The cartridge is designed in the USSR 1955 by designer M.N.Blyumom for hunting small and medium game. As a basis sleeve of 7,62h39 cartridge was taken and it was Dultsev pereobzhato a bullet of smaller diameter. Commercially available two versions of this cartridge - with a bullet shell weighing 2,8 gram and the initial velocity 1200 m / s and with a soft point bullet weighing 3,5 gram and the initial velocity 1000 m / s. The first option is designed for the shooting of fur-bearing animals, since the high-speed bullet provides a flat trajectory and does not spoil the animal skin. The second option is suitable for hunting medium-sized (wolf, roe).
Available as a sports version of the cartridge 5,6h39 mm IBO to exercise "running deer", but for hunting weapons it is not suitable because of the increased maximum pressure in the barrel. The main types of weapons under this cartridge - hunting carbines "Bars" from the sliding bolt. Recently at Izhmash made semi-automatic carbine "Saiga-5.6" for this cartridge. In the US, on the basis of the munition, called .22 Russian, created two of its ammunition for hunting and target shooting - .22 RRS and 6 mm PPC. It is built on the basis of the same cartridge casings from 7,62h39 mm, They have a caliber bullets 5,56 mm (.224) and 6 mm, respectively,. According to its characteristics and 5,6h39 mm, and .22 PPC is substantially higher than the widespread ammunition .223 Remington.
Caliber 5,6 mm
The diameter of the bullet 5,6 mm
bullet weight 2,8 or 3,5 g
Muzzle velocity 1200 or 1000 m / s
muzzle energy 2016 or 1750 J.