Lindcott Armory 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
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
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
In production — 2 active loads across 2 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 20 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertram | FMJ Reproduction 140gr | 140 | FMJ | 2,415 | 1,813 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | FMJ Reproduction 140gr | 140 | FMJ | 2,415 | 1,813 | — |
| Graf | FMJ Standard | 140 | FMJ | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| Armscor | Standard | 140 | FMJ | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| Norma | Classic | 140 | FMJ | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| RWS | Classic | 140 | FMJ | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| Sellier & Bellot | SP | 140 | FMJ | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| Wolf | FMJ | 140 | FMJ | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| PPU | Standard | 140 | FMJ | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| Kynoch | Classic | 140 | FMJ | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Custom | 140 | FMJ | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| Kynoch | Soft Nose | 140 | Soft Nose | 2,530 | 1,989 | — |
| RWS | Classic | 140 | Soft Point | 2,500 | 1,943 | — |
| Royal Ordnance Factory Radway Green | FMJ Ball EM-2 | 140 | FMJ | 2,415 | 1,813 | — |
| Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield | Ball FMJ 140gr | 140 | FMJ | 2,415 | 1,813 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
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 →