9×30mm Grom

The 9×30mm Grom (Гром., Russian for Thunder) is a Russian round developed between 1992 and 1993, designed for the Gepard (submachine gun), it answers the need to defeat 6B2 body armor at a range of 100 meters.^[2][1]

9×30mm Grom
Place of origin	Russia
Production history
Designed	1992–1993
Specifications
Parent case	5.45×39mm (also blank)
Case type	Rimless, tapered
Bullet diameter	9.02 mm (0.355 in)
Land diameter	8.82 mm (0.347 in)value from 9×19mm
Neck diameter	9.65 mm (0.380 in)value from 9×19mm
Base diameter	9.93 mm (0.391 in)value from 9×19mm
Rim diameter	9.96 mm (0.392 in)value from 9×19mm
Rim thickness	1.27 mm (0.050 in)value from 9×19mm
Case length	30.05–30.20 mm (1.183–1.189 in)
Overall length	40.8–41.1 mm (1.61–1.62 in)
Case capacity	1.43cm3, with bullet inserted 1.11cm3
Maximum pressure	260 MPa (38,000 psi)
Filling weight	0.88–1.05 g
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 6.42–6.55 g (99–101 gr) Standard 600–610 m/s (2,000–2,000 ft/s) 1,155.6–1,218.6 J (852.3–898.8 ft⋅lbf) 6.70–6.74 g (103–104 gr) Armor piercing 590–600 m/s (1,900–2,000 ft/s) 1,166.1–1,213.2 J (860.1–894.8 ft⋅lbf)
Test barrel length: Gepard (submachine gun) Source(s): [1]

Development

A regular and an armor piercing variant were designed, the non-armor piercing bullet taken from the 9×19mm Parabellum and the armor piercing bullet was taken from the RG054 cartridge, it has a black painted tip.^[1]

The case is a cutdown 5.45×39mm (also blankfiring) round, manufactured from phosphate varnished steel. The propellants used are pyroxylin (standard Soviet pistol powder "П-45","П-125" also used for blankfiring 5.45×39mm and 7.62×39mm) or smokeless powder consisting of spherical ellipsoids which measure from 0.45–0.75mm, resulting in powder density of 0.95g/cm³.^[1]

See also

• 9×23mm Winchester
• 9×25mm Mauser
• 9mm Winchester Magnum
• 9×25mm Dillon – shorter but wider 9mm bottlenecked cartridge with the same capacity
• .357 Magnum – similar rimmed cartridge