Rifle · Military
4.73x33mm Caseless
Caseless ammunition developed for the Heckler & Koch G11 assault rifle; projectile, propellant, and primer formed into a single block with no metallic case; passed German military trials but never adopted..
- Caliber
- 0.1937″ · 4.92 mm
- Introduced
- 1990
- Case
- Combustible_block
- Status
- Discontinued
- Introduced
- 1990
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- Germany
- Inventor
- Heckler & Koch
- Standard
- Military
- Status
- Discontinued
- Availability
- Rare
- Primer
- Caseless (combustible propellant)
- Case type
- Combustible_block
- Max pressure
- 63,000 psi
- Eff. range
- 400 yd
Ballistics
Velocity only, no drag model: no published ballistic coefficient is on file for 4.73x33mm Caseless, so this is the shape gravity alone gives the advertised velocity. Drag would steepen it. The tool below solves real loads through their published G1 or G7 model.
Open in Ballistic Compare- 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.
SAAMI · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 4.92 | 0.194 | ~ |
| Neck ⌀ | — | — | |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 7.76 | 0.306 | ~ |
| Rim ⌀ | — | — | |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | — | — | |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 32.83 | 1.293 | · |
| Overall length | 32.83 | 1.293 | · |
Missing a dimension for 4.73x33mm Caseless? Some case measurements aren't in a published SAAMI/CIP drawing yet. Have a factory or reamer print? Send it → — verified hard-to-find data earns a free Lindcott sticker.
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.
Firearms chambered in 4.73x33mm Caseless
1 model in the database chamber 4.73x33mm Caseless. Browse all →
Connected reference
History
Developed over 20+ years by Heckler & Koch and Dynamit Nobel for the G11 assault rifle, the 4.73x33mm Caseless represents the most advanced small arms ammunition ever produced. The entire cartridge — projectile, propellant block, and primer — is a single unit with no metallic case to extract. The G11 passed German military trials and was slated for adoption when German reunification defense budget cuts cancelled the program in 1990. General Pershing reportedly called it the most significant development in small arms since the original metallic cartridge.
FAQs
- What bullet diameter is 4.73x33mm Caseless?
- 4.73x33mm Caseless uses a 0.1937″ (4.92 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is 4.73x33mm Caseless still in production?
- 4.73x33mm Caseless is discontinued; typical availability is rare.
Sources & provenance
- Reference Journal-Verlag Schwend (Wolfgang Seel) — Die G11 Story: Die Entwicklungsgeschichte einer neuen Waffentechnik · velocity
- Secondary Wikipedia (pointer) — Heckler & Koch G11 · bullet ⌀, velocity, grain weights, year archived
- Secondary The Armourer's Bench — An Introduction to the Heckler & Koch G11 archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →