Rifle · SAAMI
.280 British
The .280 British (7x43mm) was a purpose-designed intermediate cartridge developed by Britain in the late 1940s as a universal round — capable of feeding automatic rifles, light machine guns, and serving as a sniper round at extended range.
- Caliber
- 0.284″ · 7.214 mm
- Introduced
- 1948
- Case
- Rimless
- Primary use
- Military (Historical)
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1948
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Inventor
- British Small Arms Committee
- Manufacturer
- British Military
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Common
- Case capacity
- 57 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:9
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 45,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 750 yd
- Max range
- 1200 yd
- Recoil
- 11–16 ft·lb
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .280 British.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
Wikipedia · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 7.21 | 0.284 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 7.95 | 0.313 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 11.38 | 0.448 | ~ |
| Shoulder angle | 18.5° | — | ~ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.94 | 0.470 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 12.01 | 0.473 | ~ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.24 | 0.049 | · |
| Neck length | 7.40 | 0.291 | ≈ |
| Case length | 43.42 | 1.709 | · |
| Overall length | 64.52 | 2.540 | ~ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .280 British is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Connected reference
History
Developed by the British after WWII as a more practical combat round than full-power .30-06. Studies showed most combat engagements occurred under 400 yards. The U.S. rejected it, insisting on a full-power 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge instead. The British eventually capitulated in 1953.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .280 British use?
- .280 British typically uses a 1:9 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .280 British?
- .280 British uses a 0.284″ (7.214 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .280 British still in production?
- .280 British is active; typical availability is common.
- What is .280 British used for?
- .280 British is primarily used for military (historical).
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 2 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →