300 AAC Blackout (7.62×35 mm), SAAMI short name “300 BLK” is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M4 rifle.
History
Since its inception as the standard US military primary issue rifle ammunition the 5.56×45mm NATO round has run up against firm opposition from those who argue that the 30 caliber round provides the minimum, if not ideal, performance necessary for the modern battlefield soldier. While 5.56mm NATO has enjoyed widespread acceptance in military circles, the fluid nature of the missions that some special operations groups encounter often demand a round that not only provides better performance in the high energy standard velocity rounds but also one that can offer subsonic performance greater than the current standard 9mm submachine guns now in use.
In an effort to satisfy this need the 300 AAC Blackout (whose existence was first made public by an article in Military Times.) was created by Advanced Armament Corp. in cooperation with Remington Defense, under the direction of AAC’s Research and Development Director Robert Silvers.
Project goals were:
- Create a reliable compact 30-cal solution for AR platform
- Utilize existing inventory magazines while retaining their full capacity
- Create the optimal platform for sound and flash suppressed fire
- Create compatible supersonic ammo that matches 7.62×39mm ballistics
- Provide the ability to penetrate barriers with high-mass projectiles
- Provide all capabilities in a lightweight, durable, low recoiling package
Meeting these goals allowed the development team to negate many of the perceived drawbacks inherent to other large caliber cartridges when used in the M4 platform. Colt Firearmsand other arms makers had previously chambered AR pattern rifles and carbines in various 30 caliber rounds but several issues were encountered. In the case of the 7.62×39, its relatively severe case angle caused feeding issues unless specially modified AK47 magazines were used and even then results were less than outstanding. Modified bolts were also needed owing to its larger case head diameter. Rounds such as the 6.8spc and 6.5 Grendel had similar part-interchangeability issues but did allow for the use of the standard M4/M16 30 round magazine albeit with a reduced capacity.
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