6.5×53mmR | ||||||||
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![]() Military cartridge | ||||||||
Type | Military rifle cartridge | |||||||
Place of origin | Austria-Hungary | |||||||
Service history | ||||||||
In service | 1893-1945 | |||||||
Used by | Netherlands Romania Kingdom of Portugal | |||||||
Wars | Aceh War World War I World War II | |||||||
Production history | ||||||||
Designed | 1892 | |||||||
Specifications | ||||||||
Case type | Rimmed, bottleneck | |||||||
Bullet diameter | 6.65 mm (0.262 in) | |||||||
Neck diameter | 7.55 mm (0.297 in) | |||||||
Shoulder diameter | 10.75 mm (0.423 in) | |||||||
Base diameter | 11.48 mm (0.452 in) | |||||||
Rim diameter | 13.4 mm (0.53 in) | |||||||
Rim thickness | 1.25 mm (0.049 in) | |||||||
Case length | 53 mm (2.1 in) | |||||||
Ballistic performance | ||||||||
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Source(s): Rifles and Machine Guns .256 Mannlicher / 6.5x53R Reloading Data |
The 6.5×53mmR or .256 Mannlicher is a late 19th-century rimmed centerfire military rifle cartridge similar to other early smokeless powder designs. It was the first of a series of 6.5-millimetre (0.26 in) Mannlicher cartridges and became the standard Romanian service rifle cartridge from 1893 to 1938, and the standard Dutch service rifle cartridge from 1895 to 1945. Dutch ammunition with cartridge cases made of brass (pre-occupation) or steel (under German occupation) may be encountered on the American surplus market. In both instances, the primer pocket is Berdan-style, of an unusual type (Roth-patent), and features a central flash hole running through the center of the integral Berdan anvil. When examining fired cases from the inside with a flashlight, this design gives the false impression of a Boxer primed cartridge case.
Empty Dutch Mannlicher en-bloc clip
Comparison of .303 British with .256 Mannlicher
For the handloader, Boxer-primed cartridge cases can be made by resizing and trimming .303" British brass.