The new 6.5×25 CBJ is a high performance cartridge system with the following key characteristics:

• High velocity, V₀ of 730 – 900m/s depending on barrel length
• Optional penetration, from minimal to extreme
• High hit probability due to low recoil and good ballistic performance
• High wounding effect
• High system flexibility

More information about the individual cartridges in the 6.5×25 CBJ cartridge system can be found in the menu above, or by clicking these links:

6.5×25 CBJ APDS, 6.5×25 CBJ HET, 6.5×25 CBJ Subsonic AP, 6.5×25 CBJ HP, 6.5×25 CBJ Frangible, 6.5×25 CBJ Blank, 6.5×25 CBJ Drill.

 

 

Weapon effectiveness

There are many factors that constitute weapon effectiveness, other than bullet performance in bare tissue even if this, of course, is critical. Weapon effectiveness can be defined as the ability of a soldier or police officer armed with a certain weapon system (weapon and cartridge) to defeat an enemy. This in turn is a function of how well the weapon system is adapted to the skills of the person using the weapon, the characteristics of the target and the combat environment. Focusing on the weapon system, this means there are three main aspects to consider, which are as follows in order of importance.

1. The ability to hit the target.
2. To have sufficient penetration to defeat barriers protecting the target and then penetrate deep enough in the target to reach vital structures to incapacitate reliably.
3. To have a high energy transfer to the target in order to increase the chance of rapid incapacitation.

 

Assault rifles are increasingly used for applications that used to be typical for submachine guns, like close quarter battle etc. On the other hand, assault rifles too have important limitations. Firepower is reduced due to higher recoil and there are problems with overheating. They are heavy, and due to their length awkward to handle in vehicles and confined spaces. Attempts to make them more compact by shortening the barrel have resulted in significantly reduced wounding power, due to reduced muzzle velocity.

How the 6.5×25 CBJ solves it

Realizing this, CBJ Tech AB has developed a cartridge system based on the new caliber 6.5×25 CBJ. In combination with suitable weapons, the 6.5×25 CBJ covers the full range of applications traditionally covered by everything from pistols up to and in most cases including short assault rifles, and offers high firepower and superior penetration and wounding power at full combat ranges in any combat situation.

According to the criteria for weapon effectiveness stated above, the following applies for the 6.5×25 CBJ cartridge system:

1. Hit probability is increased because of the low recoil generated, allowing rapid firing at high precision, and in the case of fully automatic weapons, the ability to fire accurate bursts. Also, at longer ranges and at moving targets the high retained velocity of the bullet with resulting flat trajectory and short time of flight to the target reduces the need of compensation, which greatly simplifies aiming.
2. The required penetration depends on the situation. For instance, the combat soldier generally needs more penetration than the average police officer. Within the 6.5×25 CBJ cartridge family, the entire spectrum of penetration is covered, from maximum penetration against tough targets to minimum penetration against unprotected targets in sensitive environments.
3. The different variants of the 6.5×25 CBJ have high energy and effective means to transfer it to soft tissue, resulting in a high wounding effect.

The 6.5×25 CBJ cartridge is of course primarily intended to be used in weapons designed and optimized for this caliber.

However it is also designed to be used in 9×19 Parabellum weapons, converted by barrel change to the 6.5×25 CBJ. The cartridge generates the same level of impulse as the 9×19 Parabellum, which assures functioning of the weapons. The bolt face, groove and cartridge case up to the shoulder of the 6.5×25 CBJ are identical to the 9×19 Parabellum, as is the total length of the cartridge, 29.7mm.

This makes the transition to the new caliber easy. Another benefit is that existing stocks of 9×19 Parabellum ammunition can still be used for training instead of being scrapped.

 

There are many different potential users for the 6.5×25 CBJ, primarily within the military and law enforcement sector, with accordingly different demands. This includes personnel armed with pistol or PDW for personal defense and regular police units, as well as units with offensive tasks, like SWAT, Special Forces, units specialized in urban warfare, Security Forces etc.

In order to be highly effective in all situations, the 6.5×25 CBJ has several cartridge alternatives, none of which contains any toxic material.

For training, there are cost effective alternatives. For combat, there are different cartridge alternatives depending on the situation and desired performance.

The development of the combat ammunition has followed a number of criteria, mainly:

• The bullet shall be effective within the entire desired combat range
• It must be able to penetrate any reasonable barrier typical for the application without breaking apart
• After penetrating such barriers it has to be able to penetrate at least 30cm of soft tissue to cause reliable incapacitation from any angle of impact
• After achieving the above, it shall have as high energy transfer to the target as possible

To assure effectiveness, extensive testing has been conducted. A comprehensive overview of this can be found at the Testing Page.

Logistical benefits

Many tactical benefits granted by the 6.5×25 CBJ stems from high firepower, that is the ability to accurately fire many rounds in a short period of time. This however requires that an ample supply of ammunition can be carried by the soldier without increasing weight or bulk.