Rifle · Military · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardizedObsolete
.5 Vickers V/580
The .5 Vickers V/580 (12.7x81mm rimless) was the British .5-inch Vickers machine-gun cartridge, introduced in 1923 and adopted for service in 1924, firing a 580 gr bullet at about 2,460 fps..
- Caliber
- 0.5138″ · 13.05 mm
- Introduced
- 1923
- Case
- Rimless
- Primary use
- Military
- Status
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Introduced
- 1923
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Inventor
- Vickers (Vickers-Armstrongs)
- Manufacturer
- Vickers; Royal Ordnance factories
- Standard
- Military · Not SAAMI standardized · Not standardized
- SAAMI
- Not SAAMI standardized
- Obsolete
- Obsolete
- Status
- Obsolete
- Availability
- Collector
- Case capacity
- 211.5 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:20
- Primer
- Berdan
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 35,500 psi, CIP transducer
- Eff. range
- 800 yd
- Max range
- 6250 yd
- Recoil
- 249.8–396.6 ft·lb
Ballistics
Velocity only, no drag model: no published ballistic coefficient is on file for .5 Vickers V/580, 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.
VMGCRA · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 13.05 | 0.514 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 13.70 | 0.539 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 17.41 | 0.685 | |
| Shoulder angle | 23° | — | |
| Base ⌀ | 18.37 | 0.723 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 18.30 | 0.720 | · |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.99 | 0.078 | |
| Neck length | 13.48 | 0.531 | |
| Case length | 81.20 | 3.197 | · |
| Overall length | 107.00 | 4.213 | · |
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 Vickers V/580 is highlighted below.
Missing a dimension for .5 Vickers V/580? 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.
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Evolved from WWI .600/.500 experiments; final rimless form c.1921; adopted 1924. The semi-rimmed V/565 export version became the 12.7x81mmSR.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .5 Vickers V/580 use?
- .5 Vickers V/580 typically uses a 1:20 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .5 Vickers V/580?
- .5 Vickers V/580 uses a 0.5138″ (13.05 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .5 Vickers V/580 still in production?
- .5 Vickers V/580 is obsolete; typical availability is collector.
- What is .5 Vickers V/580 used for?
- .5 Vickers V/580 is primarily used for military.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
