Lindcott Armory Pistol · Military standard
5.45x18mm Soviet
Soviet miniaturized pistol cartridge developed for the PSM pistol issued to KGB and military officers.
- Caliber
- 0.2217″ · 5.63 mm
- Introduced
- 1972
- Case
- Rimless
- Primary use
- Military, Self Defense
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1972
- Type
- Pistol
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Inventor
- TsNIITochMash
- Manufacturer
- Various Soviet/Russian state factories
- Standard
- Military standard
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Rare
- Case capacity
- 7.5 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:16
- Primer
- Berdan Small Pistol
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 25,382 psi
- Eff. range
- 25 yd
- Max range
- 100 yd
- Recoil
- 0.3–0.8 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Ballistics
- By real loads
- 1,030–1,080 fps · 9 loads
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Performance
Buy links open 5.45x18mm Soviet ammunition at Rivertown Munitions.
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.63 | 0.222 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.26 | 0.246 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 7.40 | 0.291 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 16.5° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 7.64 | 0.301 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 7.64 | 0.301 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.13 | 0.044 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 4.03 | 0.159 | ≈ |
| Case length | 18.03 | 0.710 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 25.00 | 0.984 | ✓ |
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. 5.45x18mm Soviet is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 9 active loads across 8 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 20 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiocchi | FMJ Standard | 40 | FMJ | 1,080 | 104 | — |
| Barnaul | FMJ Service | 40 | FMJ | 1,050 | 98 | — |
| Norinco | FMJ | 40 | FMJ | 1,050 | 98 | — |
| Wolf Performance | FMJ | 40 | FMJ | 1,030 | 94 | — |
| NAMMO | FMJ | 40 | FMJ | 1,030 | 94 | — |
| Barnaul | FMJ Steel | 40 | FMJ Steel | 1,030 | 94 | — |
| Tula | FMJ Steel | 40 | FMJ Steel | 1,030 | 94 | — |
| Sellier & Bellot | FMJ 2.6gr Sub 40gr equiv | 40 | FMJ | 1,030 | 94 | — |
| CBC | FMJ | 40 | FMJ | 1,030 | 94 | — |
| Graf & Sons | Graf Heritage | 40 | FMJ | 1,080 | 104 | — |
| Soviet State Arsenals | FMJ Service | 40 | FMJ | 1,050 | 98 | — |
| Tula Arms Plant | FMJ Military | 40 | FMJ | 1,050 | 98 | — |
| Norma | Classic | 42 | FMJ | 1,033 | 99 | — |
| Buffalo Arms | Custom | 42 | FMJ | 1,033 | 99 | — |
| Kynoch | Classic | 42 | FMJ | 1,033 | 99 | — |
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.
Firearms chambered in 5.45x18mm Soviet
3 models in the database chamber 5.45x18mm Soviet. Browse all →
Connected reference
History
Developed in 1972 for the Pistolet Samozaryadny Malogabaritny (PSM) — 'small self-loading pistol' — as a concealed-carry sidearm for Soviet officers and intelligence agents. The tiny bottlenecked round was specifically engineered to penetrate early soft body armor, giving intelligence operatives a concealed weapon with armor-defeating capability. The PSM remains in limited service with Russian security forces. Ammunition is difficult to source outside Russia.
FAQs
- What twist rate does 5.45x18mm Soviet use?
- 5.45x18mm Soviet typically uses a 1:16 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is 5.45x18mm Soviet?
- 5.45x18mm Soviet uses a 0.2217″ (5.63 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is 5.45x18mm Soviet still in production?
- 5.45x18mm Soviet is active; typical availability is rare.
- What is 5.45x18mm Soviet used for?
- 5.45x18mm Soviet is primarily used for military, self defense.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 9 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →