7.62 NATO

About 7.62 NATO

7.62 NATO is the military counterpart to .308 Winchester, and on this site it appears most often on suppressors and muzzle devices — where the number describes bore diameter and covers every .30-calibre cartridge a can is rated for, not one specific round.

For rifles and ammunition the distinction from .308 matters. The cases are dimensionally close and the chambers are not identical: military chambers are cut more generously and commercial .308 runs at higher pressure. Firing .308 Winchester in a rifle chambered and marked 7.62 NATO is the direction that warrants caution. Read the barrel marking, and when in doubt ask the manufacturer rather than the internet.