SubscribeToday RUAG offers no doubt the widest spectrum of lead-free ammunition of the calibres 5.56mm and 9mm for armed forces and the authorities.
Much importance is attached to meeting or even surpassing the traditional demands imposed as regards precision and penetration capacity.
More value throughout the life cycle thanks to new design
RUAG's objective is to provide the market with an ammunition which satisfies all modern requirements not only in respect of precision and penetration capacity, but also applying to the environment. So far, squaring of the circle was seen as a problem of similar difficulty. However, after years of research and development, a whole range of combat and practice ammunition of the calibres 5.56mm and 9mm can now be offered to both armed forces and authorities. Below the biggest advantages at a glance:
- Uncompromising in penetration capacity and precision, meets the MOPI requirement (NATO) without problems.
- The projectile's integrity is maintained thanks to the new design. The international conventions are fully complied with.
- Lead-free projectile.
- Low-pollution primer of the latest generation.
- Being free of diphenylamine (DPA, carcinogenic), the newly-developed propellant is gentle on the environment. It is also resistant to high temperature, which enhances its storage life.
- The wear on the barrel and accordingly the weapon life have been improved substantially compared with conventional ammunition.
- Critical parts of training sites can be disposed of less expensively since they don't contain lead and antimony any more.
- In service or at the procurement stage with several Western European Armies.
- The ammunition is production ready, samples can be supplied at any time.
The new projectile design
Instead of lead, a special design consisting of two tombac jackets slid into each other is used. This novelty is referred to as the „SELF technology" and protected by various patents. The acronym SELF stands for Safe Environment Lead-Free. The RUAG projectiles made up of the hollow jacket and jacket core feature a hollow centre.
This provides the projectile with elastic properties which are unique among the lead-free combat cartridges. It also ensures low barrel strain, a controlled resistance to being pressed into the barrel profile and minimal chip formation. By placing a steel core in the hollow space it is possible to produce a projectile of type SS109 displaying the same properties.
The new ammunition of RUAG is more powerful than conventional cartridges with lead!
For a long time lead-free projectiles had the general reputation of being less powerful than comparable projectiles containing lead. The standards specified with regards to penetration capacity, precision and energy could hardly be met so far without resorting to lead or other metals. However, the NATO targets (STANAG 4172) are now penetrated without problems also by a lead-free ammunition. The SELF technology of RUAG Ammotec thus amounts to nothing less than a shift of paradigm and sets new benchmarks. It proves that the lead can be eliminated without loss of performance and precision!
 | On impacting a hard target, the new RUAG projectile passes the kinetic energy on to the steel core |
 | The „snowball impact effect" of conventional lead ammunition causes the dissipation of much energy on impact, i.e. the steel core loses momentum. |
Highest precision for a standard ammunition
Products based on the novel SELF technology convince by their high precision and reliability. The 5.56 mm cartridges achieve the legendary precision of the GP 90 of the Swiss Army and thereby exceed the NATO requirements. At 600 m the new standard ammunition surpasses the MOPI specification of sa <225 mm with sa <100 mm brilliantly.
A similar situation prevails with the 9 mm Luger: At a distance of 25 m a dispersion circle of <100 mm and at 50 m one of <200 mm are ample proof of a mature concept.
RUAG thus succeeds in combining the requirements with regards to performance and ecology with the demands for reasonable costs, which is equal to the squaring of the circle in the production of ammunition.
The development of these powerful lead-free projectiles and their industrial production underpin the traditionally high innovation capability of RUAG Ammotec.
Berne, 26 March 2007