type 35 rifle for the cartridge as well. In 1905, the round also came to be offered in the Type 38 Arisaka infantry rifle and carbine, both of which rendered the Type 30 obsolete in Imperial Army service. Type 44 cavalry carbines, first adopted in 1911, were also chambered in 6.5×50mm. The Type 38 rifle, and Type 96 light machine gun used the 6.5 mm round, but were largely replaced by the 7.7×58mm Arisaka Type 99 rifle and Type 99 light machine gun, as the 6.5 mm was considered underpowered.
Early 6.5×50mm cartridges had a cupronickel, round-nosed bullet weighing 160 gr fired with approximately 31 gr of smokeless powder. This was later changed with the adoption of the Type 38 when Japan, in line with the other great powers around the same time, changed to the pointed, or spitzer, bullet in the first decade of the twentieth century.
The Type 38 spitzer round fired a 139 gr bullet with a powder charge of 33 grains for a muzzle velocity of around 2,500 ft/s. The Type 38 spitzer version of the 6.5×50mm cartridge remained unchanged until after the adoption of the Type 11 light machine gun in 1922. The relatively short barrel (17.5 inches) produced excessive flash with standard ammunition (initially intended for Type 38 rifles with barrel more than a foot longer). A new loading was introduced for this reason, which had a slightly lower muzzle velocity (under 100fps), but burned much more completely in the Type 11 short barrel and produced much less flash as a result. This new round was called the 6.5×50mm Arisaka genso round, the cartons identified by a circled red "G". This special ammunition was also issued to soldiers carrying the Type 96 light machine gun introduced in 1936, and to snipers issued the Type 97 sniper rifle, introduced in 1937. The advantage of the reduced charge ammunition to the sniper was that it aided in his concealment as the reduced charge rounds produced less muzzle flash than standard rounds and thus did not give away the sniper's position.
Also produced was 6.5 mm gallery ammunition, incorporating a paper or wood bullet; and dummy rounds, which were issued to Japanese forces. These were either all brass rounds or, more commonly, red varnished wood with a metal base and rim. Ammunition used in the spigot-type Japanese grenade launchers often has paper bullets and can be identified by the staked primers. There were no 6.5x50mm tracer or armor-piercing cartridges available.
The 6.5 mm Japanese round was criticized as being under-powered in comparison to American and European military cartridges such as the .30-06, .303 British, 7.92×57mm Mauser, and 7.62×54mmR. For this reason, it was replaced by the more powerful 7.7×58mm cartridge, starting in 1938, but both bullets were used until the end of the war, which created difficulty in supplying Japanese forces with the appropriate ammunition. Because of the long barrel of the Type 38 rifle, one benefit of the 6.5 mm round was that it produced very little muzzle flash and smoke. Furthermore, the 6.5 mm round with the Type 38 spitzer bullet had a desirable flat trajectory, and effective terminal ballistics with rapid yaw on impact causing severe wounds.
Larger caliber military cartridges are also optimal for machine guns to use for long-range firing, and rifles were often only made to chamber them in the interest of logistics. Japan had the 7.7 mm cartridge in use only by machine guns for years before developing a rifle for the round.
The 6.5×50 Japanese Arisaka, 6.5mm Japanese Arisaka, 6.5 Jap, or 6.5x50mmSR Arisaka is a semi-rimmed rifle cartridge with a 6.5 mm (.264) diameter bullet. Historically it has been referred to as the "6.5 Jap". The 6.5x50 Japanese Arisaka naming convention follows common European naming conventions. The first part of the cartridge's name refers to the diameter of the bullet (6.5 mm or .264 inches) followed by the case length in millimeters. It was adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in 1897, along with the Type 30 Arisaka infantry rifle and carbine.
The new rifle and cartridge replaced the 8×52mm Murata round used in the Type 22 Murata rifle. In 1902, the Imperial Japanese Navy chambered its Type 35 rifle for the cartridge as well. In 1905, the round also came to be offered in the Type 38 Arisaka infantry rifle and carbine, both of which rendered the Type 30 obsolete in Imperial Army service. Type 44 cavalry carbines, first adopted in 1911, were also chambered in 6.5×50mm. The Type 38 rifle, and Type 96 light machine gun used the 6.5 mm round, but were largely replaced by the 7.7×58mm Arisaka Type 99 rifle and Type 99 light machine gun, as the 6.5 mm was considered underpowered.
Early 6.5×50mm cartridges had a cupronickel, round-nosed bullet weighing 160 gr fired with approximately 31 gr of smokeless powder. This was later changed with the adoption of the Type 38 when Japan, in line with the other great powers around the same time, changed to the pointed, or spitzer, bullet in the first decade of the twentieth century.
The Type 38 spitzer round fired a 139 gr bullet with a powder charge of 33 grains for a muzzle velocity of around 2,500 ft/s. The Type 38 spitzer version of the 6.5×50mm cartridge remained unchanged until after the adoption of the Type 11 light machine gun in 1922. The relatively short barrel (17.5 inches) produced excessive flash with standard ammunition (initially intended for Type 38 rifles with barrel more than a foot longer). A new loading was introduced for this reason, which had a slightly lower muzzle velocity (under 100fps), but burned much more completely in the Type 11 short barrel and produced much less flash as a result. This new round was called the 6.5×50mm Arisaka genso round, the cartons identified by a circled red "G". This special ammunition was also issued to soldiers carrying the Type 96 light machine gun introduced in 1936, and to snipers issued the Type 97 sniper rifle, introduced in 1937. The advantage of the reduced charge ammunition to the sniper was that it aided in his concealment as the reduced charge rounds produced less muzzle flash than standard rounds and thus did not give away the sniper's position.
Also produced was 6.5 mm gallery ammunition, incorporating a paper or wood bullet; and dummy rounds, which were issued to Japanese forces. These were either all brass rounds or, more commonly, red varnished wood with a metal base and rim. Ammunition used in the spigot-type Japanese grenade launchers often has paper bullets and can be identified by the staked primers. There were no 6.5x50mm tracer or armor-piercing cartridges available.
The 6.5 mm Japanese round was criticized as being under-powered in comparison to American and European military cartridges such as the .30-06, .303 British, 7.92×57mm Mauser, and 7.62×54mmR. For this reason, it was replaced by the more powerful 7.7×58mm cartridge, starting in 1938, but both bullets were used until the end of the war, which created difficulty in supplying Japanese forces with the appropriate ammunition. Because of the long barrel of the Type 38 rifle, one benefit of the 6.5 mm round was that it produced very little muzzle flash and smoke. Furthermore, the 6.5 mm round with the Type 38 spitzer bullet had a desirable flat trajectory, and effective terminal ballistics with rapid yaw on impact causing severe wounds.
Larger caliber military cartridges are also optimal for machine guns to use for long-range firing, and rifles were often only made to chamber them in the interest of logistics. Japan had the 7.7 mm cartridge in use only by machine guns for years before developing a rifle for the round.
