A TFB reader recently sent me these photos of the “44 Bore” cartridge from Pakistan. Despite much of the Federally Administered Tribal Area’s (FATA) lawlessness, there is a significant legal firearms community in Pakistan. Pakistani law stipulates that military calibers such as 9x19mm, 5.56x45mm, or 7.62x51mm are illegal to own. Thus the Pakistani legal firearms community more or less “creates” alternative cartridges for recreation and sporting usage.

The 44 Bore is one such cartridge. Forgotten Weapons and ARES have excellent resources on the round, if you want to further investigate the technical particulars of it. But essentially, Pakistani gunmakers have created a chamber that is fitted to 7.92x33mm Kurz, but with a 7.62mm bore. The bore constricts the 7.92mm bullet down to 7.62 as it travels down the barrel. However, these same rifles can fire Kalashnikov 7.62x39mm rounds as well. The casing actually expands within the chamber of the 44 Bore, creating double shoulders, leading to three total shoulders on the neck of the case. I assume extraction and ejection isn’t affected, or else the practice would be popular at all.

This particular round that was sent in with photos appears to have been head-stamped as 7.62×54, making it an incorrect head-stamping because it isn’t even remotely a rimmed case to begin with. Nonetheless, the case itself is a recovered 44 Bore expended case.

Much Thanks to TFB Reader Sameed H. for sending these in!